Welcome March! Now that Spring is just around the corner, thoughts of warmer waves and sunshine are in mind for many of us. Springtime is a great time for getting waves at home or taking a surf trip. Here in Santa Barbara, we’ve had a few NW swells this season… As spring winds pick up the surf can get pretty tattered from the onshore flow and water temps will probably hover in the mid-50′s. Makes for a great time to travel somewhere warm like Hawaii or Mexico, Central America or even take off to see the Quiksilver pro at snapper rocks in Australia.
Wherever you are getting waves, make sure you have the right fins. Here are a few sets of system fins that are a perfect size range for travel, from a standard size template for your typical beach or pointbreak to a solid set of fins that will hold you into some solid reef passes or deepwater waves.
ALL AROUND FINS FOR SMALLER WAVES: Timmy Patterson:Close base-to-height ratio and moderate rake. An all time favorite. A great fin for your all-around shortboard. These fins excel in the ripable waves of Trestles.
FINS FOR MEDIUM WAVES:
Lost: A tried and tested design that has high rake and slender tip for maximum projection. The classic Lost fin template is a full size design. Longer power turns are where this fin excels. Best in point or reef waves with some size.
FINS FOR BIG WAVES: Eric Arakawa: A Hawaiian favorite designed by the master. A medium rake / area design with a solid tip. Try these fins out during the next big swell and you will feel the difference!
We make these System fins that are FCS and Futures Compatible…
Now Available: An even lighter fin for your futures compatible setup. The base of the fin has holes to lighten the weight yet still retain strength in all conditions.
Our latest fin template is the Channel Islands Small fin for Futures and FCS compatible fin systems. All of the features of the standard size CI classic point break fins: high rake with full volume (area). This template targets boards in the 5’6”-6’2” range. Surfers in the 110-160 lbs. class will benefit most. Best in waves with some down-the-line power. Most notable is the smaller back fin loosening up the tail of your board. Controlled slides and quick turns are effortless.
side fins: HEIGHT: 4.50” / 114 mm BASE: 4.45” / 113 mm
back fin: HEIGHT: 4.35” / 111 mm BASE: 4.30” / 110 mm
Whether you prefer FCS or Futures Compatible fins, we have a selection of both for you at True Ames Fins. Our Resin Transfer Method allows us to construct a composite fin that is 25% lighter than a normal fiberglass fin yet retains the same positive flex and amazing drive. We carry a variety of colors and fin designs for twin fins, thrusters, quad and bonzer setups.
Using the FCS or Futures Compatible fins for travel is ideal. The are also great for trying out different setups on different boards. Sometimes you just don’t realize how much the fin can change the way a board rides. Go ahead try a new set of True Ames Fins and feel the difference!
On a 5 day trip down south in the dusty desert, the surf was plentiful and inspirational. Here are a few pics from along the drive and the makeshift camp set up. Glad I had extra fins to choose from and plenty of time to try them out.
On the Drive South: The road was a long one and after plenty of near misses with on coming semi-trucks, I was glad to finally set up camp in front of some good looking surf. With dust and desert conditions you begin to feel dried out quickly when out of the water, It’s a good thing the swell kept going and I could stay hydrated in some refreshing long tubing waves that eventually walled up and raced along the inside section.
Day 1: My fins selection on this day was the YU- Fcs
compatible setup. These fins are awesome. The side fins provide nice drive and the trail fin works as a stabilizer. I was able to stay loose on the wave’s critical sections but keep a good driving bottom turn going when I needed to generate speed. Once you get used to this setup you can begin to experiment and get the fins free when you want and hold a solid bottom turn when you need the drive.
Day 3:
When the swell maxed out and sets were pumping I decided to try a bit bigger board and change out to the Channel Islands fins setup, which I felt were much more stable and also maintained their speed through all of the sections. The CI fins were a good choice for these waves and with the swell pumping a perfect combination for fun sessions.
Get in the flow with a new set of Channels Islands fins by: True Ames-
Get your favorite shortboard dialed in with a set of high performance CI fins. These fins are great for powerful surf and bigger riders. A very close base to height ratio and great flex designed for point surf and waves with some juice.
The first in a video series that highlights on True Ames Surf Fins. This video shows the Channel Islands Futures compatible fin. The channel islands fin is good for mid to heavy weight surfers, specifically for pointbreaks like Rincon. This fin is also available in glass on, and FCS compatible. These Hexcore fins are very light and durable, giving you the best fin for your shortboard.
Check out the video clip for more info and to see this fin on our online store click here. Stay tuned for weekly Surf Fin highlights. Next week we will look at one of our featured longboard fins.
Welcome March! Now that Spring is just around the corner, thoughts of warmer waves and sunshine are in mind for many of us. Springtime is a great time for getting waves at home or taking a surf trip. Here in Santa Barbara, we’ve had a few NW swells this season… As spring winds pick up the surf can get pretty tattered from the onshore flow and water temps will probably hover in the mid-50′s. Makes for a great time to travel somewhere warm like Hawaii or Mexico, Central America or even take off to see the Quiksilver pro at snapper rocks in Australia.
