Understanding Surfboard Fins: Know Which Setup Is Right for You

Definitive guide to fins by Summer vibes

Many surfers will buy a board, chuck the stock fins in, and never think about them again. If you are looking to progress, that's a mistake. Your fins decide how your board accelerates, how it holds in a bottom turn, how loose it feels off the top, and whether you can drive through a flat section (or whether it stalls and skips out.)

Change the fins and you'll feel like you're riding a different board.

This is the definitive guide to fins for surfers everywhere — all boards from from a Summer vibes soft Mini Mal for summer beachies to a Firewire Slater Designs, JS, Pyzel or Sharp Eye on a 5ft point. We'll cover the systems (FCS2 and Futures), the four numbers that define every fin (base, depth, sweep, foil), every setup from single to 5-fin, and which Summer vibes fin to put in your board — including the closest match to the Mick Fanning, Filipe Toledo, Medina, AM and other signature templates the pros ride. Summer vibes ships worldwide.

Shop the full range here: Summer vibes Fins

Key takeaways

• Fins are a tuning tool, not an accessory. The same board with two fin sets surfs like two different boards.

• Every fin is defined by four measurements — base (drive), depth (hold), sweep/rake (turning arc) and area (overall power), plus foil (how water flows across the fin).

• There are two dominant fin systems worldwide: FCS II (snap-in dual tab, optional key) and Futures (single long tab, one grub screw). Market-leading Firewire / Slater Designs boards are Futures-only. Every Summer vibes surfboard ships with Futures; every Summer vibes softboard ships with FCSii compatible plugs. All Summer vibes boards comes with free fins — our premium fin sets are an upgrade that drop straight into your Summer vibes board and any other brand using the same system, like Firewire / Slater Designs, JS, DHD etc etc..

• Thrusters are generally the default. Twin = speed and looseness in small surf. Quad = drive & clean lines for barrels. Single = trim and glide on a longboard or mid.

• Soft tops don't need to be stuck with stock plastic fins. If your foamie has FCS II boxes (the Summer vibes Fish, Mini Mal and Longboard softboards do, as do MF Softboards), you can drop in a real performance set and transform the board.

The two systems that matter: FCS II vs Futures

Before you look at fins, work out which boxes your board has. Get this wrong and the fin won't fit.

FCS II

Futures

If your board has FCS II boxes you can't put a Futures fin in it, and vice versa. Always match the system. Many Summer vibes performance fin sets are made in both FCSii and Future compatible versions — so pick the one that matches your board. Quick rule of thumb: Summer vibes surfboards = Futures; Summer vibes softboards = FCS II.

The four numbers that define every fin

Strip the marketing, the paid endorsement signatures, the colours and taglines away and every fin in the world is just a combination of four measurements. Once you understand them, you can read a spec sheet — FCS, Futures, Shapers, anything — and know exactly how that fin will feel.

• Base — the length of the fin where it meets the board. More base = more drive and acceleration. A wide-base fin pushes you out of a bottom turn and down the line.

• Depth (height) — how far the fin sticks into the water. More depth = more hold. Less depth = more release and slide off the top.

• Rake (sweep) — the angle the fin curves backwards. More sweep = longer, drawn-out turns (think long MF carves). Less sweep = upright, pivoty, tight-radius snaps (think Filipe in the pocket).

• Area — the total surface area. Bigger area = more power and control; smaller area = looser and faster reacting.

Then there's foil, which is the cross-section of the fin:

• Flat foil — flat on the inside, foiled on the outside. Loose, fast directional changes. The normal foil for side-fins.

• Inside foil (concave) — slight concave on the inside face. Adds lift and hold while reducing drag — what some modern hi-performance side fins use.

• 50/50 foil — symmetrical, used on the centre fin of a thruster, single fins, and most quad rears for stability.

And the variables you don't have to think about unless you're a shaper — cant (the outward lean of the side fins) and toe (the inward angle pointing at the stringer) — are already set by your board's fin plugs. Pick the right template and the geometry takes care of itself.

Sizing — get this right before anything else

Both FCS and Futures size their fins by rider weight, not board length. The rough guide:

• XS / Grom — under 55 kg

• Small — 55–70 kg

• Medium — 65–80 kg

• Large — 75–90 kg

• XL — 85 kg+

If you're between sizes, two simple rules: going up (e.g. Med → Large) adds drive and hold and is better for bigger, more powerful surf; going down frees the board up, makes it looser, and helps you generate speed in small, gutless waves. Heavier surfers on too-small fins is a very common factor in poor board performance.

Every fin setup explained

One fin in a fin-box, dead centre. The original setup, and still the king of pure trim. Longboards, mid-lengths, retro single-fin shortboards, alaias — anything you want to glide on.

Feel: smooth, predictable, drawn-out, locked-in. Limited for vertical or aerial surfing. Tip placement in the box also matters — slide the fin forward for a looser, faster ride; slide it back for hold and trim.

Summer vibes single-fin range (all premium fibreglass, fin-box (US-box), are available in 7", 8", 9" and 10"):

• 8" Fibreglass Single Fin – Natural Ash — an all-rounder for Smaller Longboards or 1+2 mid-lengths.

• 9" Fibreglass Single Fin — the sweet spot for noseriding on a 9'1 log like our Classic Longboard Noserider 9'1.

• 10" Fibreglass Single Fin – Natural Ash — maximum hold, traditional pivot template for heavier riders or maximum tip-time.

Two side fins, no trailer — one setup, several template flavours. As made popular by "MR" - Mark Richards — four-time world champion and the surfer who put the template on the map. When people say MR twin, they mean a twin fin with a more upright, pivoty Mark Richards template. The three main twin flavours:

• Keel twin — long base, low sweep, deep hold. Classic fish fuel. Drawn-out and drivey. Our K1 Keel Set (FCS II) and K2 Performance Keel sit here.

• Upright twin — upright, pivoty, snappy. Built for pocket surfing on a 5'8 fish or a mid-twin. Our MR1 Twin Fin Set is the FCS II version; Futures riders go here.

• Performance twin — modern shapes split the difference: more base than an MR for drive, more upright than a keel for release. Our T1 Twin (Honeycomb) is built for this.

Feel: fast, loose, alive. The catch — without a trailer, you'll feel some slide in steeper or more powerful surf.

Simon Anderson's 1981 invention and still the most universal setup on earth. Three fins, two side and one centre, in three plugs. It's what every shortboard ships with for a reason: it works in everything from 1ft Snapper to 8ft Margaret River.

Within the thruster world there are four template families you'll see repeated across FCS, Futures and every shaper signature — and learning these four lets you read any spec sheet:

1. Upright / Reactor family — low sweep, narrow base, snappy. Pocket surfing, tight arcs. Filipe Toledo's FT signature sits here.

2. Neutral / Performer family — balanced sweep and base. Does everything reasonably well. The Pyzel signature fin and the FCS II Performer sit here.

3. Drivey / Accelerator family — fuller tip, more area, flat inside foil. Adds control in critical conditions. Many JS surfers ride this for clean point waves.

4. Raked / Carver family — elongated template, high sweep, drawn-out turns. The Al Merrick template, the Mick Fanning MF and the DHD signature all sit here.

The Summer vibes thruster range covers all four feels:

• All-round / Performer feel — Perform Thruster Medium FCS II and the 5G Medium Thruster Futures.

• Power / Carver feel (MF-style template) — our Power Thruster Medium FCS II in Pink, and the larger Power Thruster Large FCS II in Red/Black for heavier riders pushing through bigger Aussie surf.

• Premium honeycomb/carbon construction — the Power Honeycomb/Carbon Large FCS II and Medium Futures — the carbon at the base loads up exactly like the FCS PCC essentials, releases sharply through the tip.

• Everyday value Session set — Session Thruster S-M Futures or S-M FCS II. Same template logic, hard-wearing plastic, $29.99 — the perfect travel-spare or first replacement set.

Quad (four fins)

Two front fins plus two rear fins, no centre. Built for speed and drive. The water channels between the front and back fins, accelerating the board through flat sections and locking it into the wave face when you're in a barrel. Think clean point waves, faster fishes, step-ups for bigger surf.

Feel: very fast down the line, exceptional hold off the bottom, less pivoty than a thruster. Quads are at their best on a board with a wider tail or a swallow.

From the Summer vibes range:

• Quad Mid Keel 4-Fin Set FCS II — Supreme upgrade for our Quad Fish Softboard and any modern quad-friendly shape.

• Quad Keel 4-Fin Set Futures – FG Carbon — premium carbon construction, perfect for our Fish Swallow Tail .

5-fin convertible (Like our Summer vibes Fish Surfboard)

Five plugs on the board, you choose: thruster, quad, or twin. No, you don't put 5 fins in at 1 time... Many modern shortboards and many hybrids ship like this. The five-plug setup costs nothing extra and gives you a whole second or 3rd board hidden inside the first. If you've got five plugs, you should own at least a thruster and a quad set.

Match your board to the right fin template

Here are the most popular boards in Australia right now and the Summer vibes fin that gives you the closest pro-equivalent feel.

JS Industries — Monsta Box / Monsta 8

Jason Stevenson's Monsta is one of the world's most-ridden small-wave performance shortboards — wide, flat, fast, and built for flaring in 2–4ft surf. The Monsta loves a Carver-template thruster: drive off the bottom, hold through the carve, release off the top. Best Summer vibes fin for a JS Monsta: Power Thruster Medium FCS II for average-weight surfers, Power Thruster Large FCS II for 80kg+.

JS Industries — Black Baron / Black Baron 2.0

The Black Baron is JS's hybrid twin — a glide-and-speed machine for waist-to-head-high. Super fun twin in clean small surf. Best Summer vibes fin for a JS Black Baron: T1 Twin (Honeycomb) FCS II.

JS Industries — Forget Me Not / Forget Me Not III

JS's modern groveller with a wide nose, full outline and accelerated rocker. Loves a thruster fin with mid base and mid sweep for snappy direction changes without losing drive. Best Summer vibes fin for a JS Forget Me Not: Perform Thruster Medium FCS II on small days, Power Thruster Medium FCS II when it picks up.

JS Industries — Xero Gravity

JS high-performance shortboards for clean head-high surf. These boards demand a drivey Carver-template thruster with hold through critical sections. Best Summer vibes fin for a JS Xero Gravity: Power Thruster Large FCS II for power surfers.

Pyzel — Ghost

Shaped by Jon Pyzel and the board John John Florence won his second world title on, the Ghost is a step-up high-performance shortboard built for powerful surf. It wants a Neutral-template thruster to give hold and drive through bigger waves. Best Summer vibes fin for a Pyzel Ghost: Power Honeycomb/Carbon Medium Futures for average-weight surfers, Large for 80kg+.

Pyzel — Phantom / Phantom XL

The Phantom is Pyzel's everyday shortboard — an all-rounder for waist-to-head-high. Balanced template, balanced sweep, all-conditions performer. Best Summer vibes fin for a Pyzel Phantom: 5G Medium Thruster Futures is the everyday set; step up to Power Honeycomb/Carbon Medium Futures for cleaner head-high surf.

Pyzel — Pyzalien 2

Pyzel's groveller for small, weak surf — wider outline, full rails, fast through flat sections. These boards like a slightly looser fin set to keep the board pivoting and accelerating. Best Summer vibes fin for a Pyzel Pyzalien: 5G Medium Thruster Futures as a thruster.

Sharp Eye — Disco

Marcio Zouvi's Disco is the wide-tail, wave-catching, scoring-machine shortboard Filipe Toledo rode to his world titles. Built around speed and tight pocket surfing in 2–4ft beachies. The Disco loves an Accelerator-family thruster: speed, flow, response with hold. Best Summer vibes fin for a Sharp Eye Disco: Perform Thruster Medium FCS II for everyday small surf, Power Thruster Medium FCS II when it picks up.

Sharp Eye — Disco Cheater

The Disco Cheater is Sharp Eye's wider, fuller-volume version of the Disco — built for everyday surfers who want Filipe-style performance with more paddle power and forgiveness. Best Summer vibes fin for a Sharp Eye Disco Cheater: Perform Thruster Medium FCS II as the everyday set, stepping up to Power Thruster Medium FCS II in cleaner conditions.

Sharp Eye — HT2.5 / HT3

The HT series is Sharp Eye's high-performance shortboard — narrower, more rocker, built for clean head-high-plus surf and serious surfers. Demands a thruster with drive and hold for vertical surfing. Best Summer vibes fin for a Sharp Eye HT2.5: Power Thruster Medium FCS II for average-weight surfers, Large FCS II for 80kg+.

Sharp Eye — #77 / Inferno 72

The #77 and Inferno 72 are Sharp Eye's slightly fuller-outline all-rounders — designed to surf well across a wider range of conditions than the HT. Best Summer vibes fin for a Sharp Eye #77: Perform Thruster Medium FCS II or Power Thruster Medium FCS II depending on conditions.

DHD — Sweet Spot 3.0

Darren Handley's Sweet Spot is one of the most popular small-to-medium-wave boards in Australia — a wide-tail, fast-paddling, easy-to-surf shortboard. It loves the DHD Rake template: high sweep, drawn-out drive, snap off the top. Best Summer vibes fin for a DHD Sweet Spot: Power Thruster Medium FCS II for average-weight, Power Thruster Large FCS II for 80kg+.

DHD — MF DNA

Mick Fanning's signature DHD shortboard — high-performance, point-wave-tuned, built around the Rake template that mirrors Mick's own MF fin. Best Summer vibes fin for a DHD MF DNA or DX1: Power Thruster Large FCS II in for that swept, drivey, Mick-style carve.

DHD — Phoenix / Twin Phoenix

DHD's modern groveller and twin shapes — the Twin Phoenix is the fastest grovel-twin DHD makes. Best Summer vibes fin for a DHD Phoenix: Perform Thruster Medium FCS II as a thruster. For a Twin Phoenix: T1 Twin (Honeycomb) FCS II.

Firewire — Sci-Fi 2.0

Firewire is the biggest performance-board brand in the world, and every Firewire ships Futures-only. The Daniel Thomson "Tomo" Sci-Fi 2.0 is Firewire's flagship all-rounder — wide, parallel, fast, surfing 4–6 inches shorter than your normal shortboard. Likes a balanced, slightly upright thruster. Best Summer vibes fin for a Firewire Sci-Fi 2.0: 5G Medium Thruster Futures for everyday surf, or Power Honeycomb/Carbon Medium Futures when it gets better.

Firewire — Cymatic / Vader

The Cymatic and Vader are Tomo's more performance-leaning Firewires — narrower outlines than the Sci-Fi, built for surfers who want a faster, more reactive board in head-high-plus surf. Best Summer vibes fin for a Firewire Cymatic: Power Honeycomb/Carbon Medium Futures for hold and drive through critical sections.

Firewire — Vanguard / Volcanic

The Vanguard and Volcanic are Firewire's wide-tail step-down grovellers — explicitly built to make weak surf fun. Faster paddling, easier wave-catching, looser feel. Best Summer vibes fin for a Firewire Vanguard: 5G Medium Thruster Futures as a thruster, or run it as a quad for extra drive.

Firewire — Mashup / Mannkine

The Mashup is Firewire's modern hybrid shortboard, the Mannkine the Mark Richards-influenced twin / twin+1 shape. Best Summer vibes fin for a Firewire Mashup: 5G Medium Thruster Futures. For the Mannkine: Futures MR twin set

Slater Designs — FRK Plus

Slater Designs is Kelly Slater's signature line by Firewire . The FRK Plus is Kelly's own performance shortboard, an evolution of the board he rode after winning many world titles. Built for high-line speed, vertical surfing and tight pocket arcs. Best Summer vibes fin for a Slater Designs FRK Plus: Power Honeycomb/Carbon Medium Futures for clean head-high surf, Large for 80kg+.

Slater Designs — Omni

The Omni is Slater Designs' all-rounder — designed to surf well across the full range from waist-high to overhead. A more forgiving, more versatile board than the FRK. Best Summer vibes fin for a Slater Designs Omni: 5G Medium Thruster Futures for everyday, Power Honeycomb/Carbon Medium Futures when clean.

Slater Designs — Seaside (Machado keel twin)

Rob Machado's Seaside (and Seaside & Beyond) sparked the modern keel-twin movement. Wide outline, swallow tail, built around a keel twin — drawn-out trim with bursts of speed off the rail.

Slater Designs — Glazer / Sunday (Machado)

Machado's other Slater Designs shapes — the Glazer is the higher-performance twin, the Sunday his mid-length all-rounder. Best Summer vibes fin for a Slater Designs Glazer: Futures performance twin set with a small trailer when needed. For a Sunday mid-length: 8" Fibreglass Single Fin if it's set up as a single, or pair Futures twin sides with a small trailer for 2+1.

Channel Islands — Happy / Happy Everyday

Britt Merrick's Happy is one of the most-ridden everyday shortboards in the world — balanced rocker, medium volume, designed to surf well in waist-to-overhead. The Happy Everyday adds a touch more volume for daily use. Loves an AM-template Carver-style thruster: elongated base, high sweep, small centre. Best Summer vibes fin for a CI Happy: Power Thruster Medium FCS II for average-weight surfers, Large for 80kg+.

Channel Islands — Neckbeard 2 / Average Joe

The Neckbeard 2 and Average Joe are CI's small-wave specialists — wider outline, flatter rocker, extra foam under the chest. Runs best as a thruster with a slightly upright, looser-feeling fin so the board breaks free in weak surf. Best Summer vibes fin for a CI Neckbeard 2: Perform Thruster Medium FCS II — release-focused template that lights up grovellers.

Channel Islands — Twin Pin / Mid Twin

The Twin Pin and Mid Twin are CI's modern twin and twin+1 shapes — pin tail, drawn-out outline, fast trim with bite off the rail. Designed to be ridden as a true twin or with a small trailer in the centre box. Best Summer vibes fin for a CI Twin Pin: T1 Twin Honeycomb FCS II — add a small trailer if you ride it as twin+1.

Channel Islands — CI Pro / Fever / Two Happy

The high-performance end of the CI range — the CI Pro is the team shortboard, the Fever a step-up for pumping waves, the Two Happy a slightly higher-performance Happy variant. All want a stiffer, more driven thruster with bite for hard rail-to-rail surfing. Best Summer vibes fin for a CI Pro or Fever: Power Thruster Large FCS II for drive in good waves, Medium for lighter surfers.

Lost / Mayhem — Driver 3.0

Matt Biolos's Driver is Lost's all-conditions performance shortboard — narrower outline, more rocker, built for the surfer who wants a true high-performance feel. Likes a balanced-to-slightly-upright thruster for tight arcs in the pocket. Best Summer vibes fin for a Lost Driver 3.0: Perform Thruster Medium FCS II for everyday, Power Thruster Medium FCS II in clean head-high surf.

Lost / Mayhem — Puddle Jumper / Puddle Jumper Pro

The Puddle Jumper is Lost's most popular groveller — wide, flat, fast, the world's go-to small-wave board. Runs best as a thruster or quad in 5-plug mode. Best Summer vibes fin for a Lost Puddle Jumper: Perform Thruster Medium FCS II as a thruster, or Quad Mid Keel FCS II when it gets fast and clean.

Lost / Mayhem — RNF '96 / RNF Retro / Rocket Redux

The Round Nose Fish (RNF) is Lost's heritage twin/quad fish, now in multiple modern editions. The '96 leans retro twin, the Retro and Rocket Redux are modern hybrid shapes that run as thruster, twin, twin+1 or quad. Best Summer vibes fin for a Lost RNF: MR1 Twin FCS II as a twin (add a small trailer for twin+1), or Quad Mid Keel FCS II in quad mode for speed.

Hayden Shapes — Hypto Krypto

Stab in the Dark winner Hayden Cox's Hypto Krypto is one of the most-sold surfboards of all time — a true all-rounder that surfs from ankle-high to overhead. The Hypto loves a balanced thruster set with enough drive to handle its volume. Best Summer vibes fin for a Hayden Shapes Hypto Krypto: Power Thruster Medium FCS II for average-weight surfers, Large for 80kg+.

Hayden Shapes — Holy Grail / Untitled / Love Buzz

Hayden's modern performance line: the Holy Grail is the high-performance shortboard, the Untitled is the everyday rocket, the Love Buzz the wider-tail groveller. Best Summer vibes fin for a Hayden Shapes Holy Grail: Power Thruster Medium FCS II. For the Love Buzz: Perform Thruster Medium FCS II.

Summer vibes fin → signature fin equivalent

Quick lookup: if you've been told to buy a specific signature fin for your board, here's the closest Summer vibes set in feel, template family and intended use. Every Summer vibes premium fin fits any board in the matching system — including Firewire, Slater Designs, CI, JS, Pyzel, DHD, Hayden, Lost and your Summer vibes board.

 

The softboard upgrade nobody tells you about

This is the section your local surf shop should be shouting from the rooftops, and almost no one does.

The Summer vibes Fish softboards, Mini Mals and 9' Longboard softboards all ship with FCSii compatible fin plugs. Most cheap foamies don't. It means the moment you outgrow the stock plastic fins, you don't need to buy a new board. You buy real fins.

This is the same logic that makes the Mick Fanning MF Softboard the most popular performance foamie in Australia. If you're shopping a 6' or 6'6 MF Soft Fish (or a 7' / 8' MF Soft Mini), our 6'6 Fish Softboard or 7' Mini Mal is your direct independently owned alternative — same fin compatibility, same manufacturer, hundreds of dollars cheaper.

Recommended FCS II upgrades by softboard:

• 6' / 6'6 Fish softboard — drop in the Perform Thruster Medium FCS II for an instant performance jump, or run it as a twin with the MR1 Twin FCS II for serious small-wave speed.

• 7' / 8' Mini Mal softboard — the Power Thruster Medium FCS II gives the foamie a proper drive-and-carve feel instead of drifting.

• 9' Longboard softboard — the Power Thruster Medium FCS II turns it from a learner mal into a genuine weapon.

And if you've got an older soft top with bolt-through screw fins (like G-Boards, Some Quiksilver, Roxy and entry-level foamies), we stock universal bolt-through replacement softboard fins (set of 3) with screws included — for just $29.99

Wave-by-wave fin selection

Forget brand and template for a second — pick the fin for the wave you're surfing:

• 1–2ft small / weak beachies — twin or quad. Smaller side. MR1 Twin in a fish, or Perform Thruster Medium on a shortboard.

• 3–4ft clean points or beachies — thruster, mid sweep, mid base. Our 5G Medium (Futures) or Perform Medium (FCS II).

• 4–6ft points and barrels — quad. Quad Mid Keel FCS II on a step-up, or upsize your thruster to Power Thruster Large.

• Longboard trim sessions — single fin, 7"–9". 8" Single in Natural Ash.

Common fin mistakes

1. Buying the wrong system. An FCS II fin will not fit a Futures box. Check your plugs before checkout — remember, every Firewire / Slater Designs board and every Summer vibes surfboard is Futures; Summer vibes softboards are FCSii compatible.

2. Sizing down by ego. An 85kg surfer on Small fins will spin out and lose drive. Match your weight, not your aspirations.

3. Running a worn-out plastic stock set on a premium board. The fin is half the board. Upgrade fins before you upgrade the board.

4. Only owning one set. A spare set must live in the car. don't be caught out!. Our Session sets exist for exactly this reason.

How to install and remove FCS II and Futures fins

• FCS II — line up the front of the fin into the slot, push down the rear firmly until you hear a click. To remove, lift the tip of the fin towards the nose. Grab a Finsout tool to assist

• Futures — slide the rear notch in fully, lever it forwards to flatten into the slot, then tighten the screw with fin key. To remove, push the tip of the fin towards the tail

• Bolt-through softboard fins — line up the fin, run the screw up through the bottom of the board into the threaded base. Use coin or screwdriver.

How to choose, in one paragraph

If you ride a modern shortboard and you want one set that does everything — go medium thruster, Carver/Power template, in the system your board has. If you ride a fish or you want to feel speed, go twin (MR for upright snap, keel for drive). If you ride a longboard or a log, go single. If you want barrels and drive on hollow days, go quad. Size for your weight, not your ego. And own at least two sets so you never miss a session.

Fin FAQs

What size fin do I need for my weight?

Fin sizing follows surfer weight, not board length. As a general rule: under 65kg = Small, 65–80kg = Medium, 80kg+ = Large. If you're between sizes, size up for drive in bigger waves, size down for looseness in small surf. Our Power Thruster Medium covers the biggest weight band, which is why it's our best-selling thruster set.

What's the difference between FCS II and Futures?

They're two different fin-box systems and they are not interchangeable. FCS II uses a tool-less double-tab fin that clicks in. Futures uses a single long tab locked in with a grub screw. Check your board before buying. Every Summer vibes softboard is FCS II. Every Summer vibes surfboard is Futures. Every Firewire and Slater Designs board is Futures-only.

Will Summer vibes fins fit my Firewire / CI / JS / Pyzel?

Yes. Summer vibes premium fins are universal within each system — our Futures fins fit any Futures box (Firewire, Slater, Pyzel, DHD, Hayden, JS, Lost), and our FCS II fins fit any FCS II box (CI, most modern shortboards, all Summer vibes softboards). You're not locked into our boards to use our fins.

Do Summer vibes surfboards come with fins?

Yes — every Summer vibes board ships with a free basic fin set so you can surf it straight out of the box. When you're ready to upgrade, our premium fin range drops straight in.

Thruster vs quad vs twin — which should I buy first?

If you can only own one set, buy a medium thruster in the system your board uses. It's the most versatile setup and works in 90% of conditions. Add a twin set second for small fast waves, then a quad set third for points and barrels.

Can I run a twin set in my five-plug thruster board?

Yes — just leave the centre box empty (twin) or drop a small trailer fin in (twin+1 / 2+1). The trailer adds hold and direction without killing the loose twin feel. Most modern shortboards from CI, Lost, Hayden, Firewire and Pyzel are 5-plug for exactly this reason.

What's the best fin for a softboard?

If your softboard has FCS II compatible plugs (every Summer vibes softboard does), upgrade the stock plastic fins to a real fibreglass set. The Perform Thruster Medium FCS II transforms a 6'6 Fish foamie. If your softboard uses bolt-through screw fins instead, grab our universal bolt-through replacement set.

Where to from here

Start with the full Summer vibes fin range, then dial in the rest of your setup with our surf hardware and accessories guide. Unsure which board you're actually riding? Our board guide walks you through it. New to soft tops? The softboard shortboards and mini mals and longboards collections are where most surfers should start — all FCS II compatible from day one.

Questions on a specific board or template match — whether it's a Firewire, JS, Pyzel, Sharp Eye or your Summer vibes softboard?

Flick Branchy a line and he'll talk you through it.