Many surfers, especially beginners, fail to recognize the critical role that fins play in their sport. Small, out of sight when surfing, and boring to speak about, surf fins are often overlooked when discussing board components. However, even if you acquire the most cutting-edge board on the market, it will be useless without a quality pair of fins. Fin boxes vary among boards, but most help accommodates either the ubiquitous FCS or FCS II fins or the more exotic Future fins. There are pros and disadvantages to both of these fin designs, but for the sake of this and two subsequent articles, this post will focus on the one that receives less attention.
The Longo brothers, who had experience with aircraft components and hydrogen fuel cells, put their technical chops to good use in 1996 by creating a new form of fins. Since then, they’ve dedicated themselves to perfecting their technique, and their dedication to invention and surfing has resulted in an ever-improving final product. True scientific nerds populate this firm and are mad about fins for their surfboards. After 25 years in business, they are now a major international brand, yet they have not diverted a single resource from their primary mission of fin development.
Given the amount of care and attention they spend on a little piece of hardware bolted to the bottom of your board, it’s not surprising that they can reliably release cutting-edge innovations.
What is the system
There is a wide variety of Futures fin designs; however, they are always identifiable by the proprietary Futures fins system. They just have one tab, so inserting your fin into the box is a breeze, and a single angled screw keeps it in place. When you inevitably collide with a rock, reef, ocean bottom, or another surfer, this fin’s unique shape reduces the likelihood that your board will be damaged. The single tab design makes it far less likely that your fins will tear the bottom of your board apart or cause you to require a new fin box if your board takes a run-in. It is the case even if your board takes the majority of the impact, which is the more usual situation.
Potential Benefits of the Futures Market
Futures fins have several benefits, but perhaps the most notable is their longevity. There is less flex and less likelihood of the fin breaking because of how the fins link to your board. However, this durability is still conditional on how you utilize the fins; for example, if you canon into the hard rock on the way out of the water, it is still likely to inflict damage. Moreover, this endurance is not limited to the fin itself; your board will likely profit from collisions between your fins and other complicated things. The responsiveness of fins of the future is another reason for their widespread acclaim.
Many surfers believe such fins are the best option for high-performance surfing because of the more secure connection between fin and board that you get with the Futures system. Furthermore, Future fins typically come in at a lower price than their FCS counterparts, so they are often seen as the value option for fins.
You might be forgiven for thinking they are less desirable since they are the less common fin configuration. However, if anyone recommends a surf product like fins, you can be sure that it is worth your time and money.
