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Re: Thruster vs Twin vs Quad fins

Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 10:43 pm
by tautologies
Marty wrote:I have a 2013 4'8" Naish Skater for travel that is twin fin.
Loose and snappy but it takes a little bit of work to get upwind on.
I does fit into my golf bag,but tight.
Its a fantastic board. I guess we are some of the few who got it since they stopped making it. I love mine tho.

Laz: The skater isn't really meant to go super fast, but it should not feel draggy. If you use your feet a bit more actively. Going off the top front side try to lift your toes..it'll dig tail in. :-)

The board is wider so it is a bit more bouncy than boards made for really fast riding. That said...I can ride well overhead waves on my 5'4''.

Re: Thruster vs Twin vs Quad fins

Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2013 11:26 pm
by zob
laz wrote:Was out on my Naish skater Thruster yesterday for first time. Felt like the board was really tracky and like the middle fin for sure slowed me down.
I recently broke my Alaia (finless), so I brought from the dust an old (ridden only once with no UD experience) Naish Mutant. I was also disrupted by middle fins. They make the board very tracky, but kill all the fun. So I removed middle fins and those low ones on the tips because they are mostly for decoration. Will trie which fin feels better at the back.

Tip fins left me 3 small holes each which is no problem. However I have 2 opened fin boxes from the middle fin. I found finding Mini Tuttle fin box covers is very hard, at least so close, that shipping wouldn't cost 3 times the value of covers :D .

What do you guys use to cover fin boxes?

Re: Thruster vs Twin vs Quad fins

Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2013 11:46 pm
by L0KI
I would think a plastics supply house would have rectangular bar stock that you could buy a short piece of.
Drill a hole and tap a thread in it and run your screw in from the top and your hole is filled.
Or drill a hole in the side and top of your plastic piece and drop a brass furniture slug insert in the side hole and run your screw into the brass slug from the top of the board.

Re: Thruster vs Twin vs Quad fins

Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 8:35 am
by zerogee_ca
zob wrote:
laz wrote:Was out on my Naish skater Thruster yesterday for first time. Felt like the board was really tracky and like the middle fin for sure slowed me down.
I recently broke my Alaia (finless), so I brought from the dust an old (ridden only once with no UD experience) Naish Mutant. I was also disrupted by middle fins. They make the board very tracky, but kill all the fun. So I removed middle fins and those low ones on the tips because they are mostly for decoration. Will trie which fin feels better at the back.

Tip fins left me 3 small holes each which is no problem. However I have 2 opened fin boxes from the middle fin. I found finding Mini Tuttle fin box covers is very hard, at least so close, that shipping wouldn't cost 3 times the value of covers :D .

What do you guys use to cover fin boxes?
I used broken mini tuttle fin bases as covers. I setup an old NRG mutant (a Flash Austin style, not the twintip style) as a twin. It had mini tuttles too and I had plenty of broken fins. I covered the forward boxes and I used a large set of plastic NSP surfboard fins for twins. The board was a blast!

You might be able to source a cheap set of plastic NSP surfboard fins for this, they used mini tuttles. I think you could also fab something up with little effort as Oldnbroke suggests too.

Re: Thruster vs Twin vs Quad fins

Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 1:41 pm
by zob
zerogee_ca wrote: You might be able to source a cheap set of plastic NSP surfboard fins for this, they used mini tuttles. I think you could also fab something up with little effort as Oldnbroke suggests too.
Fins don't get cheaper than plugs, and I haven't brake any yet. :D
I could fabricate some plugs out of alu pieces however I am not keen of sanding down conic surfaces.
What about a simple piece of tape with strong adhesive over holes? It should last a session!?

Re: Thruster vs Twin vs Quad fins

Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 4:16 pm
by nikalaitzian
zob wrote:
zerogee_ca wrote: You might be able to source a cheap set of plastic NSP surfboard fins for this, they used mini tuttles. I think you could also fab something up with little effort as Oldnbroke suggests too.
Fins don't get cheaper than plugs, and I haven't brake any yet. :D
I could fabricate some plugs out of alu pieces however I am not keen of sanding down conic surfaces.
What about a simple piece of tape with strong adhesive over holes? It should last a session!?
just take some pvc plastic and cut it to the length you need,screw the bolts and the use your softer wax to close the mini gaps...

Re: Thruster vs Twin vs Quad fins

Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 4:45 pm
by BWD
mold release (PVA &/or petroleum jelly)
I'd coat a brush or piece of paper with petroleum jelly and use it to completely coat the inside of the cavity.
Or spray 3 coats PVA mold release into it.
Insert a screw (coated with petroleum jelly) through the hole, seal around the screw with tape or plasticine.
Pour epoxy putty or polyester fiberglass filler putty into the cavity, cure.
Unscrew the screw.
Use a thinner rod in the screw hole to push the plug out if you want to....
If you are worried about the plug getting stuck because of the cavity shape, put a layer of packing tape along the side walls of the cavity before applying mold release. That should let it slip out unless it's a really bad box. Even safer would be to make a separate mold of the fin bases and duplicate them, but PITA, extra steps....

I have used tape over fin holes with good results also, when not wanting to make a little hole into a big project ;)

And I have one board where I filled extra screw holes with silicone caulk, knowing I could dig it out later if needed. Keep in mind silicone interferes with epoxy cure though, if you are thinking of reworking the boxes with epoxy...

Re: Thruster vs Twin vs Quad fins

Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 5:10 pm
by Onda
Hi to all! My 1st post here :)

I mostly ride my Skater 5'9" as a twin. It´s very loose then, still good upwind performance and fine on small waves.
Foot placement is really kinda strange on the Skater. If not on a wave I stand very much in front with my front foot. But going down the line you really have to put your weight back not to bury the nose.

Great board all in all. Or I´ve gotten too much used to it :-?

Re: Thruster vs Twin vs Quad fins

Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 4:04 am
by laz
Cool cool ^ I am going to make it a twin.

Rode it yesterday. Just needed to get used to it.

Re: Thruster vs Twin vs Quad fins

Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 7:10 am
by zob
Hi!

I used normal clear packaging tape to cover the fin boxes and it worked just fine!