Fin Settings for Dummies

[MI3Eventer]

I have never been one to mess with fin settings, learning the course I took the wing off and put it back on when I started getting consistent into 32 -15.  The skiers at my club seem to know ALOT about fin settings and I want to get the basics so I can at least be a bit more knowledgeable.  Without a novel can someone help explain terms like: Long, Shallow, Wing Angle and what changes do what to how the ski reacts?

[BobF]

This old Radar graphic describes the thinking at that time pretty well.  I have a set of Symptoms/Solutions from the older Schnitz web site, but not sure that's postable here.

[BraceMaker]

Long and shallow are relative to short and deep.  The idea would be to its extremes:

Because the rear of the fin is roughly straight vertical if you bring the rear of the fin up and down and leave the front of the fin the same you change the depth and not the length.  Where as if you move the front of the fin up it disappears into the bottom of the ski and the length of the fin drops.

Overall the long and shallow and short and deep fins are roughly similar exposed amounts of fin but where the fin is and how it acts upon the ski are different.  between the two like long and deep or short and shallow would be fins that are too much or too little fin respectively to do the job.

 

Edited August 18, 2023 by BraceMaker

[Horton]

https://ballofspray.com/articles.html/your-ski-is-a-lever-2004-r3/

[lpskier]

@Horton Great article! 

[ColeGiacopuzzi]

@MI3EventerI know this isn't exactly what you were asking for, but figured I'd post it here since its a great video on how to learn to change your fin. He breaks it down really well. How to set up a fin with Chris Rossi

[Beezer]

I now know I’m a dummy. Thanks @Horton for posting the article.

[jjackkrash]

Order Fin Whispering.  Its worth it weight in gold.

https://finwhispering.com/product-category/books/

For a quick chart (ignore versa-tale stuff) I like the Connelly cheat sheet.  

https://www.connellyskis.com/pages/dv8-adjustment-guide

Spraymakers Gold:

https://player.fm/series/spraymakers-w-rossi-and-trent/dialing-in-your-ski-setup

 

Edited August 19, 2023 by jjackkrash

[Drago]

On 8/18/2023 at 7:53 AM, MI3Eventer said:

  Without a novel can someone help explain terms like: Long, Shallow, Wing Angle and what changes do what to how the ski reacts?

I recommend you Don't order fin whispering