How important is fin cant to all you board builders out there? Should the same angle be used for all the different bottom contours out there? I know how it affects a boards performance, Just want to see what you guys think! After some responses, i'll tell why I'm asking!
From talking with different shapers from different areas, steeper faster waves work better with less cant (5 degrees) and slower slopier waves more cant (7 degrees). But, there are numerous other parameters you'll want to tweak besides fin cant when switching from one wave type to another.
I saw a friends quiver of rawsons, and noticed that there was a "6 degrees" written by pat, on the stringer of the 6'2", but 5 degrees written on the guns. I'm assuming this is for the fin guy right? Don't you think all shapers should do that! Seems the shaper would know better, than the fin guy.
As far as writing it on boards, Most shapers dont have a clue, on about 25% of the boards I glass, I have to go asfar as mark and place the fins myself. Some of the more experienced will tell me. some will tell me to tell me and really have no clue. I know in bigger shops when the models come through, say like A CI FLYER, gets 6 degrees its pretty standard http://www.surfboardglassing.com
fin cant is hell important as well as toe in ..it must harmonize with the overall design package of your board you can have the best board on the planet and totally kill it with poor choice of toe in and cant even if there set in the right place....my toe in covers 4ml to 10 ml depending on speed of wave and cant covers 5 to 20 degrees, and theres some combinations of cant and rocker that can get real ugly...a bad combo of cant and tail rocker and your board feels like its towing a chunk of weed....your fin cant can also be responsible for your rail digging if combined with other rockers and outlines....like i said before ,,,the whole package must harmonize and fin cant is just another of the variables.... regards BERT
4 to 10 ml of toe in? do you mean 4 to 10 mm?
yep ,,sorry typo
no problema, it was either that or you'd figured out how to measure toe-in volumetrically... theoretically possible I suppose (angle of toe-in times surface area of fin)? what sort of set up would cause you to use 10mm? (extreme end of your range)?
I don't believe in altered toe-in on a thruster. I've had numerous guns with the toe reduced, and they all turn for squat. Then I got one with normal toe-in, and slightly smaller side fins to reduce drive and promote speed, and it works really well. This is generally what tow-in boards use, too, smaller side bites. Too little cant and your rail digs, too much and you lose drive, but ride high through turns. It's a good bit less sensitive than toe-in, through, where a two degrees radically changes the ride. http://www.blakestah.com/fins/
i increase the tow in for big waves to reduce the lift and also the fins have a more favourable angle of attack...i decrease the cant as well so you dont end up flying ,reduce the thickness and pull the camber back and make em a little smaller as well other wise you feel over finned and if its serious size then do 20% 80% foil on the sides as well but thats just probably compensating for the fact that at that size i really need a single fin...but i cant help myself i still wanna turn ... regards BERT
Bert, when you say "pull the camber back" do you mean putting the maximum thickness of the foil section from say 25% to 30%? I'm going to grind out some thrusters soon. I'll chose a foil section that looks good and makes sense as compared to the surfing standards. I have to clarify that I'm grinding kiteboard fins for surf use, but not surfing fins. We are most similar to towboards except we "tow" with wind instead of gasoline. Of course, we can't let go of the kite for a totally free experience. Eric
Pages