Fin Review: Future Fins Gerry Lopez Thruster SUP Fin Set

I just got hooked up with a set of hot looking fins. Check 'em out: Future Fins Gerry Lopez Thruster set. These ones look really good. So good, in fact, that I jammed right home, pulled out my G-10 3-2-1s (my bread and butter side fins) and screwed the entire thruster set right in. I'm on it tomorrow- hopefully it won't be blown out by the time the 2:35 bell rings. I'm telling you, it doesn't take much to get me excited.



These are beautiful fins. A set runs in the hundred dollar range so you'd expect that these would possess top-of-the-line craftsmanship. Futures definitely delivers in that regard- the look and feel of the fins is top notch. In fact, the things are so precisely foiled and feel so light that you'd swear that just locking them down ratchets up your board's top end. The fins just ooze speed.



The things come in at almost five and half inches- which is about a half inch taller than the side fins I've been riding and half an inch shorter than the six incher I've been running in the box. Changing fins on a board is always a compromise between concern and hope: The concern with running a shorter fin in the middle box is that you'll lose drive, that is, the board won't have that "squirt out of the hole feeling" that a larger fin provides. The hope is that a smaller set of fins will loosen the board up, give it some release and snap off the top.

What I've decided to do is this: I'm going to start by running it fairly far back in the center box. The idea is that I'll make up with fin position the drive I've lost with fin height. My hope is that I'll produce that magic combination of drive and looseness that we're all searching for; that's the idea anyway. We'll see what happens.



Lilly was wondering what these things were made of. The Futures website says they are "resin transfer molded". To me they feel like fiberglass. Interestingly, these fins have some definite flex in the tips. The G10, 3-2-1s that I was riding were rock solid little chunks of fiberglass. They were fast but had very little flex. The GLs (Gerry Lopez fins) look to be a very different ride than what I'd been on. Especially since the 3-2-1s are basically triple foiled- a fin designed to provide super lift and drive, kind of like adding a turbo to your vehicle. The GLs, on the other hand, have a very slight inside foil. In fact, this fin set looks very conventional, almost like a super-sized version of a short board fin set. Perhaps the idea with these fins is to provide a more neutral, predictable, organic ride (did I just say "organic"???). Regardless, I can't wait to get them into some good surf.



A final comparison photo: Check back for a ride report!

Future Fins: G10 3/2/1 and the new Future Center Fin

I'm a lucky guy. I've got great friends. Tim Stamps heard I was experimenting with different fins and materials and next thing I know there was a "care package" at my door. You should know something about Tim; Stamps is always experimenting with fins, fin placement, cant, angle, foil etc., etc., etc.. I think what happened here is that he saw an opportunity to spread the sickness.



These ones came straight from the Future fin factory - sweet 3/2/1s made out of the buttery G-10 material. I'm sold on this stuff. If you want to go faster and come out of turns with more speed than you went into them- you've got to switch over to serious fins. Futures made of G-10 are just so much more positive feeling- put your board on a rail and all the torque that you apply is directly transferred through the much stiffer G-10 material.

I'm going to report back about the plan shape of these particular fins (3/2/1s) and how I think they uniquely apply to stand up boards- I've got a lot to say about them and I think they deserve their own posting.

Check out the new Future Fin stand up paddle center fin too. Interesting shape- this is Future's dedicated SUP fin. I surfed it in shin-knee high surf and can tell you that it's a great nose riding fin. The long blade produces snappy drive and the narrower base makes it a nice fin for step-pivoting the board when you're turning to catch a wave. We've got some better surf coming this weekend so I'll report back once I've got this thing up and flying.

It's killer that companies, like Future Fins, are stepping up to produce SUP specific products. We need 'em. Fins are such an important part of the stand up paddle equation- get out and try some different bites- you'll be glad you did.

The Fin Vortex: Conclusions

Well, I'm resolved. I was able to get the board out for a surf in 3' beach break wedges and after a few waves, I had formed a pretty strong opinion. For me, the small middle fin, semi-thruster set up just doesn't feel right. Too skittery, too sketchy. The board was fast, but not a drivey, torquey-type fast. More like a slippery, skating on ice type of speed. Not the feel I'm looking for out there. Conclusion 1: Small middle fin = no thanks.



Photo: Nope

Conclusion 2: G10 = butter smooth turns and a step up in speed. It's true, these stiffer fins are pretty darn sweet. As opposed to the resin versions of these 467 Tech Foils, the G10s loose no energy flexing through the turns. And you can feel it. When you hit the trough and lean it over, just a little push through the rails translates completely into forward squirt. The fins are fast and they feel super smooth through the water. I'm going to have to tap the 401K to pick up a couple of these- but they are definitely worth it.



Photo: Yep

The Fin Vortex: It'll suck you in!

So when it's raining outside, what else is there to do but mess with your equipment? Here's what I've done: I've taken a perfectly good fin set up and switched it all up. It's called the fin vortex- be careful once you get caught by it you'll get sucked in.



In this case I broke the first rule of fin experimentation. I changed too many things at once. Ideally, if you really want to find out what your fins are doing for you, you'd conduct a logical experiment. First you'd take all the fins out and go for a surf. That way you could establish a baseline of observations; that's your control group- the data set to compare all of the following changes against. Next, you'd add just one fin, in a marked position and try it out. The tests would proceed from there- changing one variable at a time.

But that's not what I did. By now, having been cooped up by rain and cold and foul weather. And cursed by no surf; I'm operating purely on emotion. So I decided to find out what would happen if mixed it all up. Here's what I did: I came down from a 7" middle middle fin to a 6" fin with a totally different foil. Along the way a friend offered to loan me a set of G10 Tech Foil Future Fins. The heavy, buttery G10 material felt so....sexy....how could I say no?



Out came my set of resin Tech Foils and in went the G10s. In case you don't know about the G10 material fins, here's the scoop. G10s are made of really stiff blocks of fiberglass- it's the material used to make windsurfing fins- we're talking stiff here- almost no flex. My friend swears by them and told me that switching to the stiffer G10 version of my fins would be like shifting up into overdrive. I was sold- the fins went in. Here's another interesting bit of info about the G10 version of the Tech Foils- you basically can't get them anywhere (and if you know where I can score a pair of the old, solid base ones, let me know). And they're pricey- I heard of a set going for close to two hundred bucks!



The Future Fins Tech Foils are, frankly, weird fins. The following edge has an extra bend in it and the tips of the fins flare out towards the rail. I've used them on the last two stand up boards I've had and I dig 'em. They produce insane amounts of drive off the rail, the board just zips out of turns- I call it winding up. I'm into them but only when it's a couple of feet overhead and under. When the surf gets bigger and more powerful the fins cause too much lift in the tail and the board gets real touchy. You're tail is planing so much that you need to be careful in the turns- push it too hard and the tail seems to stall out and pitch- not the feeling you want in bigger waves. When the surf get's fast and powerful I switch to more neutral side fins- the standard Futures with a flat inside and foiled outside seem to give me the best feel in good, powerful waves.



I'm not sure if this smaller center fin is going to give me the drive I like off the bottom. Actually, I don't really know how this fin is going to feel at all- I'm just curious about what it'll be like to go more towards a thruster style fin set up. I did move this one back further in the box to compensate for the one inch drop in size. Once again, by moving it back in the box, I've changed yet another variable. Those are bad scientific methods for a fin study but once you get spinning in the fin vortex, all rational thought goes out the window. I'll let you know how it goes.


Stand up paddle surf lessons in sunny (might as well be an optimist) San Diego. Click here for more information and some delightful testimonials!

Coming Up: Heading North, New Boards, New Spots!

Here's what's coming up:

This Week: I'm getting excited to head north this Wednesday. I'm going to make a day out of it and paddle San-O early in the morning and then head to Seal Beach to hook up with my friend Tim Stamps. In addition to building some unreal surfboards, Stamps has been crafting some sweet looking paddleboards (check out www.surfboardsbystamps.com). If I get my way I'll be test riding some of his new boards that afternoon. You'll get the full report and lots of photos so check back for that one.

Mid-August: I'll be loading up the truck and trailer and pointing it further north to see what kind of flat water and surf paddling central California has to offer. Once again lots of photos and information to come.

Also: Paddled La Jolla Shores this morning- waves were small but fun, leopard sharks in full effect at the North End. If you haven't been out to see these guys and you're in San Diego make sure you set aside time for this run, it's worth it. I may have to return for some photos of these guys.

And: I jumped in this evening down the street (here in Imperial Beach) and it looks like that little S. Hemi. bump is starting to show up- definitely some size compared to the last two days. Kind of a fun little session on the Sean Ordonez Big Blue (yes, borrowed from the wife) which is now my board of choice- this brings a whole new set of problems to my household. Happy problems I guess, but problems nonetheless (look for the Big Blue's review coming up!). Regardless, I'm getting excited at tomorrow's early a.m. options.

Finally: Hey fin experts, give me some feedback on what you see in the photo above.

The first fin is an FCS "Fatboy". I just had it laying around so I threw it in my wife's board (10'10"). The fin was laying around because I don't like it. I'm a fin idiot but to me, the fin doesn't like to be pushed unless it's up to speed. On the first bottom turn, I can get the fin to "catch" (stall?) when I push with my back foot like I normally like to do. After you get it going down the line it works better- but that first turn needs to be nursed. Am I wrong here? I have a feeling that running it with the two side biters is not how it should be used- but hey, I don't know... so I'm asking you for feedback. What do you know about these type of fins- what are they all about?

Next up is the big Greenough Stage 6 fin, anybody else got one or used one? Give me your impressions of the fin- I'm going to reserve my feelings about it until I hear what you've got to say... so don't let me down!