Hey guys, this is Casey from SUP Gladiator. First off, thanks for all of the kind words about our fins. This community has been very supportive. I have also noticed I have sold more fins in Australia over the last 2 weeks, than in the U.S. I am guessing some of that is due to you folks, so thank you.
As for the fins, here is how we position the Gladiator line up, along with a little history behind it.
Elite - Our first fin. This was our go to for all conditions when we first started. Now with the smaller fins in the line up, we are using this fin primarily as a rough water fin, or a fin for boards with a lot of rocker. It is also a good choice for boards that tend to be tippy. It is by many accounts the best tracking fin you can buy for a SUP, but in some cases it can be too much fin. When we first developed this fin 2-3 years ago, boards didn't track as good as they do now. Add to that, people's stroke technique has improved, to where they don't need quite as much help from the fin. That is what lead us to develop the Hybrid.
Hybrid - This was our second fin in the lineup, and I think of it as the Elite 2.0. It retains most of the tracking of the Elite, but is a little smaller. This results in less drag, and a little better maneuverability. For most people, this is the ideal fin to get. It is a perfect all around fin that really does perform well in all situations I have tried it in. I used this fin exclusively on my Bark Dominator, and it was money. This is generally our best seller, because of its versatility and user-friendly nature. The other thing many racers like about it is the versatility of this fin in races where the conditions change. In the Carolina Cup for instance, half of the race is in flat water and half in really rough ocean conditions. Unlike most other fins, this fin does really well in both extremes. Truth be told, most of the people buying Elites, should be buying this fin, but the Elite name probably causes a lot of folks to choose it instead.
Pro Model - This is our newest fin. It is really a result of my personal experience, plus our team riders begging for a smaller fin with less drag. If you are an expert level paddler and don't paddle in super rough conditions, get this fin. You will love it. If you are a moderate to advanced paddler in Flat Water conditions, this would be an excellent choice. I moved to this fin on my 14' MHL and its perfect. I can still get 9-10 strokes per side, but my GPS shows a small improvement in MPH. I don't want to quote anything firm, because different boards, conditions, and riders, will make that number vary. That said, this fin is 7.25" in depth (as opposed to 9" on the Elite and 8.5" on the Hybrid) and much smaller overall, so you can see why I say it is "Faster." Part of how we got to this fin was based on some personal experience I was having. When I sold my Bark and got the new MHL, it was supposed to be a faster board for many reasons, but it wasn't....at first. It didn't seem to be quite as fast on the flatwater lakes where we race here and it didn't hold glide as well either. I tried the Ventral Gladiator (which is the back fin in a two fin solution and only 6.75" tall), and it really helped on the glide and top end, but the tracking wasn't good enough. I worked with Larry to create this smaller fin that would fit the bill for me, without giving up too much in the way of tracking. It worked perfectly. Our team riders have switched to it too, and Dave Boehne and Beau Whitehead are winning consistently with it. It is much better for buoy turn races and they like the lower drag factor for more top end speed.
Here is a very short summary of the position:
Elite - Rough Water Fin. Excellent tracking and stability is nasty conditions.
Pro Model - Flat Water Fin, also ideal for buoy turn races, and downwinders.
Hybrid - This is the perfect all purpose fin. Works pretty well in all conditions. This is the best choice for most paddlers.
Hope this helps!
Casey
www.supgladiator.com
