Hello!
Perhaps you can help me with my Surf-Rookie-Boy (aged 11): I bought a Shark for him (older model, 269x80cm, 160 l) after his beginner board. He likes the stability BUT cannot keep the height.
When he started with a kids sail, he followed my speech having the feet far in front and taking the sail close, and the dagger board at his beginner board (160l) helped a lot, too.
But then, he managed more wind and wanted to get gliding.
He now already uses the harness partly and has had gliding experience with a 3.5 qm wave sail. He wants to go fast and always watches people standing at the back of the board, blasting downwind 😉 His sail handling is not yet properly, the mast is too far infront, the sail is too much open......But ist´s hard for him to change his driving.
So my question: Does it make sense to mount/laminate a fin box for a middle fin? I wonder if it´s rather a good help or if it prevented gliding.
The thing is, I know Mid-Fins for beginners to keep height, but do they also suit to a "Starting-Gliding-Kid" who just has still to learn keeping height? Or does a mid-fin prevent the board from getting really in a planing mode?
We ride only in flat water and mostly need seaweed-fins, so his fin at the moment is a 36 weed. Going longer would not work with the flat water.
So, my solutions so far are
1 putting the mast foot something further to the front and argue with him that he finally has a better foot position and keeping the sail back and closed 😉
2 less arguing and mounting a mid fin box for a (needs to be it) seaweed mid fin.
Perhaps you can help me!
Aloha+ thank you
Andreas