Puetz said...Hey guys,
great info, cheers for that.
I've riden my Airush 5'10" Cypher only once with 3 fins, usually 4 fins and wanted to get a bit more of a carve in my gybes, a bit more drawn out but find the board sort of stalls a bit so to maintain the carve I had to snap it more and use the kite. Easy enough but I thought, is it the fins that could be doing this to me???
So I tried the thruster setup but the fin I used came from my old Cyclone surfboard and its smaller than the others. Not thinking this would be a problem but then I got thinking, would the size matter. I noticed some boards have smaller center fins, mates Cabrinha comes to mind, but how much smaller should or could they be? Would a larger one help?
I used to know the ins and outs of different fins back in my pole boarding days but surfboards being used as kite board have slightly different rules to apply due to kite pull etc etc.
Thanks for your time,
cheers,
Robbie

There is a whole industry dedicated to fins.
Again its complicated depending on the board shape as well as the feel you want to achieve.
Have a read of these two links, they may help or confuse you.
futuresfins.com/?SID=ee19e89d1e23a74c9f6c7323777bfd57www.surffcs.com/us/products/foils.aspx?pid=e3e73cf5-bded-4c60-a05c-5157467e1a22Generally speaking for a short board the thruster fins are all the same size, the centre one is a 50/50 foil, with the side ones a flat foil. I use FCS M5's on my everyday surfboard, (6' 4" thruster). If the swell picks up I will go to M7's but not often. I am 83-85 Kg and most board shops will steer me to M7's but I prefer the M5's for general surf.
My surfboard, quad fish (6' 0''), is setup with slightly larger fins (FCS M3) at the front with a flat foil and the slightly smaller fins (FCS G-X) with 50/50 foil at the back.
The above setups are very generic, they work well for me and the FCS fins I use are toward the lower end of the market. They are by no means perfect or the best setup or the best fins. I have just given you a rough idea so you can search the above websites and make up your own mind.
Everyone has their own idea on what fin brand, size and setup is best for them. The conditions and wave type dictates different fins, even your weight and height will have an effect on your setup along with board shape etc.
If you can go to your local board shop , they will steer you in the right direction. Maybe go to the BWS website and send them an email.