As Turbo Fins lose their stiffness...

I seem to be losing power with my two year old Turbo Fins. I was thinking...lost stiffness = lost power?


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Longbikermike
Valle Vista, CA

Have you tried adjusting the thumb screw at the back of the fin? Loosening the screw will give you more flex allowing you to maintain a higher top end, but you sacrifice low end (I think that's right, but it could be the other way around). If it feels like it's flexing too much and you don't have the same top end that you used to, then you might try tightening the screw.

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2015 Hobie Tandem Island Hibiscus
"Third Normal Form"

• Trampolines
• Hobie cover
• Davis Spar Fly
• Kayakbob's Sprayskirts
• Spine Board Hakas

My mirage fins are also all stretched out, the back edges are all wavy and they shake and flutter quite a bit when not pedaling at cruise speeds (I don't recall ever removing the drive when sailing), however I don't think I'm losing much speed (if any), and there seems to be less pedaling effort/force with loose worn out fins (at least it seems that way to me). My TI is a 2012 with the original fins. Just a wild guess here but I'm guessing I have over 1500 pedaling miles on those stupid mirage drives, I've never had one apart and have no clue what they look like on the inside. I'm pretty amazed by the design of the whole boat, I just keep using it with less maint cost than anything else I have ever owned. Good job Hobie.
FE

Awaaaa....

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Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

If you're referring to the leaches loosing their straight edges (as below) then yes, IMO they lose some power. Moreover, if they develop a significant bias to one side, you might notice one leg gets tired before the other. This is the fins, not your muscles.



You can prevent this by protecting the fins with a cardboard sleeve when not in use and being careful not to set trailing edges on anything hot or cause inadvertent weight bearing while storing or in transport.

It's not uncommon, especially on older fins, but they still perform OK -- just not quite as well as when new and straight.

Roadrunner:
It appears the fins are similar to the tires on a car, they eventually wear out and need replacement to maintain optimum performance. I'm ok with that.
FE

I think it's purely a function of storage, not age. As far as I know there is no natural rubber in them.

A simple sleeve like the one shown here will keep them looking fresh for years (obviously wipe the fins down before inserting to keep the water out). On the other hand, you can permanently distort a leech in a flash. I'm paranoid about not letting the trailing edge touch anything but water!



BTW, Turbos are in at least their 4th generation, although they roughly all look the same. Current materials are much stronger, more flexible and more resistant against stretch than earlier models. You can tell if you have the current fin materials if you see a patent or pat pend. mark here:



This is an excellent performer -- a little easier to push then its predecessor (a slightly higher cadence gives you the same speed) but much tougher in stretch resistance, punctures, rips, etc. Most users probably wouldn't notice the difference, so there is no need to upgrade if your older fins are in decent shape. The current blue fins are the same material as the gray, just jazzier looking.