In response to the truth about fin foils pointed out by 'Tom Bloke' on their forum we have a rather garbled and badly thought out answer to the flat fin problem posted by Shawd DeWitt from the Rainbow fin company. Here are the main points made by Mr DeWitt, in defence of the fact that all the Rainbow fin company fins have flat areas in the foil:
1) It is too expensive to foil a fin correctly:
" To make a perfect fin in it would more than double the foil and finish time and would add $15-$20 to the retail price of a tri set. "
2) Flat spots don't matter because the Earth looks flat when we are standing on it, and water doesn't care about flat spots:
"Water does not know or care about flat spots.
The earth is round but where we are it looks flat."
The earth is round but where we are it looks flat."
3) Fin makers make the best foils for all conditions, fin makers make fins with flat spots, therefore flat spots are ok.
"The foil that fin makers put on their fins is what works best in all conditions."
4) Shawd uses fins with flat spots himself, so it's the right thing to do
"Every fin that goes on my board comes directly off our shelf."
5) An attempt at the 'pro surfer use them so they must be ok ' argument. . . except that he seems to forget that he is talking about flat spots in fins
"If a fin foil being perfect was important then no pro surfers would use glass ons".
The rainbow fin company have made over one million fins, which, according to what Mr DeWitt is saying, all have incorrect foils with flat areas.
Here's a Rainbow fin with the typical inefficient flat area at the base, the good news is that Mr DeWitt claims that the error can be fixed for only $15 to $20 per set.. . . . if all the million Rainbow fins with flat zones are sent in for correction then that's $20,000,000 worth of fin work for the rainbow fin company. Do your bit to support the USA surf industry in these difficult times for them, by getting your fin foil corrected.
Perhaps they will even fix the flats in all the FCS fins !
As expected, all the 'arguments' in defence of poorly foiled fins with flat zones used by Mr DeWitt can be found in our list of bad arguments used by the surf industry in defence of flat fins over here . . . . .. . all except the 'Earth isn't flat, but appears to be from over here. so flat fins are ok' argument quoted above. . . .. that's a new one !
Quotes are from this surfermagazine thread entitled "Flat spots on fins"
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