Fins

Fins are probably the most important part of your board. They are the things that give you traction when you’re riding on the wave. Fins come in many shapes, sizes, flexibilities, and color and they all make your board ride differently. You may think that you can just put any type of fins on your board but you’re wrong. First you need to buy fins that are the right size for your board. Then you need to find fins that will fit into your fin plugs on your board.

There are two different types of fins. The first is the glassed on fins, these are really sturdy but it they break then you are screwed. So I would recommend on getting a board with fin plugs so you can change out your fins every once in a while. The second types of fins are removable fins. The two main brands of removable fins are FCS and Future fins. The differences between these two brands are the fin plugs (make sure that your buying fins that will fit in your boards fin plug). The length of the fins makes a huge difference in your turning abilities. The longer the fins are the more traction you will get (good for big waves). Which means it will be harder for you to turn but you won’t slide out on the wave. If you’re planning on sticking to the smaller waves or doing a lot of turns and carves then you’re going to want shorter fins because they give you more maneuverability. When you buy fins make sure that you pick up a fin key. A fin key allows you to put in and take out your fins it’s basically an Allen wrench on a piece of plastic.