I have been riding a SUP (presently a 9-6 BM custom) for about 5 years. I have been finless since October. Inspired by Ryan Helm, I thought it looked like like fun. There is not much info out there on how to pursue this. Just tantalizing clips of masters like RH making it look really easy. It's not!
After many frustrating short attempts, I went cold turkey and ditched my fins "until I figure this out".
Things I had never considered became massive challenges like, paddling out, and catching a wave, any wave! It is a
very humbling experience! Ignoring your instincts is a significant part of the challenge. After adjusting my mindset to "beginner mode" and relaxing about rate of progress, things slowly started to come together. Now I am enjoying myself and looking for better waves. I learn something in every session now. There are many ways to turn, some previously unknown to me. Now I am working on combining them into potentially really funky ways to ride a wave.
My friends see me struggling, and say but why??
When I manage to pull off or figure out something that I have been struggling with, the feeling is very nice.
That satisfaction is a bit addictive.
Any tips or shared experience would be greatfully accepted.
Why are your friends ranting about struggling? I havn't seen a white water kayak with fins, yet look at how they turn and peform in extreme conditions. Plus, with the volume of a SUP, there is heaps of room to play with aggressive concaves, rails and channels. ENJOY!!!!!!!!!
I am really impressed.
I tried it once, and said: never again :-)
I think it is much, much more difficult than finless prone surfing, because the asymetric leverage of the paddle is so hard to control without fins...
Also for me, it was like walking on ice: everything seemed under control until you are underwater wondering what happened :-)
Good work larry
Stoked to see someone else has got the bug for finless sup shredding!!!!!
I started out the learning curve on a 10fter and about 6months ago dropped down to a 8'6....
Going smaller made it eazier to pull off 360's n reverses but was murder to paddle into waves and have control taking the drop
Turning is eazy but holding a rock solid line along a solid wave is the hard part
Ryan Helm is the Master so keep watching his vids
I have them on a loop.....
Rock on
I spoke to Tom Wegener a couple of years back at the Noosa comp about doing one , he was pretty keen but pretty hard to make it happen he is always working on a project but he is the man to talk to. He does do custom foamy long boards finless.
www.tomwegenersurfboards.com/
You can get very close to riding finless by just using one very small fin, as Laird does in this clip, he's using just a 3" fin, but that is hard as well.
Select to expand quoteLarrySilvia said..
Thanks for that.
Some cool moves to aspire to.
You are a better man than me LS.
Well done.
Way too hard for this old dude.
ET.
Thanks Dogman. I'm stuck in the sixties so my 9-6 will have to do. My big breakthrough was Finding that weight on the front foot initiates steering with the tail following. Next came weighting the rear rails to slide left or right. Now for some fun! I reckon that I can go right on a wave while the board is aiming left. Thats my goal next week. Ha ha.
Wow impressive stuff, to be incontrol of your weight shifting in the slightest must take some skill.
Doing something different good on ya, great footage.
Has anyone found any more videos of Ryan Helm Finless?
I have only found 3:
an old one on a light blue C4 with Reggae music
the Poseidon one on a yellow pintail
The UFO one with twilight zone musIc
None of the vids show how he is catching waves. I can't imagine he is using my silly inside-out stroke. The waves here lately have not been steep enough for two stroke takeoffs.
Also I would love to see what he is up to now.
