When Tom Blake nailed a scavenged metal boat rudder to the bottom of his surfboard in 1935, he altered the course of surf design and forever changed the act of surfing itself. Since Blake’s first iteration of the modern fin, shapers and board designers have been implementing their own versions of these stabilizing additions, creating and testing fins made of an array of construction materials. Dating back to that first metal skeg, fins have been carved out of everything from wood to plastic, fiberglass to carbon. Outside of professional shapers and surfers, though, very few of us are likely to give much thought to the specific materials used to create the fins that give provide the boards beneath our feet with speed and stability. And given the myriad of futuristic materials being used in fin construction today, it isn’t hard to understand why.
However, for recreational surfers who do take the time to learn a bit about surfboard fin composition and how certain materials affect performance, the pay off can be huge in the on-going quest to get their surfboards perfectly dialed. As leading fin system manufacturer Futures Fins tells us, “The material determines flex: flex = projection, projection = speed, speed = control.” Considering this, giving more thought to the materials used in the construction of your surfboard fins begins to make sense. To help get you up to speed, here is some basic information regarding various fin materials as explained by the folks at Futures Fins.
Natural Composite
Composite fins are created through a process known as Resin Transfer Molding (RTM), which results in a plastic-like composite material providing surfers with a lightweight and super-strong fin. This type of material is most often used in the standard fin sets that come when you buy a new board.(http://www.futuresfins.com/images/finschool/natural_composite_image.jpg)
G10
G10 is a grade of glass epoxy laminate whose durability and versatility have lead to its use in a wide variety of applications. In the world of surf fins, G10 is valued for its impact resistance and extreme stiffness, which helps to provide a high degree of drive and control. (http://www.futuresfins.com/images/finschool/G10_image.jpg)
Fiberglass
A more traditional fin material, fiberglass provides a stiff and responsive feel with the added benefit of reduced weight. (http://www.futuresfins.com/images/finschool/fiberglass_image.jpg)
Honeycomb
With weight reduction a chief concern when it comes to fin design and construction, honeycomb fins featuring a hexagonal core allow for unique stiffness and flexibility patterns in an extremely lightweight package. (http://www.futuresfins.com/images/finschool/rtm_image.jpg)
Texalium
Developed by advanced composite manufacturing company Hexcel, Texalium is a carbon-like material that is essentially fiberglass fabric with a thin surface coating of aluminum. Fins made using Texalium are stiffer than fiberglass, but more flexible than carbon fiber. (http://www.futuresfins.com/images/finschool/texalium_image.jpg)
Carbon and Kevlar
Here we are getting into some of the more advanced surfboard fin materials in use today. Carbon in particular has an extremely high strength-to-weight ratio, giving carbon-based fins a feather-light platform that stores and releases energy through turns. (http://www.futuresfins.com/images/finschool/carbon_kevlar_image.jpg)