Ronny Rudders' new single fin RUDDER and another lovely piece of equipment called a UKUlele

What and Where for single fin

There are now,many different fin planshapes on the market, the main differences are:..... area in the tip(no flex) ie, the Hatchet fin, or,:.... a Greenough style which usually has some flex if not alot. The greenough style can have a lot of variances in planshape , sweep or uprightness and, is the most versatile of all the fins as its placement on the board can be varied to suit the style and weight of the surfer , this fin is my personal favourite ,its the end result of much proven experimentation over many years of both long and short boards. The Hatchet style has been taken in by lovers of noseriding,small wave specialist boards, which are a throwback to a kind of early 60s board. I'd personally would like to see some flex in the hatchet fin and getting away from so much roll in the bottom of the boards, but everything has its place , its just that some work so much better than others. With placement, this is dictated by planshape of the board and the bottom curve and tailift, and its experience that comes in here big time especially with glass on fins, this is where you need fellas like me.... So choose wisely its the difference in fins and foils that really make a bad or good board

SINGLE FIN STYLE

There have been some wonderful changes over my last 52 years of surfing, mostly with board shape and materials, but the thruster and the earlier ,twin fin, changed the way we surfed, as there responsiveness and, where we were to put our feet, was heavily dictated by these designs , and it was on small waves that this is really noticeable. I've noticed a lot of good surfers who ride nothing but thrusters or multifins have, a certain style that borders on being like a dyslexic monkey , and to a point , even though he or she are doing wonderful stuff,....... looks ugly...with no grace...no style, no oneness with the wave. The single fin has a great attribute ( as long as the board is a good shape)it smooths  you out ,  this is even noticeable on small waves, it allows you to  to turn the board from different positions, whether riding long or short , and forces you to do it with style. So think about what you want in your quiver ,next time you get another stick...... c'mon kiddies you should be able to ride anything that moves on a wave, and if you can do it with grace and panache you'll feel and look Soooooo Good.   A well foiled single fin placed in the right position is the feeling of a dolphin or a tuna moving through water, just beautiful.

Colour is life... Life IS Colour

It was the first wave as the hooter went off for a heat at the annual Crescent contest the kid brained it and did so on his next two waves ...a favourite shot

From Roy Meisels glassing room floor at Bare Nature Byron Bay 1972 t0 1982 , from the days when we glassed boards in colour.

The standard glassing room in the early years had no drip trays , the resin just dropped onto the floor underneath and depending on how busy the shop was ,it would be ripped up periodically . When Roy ripped this up it was 1 foot thick, after 10 years , and , Roy being Roy kept huge chunks of it and anyone who worked in Bare Nature through those years would recognise their board if it was done in a colour . Sprays were being done then, but a lot of tints and pigments were also the go the orangy yellow below the blue tint in the middle was a 7 foot 10 gun I made for Lennox 1973.