Thursday, January 24, 2013

SUP Fins - Understanding Stand Up Paddle Board Fins


Fins are a very important part of the Stand Up Paddle Board.  Without them you would probably spin in circles.  Most manufacturers do a good job of matching the fin to the SUP board but understanding how your fin or fins work will help you decide what fin you want to use on your board.

TruAmes SWT
Shallow Water Touring
Futures Keel Stand Up Paddle Fin
Future Fins Keel

All-around SUP boards and stand up paddle surfboards have fins and fin systems that come from the surf side of the sport (more on that in a second).  The size of the board reflects the size and number of fins on the board.  With a single fin setup, the fin will be larger than if you are using a three fin or two plus one configuration.   This is because the surface area and holding power needed comes from only one fin instead of three.  How much surface area needed depends on the size and type of board, on the conditions you are paddling in and your personal preference.  The center fin on a three fin board will be the same as the outside fins and on a two plus one setup, the center fin is larger than the outside fins but smaller than that of a single fin setup.  Some boards with a two plus one setup will allow you to remove the outside fins and change the center fin to make it a single fin board.

FCS Danny Ching
FCS Slater Trout












The difference between single, twin, three fin and quad setups is a topic for another blog post but briefly, single fins provide the holding power to keep the tail of the board from sliding around and the muti-fin systems do that and a lot more.  They provide the rider the ability to generate speed by forcing water through the fins.  Some three fin setups are called Thrusters because you can thrust water through the fins and go faster on a wave.  Multi-fin setups are very useful in surfing because of the dynamic interaction with the rider, the board and the wave.  However multi-fin systems add drag and that works against flatwater stand up paddling.  The fins, other than the center fin on a multi-fin board are not pointed in the direction of travel.  They have a certain amount of cant.  That means they are angled towards the centerline of the board and not in the direction of travel.  The more cant or angle, the looser or the easier turning ability the board will have, but the more drag the board will have as well.  Drag is not felt as much while paddle surfing because you are using energy from the wave but for flatwater paddling, drag is bad.  Boards that are designed for flatwater paddling will only have a single fin setup.

TruAmes Crossfire Hexcore

We are seeing more touring and race SUP boards coming with a flatwater style of fin.  However many people use all-around boards for paddling away from the surf and very often these boards come with a fin that is designed to be used in the surf.  This is where you can change the fin and dramatically change the way the board behaves.  A flatwater style of fin will help a board track much straighter.  This is a very desirable feature to have when paddling across a lake.

There are many new flatwater fins on the market but they generally can be grouped into three types.  Touring, racing and downwinders.  Touring fins are designed with one thing in mind.  Keeping the board going as straight as possible.  They do this by extending the horizontal dimension of the fin.  A large base and much of the surface area of the fin reaches back to make it difficult for the fin to pivot.

SUP race fins are a compromise.  They are designed to help the tracking ability of the board while also allowing it to maneuver amongst competitors and, more importantly, make a turn around a buoy.  They fall somewhere between a surf fin and a touring fin shape wise.  Quite a few SUP race fins are made of carbon fiber which allows them to be thinner to cut down on the drag yet keep their effective stiffness.  Carbon fiber as well as hexcore and other similar materials makes for lighter weight than the solid fiberglass that is traditionally used to make fins.

Futures FIns Downwinder 
Downwinder SUP fins are the most unique.  They get their surface area by reaching much further into the water and have an even smaller horizontal component than surf fins.  The principal is that you want to keep the board from spinning around in rougher conditions where the tail is lifting out of the water.  You also don't want a large profile that would cause the rougher conditions to put side pressure on the fin and make the board unstable.  And the relatively vertical orientation also helps the board remain maneuverable to make the small adjustments in the direction needed when traveling with the wind.

Many SUP enthusiasts will change fins often depending on the conditions.  You can race your BARK Dominator with a FCS Slater Trout in the morning, take a casual cruise across the lake with your TruAmes SWT fin for lunch and then put the Future Downwind 13" for the afternoon downwinder session.  One board, three fins and a whole lot of fun.

Or, you could surf your all-around stand up paddle board with the three fin set up it comes with in the morning and then remove the side fins for a flatwater tour in the afternoon or, better yet, switch it out for a TruAmes SWT fin for even straighter tracking and less drag.

We hope this info helps you to understand when and why you might want to switch  your SUP fin set up and, more importantly, helps you to have more fun on the water.

Happy paddling!



Monday, January 7, 2013

New KIALOA Race SUP: The Hulu


KIALOA Hulu UltraLight GL
New KIALOA Race Paddle: The Hulu

Our friends at KIALOA have just come out with yet another revolutionary new stand up paddle: the Hulu. We’re very proud to be among the first SUP shops to have it in stock (a perk of being located in the same town).

The KIALOA Hulu is a collaboration between Dave Chun and his friend, fellow Bend resident, Gerry Lopez. It’s a super light, super strong, top performance stand up paddle, designed to meet the specific demands of racing with excellence.

The Hulu features a plethora of super-smart, high tech elements that combine to provide maximum speed and efficiency, including a new shaft construction, trademarked by KIALOA, called CST (Compression Shaft Technology). 

KIALOA Hulu Stand Up Paddle for Racing
The Hulu's UltraLight and Strong Shaft
The pre-impregnated carbon fiber shaft has an oval mid-section and 3K carbon weave.  The ultra thin blade has a KIALOA PowerHook, PowerFace Dihedral, internal carbon edge banding, precision ground edges, and a ten-degree angle.  In case you’re not familiar with the technical jargon, just know that it’s very, very strong, stiff and light. And because it’s a KIALOA paddle, you also know that it feels good in your hand, looks beautiful, and has soul.

In addition to Gerry Lopez’s input, prominent Pacific Northwest paddlers and KIALOA team riders, Karen Wrenn, Cyril Burguiere and Beau Whitehead were invited to test-drive the Hulu, as was Chuck Patterson of California.

Cyril stopped by Stand Up Paddle Bend the other day and had this to stay about the Hulu:

"The first and most obvious observation anybody will make about the Hulu is how light it is. It is so light; I was worried I would break it while paddling when I first picked it up. I raced and trained with the Hulu almost every day last season, in all sorts of situations (sprint, distance, downwind) without a shaft break. I have broken other paddles before and am amazed at the Hulu's strength-to-weight and stiffness. Dave Chun has explained the manufacturing process for creating the shaft and how he has been able to create an ultra light shaft, free of stress or weak points. Anybody that has the chance to learn about the design and manufacturing should take the opportunity - it makes you appreciate the time and effort that goes into making this high performance product."

Racing Stand Up Paddle by KIALOA: The Hulu
The KIALOA Hulu is available
in black or a choice of several
all-new blade graphics...
or featuring the iconic Gerry Lopez logo!
"The Hulu is very different from KIALOA's older paddles, an exception being the Toro, the older sibling to the Hulu with a slightly larger blade. Some of the older paddles (besides the Toro) did not have the slight dihedral on blade to help with tracking in water. Also, the thin blade's shape is a longer teardrop with slight curve at tip. Without getting too technical, the Hulu just feels smooth and effortless in how it enters, tracks through and releases from the water. The oval shaft for lower hand grip and the top T-handle feel great in my hands - making for a comfortable 13 mile 'Round the Rock race in Seattle or the rare 18 mile training run down the Willamette River. This is truly a high performance paddle - It is for those that want to get as close as possible to feeling like they have nothing in their hands while getting a smooth, comfortable pull on the water."

KIALOA Hulu Race SUP
The New KIALOA Hulu Race Paddle Shaft
The Hulu is available in three versions: the Hulu Light, the Hulu UltraLight and the Hulu UltraLight GL. The UltraLight weighs in at just 17 ounces! The UltraLight GL comes with the iconic Gerry Lopez signature logo and the Light and UltraLIght are available in black or a choice of several brand new KIALOA blade graphics.

Oh, Hulu means feather in Hawaiian in case you’re wondering!

6/10/13 Update: The KIALOA Hulu now comes in even more varieties.  Check out the new round shaft Hulu RST which comes with either a fixed length or adjustable shaft and in three price points.