Something I have been noticing lately when talking to some of the talented surfers who come through the shop is the importance of the leading edge on fins.

This is especially noticeable with twin fins, which often have a foiled outer face but a flat inner face, as this can create a very sharp leading edge.

A great example is the Mark Richards twin fin. This is a good design for adding looseness to your turns, but if you want a fin that sits in the water better and holds through turns, providing more control during carves and power maneuvers, a rounded leading edge is actually better.

Mick Fanning’s twin fin has a pretty rounded forward edge for exactly this reason, as do the side fins on his thruster setup.

Slater’s Twin + 2 also from Endorfins also has a nice, rounded leading edge, and we have even heard rumors that when Slater rides other twin fin setups, he will actually take sandpaper and round off the sharper leading edges on them!  

Everyone has different preferences when it comes to how their boards ride and how their fins react. If you are someone who enjoys added hold and control, especially in twin fins (which tend to have a break or release point due to the lack of center fin and the fact that the inner faces of the fins are often unfoiled), you might consider checking out some of the twin fin setups that cater specifically to this style of surfing by integrating a rounded leading edge!