I'm 6'1 and 240lbs (109kg) and am riding a 6'6 spitfire, which is probably too small but so far I'm getting used to it in medium size waves 2-4 foot Hawaiian scale. Regretfully it doesn't like any bigger unless the takeoff is really slopey due to the flat rocker, and probably what I really needed was a 6'10 or 7'0 alternator but hey it's almost summer and this will make a great town board.
So far I tried my AM2's which were are a nice predictable all-around fin that i like in shortboards and guns. They worked out pretty well but seemed to hang up in the lip a bit. Getting the impression that this board doesn't like thrusters. Had it out in 6' glassy perfect Makapuu and stuck the nose on the drop a couple times before I figured it out that I didn't belong at the peak. Rode the inside wall just fine and very predictable on the steep walls.
Next I tried Controllers from Hawaiian South Shore at 4-6' Houltons and still had trouble making the drops, but the next day I came back when it was 3-4' and ended up having a blast. Controllers were squirrely going straight and no top-end speed no matter how much I pumped, but so far they are unmatched in their ability to flick the board up into the lip over and over again and lend themselves to a more aggressive style.
I checked out some Elevons from Surf Garage and paired them up with plastic vector trailers to make a quad set and took them out to 2foot Irmas and was really surprised how much ground I could cover on such a small board on small waves. They were loose and pivoted well, but sliding the tail was very difficult in those conditions and they seem better suited for racing down the line and carving. Would love to try these out at a long fast pointbreak because the speed was quite remarkable. They are $200 from the local shop so it's not likely that I'll buy some, but if they ever come up on craigslist or ebay for a reasonable price i'll pick up some for sure.
Speaking of craigslist there's a guy selling Scarfini fins for about $20 less than you would buy in a shop, but my guess is they are factory rejects because they have a lot of bubbles inside them, not that it would affect performance much. I bought a twin fin + trailer (not keel) setup from him for $55 and will get to try them out tomorrow on the first good south swell of the year. So far they fit in the boxes nice and tight and according to the web specs have more area that the t1's that the guys around here seem to love on the Spitfire. I'm guessing that's probably ok since i have a little more area on me than those guys if you know what i mean.
So far I tried my AM2's which were are a nice predictable all-around fin that i like in shortboards and guns. They worked out pretty well but seemed to hang up in the lip a bit. Getting the impression that this board doesn't like thrusters. Had it out in 6' glassy perfect Makapuu and stuck the nose on the drop a couple times before I figured it out that I didn't belong at the peak. Rode the inside wall just fine and very predictable on the steep walls.
Next I tried Controllers from Hawaiian South Shore at 4-6' Houltons and still had trouble making the drops, but the next day I came back when it was 3-4' and ended up having a blast. Controllers were squirrely going straight and no top-end speed no matter how much I pumped, but so far they are unmatched in their ability to flick the board up into the lip over and over again and lend themselves to a more aggressive style.
I checked out some Elevons from Surf Garage and paired them up with plastic vector trailers to make a quad set and took them out to 2foot Irmas and was really surprised how much ground I could cover on such a small board on small waves. They were loose and pivoted well, but sliding the tail was very difficult in those conditions and they seem better suited for racing down the line and carving. Would love to try these out at a long fast pointbreak because the speed was quite remarkable. They are $200 from the local shop so it's not likely that I'll buy some, but if they ever come up on craigslist or ebay for a reasonable price i'll pick up some for sure.
Speaking of craigslist there's a guy selling Scarfini fins for about $20 less than you would buy in a shop, but my guess is they are factory rejects because they have a lot of bubbles inside them, not that it would affect performance much. I bought a twin fin + trailer (not keel) setup from him for $55 and will get to try them out tomorrow on the first good south swell of the year. So far they fit in the boxes nice and tight and according to the web specs have more area that the t1's that the guys around here seem to love on the Spitfire. I'm guessing that's probably ok since i have a little more area on me than those guys if you know what i mean.
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