i was looking for some feedback on buying a twin fin or single fin swallow tail board, like the powersource retro quad, all feedback and insults appreciated. let me have it! this has been hot on my mind since the last fins issue,
all the best,
Theo.

They are VERY different beasts. Tell us a bit about what waves you ride, your experience and importantly how you want to ride the wave.

That should give a starting point

Thats 3 diff boards! Have your mates got one that you can try out (esp the single fin).

You came to the right place for advice

Or you can go for 5 fin plugs and experiment





The Bat Fish is so titled because it sports a bat tail but there is a lot more to this little bat than meets the eye. Up front it has a deepish concave that runs into a flat section through the center and into an ever deepening vee towards the tail. The rocker and deck contours are similar to the “Retro Fish” but the big difference is the Bat Fish is a quad fin. The idea is to get on rail quick and burn rubber and these quads do that exceptionally well. Of late we have learnt a lot more about the correct fin positions for quads even so the bat has a center plug so it can be easily converted to a thruster, if so required.

i had the chance to have a free improver lesson so i took it and i asked the instructor what board i should think of getting cause i love the retro style of pumping and carving, he was watching me surf for 1 hour and told me a single fin 6'6"+- or a retro fish, id probably ride the powersource as a twin fin after a few weeks, i usually ride 2-5 foot waves on a minimal 7'2" or a bic 6'7",
thanks for the quick replies

A 6'6" single fin is likely to come in 2 distinct shapes. A Wide point forward narrow tail 70's style board. Or a disc or egg shape, almost minimal shape.

The retro style is a technically difficult board to surf well and needs good clean waves to go well. So the range will be limited. But surf it well and it's a great experience. But realise there is a reason they went out of fashion in the first place.

The egg or disc is a lot more forgiving and easier to surf but it will become challenging in bigger waves. It will catch everything though.


A keel fin fish is short wide flat and very very fast. But again it's not an all round board is is technically difficult to surf well, particularly off the backhand. They won't go vertical and need to be nursed through turns on bigger waves. But they are VERY fast and lots of fun to ride. They have way more range than the single fin.

The twin fin is a derivitive of the single in terms of planshape, but closer to the thruster. Again a fast board and responsive but it will need nursing and good timing through turns and is not as forgiving as a thruster.


The quad is about the most forgiving of fin set ups, fast yet loose, depending on the fins and their configuration. For swoop and glide style surfing which I think is what you instructor is saying, I would consider a Quad but with a traditional style fish template. About 6'0" X 22" X 2 5/8" should work. This will give you far more range than all the rest.

thanks a lot, great info from burnsie, now the question is: is anyone selling one? going to check surf world bundoran in the new year and if no luck then powersource himself.
all the best, happy surfing over the holidays.

The powersource quad fish are more like a modern shortboard, and have the smaller fin at the front (the fins start quite far up the board)

thanks for the info mpb,

There's a shaper in South West Sligo called Ger Byrne, he's also worth checking.

Got a damn fine fish off him

Pm me if you want his number

if i was to shape my own what sort of fins should i insert, (removable) fcs type

Lokbox!!!!

Probox Hawaii !!!

Futures!

Fixed

If you don't want to travel with it...