Boat Building Forum

Find advice on all aspects of building your own kayak, canoe or any lightweight boats

Re: Other: SUP skeg *PIC*
By:Malcolm Schweizer
Date: 4/13/2012, 6:00 pm
In Response To: Other: SUP skeg (scottbaxter)

: I have a question for those of you that are wiser than myself. On a
: flatwater SUP could a drop down skeg work instead of a fin? I am
: thinking it would be easier to transport and a few other
: advantages.
: Scott

If you install a fin box you can remove the fin easily with one screw or a few allen grub screws, depending on what fin system you go for. This gives you options as well for what type of fin you use. When surfing I use your standard 9" or 10" fin, but offshore I might choose a weedless fin. In fact, I am looking off the porch right now at a huge weedline about 1/2 mile offshore. A weedless fin has a more severe angle that keeps weeds from hanging around the fin.

A skeg would be pretty hard to install as there is not much room inside the board, but I guess it would be possible. I would just go with a fin. Below is a picture of the fin box on the Malco SUP. There is barely enough depth in the tail for the fin box. I use the standard 10" longboard fin boxes. They use one screw and the other side of the fin has a pin that slides in a track. The screw keeps it in place. I find them easiest to adjust, especially when I am doing a prototype board and not sure where the fin needs to be until I give her a test spin.

If you want a shorter fin for clearance around shallow waters you can use a raked fin that is long but angled very far back. This would be more like a weedless fin.

Messages In This Thread

Other: SUP skeg
scottbaxter -- 4/13/2012, 3:29 pm
Re: Other: SUP skeg *PIC*
Malcolm Schweizer -- 4/13/2012, 6:00 pm
Re: Other: SUP skeg
scottbaxter -- 4/13/2012, 7:00 pm