John Florence Searches For The Fastest Fin Possible

“How can we go as fast as possible in small waves?” asks John of Vince Longo, founder of Futures Fins.

In this clip, JJF and Vince pull together old fin and foil designs from the early 2000s and put them to the test in small-to-medium-sized surf.

Here are the best quotes pulled from the clip for thinking about your next fin purchase.

“Normally (water) hits the front, especially on the outside fin as it’s coming out of the water and the spray goes up the leading edge. What was interesting was that the spray was coming out the back of the fin halfway up which is really unique. What it tells me is that water is sticking to the fin which is really good. When water sticks to the fin it creates lift.” – Vince

“It feels like the concave throws more spray, it gives you more zip.” – JJF

“A long time ago I had a single fin and I chopped the top third off. I didn’t have enough money for a new one so I kept riding it. It works a thousand times better. It’s like an airplane wing. I sanded it so it wasn’t rough and I just rode it like that – so good.“

“With the side fins you make them thinner, more straight-up, less rake, less shape to them, and then in the back one you add all that shape that you want for drive and it’ll be really pivot-ey.” – JJF

“More rake is going to draw your turns out a little. Your high-pressure is on the inside, and the low-pressure is on the outside. That’s the whole drive factor.” – Vince

Other than the fin-talk, the surfing is also a nice reminder of how incredible JJF is to watch in all conditions.

Drive in.