Interesting Choco, you obviously have an interest in fins mate, so I'll hit you up for some advice.

I'm a Joe Average with a 100L Kinetic Gladiator (freeride), 63cm wide which I use with a 6.6M sail in open water (ocean). I'm thinking of getting a Tectonics 30cm F1 fin for when the winds up, 18 to 25 knots. I borrowed an old 30cm Leading Edge Fin which spun out mobs, and was no faster than my Kinetic 32cm fin.

I've hit a 30 knot wall, with average speeds of 28, doesn't mater if the wind is 15 or 25 knots, same board speed.

So what's your thoughts on the 30cm F1 for me.

Cheers,
Bob.

Hey Mineral I have a couple of techy's. You can try one on Sundy. Might give you that extra couple of knots you need to get to 30knts

I rate Techtonic Goldwings very highly. I have the 34 and 30 and just got a Falcon 26 that i have not used yet.

The Goldwings work really well in powered to over powered conditions. That are quite stiff and fly up/down wind. I feel they work better on smooth water.

The Falcons have more of a flexilble tip ( i am told) so go better in choppy conditons. Snides uses them he may be able to add comments on the Falcons

IMHO 30cm F1 sounds like a good choice for all points of sailing.

If you want down wind top speed even with the 6.6m i would be looking a the 26cm or 28cm.

For Eg at Hardies Run i use Isonic 86, 6.4m X-15 with a 23cm speed weed fin.

Getting back up wind is no prob because when trying to go fast you should be fully lit and way ovewr powered. If this is the case getting up wind will be easy with such a small fin

hello Firie,
the 30 sounds a tad small i think with the gear you are describing a 32 would be min size in the falcon.i would prob lean towards a 34 goldwing minimum (perhaps even 36) as tectonics off the shelf sizes finish at 32 although i believe you can order them bigger.
i use the 34 gold wing on my isonic 105 which has similar dimensions and it still feels slightly underfinned and i am around 73kg's at the moment.
snides

Thanks guys, been on night shift.

The problem for me Bender is my wind is normally sub 20, it's a rare day my 6.6 is too big I'll use the Kinetic fin most the time I guess, and use a new fin for when it's 20+. I'm never going to break records here, just want to go faster, as we do. I'll cough up for a 5.7 sail after that for the same reason.

I'm up in the deep tropical north Choco, no chance of a try, but I'll get Troppo who's now in WA to try some and report back. I'm leaning towards the F1 because of my conditions.

Yeh maybe a 32 snides8, I think I'll email Tectonics and bleed their brains about size.

As you might know Fitz, Green's nearly always firing, just got to get the tide right and cough up the $50+ to get there, but worth it in spades when it's good
But rain on the coast here, so not looking good for the beach
In the last 15 years, I've seen so many face's go through here, so you don't ring a bell. If you got to Yorkey's, I was the old bloke with the red cattle dog.

Thanks again guys, time for a coffee,
Bob.

Bob, thinks it time you wangled a transfer back to WA
Check Nebs out.
www.seabreeze.com.au/gallery/gallery.asp?imageid=7183

Reckon they will need a bullock team to get him to go back home.

Thanks WINDSURFnSNOW, that's the problem, my standard fin is a 32 so I thought smaller would be better, but then another fin is a different beast I guess.

Very few windsurfers here and no shops, so I have to rely on you guys

Hi Fitz, if it stops raining, I'll take my young fella up to the dam tomorrow, will say gidday for you. Was up there last week, and they were all there. I only go up there for my boy who I'm trying to encourage to windsurf. Winds too flukey for me, haven't sailed there for years. The photo on the side is at the dam, the only day where I could get a few runs in, normally have to swim back with no uphaul.
Got a couple of photos of hoppy Bob and old Hans in the photo section.

Off to night shift again so cheers,
Bob.

FBob
- I'm with Snides and WSNS (Sam?) too. I use a 32 or 33 F1 with my 6.6 on the gladiator 95 (59cm) - but I'm 95kg+. I use a 36 G'wing with the 6.6 on my 115. Not knowing your weight I reckon 33 or 34 G'wing or F1 (go about 1 cm larger if going for F1) on the (now sadly discontinued) 63cm wide Gladiator 100 would be good for you. The bigger fin will get the board up on the tail. The Tectonics are a fast foil so don't worry about a cm or 3 slowing you down. The kinetic fins are good durable all-rounders but in the cold light of day they are not in the tectonics 'speed' league. I have learned this lesson myself!
Wait for the Oz dollar to go gangbusters again (90c +) and get a couple of Tectonics fins direct with a mate a you'll land them for about $220 a piece.
Cheers

Gr8 choco, can you give us a web link to the PWA stuff

Thanks 25, I knew there was a gun here on a Gladdy 95.

I'm about 82Kg and think the F1 would be the go in my conditions, choppy ocean, would you agree with the F1 and what length
And are you saying, just use it all the time instead of the Kinetic, or just when the wind is up

Don't worry if I take your advice and it doesn't work out, it's cool

Thanks in advance, I'm heading out and night shift again tonight,
Bob.

Yeah choco, thats a sponsors list. In the speed events I was at I didnt see a single deboichet in a board (including antoine's). Most popular fin was the F1. Different story in slalom though, but they are racing in well rough conditions.

From what I understand, the Goldwing is still the most popular among slalom racers. Certainly that's what Matt Pritchard and Phil McGain still use - never smaller than 30cm.

From my experience the Goldwing is a great performer on beam and close reaching, whereas the Falcon seems to come into it's own on a broad reach, particularly in ugly chop.

Here are the results so far at the French canal:

1-ALBEAU : 46.7nds RECORD DE FRANCE EN WINDSURF (5m RSR, proto 37 Starboard et 24 deboichet upwind)
2-MAYNARD : 46nds (proto pryde 5.2, proto 35 F2 et 22 deboichet upwind)
3-DIETHELM : 44.3 RECORD DU MONDE SUR PLANCHE DE SERIE ( 5.4 north 2006, F2 missile XS et 22 deboichet upwind)
4-BORDES : 44.1nds (5m vapor, proto Tabou 42 et deboichet 21 upwind)
5-GARREL : 42.5nds (5.4 north, missile XS et deboichet 24 upwind)

Slowboat are they using Deboichet fins or is it just their sponsors?,it sucks in a way because it would be great to really know what these guys are using.
It's great that Mal and yourself actually make available the fins that you use to anyone that wants them.

cheers