Are You Overlooking Your Fin Placement?

I saw a dude with the R-Series Joy at the beach on Sunday (from a fair distance) and I could tell his fin was way too far back in the box. I thought about running over with an unsolicited “here’s a hot tip” but that would have been a little weird—he doesn't know me from Adam.  I cringed a bit when I saw it because I know what a tremendous impact fin placement has on the feel of a board.  

• When you move your fin back in the box (closer to the tail) the board will feel stiffer, but it will hold in the wave better.
• When you move your fin forward in the box (closer to the middle of the board) the board will feel looser under foot, but be less stable.

You've got to get that back foot right on top of whatever fins you’re riding to have maximum control of the board.  Which means fin placement is not the only contributing factor to blame—you've got to work on your feet as well. 

Far too often you see surfers trying to turn their board with their weight still over their front foot.  Footwork and weight dispersement allows even big heavy longboards to swing on a dime.

If you have a board and it feels stiff or if you aren't sure whether you have the right fin, try switching things up a bit and see if you notice a measurable difference. If you want advice on fins, shoot us a note.