Ultimate Guide to Twin Fin Surfboards

Everything You Need to Know

The twin fin surfboard is a culmination of style and graceful performance, granting surfers the ability to draw unique lines down the face with effortless speed and drive.

A twin fin board feels incredible under your feet, and nearly any surfer with one in their quiver will rave about the many benefits of this fin setup.

If a twinny isn't on your radar, it simply should be, and we're here to tell you why.

What is a Twin Fin Surfboard?

A twin fin board doesn't necessarily describe a specific shape of a surfboard. Instead, it is a term to describe any surfboard that features a fin set composed of two fins.

With this, there arise multiple ways to customize the shape and dimensions of your twin fin for a surfboard to perfectly cater to your desired style of surfing.

A Brief History of the Twin Fin

The twin fin surfboard has a much longer history than you think. Dating back as far as mid to late 1940's with Bob Simmons explorations into planning hulls and utilized parallel-twin keels to help trim along the face of a wave with more projection and control instead of controlled drag- so began the legacy of the twin fin.

Since then, the twin fin has gone through many variations and was adopted by early knee borders in the '60s-'70s, evolving to the most popular design to date, the fish surfboard. Twin Fins made their biggest impact in the late '70s when Australian Surfing Icon Mark Richards, also known as MR, started dominating professional surfing with his re-invented twin fin design. From 1977 to 1981, Twin Fins were the pinnacle of performance surfing design.

Twin Fin Performance

How does a twin fin board feel in the water?

In general, a twin fin will feel extremely loose and free. The parallel fin placement and the larger size of the fins (compared to standard tri-fin setups) will allow for style-oriented high performance, rail to rail surfing with extreme maneuverability in both small and big, mushy waves alike.

With that being said, their only drawback is in bigger surf, where they can seem too loose and lack the control you need to handle bigger, juicier waves. No fin in the middle of the deck can make it feel 'slippery' as water hucks steeply over a reef or shallow bottom sandbar, and it takes a lot of experience to reap the benefits of speed in barreling waves.

After utilizing the enhanced speed of these surfboards through trimming, however, and less through aggressive pumping, the rider will be able to dig deep into the direction of their turn. Without a middle fin, but compensated by the fin depth maintaining hold in the wave face, this allows for quick yet controlled releases through carves and hacks off the lips, and it's really easy to get the fins free for stylish, progressive flair.

Many twin fin models feature bulkier, softer rails, less pronounced rocker, and a beefed-up volume to add to the overall buoyancy. This makes for a surfboard that is easy to paddle and that allows for nice and early drop-ins to set your line

In terms of specific performance personalities between twin fins, this depends on a few factors, including:

• The size, shape, and placement of the fins
• The tail shape of the surfboard
• The surfboards dimensions
The JS Red Baron is fast and offers that classic drive and speed. It has been designed to be surfed with Keel fins in order to gain control and speed on rail. Photos by Bosko Photo

The Size and Shapes of Twin Fins

The sizes and the shapes of twin fins will vary greatly and have one of the most prominent effects on how the shape of your surfboard reacts to the wave as a twin fin board.

For more performance out of your twin fin board, you'll want to go for a more standard fin shape, and if you want a more stylish, old-school approach, you will use a 'keel'.

Twin Fin vs. Keel

Due to a slightly increased fin length, a standard, modern twin fin will sit slightly deeper in the water. They have a smaller surface area than keels and a narrower base, and are more ideal for surfers who seek performance out of their twin fin board.

Place the performance-oriented twin fins further up for a looser feel and for more maneuverability, and further back for increased drive and stability.

A keel is another type of fin setup that is common on twin fin surfboards. Keels, compared to standard twin fins, are much larger in their surface area. They aren't quite as long, so they do not sit as deep in the water, and instead, they are wider (a more extended base), 'fatter' fins that extend across a greater area of the surfboard deck from tail to nose.

Keel fins are much better for a surfer looking to capitalize on the drive of a twin fin surfboard, great for speed and stylish flow, and for increased hold. The increased hold of keel fins makes them an excellent choice for surfing larger waves with a twin fin surfboard and will keep you stable as you trim along the higher portion of the wave and transition to the bottom to initiate turns.

The Tail Shape of the Twin Fin Surfboard

Fishtail, pintail, squaretail, swallowtail… You name it.

Twin fin surfboards come in many shapes and sizes these days, including performance-orientated designs like the DHD Twin Fin, popular boards like the JS Red Baron and the performance hybrid style like the Astro Zombie by Panda.

If you don't know much about how the shapes of your surfboard tail affect the way you ride, then check out our all-inclusive guide to tails, rails, and noses for all the information you need.

With that being said, the most popular twin fin board shape is most definitely the fish, as the tail shape of a fish surfboard is the culmination of style and performance in terms of surfboard shape, just like the twin fin is the culmination of style and performance of fin design. Now that's a lovely couple.

Twin Fin Surfboard Dimensions

The dimensions of a twin fin depend again on the board style and intended use. Many twin fin fish shapes will feature smaller lengths but increased width/thickness for an easy to paddle surfboard that is whippy and small under the feet.

A twin fin surfboard might feature a more standard surfboard length for larger waves, especially with pintail twin fins and more hybrid style surfboard shapes.

A performance-oriented twinny will be a little thinner, a little less wide, and with a little more rocker than the twin fins meant for small-wave style.

To nail down the perfect dimensions of your twin fin board, we suggest utilizing our innovative board engine. This will provide you with the exact dimensions needed to best complement your body size and intended style of surfing with the twin fin of your dreams.

Ideal Twin Fin Surfboard Conditions

The ideal conditions for your twin fin are specific to your exact board. In general, however, twin fins are known to rip in small waves, whether mushy or steep, and they are great summertime surfboards to help pass the time when conditions lack power.

When the waves do get a bit larger, you can surely handle them on the right twin fin. Twin fins are perfect for big, hamburger waves that break slowly and weakly, but note that they will feel a little hard to control in steep, powerful waves. By lacking a middle fin, you face the chance of the surfboard slipping out in the most critical sections of the barrel/pocket.

If you plan to surf larger waves with twin fin style, definitely ensure to ride a twin fin with a little more of a pronounced rocker to handle steeper drop-ins and one with a volume that can get you locked into the drop-in nice and early to set your line.

You won't be showing off with crazy grab-rail late drops, and instead, you'll be capitalizing on the added volume of a twin fin board and the incredible projection down the line topped with controlled drag.

Twin Fin Buyers Guide

For a totally classic, old-school take on a twin fin and small wave rippability, look no further than:

• The Holloway by Chemistry Surfboards
• The Turtle by Eye Symmetry
• The Retro Fish by Noll Surfboards
• The DHD Mini Twin

If you want a little mix of old-school style and volume with a touch of performance, surfboards great for small to medium surf, check out our more hybrid oriented twin fin board shapes such as:

• The Siamese Twin by Superbrand
• The Astro by Pyzel
• The Red Baron by JS

For those who seek sheer performance out of their twin fin surfboard and who want to surf a wider range of conditions, we got ya covered. Go for a slightly more thinned out and aggressive twin fin shape for cruisy buckets out the back by checking out the:

• The Rocket Fish by Panda
• Twinner by T. Patterson
• The Happy Twin by Pyzel

If you simply love a twin fin, and want to ride this fin set up on bigger, barreling waves, then you sure as hell still can. It might be a little trickier than a standard tri or quad, but with a board like the ones listed below, you'll capitalize on speed and drive that'll send you flying out with the spit of a barrel:

• The Misc Twin by Haydenshapes
• Devil Fish by T. Patterson

Twin Fin Surfboard- A Summary

A twin fin surfboard is truly the best way to shred small waves and approach larger surf with style-oriented performance.

With insane speed and drive, this fin setup will have you flying down the line, even when there isn't much power, to transition into some of the most artistic carves of your surfing career yet.

Pivot tightly on each fin for quick hacks or use them as a means to initiate long, drawn-out cutbacks for sheer variety in the way that you can surf. There's not much a twin fin cant do, and considering the endless varieties of twin fins, there is quite literally a twinny out there for everyone.

Trust us. A twin fin absolutely belongs in your quiver.

Press play below and watch Stephanie Gilmore, style queen on her DHD Mini Twin