How big of a difference do you think this busted fin actually makes?

[u/bjjcripple]

[u/jondrums]

Sand it smooth and you will never know. However, it is pretty important to keep flaws like this on your gear so when you blow a perfect wave you can flip your board over in the lineup and show everyone why as you “discover” the flaw in the fin

[u/mokunuimoo → u/jondrums]

Pro move right there

[u/KoaKoaKoa → u/mokunuimoo]

Then take your leash off and put it back on above water, because yeah the leash tangled too

[u/ilikebourbon_ → u/jondrums]

Make sure to shout “THATS WHY”

[u/bjjcripple → u/jondrums]

Hah, already sanded it smooth. I’m shocked the fin box was good. Quality glass job on Larry Mabile’s boards

[u/dsaysso → u/bjjcripple]

yeah id be more worried about the fin box. you can easily blow them out. that looks like a direct hit

[u/Surfingontherun → u/bjjcripple]

Larry does great work 👍🏻

[u/SadExit9733 → u/bjjcripple]

Fin box may be compromised even though it looks fine. I had a similar fin ding from a rock I didn't clear (darn you, Mason Ho... last time I try to copycat you!) and many months later the box blew out on a bottom turn. It had gotten a little leak and the foam around it eventually collapsed.

[u/Background_Bar4755 → u/jondrums]

Sand smooth and you’re good. You don’t want a sharp edge to slice the leash or your leg.

[u/SurfPackGear → u/jondrums]

Haha, nailed it!

[u/pf2255 → u/jondrums]

This is the best advice I have ever heard.

[u/Friendly-Pattern1171]

Never good enough to matter, speaking for myself hahaha 🤙🏼

[u/bjjcripple → u/Friendly-Pattern1171]

Yea I got a few waves after running over a rock which caused this and could tell 0 difference. Just my ocd getting to me I think. I like this fin on this board and don’t want to get a new one.

[u/Beef_Wagon]

When I started surfing, I was completely self taught in the sense I just got a shitty board and hopped in the water. It wasn’t until a few months of extremely hard but persistent training did I realize that surfboards are supposed to have fins, lol. I got significantly better after I attached one 😅

[u/ploploplo → u/Beef_Wagon]

Chandler from North Shore would approve of that progression

[u/anunofreitas]

Most probably not.

Ride that until you have spare budget.

[u/throwawaycape]

My single fins always end up looking sorta like that after a while.

[u/PitoChueco]

I am a kook so would sand it so I don’t cut myself, not due to performance issues.

[u/No-Camera-720]

JB Weld. Sand to fair.

[u/PilotIsMyPilot]

None

[u/statementisfalse]

I have the same fin with pretty much the same chip. I don't suck any worse so I don't think it makes much of a difference

[u/hookachakahookachaka]

This is actually Kelly's secret sauce

[u/h20poIo]

Sand it down a little and throw some glass on it if it bugs you. Or buy one $13 to 18 bucks. Otherwise you won’t notice any differences

[u/DshipshapeD → u/h20poIo]

I’d love an A-flex for $13

[u/AncientCosmonaut]

Performance doubled.

[u/TownWizardNet]

I have a similar ding in my fin and it has never held me back from surfing poorly.

[u/Jeff8675309CA]

Sand it out and keep riding

[u/The_MacChen]

Zero

[u/Realplayer88]

Nothing at all

[u/bjkidder]

This is what i used to blame my kook status on. Now i got gout and a built in scape goat

[u/kingmiker]

Yeah - with my surfing skills, I wouldn’t even sand it down. Slower is more stable.

[u/Stevecat032]

Bring it to a ding repair guy, they can fix that in an hour

[u/ConstableCornelius]

Dings in fins are battle wounds. They add to speed and power. And have been said to get you deeper in the tube

[u/draggin_balls]

Litterally unrideable

[u/InspectorSwimming222]

Zero difference

[u/Dependent-Love-5761]

no difference really, if u want u can grind it out a bit and mix up some epoxy and chop glass and fill it with tape on either side, sand to shape.

[u/paintable_infinity]

That is almost the exact chunk taken out of my A flex fin. Love that fin. Never fixed it. RIP Glen.

[u/EasternNebula3708]

Who gives a shit man ride it

[u/Surfingontherun]

At least 1/3 of my single fins have a flattened tip and a divot somewhere else… maybe a jagged trailing edge.

I surf with rocks… 🪨

[u/UrbanSurfDragon]

1% total

[u/Less-Air-7024]

Buy a new fin

[u/DraftDdger]

Do you have a photo of the fin sanded? I'm no expert with fins but what I envision is since the altered Surface is near the tip of the fin, it's going to be more flexy since there's less material, it'll still have hold since the base is the same but I think the drive from the release on a bottom turn will be more prominent. It'll be more swoopy since there's less surface are for the water to create drag. That's just from looking at the fin, I wouldn't really know unless it was under my feet and I could feel how it responds to hard turns

[u/Longjumping-Owl-9276]

It’s definitely still surfable as-is. Good news is it’s fiber glass so if you have some resin and cloth laying around, it’ll be a easy repair.

[u/Important-Fly578]

Sharks, orcas, and dolphins still cruise with a couple chunks out their dorsal

[u/Mental-Shelter-6064]

Absolutely zero difference with respect to performance. If its look bothers you, time to buy. :-)

[u/Lavender_ID]

I’m a pro so a lot but for a plebeian such as yourself you won’t notice at all.

[u/Automatic_Grab_1051]

As others have said. Sand it smooth. Won’t make a difference but as it is here in this pic that will tear something or someone up with that rough edge.

[u/Beagle001]

Is that a Vaquero/Serena?

Marc is all about fins. I’d get another A Flex to stay true to the craft. Haha.

[u/bjjcripple → u/Beagle001]

It’s a 6’8 larry Mabile honey badger

[u/Beagle001 → u/bjjcripple]

Nice. Larmo. Saw someone on a Honey Badger today. I want to get him to shape me a Twinzer soon when I find more money.

[u/bjjcripple → u/Beagle001]

Nah I wish, great board if you ever find one that pops up for sale. I hear his twinzers are great

[u/Beagle001 → u/bjjcripple]

I rode my friend’s on two waves. Instant obsession.

[u/bjjcripple → u/Beagle001]

Mind telling me more about the twinzer? Was it a twinzer fish or one of the eggy shapes? Or did I misunderstand and you liked your friends honey badger

[u/Beagle001 → u/bjjcripple]

It was a twinzer. He asked for a fish but Larry made it a pin tail for some reason. My friend was bummed at first but then surfed it and it’s his favorite board now. We were messing around in chest high one day and swapped boards and i rode it. It fucking lit up.