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weed fin for earlier planing ?
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joe_windsurfxxx



Joined: 29 Jun 2008
Posts: 67

PostPosted: Sun Oct 06, 2013 6:51 pm    Post subject: weed fin for earlier planing ? Reply with quote

Today Georges of the OKA jungle stated something that i needed to validate.
He said that his Makani weed fin would plane earlier than his slalom fin. Upon investigation, it seems this is a claim Makani makes and Georges has simply echoed:
"The wider chord closer to the board gives you power for early planning and the same profile characteristic of a slalom fin for amazing speed"

Well, at least Makani is NOT claiming earlier planing ... {they call it planning Smile }

Wider chord or not - would a 43 cm Hahalua weed fin plane earlier than a Drake Venom Slalom 43 cm fin ?? obviously same board, sail and conditions - here it was a Futura 133 with a Severne Reflex IV 7.8 in about 16 knot winds...


Last edited by joe_windsurfxxx on Mon Oct 07, 2013 4:47 am; edited 1 time in total
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wynsurfer



Joined: 24 Aug 2007
Posts: 940

PostPosted: Sun Oct 06, 2013 7:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The weed fin has much more surface area for any given length. This does help get one on a plane quicker. Top end speed seems to suffer a bit, all that surface area = more drag. I can plane much sooner with my True Ames shalloww water weed 15,25" than I can with a pointer fin the same length. The pointer is faster once on a plane. I would guess you would see similar results with other fins.
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U2U2U2



Joined: 06 Jul 2001
Posts: 5467
Location: Shipsterns Bluff, Tasmania. Colorado

PostPosted: Sun Oct 06, 2013 7:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

that particular fin from Makani is one of their best.
it will be impossible to validate.

It is a really good fin, which I have several.

they may not be far off indeed, the same size will have more area on the HAHAlua..

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boardsurfr



Joined: 23 Aug 2001
Posts: 1266

PostPosted: Sun Oct 06, 2013 8:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A good weed fin will plan earlier than a pointer of the same length due to the larger area, as slinky said. But the quality of weed fins can vary dramatically - the worst ones will make it really hard to go upwind, and spin out a lot. The best weed fins go upwind almost as well as pointer fins of the same length. Top speed due to more surface drag is usually not an issue, unless you reach speeds beyond 35 knots. If a weed fin does seem to slow you down, it's more likely due to a slower profile or poor board trim.
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jingebritsen



Joined: 21 Aug 2002
Posts: 3371

PostPosted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 8:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

one may have to use a weeder for some conditions. one may or may not notice the pro's and con's:

pro's

weeds make sailing otherwise quite annoying

lazy plane up style may be rewarded

con's

exit stage of jibes suffer greatly with a lack of carving efficiencies. the fin will not allow the continuance of a hard carve when establishing the new tack.

glide stage of corners suffer an excess of drag

techy trimming required to minimize over whetting of the trim. base must be shifted aft to some or a great extent

promotes lazy plane up style, and inhibits pump to plane abilities

watch the back of the fin during water starts, ouch!

some may like weed fins, but weeders all the time is counter productive to adding anything beyond an intermediate skill set. just my HO.....

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mrgybe



Joined: 01 Jul 2008
Posts: 5180

PostPosted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 11:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'll add another "pro" on behalf of the lazy planing intermediates based around Hatteras. There is considerable appeal to not breaking an ankle, neck or fin box on sand shoals during certain wind conditions in some parts of the Hatteras area sounds.

Giving up a few degrees upwind.........bearable. Walking unassisted on the beach with gear intact after a session..........priceless!
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joe_windsurfxxx



Joined: 29 Jun 2008
Posts: 67

PostPosted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 4:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

assuming NO weeds, sand banks, rocks, etc ....

i WAS surprised that someone who likes speed, would EVEN consider a weed fin ...

i feel like John said - lazy plane up style MAY be rewarded !!
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whitevan01



Joined: 29 Jun 2007
Posts: 607

PostPosted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 5:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

jingebritsen wrote:

exit stage of jibes suffer greatly with a lack of carving efficiencies. the fin will not allow the continuance of a hard carve when establishing the new tack.

glide stage of corners suffer an excess of drag

some may like weed fins, but weeders all the time is counter productive to adding anything beyond an intermediate skill set. just my HO.....


ahhhh, now I have an excuse for not planing out of jibes in the summer!! Where I sail from July through September, one MUST use a weed fin to go anywhere. and, guess what, I planed through at least 2 jibes this season, but now that I think about it, it was before weed fins became a necessity.

so, its a gear issue after all!! LOL

saying that, I do like the Makani weed fins. They seem to sail very well, I have a Hahalua and an Ono weed. both work well in their respective conditions as far as pointing ability and speed are concerned. IMO, but what do I know?
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DanWeiss



Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Posts: 2296
Location: Connecticut, USA

PostPosted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 6:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kona One introduced a weed fin developed by Makani. The difference in performance in clean water isn't so dramatic between the stock fin and weeder simply due to the freeride design of the stocker. Weed fins get a bad rap primarily because of a history of terrible designs while pointer fins and high-end race fins became the base line for high performance.

Now, very few sailors sail modern slalom racing or FW boards yet do sail freeride and free-race that tear around without all the necessary tuning and "attachments" required to get the race stuff sailing in its element. These free-boards often come with good fins and occasionally very good fins. From this experience, and because performance weed fins do exist, the perceived difference is less than it used to be, but remains large when weed and race fins are compared.

John's summary is spot on. But if the choice is sailing with a weed fin or not sailing, we'd all choose the weed fin.

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Sailboarder



Joined: 10 Apr 2011
Posts: 656

PostPosted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 7:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I use a Hahalua 38 with my Kona. It feels in-between my 40 and 46 freeride fins in terms of lift power in lower winds. The large area explains it. I didn't find it requires special mast base tuning.

jingebritsen wrote:

con's

promotes lazy plane up style, and inhibits pump to plane abilities



I also find it is stiffer (or not as springy) as my Kona 46 freeride fin. Is this why it will inhibit pump to plane? (I don't see the difference myself, but I'm not efficient at pumping to plane. Maybe the Kona is difficult too)
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