Forums > Kitesurfing General

Fins cost SO much

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Created by dutchy1985 > 9 months ago, 28 Oct 2009
dutchy1985
213 posts
28 Oct 2009 9:19AM
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Does anyone want to explain to me why kiteboard fins or FCS fins are worth $90?

i'm going to have to start polishing people's shoes at the train station on the way home from work to afford this sh!t if I keep breaking them.

Are they owned by the DeBeers Cartel who dump huge shipping containers of fins in the bottom of the ocean every year to curb supply and keep the prices high?

Are fins 'a guy's best friend'
Are fins supposed to be 'forever' because mine certainly don't last that long.
Are they made from some sort of plastic that has a better 'refractive index', 'toughness', and 'specific gravity' than any other type of plastic.

What is going on here?!?!?

milko
NSW, 604 posts
28 Oct 2009 12:29PM
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Just sneak the wife's good plastic chopping board out to the garage.. and get to work with a saw and a disc sander..they work great

eightfootplus
NSW, 298 posts
28 Oct 2009 1:37PM
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Its called a Monopoly Profit.

But with a bit of effort you can mould your own, especially if you just want a standard fin.

or you could easily buy a bit of balsa, shape to size and laminate with standard polyester and then and and hey presto, woodies!

I made moulds for a concave fin, then I saw that FCS were releasing one, so I scrapped the project and waited, they hit the shops at around $180 for two bits of plastic.

Nowdays I kite more than I surf so I havnt bothered to resurect the project. And I have about a dozen fins hanging around from broken boards.

8ft+

sbray
SA, 350 posts
28 Oct 2009 2:21PM
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dutchy1985 said...

Does anyone want to explain to me why kiteboard fins or FCS fins are worth $90?

Are fins supposed to be 'forever' because mine certainly don't last that long.
Are they made from some sort of plastic that has a better 'refractive index', 'toughness', and 'specific gravity' than any other type of plastic.


Here is a supplier in the US.

http://www.omnitech-engineering.com/fins/default.asp

but the lead time to get them here is long.

There are often Australian made fins for sale on Ebay

Shaping your own fins can be a pain in the butt, especially having to end up with 4 the same

Or, as I have done you can cast your own from a known fin shape.

This is a good start to DIY fins;
www.blacksail.fr/index.php?rub=MAKING&ssrub=Fins

you will have to translate the french... try google translate.

For casting Supplies I use Adelaide Molding & Casting (you can purchase online)
www.amcsupplies.com.au/catalogue/

I would be surprised if there were not Australian suppliers who could better $90 per fin!

Cheers
Fossil

theDoctor
NSW, 5785 posts
28 Oct 2009 2:57PM
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our local surf-fashion store(complete with zit faced, pierced and tattooed 'hoz it goin bra' phuktard) has 'homebrand' fcs for thirty bucks, they lack the inside foil but, hey... you ain't slater

Idiot
WA, 577 posts
28 Oct 2009 2:26PM
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I used to have a board (famous brand) and the fins used to break every 2 months then some one stole my board.
Now I have a cheap anti G board and the fins are bullet proof fiber glass.

Apparently they made their own fins and it has their logo on it.
Their boards are too heavy but fins are good.

BigAirPaul
QLD, 140 posts
28 Oct 2009 5:41PM
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Yeah, the cops busted me for speeding and it cost a packet...

Oh sorry, fins !!!

lemo87
QLD, 130 posts
28 Oct 2009 6:17PM
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^^^

I read exactly the same thing. Long day, yeh, that is all



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