The smooth-flowing speed of single fins offers an alternative to the everyday ride of a thruster. With the reduced drag due to fewer fins in the water, they glide along, feeling free and easy.

In recent years, they've become more common with mid-lengths and longboards but work really well on a variety of shortboards, step-up, and gun designs as well. When paired with modern design elements, the single fin offers a fast, loose feeling for drawing different lines, and the traditional retro shapes are a fun blast from the past to cruise along on.

Single fins also have a place in gun design, as removing the fin cluster makes for a much more relaxed ride at high speed, and with the fin deep in the water, there’s plenty of control and hold.

Having grown up on singles and shaping them since the mid-'70s, I enjoy making and riding single fins as mid-lengths, shorter "retro" style boards, and guns for large surf.

Featured Board      6'6" x 19 3/4 x 2 5/8