Anyone have a tried and trusted favourite? And any new/upcoming designs about to come to market?
I've tried heap and found this new fin from FCS to be the best..
It's just a classic 9'' dolphin shape.. but being tool-less and very cheap is an added bonus.. 
[about 60 bucks]
Check out VMG Blades. They have 2 sizes of down winding fin. Beau OBrian, Trevor Tunnington, Titouan Puyo , Terrene Black and heaps of the pros can't be wrong.
Select to expand quoteAUS4 said..
ka43 said..
Check out VMG Blades.
If you want to go fast. 
Fins do a lot of thing.. but IMO going fast is not one of them.. .. Maybe it's a placebo effect.. 
I'm a fin guy.. I love fins.. but sometimes they're a bit like bling.. 
The Larry Allison/Jeremy Riggs Arecor fin is another excellent DW fin..
So many great fins out there.. Shame most cost so much..
Select to expand quoteAndyR said..
^^^^
Expensive though 
Pay peanuts you get monkeys.
Select to expand quoteAUS4 said...AndyR said..
^^^^
Expensive though
Pay peanuts you get monkeys.
But DJ just payed $60 and has what he thinks is one of the best fins in his collection and he has many a fins.. So i disagree with that statement in the fin department.. And most other fins on the market are half the price of the VMG's and there are many good ones out there I guess it just comes down to what you want and like..
Don't get me wrong I've paddled a board with the VMG and from my little experiance I reckon its a top fin design.. I was just put off by the price
Select to expand quote4XL said..
Where can I get 1 (2) of the vmg fins, and do they do a flatwater fin(s)?
cheers
s
Check them out on Facebook and I'm sure Chris can put you in touch with the WA retailers. :)
Standup Surf Shop have stock of VMG Blades fins. Get in contact with Cam and he'll help you out.
Yes there is a Flatwater fin. The Mako Time Trial, which was recently used by Trevor Tunnington to win the Fastest Paddler On Earth race at the Lost Mills.
If you aren't close to Standup Surf Shop, PM me and we can organise something.
The R & D, construction and materials of these fins gets you the leading race fin. They are so light they float. The design and performance has been proven on the world stage with our Team riders winning and on the podium at some of the biggest races around the world.
These are fins purely designed and built for racing....
Select to expand quoteChris Ting said...
These are fins purely designed and built for racing....
What does that mean? A good fin is a good fin. Does this kind of statement just mean that they are outrageously expensive and marketed in a way that aims to impress the easily impressed (aka the "this [insert equipment item of your choice] will make you 10% faster" marketing rule)?
thanks guys, appreciate the views and a few to try.
Chris any probs fitting them in SIC fin boxes?
Area10 any SIC fin box related issues for you - US standard base versus US Surf Pro base?
a bit frustrating dropping decent coin on something and having to attack it or your board with a chisel and/ or rough grit!
Hi Grenfell,
There's so many different Fin boxes out there, it's hard to make a fin to suit everything with out having to make an adjustment. The SIC has a shallower fin box, so on our fins, there is a little step at the front which would need to be removed so that the front of the fin sits flush.
Trust me, I totally understand the frustration of different fin box sizing, but there's really no other way around it in this case.
A chisel is not the best tool to use for this. Either a file or sandpaper works best.
A friend of mine sent me a link to a Futures Fin blurb about a "hydrofoil" type of DW fin. Looked pretty cool. But i can't find any more info on it...
www.towerpaddleboards.com/SUP-Fins-s/46.htm
and there seems to be a few others...
IMO.. Those fins should offer offer some good.. drag.. 
Great if going slower is what you're after..
I might be wrong.. Who wants to be the guinea pig..
IMO the best fins are those that are so nutral you don't know they're there but still offer tracking.. stability.. and surf-ability..
I'm not a fan of fins that do funny things.. like steer the board.. or resist turning the board.. or creat any lift.. or drag.. that you can notice..
is there any logic in having a heavier for fin for downwinding?
I received a Black Project Maliko Race fin and am surprised at how heavy it is compared to a VMG!
Wondering if anyone has tried the Danny Ching FCS or Futures The Runner 8.25" Black Lime Carbon fins, I'm looking for a predominately flatwater fin but like others am scared by the price of the VMG.
www.surffcs.com.au/products/fcs-ii-danny-ching-sup-fin
www.futuresfins.com.au/the-runner-8-25-black-lime-carbon/
Funny DJ that's the one I was leaning to as well, looks like it might be a good all rounder.
I like to experiment with fins and see how they affect the boards performance. Have tried lots including the VMG, Gerry lopez, Eric Terrien and most recently the Danny Ching fin ( I wait for them all to go on sale and buy them or steal/borrow them off friends ) The Danny Ching FCS fin is a solid fin, that offers good drive and tracking when paddling hard and still allows the boards to turn quite nicely to steer on runners and on pivot turns. I've used it in a couple of boards so far, and as DJ said the best fins are the ones that you don't really notice. All of the above fins have been really positive. I have used some average ones as well like the FCS triangle cutaway (huge too much drag), and 4 inch dolphin fin (too small no drive) not to mention some of the old fins that came stock with the older boards. Any ways sorry for the long answer to the above q re Danny Ching fin - good fin! It all depends on what board you paddle and what conditions you paddle in.
Thanks for the feedback on the Danny Ching, I'm a bit like you Bleachy I like to try different fins to see what changes, good or bad they have on various boards, and like you I'm happy to wait for fins to go on sale. Picked up one of the FCS Connect fins today for the wife's new Blue Planet Wave Guru as I think it will suit her uses and I picked up the futures keel large thermo fin for my new BP Dark Horse for a total of $100 for both fins. Will report back on how they go once they arrive.
