Surfboard manufacturers have started to cater to heavier surfers. Matt Biolos and Rusty Prisendorfer lead the way, but now all of the big manufacturers have a dedicated high volume shortboard. But what about XL surfboard fins? We caught up with Scott, the founder of Goliath Fins to find out more.
Give us a bit of background on Goliath. What led you to start making XL Fins?
“I have always found it difficult to source surf equipment that suits my weight. I’m currently around 115kg and most surf shops do not stock performance boards that suit someone of that size. I have also found it difficult to find shapers that have experience adding more foam without just blowing up one of their stock shapes. From experience this usually doesn’t work. When I started really paying attention to surfboard volume and looking for boards that work for me, I also started looking at fin sizing. I found that there were a few boards available that suited heaver surfers, but I couldn’t find any fins that were sized for someone over 100kg.”
So you made your own?
“Yeah. I have a Product Design background so, in 2020 out of frustration I started designing my own set of XL fins. After some industry collaboration and development, I started lending the fins to heavier surfers. The feedback was consistently positive. I also found that most people that tried them were unaware of how much difference riding the correct size fin can make to their surfing. I started to sell a few sets, and they took off!”
What are the benefits of riding the correct size fin?
“If your fins are too small, you will not have enough traction and will be unable to push through turns. We see this all the time and a lot of our customers are not aware of how much this effects their surfing. Most surfers on the wrong size fin are nursing their turns without realising it. Or some try and push through turns find that they always slide out.
“Drive is another key factor that is heavily influenced by fin sizing. It is common for experienced surfers to size up their fins in smaller, weaker waves to provide more drive. We sell a lot of XL fins to customers that usually ride a large size template but want to size up when they are surfing in junk. If your fins are already undersized, you will be lacking drive in any conditions.”
Your fins must make a big difference to peoples surfing.
“The feedback is unanimously positive. A lot of surfers are unaware that they are riding the wrong equipment and can’t believe the transformation in their surfing once they switch. Some of our customers were aware of the problem and tried to solve it by combining twin fins with a centre fin from a large size thruster. This isn’t an ideal solution but reinforced to us that there is a real need to a bespoke XL fin set.”
So what’s next for Goliath Fins?
We are always expanding our range. Inclusivity is one of our core values, so we want to offer a suitable fin for a range of boards and conditions. We recently developed a quad keel fin set which are a popular option for wider fish shape boards and riding weaker waves (we get a lot of those in the UK).
We are also currently extending our range with a twin fin set, longboard fins and experimenting with fin foil.”
Thank you for your time, Scott. It’s been great to catch up.
Goliath fins can be found online at goliathfins.com. Use the discount code 15NEW to receive a 15% discount for new customers.
