The most prevalent surfboard fin systems (Futures, original FCS, Bahne/US Box) use a metal grub screw or screw/nut combination to lock your fins in place.
Are you in need of some fin screws right now? Check out our suggestions for fin hardware replacements that you can get online.
Over time, your screws may get stripped, corroded to ineffectiveness, or completely lost.
Thankfully, getting a replacement isn’t difficult. If you’re short on time, a trip to your local surf store can suffice. Extra grub screws, slotted screws, and square nut plates should be available in any good surf store. They might just give you one if you’re kind; otherwise, they shouldn’t cost more than 50 cents. You can also check your local hardware store if that doesn’t work.
To extend the life of your fins and fin gear, wash them with fresh water on a regular basis, prevent overtightening, and choose a key/driver that fits snugly and won’t strip the head.
What is the purpose of Futures fins?
Futures is another brand that has all the makings of the next revolutionary gear, and is popular among surfers.
Futures uses a single-tab system for its fins, unlike the FCS. An angled screw is used to secure each of the fins. The fins have a firmer connection to the board since they have a single casing, resulting in less flex, making it stronger and less likely to break.
Surfers benefit from the strong bond between the board and the fin almost every time they are in the water doing their thing.
Futures will only work with Future fin boxes, same as the FCS. You may, however, purchase new fins that are extremely compatible with various fin systems on the market.
The Futures fins are the greatest bet if you want to use what big stars like John Florence, Jordy Smith, Jack Freestone, Dave Rasta Rastovich, Rob Machado, and Shane Dorian use!
What happens to a single fin box?
- Single fins placed further forward will give the board a looser feel and make it easier to turn. The board’s reduced turn radius makes it simpler to maneuver on the wave, but it may feel unstable or induce spin-outs at high speeds.
- The single fins at the back of the board provide more thrust, speed, and stability. It will be more difficult to turn fast with a single fin put further back, but it will be ideal for down the line drive and nose-riding.
You can really fine-tune your longboard to how you want it to surf by combining single fin positions with various fin sizes and shapes.
A single fin with a bigger surface area will provide more thrust and stability, but a smaller surface area fin may feel looser. Fin flex and reactivity are also important.
Start simple when making changes to your single fin. Try wrapping the fin around the center of the fin box to get a feel for it. Move it 1/4″ forward if you want it to be looser. Move the fin back 1/4″ if you want extra hold. Repeat until your board is surfing in the manner you choose.
What kind of fin box have I got?
After you’ve decided on a fin size, you’ll need to know how your board’s fins are configured. Examine the base of your surfboard towards the tail to identify your fin layout. The fin configuration is determined by the number of fin boxes you see, which will most likely range from 1 to 5. Single, Twin, Thruster, and Quad are the most popular surfboard fin configurations. Some boards come with 5 fin boxes, allowing you to mix and match more readily, while others come with a longboard single fin box and conventional side fin boxes, known as 2+1.
Is FCS in the same boat as the future?
The base kinds, connection methods, and fin cant are the main distinctions between FCS and Futures Fins systems.
Both systems are pre-glass installations, meaning the fin box is inserted into the foam and then covered with glass.
FCS has twin tabs at the base of the fins, which can be split down into their original FCS Fusion system and FCS II.
The FCS Fusion fins are held in place by two grub screws with hex heads that are tightened using an allen key.
FCS II fins are a tool-free device with a spring and bearing mechanism that snaps into position. FCS II boxes are backwards compatible, and by adding two screws, they can accept FCS Fusion fins.
Futures Fins is a system with only one tab. Fins are held in place by a notch and a single grub screw that is tightened with an allen key of the same size as FCS.
Are futures fins better?
Because the entire base is housed inside the surfboard, future fins will be more durable. They frequently shatter at the bottom when they collide. Furthermore, just the fins, not the fin control system, can be changed. Are they superior? The answer is usually based on a personal preference; read the surfboard fins guide to learn how the form of your fins might effect your surfing.
Our futures and FCS fin keys the same?
No, they’re two completely different standards designed to allow surfboard fins to be replaced. As a result, even though they have the same ultimate goal, their methods for achieving it are vastly different. As a result, Future and FCS are incompatible.
Are FCS fins good?
When it comes to surfboard fins, FCS is the most well-known brand. They are the inventors of removable fins and are well-known around the world. The fins are of excellent quality, and they are constantly reinventing themselves with new forms each year.
Even though the FCSII system may be utilized without them, Futures and FCS surfboard fins use the same type of screws. The answer is affirmative; FCS and Future surfboard fins both use the same Allen key, the 3/32 Stainless Steel Hex Key.
How do you know if it’s FCS or Future?
The distinction is obvious: the Future has a single huge base, but the FCS and FCS II are divided into two pieces. When you look at the FCS version 1, you’ll notice two small rectangles; when you look at the FCS version II, the “rectangle” becomes much larger.
Can you use FCS fins in FCS 2 plugs?
Because the FCS II Fin Control System is compatible with the prior generation, FCS fins can be used in FCS2 plugs. You should buy a surfboard fins infill if you’re wondering what to do with all that extra space.
Do you need to screw in FCS 2 fins?
The FCS II Fin Control System does not require a screw, which is a unique feature of this system. Nobody, however, is going to tell you that you can’t screw your fins to the surfboard. Many people use it as a preventative measure to avoid losing their fin.
Do FCS 2 fins fall out?
The FCS II Fin Control System was designed to be operated without a screw while also preventing the fin box from breaking. To save the fin box, the approach entails releasing the fin as soon as it collides with another object. Finally, FCS 2 fins do not fall out; nonetheless, they are easier to detach due to the design. As a result, even a minor hit could result in the fin being lost.
What are the best FCS 2 fins?
If you’re unsure which FCS II Fins are the greatest, it’s because you have to choose! Fins are chosen according to your surfing style, weight, and skill level! Read our surfboard fins guide to find out what kind of fins would be best for you.
Can you put FCS 2 in futures?
If you don’t want to lose your fin, don’t put FCSII in the future fin box! FCS and FCS II are incompatible with Futures, while Futures is incompatible with FCS and FCS II.
What makes Futures fins so costly?
You strike me as someone who knows a lot about the surf industry. One question that comes to me is why are fins so expensive? It seems absurd to pay more than $100 for molded plastic. Is it true that sponsorships eat into revenues, or are these guys making money by the bucketload? What type of profit margin do retailers get? Why isn’t a $20 imitation being produced by some low-cost manufacturer? Are the plugs protected by a patent? What about custom foils, flexes, and dimensions? How awful is it that we’re being slammed? I’d like to know!
Fins have become excessively pricey in recent years, and there’s a simple explanation for it. That is a price that people are willing to pay. Fins have a great keystone markup and can be used as an upsell item.
Have you ever worked in a surf shop? Then there’s the type of imbecile who walks in to buy their first board and demands a gleaming white hiperf rip stick. They usually know how to ride a snowboard, wakeboard, or something similar and are certain that they can rip it up in no time.
They aren’t looking for a longboard or even a large fishy plank. It has to be small, thin, and pricey. That’s fantastic. You provide them with what they desire. However, they will almost certainly require a bag. There are also multiple leashes. And a slew of different fins for different situations. You may transform $700 into a grand lickety-split lickety-split lickety-split lickety-split lick There’s nothing wrong with separating a chump from his money; it’s his own arrogance that’s robbing him.
Of course, there are those that employ fins as a bait and switch tactic. “Oh, fins aren’t included,” says the narrator.
They were, after all, included in the wholesale price, and the board would not function without them. It’s like selling a car but not included the tires in the price. You may always bargain for them to be included, but why bother? Leave them to their crazy swindling and go somewhere else.
It’s difficult to assess whether sponsorships are cutting into revenues. It’s easy to point out that FCStitch is throwing money at practically everyone on tour, but the Futures team is small and advertises sparsely.
Which isn’t unexpected given Futures’ excellent offering. Through and through, I’m a Futures fan. Strong as a fuck, she spider webbed many a shallow reef box but never tore one out. I’m the first to admit that brand loyalty is for knuckleheads, but I’m a sucker for Futures. In a truck stop shitter, I’d cheerfully suck their collective dick.
FCS is a joke. Turning has caused me to break fins and plugs. This is completely inappropriate. With the Fusions, they were on the right road, adding a layer of glass to keep the plugs from popping out (as Futures had done from the start), but then they wrecked it with the FCS2 nonsense. Rods made of titanium? Are there any kits that can be upgraded to make them backwards compatible? This is complete nonsense.
Surf Hardware sued SurfCo Hawaii for patent infringement on the Pro Teck range, did you know? They did, they lost, and they gave off-brand competitors a foothold. Check Alibaba Express for further information. They’re super cheap, but they cut corners like crazy, so you might end up with a poorly foiled hummingbird.
Is fin form really so important? Will it make a difference if you change your foil, flex, cant, base, and rake? Both yes and no. Yes, if you’re in the top 10 percent of those who call themselves surfers in terms of competence. Once you’ve figured out how to use your fins to drive through turns, off the bottom, and whatever else, they can make or break a segment. My oafish is completely devoted to high carbon counts. Anything else feels like mush when you’re over 200 pounds, especially if the surf is churning. But what about the horde of unjazzed barneys who are kneeling, bending their waists, and trimming awkwardly toward the shoulder on a shortboard they don’t know how to ride? There’s no difference, except for the well-known fact that if you think you’re ripping, you probably are. And, like a badass airbrush, nice-looking fins will make you believe you’re a 5% better surfer.
I’ve got a couple dozen sets of fins that I’ve collected throughout the years. But my Techflex Merricks are usually on. I adore them so much that if it’s really shallow, I’ll switch in some second-tier employment. I’m not sure if I can still get a good bargain on them, and I don’t want to spend that much money on a replacement set. Rocky Rights that are little and low-tide? So I don’t break my heart and my wallet, I’m running plastics.
In the end, whether we’re talking about fin specifications or board design, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Everything comes down to personal preference, whatever matches your approach to wave sliding the best. Some folks swear that glass-ons are the be-all and end-all, and while they’re a pain to ship and take up too much room on the rack, if that’s what you want, go for it.
But it comes down to rough durability for me. What’s going to allow me to keep surfing without having to pay a fortune for replacement fins on a regular basis? Futures is the only right response.
What is the definition of a futures fin box?
Futures is delighted to manufacture the world’s lightest and strongest fin system! Interwoven Laminate Technology is used in our tried-and-true full-base system (ILT). By allowing the resin to weave itself between the surfboard and the fiberglass skin, the cutouts in the flange provide an even stronger attachment to the board’s skin.