Can I add fins to my Victoria - makes sense?

[Kjeld]

Hey,

first a quick hello. Just joined the forum as wanna try go skimboarding (with kite). Am in

Denmark, mostly flat water, but also times where we got small waves, 1-1.5 meters. Wanna

use the skim for the fun in light wind, and try to hit the waves when possible. So pretty

much a combi..

I just bought the new - I guess it is a 2010 - Victoria Foamie L (am 185cm, 85kg). I was

hard to find some info about the kite in connection to kite. Anyway, I will give it a try

and be beaten up..Wuhu.

But, as completely new I know it will be a hard start, and a board without fins will mostly

be a hard fight. I know a skim should be ridden without fins, but somehow I still feel for

adding some fins to it (to get a bit board feeling and to ride upwind as strapless..). I

got some small fins home - 10 cm long, and 1,2 cm high (actually coming from a Obrien

wakeboard). Can I put them on the board by just drilling a few holes in the board (can the

foam take it (what if it gets wet), or do I need some speciel inserts to save the foam?

Will it make any difference at all, or is the board already shaped so I dont need the fins

(and can still go upwind)?.

Excited to try it.

Rock on!
Kjeld

[pebbles]

One of the advantages of having a skim is the lack of fins. That being said my personal board has a quad setup. I figured the fins would help out, but I seem to go upwind better without. Smaller waves are more fun without fins, but in big swell I like 2 little ones near the tail for just a little bite cuz I slide out alot in anything head-high. Since I rarely get big waves here I have used the fins 3-4 times in a couple years.

later
pebbles

[Lonny]

Hey Kjeld,

Welcome to LTS! Glad you got your Victoria, and are stoked to ride!

Do you need fins, no I do not recommend them. Here are some thoughts:

Should I take the fins off my skimboard?
One hundred percent - take the fins off the board. If you want to learn to ride a skimboard properly, and not need to re-learn some skills then keep the fins off at first. They are sort of like training wheels, helpful, but you need to learn again without them. Once you learn to ride a skim properly you add fins when that is the desired action you are looking for, but only once you are comfortable riding without them do I recommend using them.

I would definitely recommend riding without your fins for 2 reasons. The first, is learning to ride your skim with proper technique. Even though it will be more difficult to ride at first because the board will feel super loose, and almost like it wants to come out from under your feet. However, believe me when I say that the fins are not necessary, especially once you learn the proper technique of riding the rail of your skimmy and getting your stance and kite position right. In some ways the fins can almost cheat you of developing a good skim technique because you don't really feel a skim fully until you ride it fin-less. Once you have your skim mastered then you can add fins when you want them for extra grip or waves. Lets also not forget that you look way cooler to all the other people riding without straps and fins!! Second, if you remove your fins you will find it much much easier to learn to slide your skimmer and learn shuvits. Also, removing the fins will make it a bit easier when riding your board backwards and when you are learning to turnaround.

A well designed kite skim will go upwind very well without any fins. It will take you a few sessions to get used to it, but stick with it! It's more of a mental hurdle to get past the no fins thing. You will see...

Let us know how you are doing and any other questions you may have.