Windsurfing Fins Importance

If we had to choose one of the least appreciated elements of windsurfing equipment, it would probably be a fin. It sits under the water most of the time, doesn’t get as much attention as a board or sail. But it is doing one of the most important things for us. In large part fin decides how fast and easy we will get planing, how controllable, easy to maneuver or jump our board will be. Usually when we buy a new board, we get quite a nice fin along with it. And it should work great for some time. But when our sails collection gets bigger or we feel the need to squeeze out a little bit more performance from our board, it’s worth to start thinking about a new fin.

Fin Types

In the world of fins we can find many different shapes. Those with longer, straighter and narrower outlines are usually dedicated for higher speeds. Shorter ones, with a curved end, are used for higher manoeuvrability. This is the most general division, which introduces us to further secrets of their construction. Less striking feature is their thickness. Thicker fins generate more power in lighter wind but won’t make you go as fast as a thinner one. Another important feature is flexibility. Stiffer fins are made for speed, those with more flex are better for control and manoeuvres. The right amount of flex is achieved by using different thickness and materials in fin’s constructions. General rules are that the thicker fins are stiffer and those made of polyester resin or vinyl have more flex than those made of G10 or carbon. You can check the flexibility by bending the tip of the fin.

Fin Boxes

Looking at the construction of fins you will also notice different shapes of their bases. This is due varied types of fin boxes in windsurfing boards. Longer fins need deeper and stiffer seating in the board. The shortest ones usually have to fit in very thin tails, so there is not too much space (and need) for bigger bases. We can find four major types of fin boxes on the market:

Fin Shapes

As you can note, making single universal fin is just impossible. One type of fins is needed for racing with huge sails, the other one for wave surfing. Every windsurfing discipline, let it be freeride, slalom, formula windsurfing, freestyle or wave, needs its own type of fin. Those are the most popular ones:

The End Note

Once we know all major types of fins, there is still one big open question - which fin should I get for my board? First and foremost you should choose model which is made for your type of sailing (i.e. slalom), has the same base as your fin box and is in the right size for your board. The easiest way to find out about the right size of your new fin is to read the manufacturer’s recommendation. Usually you can find useful size charts on manufacturers’ websites. Our recommendation is:
Maui Ultra Fins Selector
Select Fins Selector.
More generic solution can be found by using fin size calculators on various web sites: windsurfing.pl and surfertoday.com

It is worth to remember that without a good fin even the best board will not sail like a champ. And things that we often blame on board like slow planing, lack of control in high winds, can be easily solved by changing a fin!

Should you have any more questions or need further consultancy, don't hesitate to contact us at our Customer Care section.

EASY / SURF Team