[BltByKrmn]

While I think I've figured out the boards that work for me, I'm still in the dark when it comes to fins.  At 6'0", 170lbs and average ability, what would you suggest fin wise for a 6'0" Lost Mini Driver type board?


I've looked at TA Timmy Patterson's, Futures Yu's and TA Tyler Warren but I really have no idea.

[thanks_table]

The difference in fins usually boils down to personal preference. I know some surfers who insist that different fins hardly make a difference whatsoever... Personally, I think it CAN make a very big difference, but not always.

With a twin fish for instance, I notice a HUGE difference when I change fins. A small set of fins on a small board with a wide tail will be very, very loose feeling- and tightens up as you add size.

...But on a typical 5'10ish shortboard, I sometimes won't get much of a different feeling going from stock fins to GX-Qs for instance. (Although I really like the smaller GX-Qs as trailers for a small quad board.)

If your mini driver has a 5 fin configuration, you have the luxury of a little experimentation. In general, quad is looser and a bit faster than the thruster set up, which usually offers noticeably more hold. You'll never know which feels better for you on a particular surfboard until you try it out for yourself...

As a general rule of thumb, if you feel like you've got plenty of hold in your surfing (or too much) and wouldn't mind loosening your grip (which in return will give you some extra speed), you can switch to a quad. OR you can try smaller fins or rounder fins with less rake, which will have a similar effect. The same applies vice versa.

On your 6'0, which is a pretty traditional shortboard shape with a little extra volume, I'd assume a stiffish quad setup would feel best. (Or stiff fronts with flexible trailers.)

Sorry if this post is too general, but since you didn't say what fin system you have, whether you run a quad or tri setup, or what you're looking to get out of your surfing- it's hard to make specific recommendations.

[Ryan]

I like the Roberts fin  as my all rounder, it has 2 larger sides and slightly smaller trailer to loosen things up. I use the Roberts  fronts with Stretchs new template rears as a quad and that worked well also.

[BltByKrmn]

Thanks guys. It is a 5 fin so I do have the opportunity to try a bunch of combos. Haven't had a chance to ride it yet but I do have 2 sets of thruster fins and a quad set I can try before buying another set. 

My last traditional short board has True Ames KA, but I always felt like it wasn't loose enough. Front side bottom turns never quite came around as quickly as I would have like but that could have been user error.

The other thruster set I have is fiberglass Futures, can't remember the model, which came with my 6'6” step up.

Quad set is fiberglass Futures that came with my 5'6" Dan Mann sweet potato. Can't remember the model of those either unfortunately. Never felt like it was a fin issue on this board, so this may be a good place to start.

 

[thanks_table]

I like the True Ames sidebites, but some of their regular thruster sets feel sort of plain- not that plain is bad.

If you don't feel loose enough, but don't want to buy a whole new set of fins, you could always try a super twin setup, by switching out only the center fin with something smaller. The other thing to consider for stiff turns is you might just need to put more weight into your back foot (which would probably also need to go farther back on the tail) as you're pulling your turn.

How do you like that 5'6 sweet potato by the way? I was just looking at the dims for that board- seems like a ton of foam.

[BltByKrmn]

Yea I do have a feeling it is part my fault for not being back far enough front side/going right. That's what happens when you live in LB and go left all the time.

While the SP is way more foam than necessary, it's the most fun board I've ridden. It will literally catch any wave and has reminded me its a lot more fun actually surfing vs paddling all day on a board that's too small. When the waves start to get steep it won't hold as expected, but I've ridden it in head+ mush and it was still fun.

I picked up the Faktion take on the Mini Driver to fill the gap between the SP and my step up which is really my main travel board.

[Dorado]

I have a similar type board . I like K2.1 quad set up for drive and hold in barrels and the K 2.1 or AM 2 thruster set for waves with less barrell and more of a crumbly lip but still good shape ( see a trestles type well shaped pockety wave but not so much a down the line top to bottom racer .)
Look at what a lot of pros are riding in Hawaii and at Cloudbreak for tubes . The perception that quads are for mush probably derives from te ones with th rear fins set closer to the rail and not closer to the stringer ( like a mini driver ) .
I personally like my board like this as a thruster in slopier waves be wide I can stay more in th pocket and less out on the shoulder away from the curl and energy Of the wave . If you aspire to surf out on th shoulder and just face down the line however I find that a less upright quad front with an inside foil and double foiled rears gives thy more twin finny skates feeling .
The K 2.1 fin set up is a flat foil both front and rear .