Does anyone have experience with placing a small knubster style fin about halfway down the length of an SUP to provide some lateral stability? Seems like I’ve seen this somewhere…
Or, if you have other ideas about how to reduce side to side rock, please share them.
My 12’x34" displacement bottom doesn’t have much Vee, plus the rails are pretty soft. I have a Future Fins Triangle Cutaway fin.
Any feedback is appreciated
Reducing Side to Side Rocking
1. More time on the water. Practice, Practice Practice. Learn to stagger your feet slightly and keep momentum and use your paddle to keep yourself balanced even during the stroke. Keep your knees and hips loose and dance with the bumps. Keep your eyes on the horizon and not on your feet. Practice at home with a bongo board.
2. Use a board with more volume, or more volume in the rails ( or lose weight). Also work on your paddling technique.
3. You hear a lot about wide fins giving SUPs much more lateral stability. I don’t think you actually win that much lateral stability from fins. I can balance mine fine with no fins, small quad fins or a large center and thrusters. The fins affect your ability to go strait and how the board turns. They add very little to lateral stability
Technique
Going straight is way more about technique than equipment. Like seadart says, you need to learn how to do it right and then practice. Think about taking a lesson from an ACA level 2 or 3 SUP instructor
Larry Allison
This can be searched with this topic line - “Allison Probox Finsystem Race Twin and Ventral Fin Installation”
Larry Allison - www.PROBOX Finsystems.com
Try Experimenting By Temporarily Gluing
The fin at the point of maximum weight (directly beneath where you stand) and see how that works?