Twin Fins

The Twin Fin has been around for a long time. Its benefits are undeniable which is why it has never gone away and resurfaces into mainstream surf consciousness time after time. Traced back to its origins most likely to Bob Simmons in the 40’s and his wide tail “Bars of Soap” as they are now affectionately called. These boards were wide tail Planing Hulls with 2 Keel fins set widely apart and toward the very back of the board.

The Twin Fin definitely went on to mainstream success by Four Time World Champion, the “wounded seagull”  Mark Richards.  In 1978 he debuted a new take on the twin fin surfboard of his own design. He went on to win 4 World Titles, from 1979 to 1982, on his twin fins and still has a huge modern day following of surfers wanting his “twin fin” surfboards.

The two main styles of the Twin Fin are the Upright templates and the Keel Templates. The Upright is more the “MR” Style Template. They are taller for hold but still pivot. They also are known in some instances to come with a small “stabilizer” fin that acts as a small amount of leverage to avoid spin outs and help create additional drive. The Keel is a much longer base fin that is typically not as tall. A redistribution of surface area if you will, the Keel fin is longer and creates more drive. This is created by the water having to run a longer distance before it can pivot around the fin. It still manages to achieve some pivot by the height of the fin not running as deep. All in all the Keels tend to be a favorite for most of the Retro type Twin Fin Boards and the Uprights a favorite of the more Performance type Twin Fins.