What's your fin set up?

It’s easy to get caught up in the awe of wooden surfboard making and forget about the practical aspect of a surfboard - the fins! 

Yes wooden surfboards run the same fin setups as classic foam surfboards. Fins are crucial to any surfboard and the set-up depends on the specific board; its length, style and the intended use of the board. 

Some of our custom Collectors Edition wooden surfboards (like this Dawn) feature hand-shaped timber fins which truly elevate the look of the board and pay homage to the classic timber boards that came to popularity in the 60's. 

A wooden surfboard carries its own classic, retro charm which can influence the fin set-up and style.  This is where the Single Fin proves to be a classic choice, providing stability and style to the longer boards like Mals and mini mals. These boards and fin get you catching longer waves and more drawn-out cutbacks and works well for noseriding. You'll commonly see the Bob or Rose sporting a single fin. 

The thruster (3 fin) configuration is versatile, offering balance, speed and control, allowing surfers to perform responsive turns. Our V-Dawn and Fanny performs well with a thruster. 

Now for the performance set up; the Quad, featuring four fins will give you speed, drive and enhanced manoeuvrability. Commonly found on fish-style boards, like our Perkins Fish.  

The mighty twin fin features fins near the rails, allowing the rider to surf rail to rail in a loose and free fashion, making the most of mushy conditions. A twinny will suit the Gould and Thorpe. 

The general rule of thumb for determining your fin size is; for every foot of board = one inch of fin. 

When building your own wooden surfboard, whether in our workshop or do-it-yourself kit, we can offer advice as to which fin set-up would be most suitable for your board and needs. Fin boxes can be added to your surf kit order and we provide timber that will be installed into your frame so you are later able to route out where the finboxes go.