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Buying carbon fins
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rainer412



Joined: 26 Apr 2010
Posts: 13

PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2022 10:20 am    Post subject: Buying carbon fins Reply with quote

Hi all,
I am a passionate slalom/freerace windsurfer in the SF Bay, and my carbon slalom fin needs a replacement.
Is there any place in the US or Canada which has a reasonable selection of carbon slalom fins? As a European immigrant, so far I imported them from Europe.
But hey, there has to be somebody in the country/state where windsurfing was invented who sells carbon fins...

Any hint appreciated!

Cheers
Rainer
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combs



Joined: 01 Apr 1997
Posts: 129

PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2022 10:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I get my carbon fins from Vector. Great quality, but they aint cheap:

https://www.vectorfins.com/
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NOVAAN



Joined: 28 Sep 1994
Posts: 1541

PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2022 12:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Black Project Fins.
I use their free-ride and weed fins and they work really good.
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WNDZRFR



Joined: 28 Mar 2000
Posts: 124
Location: Greater East Bay Area

PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2022 12:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm a huge fan of Drake Slalom DW 36-38 Ready to RACE carbon fins. They come as original equipment on Starboard Futura's and iSonics. Quite fast yet jibe really well. I use them on my 97L, 107L and 109L boards.

If I need a new one I either order a half year in advance in the US (some say it's a dying sport here) or order from Europe, usually Germany, Poland, France or the UK. No VAT and no custom fees on orders under $2k. Just need to know the correct box.

https://windsurf.star-board.com/windsurf-board-parts-accessories/drake-windsurf-fins/

They also are not cheap.

https://www.telstarsurf.com/drake-ready-to-race-tu-box-4033550035.html

https://andybiggs.co.uk/shop/windsurfing/windsurfing_accessories/fins-windsurfing_accessories/2021-drake-ready-to-race-slalom-dw-tuttle-box-windsurfing-fin/ Pound is still high to the dollar.

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dllee



Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 5328
Location: East Bay

PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2022 1:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am not a fin expert.
Are those carbon fins better than Tectonics Phoenix, Mirage, and Gold Wings?
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loopless



Joined: 30 Jun 1997
Posts: 426

PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2022 1:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, massive improvement in performance using fins from

https://www.select-hydrofoils.com/en/

vs the stock fin.

You can actually order from Europe but Isthmus reps them here.
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swchandler



Joined: 08 Nov 1993
Posts: 10588

PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2022 2:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have to admit that to being a dedicated Tectonics fin guy, but as far as I'm aware, Dennis Parton's fins are CNC generated from G10. While I've been more than happy with Tectonics' slalom and course slalom fins over the years, and they've never failed me, some folks feel that they lose their magic in a relatively short period of time.

One has to remember that the material used in fin manufacture is only one facet of many in fin design. I think that G10 is an incredibly durable material that can take abuse and damage very well. Molded carbon fins on the other hand can be much more susceptible to damage, and they are more of a challenge to repair.

I have to say that over the years I've had a number of carbon fins, particularly ones made from solid carbon laminate much like G10. Carbon laminate can be very stiff material, so it's a bit tricky to get the kind of flex properties needed to perform well. My absolute favorite was the "Wedge" manufactured by Chuck Ames of True Ames Fins out of a more unusual IW90 carbon layup. The fin was originally designed in 1993 in collaboration with George Greenough. I still have two Wedge fins, a 15" and an 18".

As an aside, I also have a number of molded asymmetric carbon fins, which were designed and manufactured by Wolfgang Lesscher. His weedfin designs are very unique, and in my view, the best out there. Super light, and incredibly stiff with zero flex properties. Totally out of the box ideas that shouldn't work, but unbelievably they perform exceptionally well. However, they are made in Europe, which puts them outside the desired zone of interest.
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jpf18



Joined: 13 Aug 2000
Posts: 347
Location: San Francisco

PostPosted: Sun Aug 14, 2022 12:53 am    Post subject: Re: Buying carbon fins Reply with quote

rainer412 wrote:

Any hint appreciated!
http://www.kashyfins.com Formula and slalom carbon fins. They come out of the East Coast / Midatlantic. Not that I ever got one. If the lead times are anything like in the past you may have to wait a few month and probably cost more than the options here. For reference, I was told a full Formula fin went for a grand, and that's 15 years ago, so brace yourself.
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WNDZRFR



Joined: 28 Mar 2000
Posts: 124
Location: Greater East Bay Area

PostPosted: Sun Aug 14, 2022 3:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here is a good tutorial on fins by Nico which is also a fan of carbon fins for slalom and race.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEZrY4FpNmk&t=24s

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shreddbob



Joined: 31 Mar 1987
Posts: 361
Location: Hawaii

PostPosted: Tue Aug 16, 2022 3:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

FYI: I have some pristine race/freerace fins that I would sell. These have been sitting unused for the past 15 years. PM me for better pictures and prices if interested.

Techtonics Mirage 52cm G-10 Deep Tuttle
GSport/Curtis CR10 44cm Carbon Tuttle
GSport/Curtis CR12 55cm G-10/Carbon Deep Tuttle
GSport/Curtis CR12 61cm Carbon Deep Tuttle



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