Fins or No Fins?

Old Man Stevens · Newbie Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Posts: 8

What's up? I got a ton of help from everyone when mastering W2W jumps and it helped a ton. I have another question. I tried a day without fins and felt like I was slipping and sliding all over the place. It made surface 180's a lot easier, but I didn't feel like I could get a good edge. Once I put the fins back on, I could really lean away from the boat and get a gread edge. Now, having fins on the board obviously makes 180's harder, but is it worth taking them off? Any input would be great!

Thanks

Old Man Stevens

barelfly · Outlaw Joined: 02 Aug 2006 Posts: 153 City: alb

I don't have the answer for you, as I'm somewhat new to this as well. But do you have the side channels on your board? I thought I read somewhere that these help edging as well and when you look at photos, many riders have channels but no fins. I'm interested in hearing from others as well.

Rhawn · Posted: Aug 20, 2006 6:55 pm Post subject:

No fins, fins are a crutch. They can prevent you from truly learning to edge. Once you really learn to edge, you can cut just as hard, and even harder.

foxman845 · Newbie Joined: 08 Aug 2006 Posts: 10 City: woodstock

hey, I used to ride with no fins to help me with my edge and surface 360's. After a few times out i put my fins back on and I was able to edge alot better and still can do surface 360's.

HHI Dave · Posted: Aug 20, 2006 7:45 pm Post subject:

I took my fins off and never looked back.

I may EVENTUALLY put a set of SMALL center fins back on, but those monsters that came with my board are paperweights now. Laughing

It definitely takes some getting used to at first if you're used to riding with big center fins, but after a couple of weeks, riding and edging finless becomes second nature.

big air tom · Outlaw Joined: 09 Aug 2006 Posts: 141 City: sheffield

I think it is a lot more fun without fin's and as you said slide 180's are so much easer without fins Cool

nick@night · Posted: Aug 21, 2006 7:26 am Post subject:

SeaLyon · Posted: Aug 21, 2006 11:01 am Post subject: Fins or no fins

Hey everyone. New to the site and wanted to say hi.
I've been out 3 times, 1st with no fins and the last 2 with fins.
It is easier with the fins,but once you get use to no fins it would be just as easy.I would say stick with the fins untill you have the basics down then try with no fins.

SlowRyder · Newbie Joined: 28 Jul 2006 Posts: 20 City: Charlotte

What would you guys consider big fins or little fins? I currently use the 1.3" fins that came on my Hyperlite Era. Are these big? The only other size I have seen are the .8" fins.

Mofos · Newbie Joined: 17 Aug 2006 Posts: 4

use build in ones, fins only help to stable the board. i use it only when the lake becomes really choppy like caps

Blindside_137 · Posted: Aug 22, 2006 7:08 pm Post subject:

SlowRyder, 1.3 is probably normal, .8 is small, and anything close to 2 or more is massive

kind · Outlaw Joined: 03 May 2006 Posts: 118

i went finless today for the first time.. and boy was it slippery.
but i could immedately tell the benefits of losing them all together.
i wont be putting them back on.

HHI Dave · Posted: Aug 23, 2006 2:19 am Post subject:

Andromade · Posted: Aug 23, 2006 7:07 am Post subject:

Im going out in like, 30mins and i just took of my fins, ill see how it is, dont think i will have any problems tho=)

T-russ · Newbie Joined: 23 Aug 2006 Posts: 1 City: Madison

Ive gone out 100+ hours this summer and all the times Ive had 2in CWB fins on and been able to ride out further beyond the wake and cut harder at the wake. The last time I went out though I took my fins off for kicks and I was sliding all over the place. I would attempt to cut out and i would groove into a flatland 90º and couldn't go out 5 feet without that happening.
I ride a 2005 Hyperlite Fluid 137 if that helps. It does have a grooved bottom but doesn't seem to be helping much.

kind · Outlaw Joined: 03 May 2006 Posts: 118

Old Man Stevens · Newbie Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Posts: 8

I've tried the fins and no fins and agree it's like taking a few steps back. I can see the benefits. It's fun sliding all over the place, but you have to spend a lot of time just cutting out on the wake and getting used to the feel again. I'm going to try it again with out the fins. I've just masterd w2w jumps and don't want to take too much time learning to carve again. I'm in New England and we only have a few weeks left of the season. I'm not even sure if I'll get to go again. killing me! Thanks for the input.

Any input on the best used wakeboats to buy? Can't spend $70,000 on a boat!

Road Head · Criminal Joined: 03 Jul 2006 Posts: 70 City: Nashville

I ran finless yesterday, and I think it will suit my riding style better. I will never be the guy doing flips out there. I like riding, and will eventually work my way up to w2w, maybe with some spins or whatever. I just like being out there and playing around. For what I want to do, finless is fine. I like the feeling of "sliding" and want to basically master as many surface tricks as I can.

Wakebrad · Ladies Man Joined: 11 Dec 2003 Posts: 12257 City: Dallas

what kind of board do you have? If it has molded fins then I'd say go finless for a while (if you have smooth water). Riding without fins or with small fins will force you to learn proper edging technique. If your board has no fins at all then I'd say try a small fin like a .7 or .8"

Road Head · Criminal Joined: 03 Jul 2006 Posts: 70 City: Nashville

BTW, something I thought of. The lake I ride on is typically VERY rough and its difficult to ride well both with and without fins, but easier with fins, of course. There is another lake about an hour away that has been like glass everytime we have been there. I think a very smooth surface would be nice for riding finless, but if its very rough at all, keeping your balance can be difficult either way. I am tempted to get some small (less than 1") fins for riding in rough water, and then removing them when its smooth.

MattStrykul · Newbie Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 41

without the fins, the 1st day i ever wakeboarded i had them then took em off, i never slide around like you all are saying though... i can do like surface 1080s Laughing

gruntingfrog · Newbie Joined: 29 Aug 2006 Posts: 8 City: Dallas

I am an absolute newbie (going for the first time this weekend), and got a Hyperlite Factor 140. This board doesn't have molded fins, just some grooves along the outside, the tail, and nose. Do you think I should try finless my first time out? To get a better idea of the grooves I'm talking about click the link below and check out the second picture.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Hyperlite-Factor-140-with-HO-Rogue-bindings_W0QQitemZ220018104515QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

Thanks for your help.

SlowRyder · Newbie Joined: 28 Jul 2006 Posts: 20 City: Charlotte

gruntingfrog,
Everybody is different but the first time I went wakeboarding (with fins) the board was all over the place and I lost balance and fell a couple of times before I finally settled down. I would think going finless for your first time out would be very difficult. I would suggest using the fins until you are comfortable riding then start to experiment.

Andromade · Posted: Aug 29, 2006 6:56 pm Post subject:

Andromade · Posted: Aug 29, 2006 7:04 pm Post subject:

Double post, GG

maybe something but probably not.

My board got no molded fins, grooves or what not, just 2fins, one at each side of the board. should be a bit easier with molded fins, but not that much Surprised

Justin 25 · Addict Joined: 29 Aug 2006 Posts: 797

I'm on the dark side! Twisted Evil

Haha, I took off my fins on my second time out and don't intend to ever put them back on, i love the movement and that it teaches you to carve much better.

gruntingfrog · Newbie Joined: 29 Aug 2006 Posts: 8 City: Dallas

Slowryder,

Thanks a lot for the tip. I didn't think it would be the greatest idea, but after reading about the ease of doing surface 180s and such I thought it would be fun if it wasn't too much harder. Maybe I'll try it both ways, but I'll probably just need to concentrate on getting up, edging, and maybe try a wake jump or two. Very Happy

SlowRyder · Newbie Joined: 28 Jul 2006 Posts: 20 City: Charlotte

gfrog,
I ride a Hperlite Era 147 with 1.3" fins on it and it is very easy to do surface 180's. Its all technique. I think having fins on will make it much easier to learn to ride.....

derrickw41 · Newbie Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Posts: 45 City: TC

i normally ride with my fins, but recently took them off to work on surface tricks, after i was done whipping off some surface 180's, i decided to practice my edging to see if finless changed things...i couldnt tell a difference between with fins and without, it seemed exactly the same,... does that mean i just had a good way of edging and cutting before i tried finless????

mwhit · Criminal Joined: 15 Aug 2006 Posts: 98

does ur board have molded fins in them? if they do then get like the .8" fins. if not get the 1" or 1.5". fins help land tricks and keeps u stable.

Goodhands · Outlaw Joined: 25 Aug 2005 Posts: 136 City: Murfreesboro

Tried no fins last weekend

and theres no goin back for me

feels so much more smoother specially on glass