Flippered, or flipperless ... ?

[Rob]

More curious as to the percentage of kneelos who prefer to surf flipperless.

[surfhorn]

I've worn swim fins all my life, whether KBing or body surfing...or just going for an ocean swim. And my ankles have paid the price.

Over the last year I've been on the path of shorter, lighter swim fins and longer/wider KBs, relying on my arms more than my legs. Next move is finless on small days. It would be a difficult thing (at least psychologically) for me to paddle out into substantial surf w/out the security of my swim fins.

[hart]

Nope..

Never wear them

[toofast]

I wear mine all the time...I did go from duckfeet to old school churchills. I have tried it without them and it just felt weird without them. Plus, I ride small boards and you need the extra help.

[WillP]

I just stopped using flippers about a month ago and the difference is tremendous. It did take a little bit of getting used to, especially in larger surf, but the reduction in drag is very noticable. I can see myself still using them when the surf gets big, but in mediocre stuff i'll go without the flippers.

[albert]

I wore fins for about 10 years or so, from 16 to 26. Always liked them and swore I would never come off them... When I would see simons videos and notice that he did not have flippers I just assumed his boards where massive compared to mine and would help him get into waves easier. Therefore those videos didnt phase me, till I came to Australia and saw that their boards and mine where very similar and they did not need flippers to get into waves, so I decided to try it out (while I was living in florida I did have a few stand up fishes that I could paddle into waves alright when it was small).

I tried it out one day in this place in Wollongong when it was pretty big and realized that I could still catch waves, my arms were sore as hell when I would come in but I did get nearly as many as I did with flippers. Then, after a few months I noticed that my arms where much stronger and I was surfing a fair bit faster when I would see myself on video, mostly because I was unaware that the flippers were dragging off the tail of my board.

All in all, I would have to say that going flipperless has worked out for me very well. I dont recommend it for everyone, but there are a few people out there who could greatly improve their surfing by going flipperless.


Thanks
Albert

[Jon Manss]

You can bury me in my Duck Feet, just get a custom fit coffin.

[john mann]

Doing the Bunker Sprekels deal right now, on a 6`2``Channel Islands Fish. Drop in kneeling, stand to go around some clueless longboarder, then finish off with a wicked KB slash.Finless, thou I own bout ten pairs....

[DrStrange]

I really like the boost of fins getting into waves and out thru short period shorebreak. One of these days though, I'll have to go barefoot and see what it's like. (sex without a condom?) Maybe with gloves the first time to cheat a bit...

[W.G. Facenda]

Not sure i understand the reason for not wearing flippers??Is it for less drag when riding narrow tail boards? To get bigger arms? Looks better?When riding bigger waves instead of flippers do you ride longer boards?

[joe]

flippers, don't leave home without 'em

[albert]

John.
I think there are various reasons that you mentioned why some people dont wear flippers.

Is it for less drag when riding narrow tail boards?

Yes, but not necesarily for narrow tail boards. I sit pretty far back on my boards and while I was wearing flippers I could see that sometimes they were sticking out the back. So I would kneel further up on the board, this I later found was hurting my surfing, so when I stopped using flippers I noticed I pretty much always knelt on the same place on my boards, with my toes only about two inches from the tail of the board.

To get bigger arms? Looks better?

I thought I always looked good even without bigger arms just kidding. I dont see nearly as much improvement on how my surfing looks when compared to what other people have told me. My arms arent any bigger, but they do feel stronger.

When riding bigger waves instead of flippers do you ride longer boards?

Yes, but I did that even when I did use flippers.


Hope that helps
Albert

[Bryan Jackson]

I think this whole idea that flippers cause excess drag may be a bit overblown . I mean, look at Greenough. He wore those huge UDTs and had no problem with speed...

At the very least it definitely depends on the board design being ridden as well as the type flippers worn. For example, a board with a relatively wide tail (e.g., Fish) is going to have little or no drag, especially if the rider has swim fins with a narrower blade.

A few years ago I met and surfed with a KBer from Hawaii who was riding a 5’10” narrow swallow tail who actually liked having his swimfins hanging off the sides of his board. He said they added control, sort of like a body boarder . I saw him ride some rather juicy overhead waves (this was in American Samoa) and I can assure you he had no problems with speed whatsoever .

If your surfing improves without swim fins, then it might very well be you were using the wrong type fins to begin with .

In addition, flippers add torque to your turns because you are more connected to your board (i.e., you have a larger area of contact with the board’s surface) .

I too was inspired to try surfing without fins after seeing the “Sparrow…”. It worked OK in smaller waves but that was about the extent of it. About the only advantage gained was the ability to easily stand if I so desired and I definitely felt the decrease in my ability to turn the board (I was riding a Fish) and so soon abandoned the experiment .

Of course, each particular board design will have its own idiosyncrasies and the drag from flippers may be more noticeable in boards with narrower tails. (In fact, on a more anecdotal note this was the reason why Steve Lis invented the Fish to begin with. He was riding narrow pintails and the drag was noticeable. Solution: a double pintail! )

Bummer about messing up your ankles but that was probably due to a combination of improper technique along with antiquated swim fin design (i.e., blades too long and stiff) . Nowadays there is such a wide variety of advanced designs available that one should be able to find a suitable ergonomic swim fin .

Swim fins also give you added horsepower when getting out through big surf or scrambling to get outside of that scary cleanup set (I can’t tell you how many times when, caught inside in such a situation I have just turned over on my back and kicked my way out, towing my board behind me by its leash. Not the most elegant solution but I survived, and usually in better shape than any stand-ups I was with!)

In the end, to each his (or her) own, and if you (think) you can surf better without fins then go for it . But for my money, the ability to wear flippers is a big advantage of kneeboarding!

[Duke]

Hi all,
i'm Stefano from Rome and i'm a beginner of this fantastic sport.
What's the best for improve my surfing?with or without fins?
The problem with fins for me is the correct position for paddling.
Thank you all in advance for your help and sorry for my english
ciao

Also in Italy.....on your knees!!!

[Smokin Rock]

Stefano,
welcome to the site. i'd say go with the swim fins to start. if you search the posts you'll find different brands that people use here. i'm not sure i understand your ? on paddling position but i suggest you surf a lot. time in the water will improve your ability. even if there are tiny waves, go out anyway and get yourself in paddling shape. also don't rely on the swim fins entirely. use your arms, even more than the fins. most importantly, have fun.