So like a lot of you (I’m guessing), I went through a rut of just not being inspired by sups lately. The buzz of a dawn surf, the lack of new posts on this forum, second hand market drying up, it just lost its shine. I’m sure that many feel the same judging by the few responses and posts on the sup pages in the last year.

That was.. until… I put some hipster twin fins in my smik spitfire!
It’s given me a whole new lease on life with supping and ‘fin exploration’.
I’ve played a round with fins a lot over the years but the last two weeks have really opened my eyes again- and would strongly suggest doing the same. The same board, but with subtle changes to fins can have crazy differences.

Firstly- swapping the hipster twin fins on my spitfire was absolutely nuts. A level of looseness and pivot I have never experienced on a sup. I’ve never surfed tighter turns (once dialed in). Running a 3.5” trailer fin was the key in this combo.
Shift that little fin back in the box and it stiffened it up nicely- shift it forward about 5-6cm and it’s crazy looser. Never thought the spitfire would be a small-wave ripper, but with the hipster twins and trailer moved right forward, it rips!!

Compared to Keels (which was my first trial), it is night and day. The keels hold down the line, but don’t pivot the same at all. Same middle trailer fin.

So I went to Bali and rented an 8’0 x 28 98l twin fin sup. Heavy double concave, still a bit of volume in the tail.
Day 1 at KFC / Keramas in 1.5-2xOH. It came with stiff twin fins, no centre fin.
I added my 3.5” trailer back in the box. The board stuck some solid waves but was very stiff and hard to drive or turn. Nothing like my 8’2 smik.
Day 1.5. I drove up the coast to Kolok. Moved the centre fin up a lot as the waves were 2-3ft. It definitely helped, but still top turns a little sluggish, but started to get drive and release.

Day 2: I switched out the twin fins with the fins from the hipster. In comparison they were lighter, more flexible and more upright than the twins that came with the board. Hexcore, rather than hand foiled glass.
I surfed kolok again- the board was more lively for sure and a good blend.
Day 2.5- I went back to keramas where the waves were really wedging up on the reef and creating punchy as OH waves. A few talented locals getting the odd barrel. I moved the centre fin right back.
I paddled into the first one and the board just shot down the line, I could pump and make it around the barrel section, and continue down into the river mouth channel.
At that size, this fin combo felt on the limit for control and good for down the line, but on the edge for a turn. The board is also not a step-up or shortboard shape too remember.

Day 3- I scooter to airport rights in Jimbaran. I take off my smik fins / centre fin and put in just the straight twins it came
With. No trailer fin. The waves were punchy slightly overhead.
HOLY SMOKES, this was different again! It was soo loose, I found it hard to control on the first few waves.
Same fins that I found too stiff with the trailer fin right forward in the box, just crazy loose without it.
I had to really nurse it round for some cutbacks but then it was just soo much fun. Fast and loose. It felt like a totally different board again.

It was such a good experiment. Same board, different fins. Different (and same) waves. And totally different outcomes with small changes.

I’ve never been a fan of US fin boxes, but this trip really opened my eyes to the adjustments that can be made. A couple of times in the surf I even rolled the board over and moved the fin placement.