THE KIDS!
Best Surf Fins For Kids: FUTURES
A little while ago, we ran a guide on the Best Surf Fins For Kids: FCS. The core lesson was pretty simple from that test: stop putting 35kg groms on your old Medium fins. Size dictates everything.
If your kid is riding boards with Futures boxes, the rules are similar, but the ecosystem is slightly different. Here is how the testing sorted itself out.
A little while ago…
we ran a guide on the Best Surf Fins For Kids: FCS. The core lesson was pretty simple from that test: stop putting 35kg groms on your old Medium fins. Size dictates everything.
If your kid is riding boards with Futures boxes, the rules are similar, but the ecosystem is slightly different. We grabbed a stack of Futures Fins and put them under the feet of three different young surfers: a taller 13-year-old, a lightweight 36kg micro-grom 12 year old, and a 10-year-old with a wider power stance.
Here is how the testing sorted itself out.
We rounded up a crew of mates and tested the heavy hitters in the Futures lineup:
- Futures Jack Robinson Small HC
- Futures JJF Grom HC
- Futures Jack Robinson Grom HC
- Futures P3 HC
- Futures F3 HC
- Futures R3 HC
- Futures R3 Blackstix
- Futures P4 HC
- Futures F4 HC
As it turns out, kids can definitely tell the difference… to a point.
Size (Kind Of) Matters
Just like the previous test, getting the surface area right is almost the entire battle. When you put a light kid on Extra-Small (XS) or Grom-specific templates, the board works properly. If the fins are too big, the board feels draggy, slow, and hard to turn.
On those tiny 4’4 to 5’0’’ boards the good kids are riding these days, oversized fins look out of proportion anyway. Get the size right for their weight and you are 95% of the way there.
Upright vs Raked templates
Once the size is right, do kids actually notice the template shapes? The short answer is that most kids just adapt, but a few specific traits stood out.
The 13-year-old compared the Jack Robinson signature model, which has more rake and a narrower tip, against the Futures Legacy Pivot, which sits more upright. He found the upright Legacy Pivots went fast but felt a bit squirrely and tended to skid out. The raked Jack Robinson fins felt smoother, easier to control on the rail, and gave a better all-round feel.
For the lightweight 36kg grom, the minute differences between neutral and pivot templates were mostly unnoticeable as long as the fin was an XS. However, the 10-year-old power surfer with the wide stance found standard XS fins too loose. He needed more hold, finding his fit with the John John Florence templates because they offered a bit more surface area to push against.
The smaller center fin hack
We picked up a great piece of advice from one of the parents that is worth passing on. For younger kids that are starting to surf well, try running a much smaller center fin.
They had incredible results using a tiny Alpha Mayhem trailer fin (the fin contains carbon fibre & injected with air with a small amount of polymer in the material) in the center box. Because it is small and has some flex in the tip, it loosens up the tail completely. This keeps the drive from the side fins but allows the board to turn easily, giving kids the feeling of wrapping a proper turn. If your kid is struggling with a stiff board, this setup is a great option.
Verdict
Fin size matters for kids. Get something smaller to suit their size. It’s actually quite key for them to advance into doing turns. However, unless a kid is competing at a national level, they probably will not notice minor design tweaks. Focus on getting an extra-small template that fits their weight so they are not battling unnecessary drag.
If they need more stability and smoother balance, look at a raked shape like the John John or Jack Robbo templates. These tended to be favourites of our tester groms.
Make sure you try the parent trick of shrinking the center fin too.
Check out the full Futures Grom fin range here.
SHOPPING
Time To Buy
If you’re in the market for some fins for your kids, and we’ve convinced on what to buy from Futures. Hit the below links to either the Jack Robinson’s, John John Florence’s, or something from their everyday templates and enjoy watching the kids hit a new level with their surfing!
