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Hey guys, I have a 12'6 NSP cocomat touring race board ( http://www.nspsurfboards.com/sup/products/boards/touring--12-6 ) and have mainly been using it for paddling around in the harbour. A couple of months ago, I put a 9.75" FCS general purpose style fin in the board
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and used the board to catch come small waves at the beach, which it did quite well.
However, yesterday (having not caught waves on the board since that last session) I was out in the harbour trying to catch some small waves at a bit of a point break, and every time I got on a wave, the board would very easily start digging a rail into the water from which there was no recovery and the board would roll me off. Yesterday, I had the stock 12" downwind fin the board came with in
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).
I'm wondering, could this change in how the board handles the wave be purely due to the change in fin, or am I doing something wrong? Any other tips on catching waves (not breaking waves, just wide ones that roll around a point) on a board like that would be much appreciated 
Yes, it could be the fin. Unsurprisingly perhaps, surf fins surf better than fins designed for flat water or downwinding. But it could also be you. When surfing raceboards you really have to get all of your weight right back pretty much as far as you can go. I often surf my 14-17ft boards with my back foot right on the leash plug. It has to be over the fin at the very least. You often need to use your paddle to turn as well, and really haul the board round, pivoting around the fin.
I'm not a fan of those straight up and down fins like you show in your picture. I don't think they do anything well, and they collect weed at an alarming rate. I think it's a hang over from windsurfing. But the dynamics of surfing or even SUP downwinding, are very different.
Fin selection ,a bit of a science in itself ask any long boarder.It is worth going to a fin manufacturers' site and reading up on shape ,flex, length etc .True ames in the US have a site for their fins and if you select say" surf "and pick a fin you will find a section to go to that explains most of it,great reading.I think there is lots of info on the net that will help.The surf fin you have is pretty standard,as is the Greenough A4 ,good starting point ,start moving it around in the box see what happens.
), ). 
