Big Milky Way Longboard Fin

Choosing a Fin Shape

All Round Fin

A good all-rounder is a solid place to start if you want one fin that can do a bit of everything. It gives you enough base and hold for trimming and nose riding, while still allowing the board to turn without feeling too locked in.

Helps with:

• A good balance of stability, hold and manoeuvrability.
• Smooth turns without feeling too stiff.
• Trimming and moderate nose riding.
• Handling a wide range of waves and conditions.
• Longboarders who like to mix up their surfing.

Doesn’t help with:

• It won’t offer the same hold and stability as a larger, more specialised nose-riding fin.
  

Feel in the water:
The balanced outline makes this a versatile fin that sits somewhere between a pivot and a more raked fin. Its moderate rake gives you some drive and allows the board to flow through turns, while the base provides enough hold for trimming and nose riding. A good middle ground if you want one fin that can handle a bit of everything.

Pivot Fin

A pivot fin has a more upright outline with a wide base and plenty of area. These characteristics give the fin strong hold and a clear pivot point under the tail, which is why they work so well for traditional longboarding and nose riding.

Helps with:

• Nose riding: The large surface area and upright template provide plenty of hold when you move forward on the board.
• Pivot turns: The upright leading edge allows the board to turn more when further back on the tail of the board, rather than drawing a long arc.
• Cross-stepping: The extra hold helps keep the board tracking while you move around it giving it a strong and predictable feel.
  

Doesn’t help with:

• Long, sweeping carves: the lack of rake means the fin doesn’t naturally encourage a long, drawn-out turn.
• Fast, powerful turns: the large surface area can feel more resistant when you’re trying to push the board through a faster carve.
• Loose, lively surfing: it generally feels more planted and deliberate than a smaller or more raked fin.

Feel in the water:
The key to a pivot fin is its upright shape and large surface area. More upright means the fin pivots rather than sweeping through a turn, while the larger area gives you the hold needed for nose riding. The trade-off is that it feels more planted and less suited to big, flowing carves.

Hatchet Fin

The hatchet fin has a wide, squared-off tip and a lot of surface area. Compared with a pivot or all-round fin, it gives you more hold and stability, particularly when you’re up on the nose. The trade-off is that it feels less free and responsive when turning.

Helps with:

• Maximum stability when nose riding.
• Holding a long, steady trim line.
• Cross-stepping without the board feeling twitchy.
• Keeping the tail planted as you move towards the nose.
• Slow, controlled surfing where hold is more important than manoeuvrability.

Doesn’t help with:

• Quick direction changes: a pivot fin will feel easier to turn tightly.
• Drawn-out carves: a more raked fin will generally suit this better.
• Speed and responsiveness: the extra surface area creates more resistance than a smaller or more raked fin.
  

Feel in the water:
Think of a hatchet as sitting towards the stable, nose-riding end of the fin spectrum. A pivot fin gives you more freedom to turn from the tail, while a raked fin gives you more flow and drive through a turn. The hatchet gives up some of that manoeuvrability in exchange for maximum hold and stability. If your priority is walking to the nose and holding a long trim, that extra stability is exactly what you want.

Flex Fin

A flex fin is designed to load up and release as you turn, giving the board a more lively and responsive feel. Compared with a stiff, upright fin, the narrow area on the tip allows the fin to flex and this flex is what allows the fin to bend under pressure and then spring back.

Helps with:

• More responsive, lively turns.
• Smooth, flowing carves with a bit more speed.
• Generating drive as the fin loads and releases through a turn.
• Adding performance to more modern or hybrid longboards.
• Surfers who want their longboard to feel more active and less planted.

Doesn’t help with:

• Stability: a larger, stiffer fin will generally feel more planted.
• Nose riding: depending on the size and template, it may not provide the same hold as a pivot or hatchet fin.
• Tight pivot turns: due to its rake tight quick turns may feel more difficult.
• Heavy, powerful surfing where you want the fin to feel completely locked in.

Feel in the water:
The defining characteristic is the flex. As you put pressure through a turn, the fin bends and stores energy before releasing it as you come out of the turn. This gives the board a more lively, flowing feel compared with a stiff fin. The amount of flex, as well as the fin’s size and shape, will change how noticeable this is. For a longboard that feels a little too stiff or traditional, a flex fin can add some life and responsiveness without changing the board itself.

D Fin

The D fin has a wide base, a relatively upright outline and a large surface area. It gives a longboard plenty of hold and control, making it particularly suited to bigger, heavier logs and slower, fuller waves where you want to settle into a line and let the board run.

Helps with:

• Keeping bigger, heavier longboards stable and controlled.
• Holding a clean straight line while trimming down the wave.
  
• Giving traditional logs a solid, planted feel.
• Suits slower, more deliberate longboarding rather than constantly changing direction.

Doesn’t help with:

• Tight pivot turns: Its sheer surface area limits its ability in this area. A lot of weight would need to be over the tail to help with turning.
• Loose, responsive surfing: again the large base and surface area make it feel more planted.
• Quick direction changes or aggressive carving.
• Smaller, lighter or more performance-focused longboards, where it can feel overly stiff and cumbersome.

Feel in the water:
The D fin is all about hold and control. Its wide base keeps plenty of fin in the water, giving a heavy longboard a solid point to work around. Compared with a pivot fin, it feels more settled and less eager to change direction. It’s a classic choice for bigger, heavier logs where you want the board to feel settled, controlled and smooth.

Fin Positioning:

Where you place your fin in the box can make a noticeable difference to how your longboard feels in the water.

Forward Position:
Moving the fin towards the front of the fin box or the nose makes the board feel looser and easier to turn. It brings the pivot point forward, which takes some hold out of the tail and makes the board more responsive under your feet. This can be useful when you want a more playful or skate like feel.

Back Position:
Moving the fin towards the tail gives the board more hold and makes it track more strongly through the water. With more fin behind you, the board feels more planted and controlled, particularly when you’re putting pressure through a turn or surfing a steeper wave. The trade-off is that the board becomes less loose and can take a little more effort to redirect.

Why this works:
Think of the fin as the pivot point of the board. Moving it forward makes that pivot easier to work around, while moving it back gives the tail more hold and stability. Even a small adjustment can change the way the board turns, so it’s worth experimenting with the position to find what works with your board and the waves you’re surfing. 

If you’re unsure, start somewhere around the middle of the box and adjust from there.

Fin Size:

Determining your ideal fin size can be tricky. The easiest place to start is with the size of your longboard. As a rough guide:

8-9' board will often suit a fin around 8–9"

9-9'6" board around 9–10"

9'6"+ board around 10"+

These are guides rather than hard rules, as the board’s tail shape, width and overall design can all change what works best. Your own size and surfing style also play a part as a heavier rider will generally benefit from more fin, while a lighter rider may prefer a little less. If you’re buying your first fin, starting around the middle of the range for your board is a good place to begin. If you’re unsure, it’s also worth consulting your shaper or the person who designed your board, as they’ll know what will best suit you, your board and the way you surf.

Other Things to Note:

Fin choice isn’t just about the fin itself. As mentioned previously, the board, the waves and the way you surf all work together, so a fin that works perfectly on one board may feel completely different on another.

Wave type, rocker and board shape are all worth considering:

• Smaller or weaker waves can benefit from more fin area, giving the board extra hold when there’s less speed and rail engagement. This is one of the reasons why D fins can work so well in fuller, rolling waves.
• More powerful waves generally provide more natural hold through speed and rail engagement, so you may not need as much fin. This is where an all-round or flex fin can be a good option if you want a more responsive feel.
• Boards with more rocker can sometimes benefit from a deeper fin, as more of the tail sits out of the water.
• Straighter outlines tend to work well with more upright fins, making it easier to pivot and change direction.

Ultimately, the best setup comes from balancing the fin with the board’s design, the conditions and the way you want to surf. And that’s the fun part of setting up a longboard, experimenting with different combinations of board, fin and waves to find what works best for you and keeps your surfing journey interesting.