This skeg was spotted by Jeff out at Montauk a few days ago. It’s called the Turbo Tunnel Fin,
and there are surfers who say the thing does many wonderful things…helps
maintain speed through turns, improves nose riding, provides lots of drive and
so on.
So
of course I’m wondering what this design would do for a windsurfer.
And if I should plug one into my SUP
board (not that I’m remotely good enough to be able to evaluate SUP fin
performance.)
Back when I started windsurfing there used to be some experimental or otherwise unusual fins advertised in the back of windsurfing magazine. I remember a fin with small holes running through the fin (to “channel water to prevent cavitation,”) a asymmetrical fin that would change shape depending on the reach it was on, an aluminum fin and so on. But this is the freakiest thing I’ve seen since the football fin, but unlike the football fin, it seems to have some fans.
(Top photo by Peconic Jeff. Bottom photo from the Turbo Tunnel web site.
Nah - this is the best fin I've sen in 25-yrs...
http://www.peconicpuffin.com/the_peconic_puffin/2010/07/strangest-fin-seen-in-25-yearscould-it-work.html
Posted by: Beej | July 27, 2010 at 10:42 AM
Doh - I meant this one....
http://www.driftsurfing.eu/surf_article.php?id=1867&page=14
Posted by: Beej | July 27, 2010 at 10:42 AM
Hey BeeJ, I followed the link and read the story behind the movie 'When God Went Surfing With The Devil'. That's nice stuff!
Posted by: Tonywind | July 27, 2010 at 06:29 PM
Forgot to comment on the fin. That turbine in the middle may look cool on the beach but it just seems to add drag and reduce lift..
Posted by: Tonywind | July 27, 2010 at 06:37 PM
Nice link, I really like Driftsurfing. A counterpoint to the fin mentioned by Miguel is the profile about Tom Wegener, called Finless.
Posted by: Joe "Keo" Rouse | July 28, 2010 at 02:47 AM
Right that's it. I'm off to the Timber merchants for some Iroko...
On another point though, look around Drift Magazine and you'll see lots about 'Hulls' for surfing. I've been wondering if shorter displacement boards (As opposed to those crazy 80s Div II things) would be a good call for light wind wavesailing - perhaps better than a SUP sail or longboard wavesail? Same glide effect and reliance on momentum but shorter for different feeling turns? And, if planing's not an issue, as those fo us who've enjoyed some longboard wavesailing ands general longboard malarkey are used to, then could weight be less of an issue and these boards be sculpted from wood to prevent usage of toxic resins?
Posted by: Beej | July 28, 2010 at 04:25 AM