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Offering an ideal balance of speed, flow and response, thruster fins are considered the most popular set-up for young groms and experienced pros alike. With a three-fin thruster set, you’ll be equipped to tackle waves under just about any conditions.
At FCS, our surfboard fins are built with these considerations in mind. Developed in close collaboration with some of the world’s leading surf athletes and board shapers, FCS fin sets are available for a huge selection of boards, riding styles and wave conditions.
Available in both FCI and FCSII platforms, you’ll always be able to find the best thruster fins for your needs.
Here at FCS, you’ll easily be able to get your hands on the perfect thruster set for your needs. We offer free shipping when you spend $50 or more, no matter where you’re located in the US.
With our commitment to high performance builds and long track record of surfing innovations, you can be sure that your new FCS fins will stand up to any challenge you throw at them in the water. We use high-quality construction materials like neo glass, to ensure endurance.
And if thruster fins aren’t for you, that’s fine too. We also stock a wide range of fins, to suit any surfing style or preference. Check out our find your fin page to discover the right fin for you.
Not sure which style will suit you best or thinking about trying something new? Make sure you explore our FCS fin guide that goes into greater depth on the different styles available for various needs.
Also known as a “tri-fin set”, thruster fins are a very popular fin setup for surfboards. A thruster fin set features three fins – one for each side, running near-parallel to the rails, and one in the center. Each of the fins is the same size and shape.
This set-up is intended to give a balance of speed and control when you’re in the water. The center fin offers stability and balance, while the side fins offer increased speed.
The flexibility of this style of fin setup means that it’s extremely popular with surfers of all levels of experience – from newly-minted grommets through to world-class professionals. In fact, many surfers never ride anything else!
Of course, when you’re starting out, we would always recommend that you try out a few different fin styles before you commit to one. This will help you get a feel for what suits your needs and surfing goals best.
There’s no uniform fin template. This means that fin size is an important consideration when you’re setting up a new board. The size of thruster fins you need are usually determined by your weight. Some riders do go bigger or smaller to suit specific water conditions or for personal taste – but you’ll generally get the best results by sticking to the guidelines.
In addition to size, you’ll also want to think about shape. Raked side fins produce different levels of turning control, depending on how big or small the “rake” is – i.e., how far the fin arcs backward from its front edge. For example, FCS PC Tri Fins have a reasonably pronounced rake, to allow for easier turning in the water.
There are a lot of factors that go into pulling off a successful surfing session. There’s no question that the skill of the rider and wave conditions play a huge part. But your fins offer a considerable part of the equation.
That’s part of the reason that quad fin set-ups have been gaining in popularity in recent years, with an increasing number of pros looking for ways to get an extra edge in the water.
Quad fins don’t feature a central fin, so they’re able to build up more speed than thruster surf fins. Instead, they use four fins placed towards the back of the board and running near-parallel with the rails.
However, they also tend to offer a little less control than the thruster set-up. So, one isn’t really “better” than the other – it’s really a matter of rider preference and skill as to which will get the best results on the waves.
