Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.
New Surfco gadgets help
By Tim Ryan
prevent surf injuries
Star-BulletinThe more you surf, the greater chance you have of getting hurt. And one of the biggest causes of injuries to surfers -- either to themselves or fellow surfers -- is getting finned. That means being hit, slashed, or bruised by a board's fin. Lacerations can be severe and the bleeding catastrophic.
SurfCo Hawaii, developers of the protective Nose Guards and Diamond Tips for the nose sections of surfboards, have created 7-inch ($46) and 9-inch ($50) Longboard Pro Teck fins for the FCS, Future, O'Fish'l and Excel removable fin systems.
These fins have soft urethane leading and trailing edges that were originally developed to reduce fin cuts. But, according to the manufacturer, surfboards equipped with Pro Teck Fins ride smoother, quieter and are easier to turn. That's due to the flexing of the soft trailing edge, allowing the water to flow smoothly and more naturally with less turbulence off the fins. The soft edges appear similar to fins of dolphins and sharks.
The base of the fins is designed to fit standard longboard fin boxes and includes a height-adjustment knob, front tab position and break-away insert plate.
Longboard Pro Teck Fins are designed to be used with the 4-inch or 41/2-inch Pro Teck Side Fins in regular and stiff edge flexes.
SurfCo's newest product is the E-Z Plug, ($5), a surface-mounted leash plug.
Application is quick and easy using a 3M peel-and-stick adhesive. No cutting into the surfboard or resin is required.
The E-Z Plug has been tested successfully in Hawaii for the last two years and in surf up to 12 feet at Sunset Beach. Ocean kayakers and jet skiers also are finding the E-Z Plug useful.
Click for online
calendars and events.
