Fins Tested on the HELLFIRE as TRI and Quad

[Fritzkat]

I started riding the 6-4 HELLFIRE FST as a trifin using others suggestions to use the largest fin possible as the board is already set up to be loose and you want to stiffin it up.

AM-2s (TRIfin) (4.79 fronts with 4.5 rears) worked great. tested on 1.5X overhead waves. Drove As hard off the bottom I could lean into without my knees catching the wave and they held great. Cranking off the top/lips the fins held nicely power turning as tight as my body could contort in comfort zone. Pumping down the line easily captured the speed I wanted for each manuver ahead. I knew if I had better knees I would be attempting airborn missions no problem with that speed. I cant wait for a decent backside day soon to test my heavy back hand carve displacing bathtubs of water.
2012-03-18_13-20-00_93.jpg

Stamps (QUADfin) 4.54 fronts with 4.0 rears) tested at Head high + waves. These fins worked best on a point break and absolutly flew down the line on any pump, sometimes a little too fast for me to read the wave ahead. I feel the back fins might be a little large for the waves that day as I was not getting the release I wanted out of them.
2012-03-18_13-20-10_711.jpg


Next test...Stamps fronts 4.54 maybe switch the Stamps 4.0 rears out with the Rusty 3.85 rears. On a bigger day I might Pair these Stamps rears 4.0 with the AM-2 fronts 4.79.

[iggy]

Great!!! thanks alot for the update!!.Lokks like somebody was having fun!!

[Fritzkat]

Just tested Hellfire with Rusty Quad fin set up (4.54 fronts with 3.85 rears) . on moderately weak Head High windswell. I am really loving these Rusty fins, very responsive, speed generating and surprized myself and did some quick snaps off the lip, allowing the tail to punch out, with some very tight cutbacks Must be the release in the fin tips. Rather than High Bred with a stiffer fin, the Looser Rusty set made the Hell fire seem like a regular HP short board but super easy paddle and entry into the wave.
2012-03-18_13-25-55_52.jpg.
Can't wait for another session, I am dry docked for now until this muscle spazm in my back releases. I was going beyond my trained mid life limits and (too much coffee, poor diet, wrong Diet. I should stick to my Blood typer food group) woke up in a knot...... Wish I had married a massage therapist.

[hwork50]

Ok I am in on the fin test for the Hellfire as I have been racking my brain about this for a while. Here is what I have tried so far:

AM2's as a tri-fin set-up and thought they were too stiff for a medium sized 2-4 foot wave and that they would be better suited to a long drawn out point or something with some size.

Quad AM2's (15.9 area) in front and some quad 340's (8" area) in the back on a 4-7 foot day. They went amazing and if it were not so cold and getting dark I would have stayed out even longer. Great set up as I will be testing the 375's as well. (10" area) Just a bit bigger.

Called Futures today and asked what they recommended here is what they said: I told them I liked the K2.1 set-up in my DOM and they said that I should definitely ride it with the WCT's. I think they might be too small as they have 14.9" of surface area and the fact that they only come as a tri-fin set is concerning as I do not want to slide out.

JC1: (15.1 area thruster) Have not surfed but read somewhere that Hellfire's shipped with PC5's and that the JC1 is the closest thing to that. Just throwing that out there.

Simons SA3: (15.8 area) This is the fin that Nev rides, I believe, and is supposed to go really well in the hellfire.

I want to try the Stretch Quad set as it has an area of 14.52 and is comparable to the FCS SF4 fin. Think it could be a good step down from the AM2's when it is smaller as the AM2 is just too big for the smaller waves around here. (So. Cal)

I weigh 185 lbs and am 6'3 and have an FST Hellfire that is 6'2".

Lets keep testing fins and see if we can get this thing dialed in.

Brent

[Fritzkat]

Brent, 2-4 foot faces? just checking what you call them..
Am-2' TRI on the Hell Fire needs room on Head high ++ I agree, otherwise too stiff and too big for the under shoulder high playful surf.
For me they work fine on the Dominator but need size+ on the hellfire.

Interested in seeing what you combo the AM-2's with. I will try AM-2 @4.79 fronts in a quad combo with rears of a F2Q4 3.75,
2012-03-22_19-47-22_771.jpg
OR
AM-2 @4.79 fronts in a quad combo with a Rusty 3.85 rears on a smaller days
2012-03-18_13-21-38_205.jpg

or a larger overhead day AM-2 @4.79 fronts with Stamps 4.0 rears
2012-03-22_19-45-20_126.jpg
or
a SA-4 4.36 (if i can get my hands on a set, they are out of stock everywhere retail)
The JC-1 I rode is a flat stiff fin should carve hard on hollow waves. maybe a step down from the AM-2 with more hold, I did not like them on my PU board in the past unless it was a seriously hollow wave.

The quad 340's what set is that from? Is that a sidebite set?

AM2's as a tri-fin set-up and thought they were too stiff for a medium sized 2-4 foot wave and that they would be better suited to a long drawn out point or something with some size.
Quad AM2's (15.9 area) in front and some quad 340's (8" area) in the back on a 4-7 foot day. They went amazing and if it were not so cold and getting dark I would have stayed out even longer. Great set up as I will be testing the 375's as well. (10" area) Just a bit bigger.
Called Futures today and asked what they recommended here is what they said: I told them I liked the K2.1 set-up in my DOM and they said that I should definitely ride it with the WCT's. I think they might be too small as they have 14.9" of surface area and the fact that they only come as a tri-fin set is concerning as I do not want to slide out.
JC1: (15.1 area thruster) Have not surfed but read somewhere that Hellfire's shipped with PC5's and that the JC1 is the closest thing to that. Just throwing that out there.
Simons SA3: (15.8 area) This is the fin that Nev rides, I believe, and is supposed to go really well in the hellfire.
I want to try the Stretch Quad set as it has an area of 14.52 and is comparable to the FCS SF4 fin. Think it could be a good step down from the AM2's when it is smaller as the AM2 is just too big for the smaller waves around here. (So. Cal)
Lets keep testing fins and see if we can get this thing dialed in.
Brent

[core personal training]

ok, so, Nevs call on his 510 in futures...sa3's...this was updated to include am2's and even pancho's....remember, Nev is around 70kg's, so the hellfire needs some fin...more than your shortboards..what you like in other boards usually wont apply here...i love k2.1's and futures jc's for hi-perf boards..but i ride the same 510 HF at 90kg's...sa3's cover everything...1 foot grovel to huge..(too big for the board, but you gotta get ya thrills)..am2's work in big stuff but are not needed as the simons have as much projection but are still totally free...on a bigger version, i would only pick a fin of similar area or more..pancho's for example...the board seems to like a fin without a lot of rake as it is meant to surf freely...remember, the boards tail has amazing speed, hold AND drive...you want your fins to support that....not fight it....or fail to drive it....unless you weigh less than Nev, have very weak legs or ride a shorter version i would not personally look at smaller fins as a thruster...

fourfins...i will leave this to the diehard four skeggers who tinker with them...as far as i am concerned, unless you are mr-x or ke11y, the overall performance level drops compared to thrusters..(personal opinion)..but...sa4's work well to race on your forehand and wind through figure eights, exiting with as much speed as you entered with...unreal, but, not worth losing something in most other areas..again, thats just me...

[hwork50]

Fritzcat,

The faces were around 2-4 feet when I took it out with the AM2's and it went ok, but I felt like I was working really hard and that the fin was really stiff. The 340's that I used I believe are just some AM3's from another quad set that I happen to have. They are on the smaller side and are just the white ones.

I think you will be stoked with the smaller ones (Stamps) as the AM2 fin is so large that the smaller trailing fin would be a little looser and more fun. But then again it depends on the kinds of waves you will be riding.

I will be purchasing either Stretch Hex RTM quad at 14.5 for the smaller 3-4 foot waves and just use the AM2's for the bigger waves ++. My reasoning is exactly what you guys have brought up as the board likes a fin that does not have a lot of rake as Core said above.

Core, the SA3 is to close to the AM2's for me. I really would like to see the true differences as it seems to close to mess with. I would be willing to put in a small trailer with the AM2's to loosen it up and see how that goes.

Like most of you I am time challenged with 3 kids and multiple jobs to survive.

Brent

[Fritzkat]

Funny Brent, I have three kids and multiple jobs.Time challenged, Been trying to keep in shape cross training when the waves are not available, I am looking forward to working out on the Carver Skateboard , I think it will be a good addition to muscle group work out, I have paddling covered with Total Gym, push up handles for the pop up and a few stairs to climb .

Like most of you I am time challenged with 3 kids and multiple jobs to survive. Brent

[iggy]

Funny Brent, I have three kids and multiple jobs.Time challenged, Been trying to keep in shape cross training when the waves are not available, I am looking forward to working out on the Carver Skateboard , I think it will be a good addition to muscle group work out, I have paddling covered with Total Gym, push up handles for the pop up and a few stairs to climb .

You have noooo idea!!

[prjwebb]

Has someone been measuring there fin positions and rockers etc? :D