Surfboard Fins

Surfboard fins are funny things. The earliest surfboards didn’t have fins, and still worked well. But as soon as the first person added a fin to the bottom of his (or her) board, the world wondered how surfers ever got by without them.

The basic function of a surfboard fin is to provide extra stability for the surfboard, enable it to hold its line the surf better, and also to enhance the speed of the board. Most longboards use one large surfboard fin, whereas minimals and shortboards tend to use two or three fins set out in a triangle formation.

Surfboard fins are traditionally been made out of wood or a strong resin that does not become brittle in cold temperatures. Modern surfboard fins however have started using a honeycomb core design that keeps weight very low, but ensures the fin is strong in all dimensions.

Some fins are moulded into the bottom of the board and so are not removable, but the vast majority of surfboard fins are interchangeable. We say interchangeable, but the reality is that the FCS system has a bit of a monopoly on fin design and most surfboard manufacturers now build their boards to be compatible only the FCS style connection. This connection basically consists of two protruding teeth from the fin fitting into two equally sized holes in the board and locking into place with grub screws that are tightened using fin key (a glorified Alan Key).