They are just so bloody expensive... is it just a long time accumulation or is there a place (online or otherwise) that needs some wider recognition?
Long time accumulation.
I guess the cheapest option is to buy the various clones you can find on alibaba, but it is morally questionable if you have the money to buy from innovative companies.
The best maybe to find some small guy making quality fins himself, for a quality work at a reasonable price since he has no marketing budget. For instance Neyra fins in Portugal:
neyracustomshop.com/3-quillas-fins
Beware of **** fins I got 2 sets of MR twin fins off eBay and they felt lighter than normal I had one snap in the van on the way to the surf so replaced that then had one come out mid turn and another snap in the shore break on way in .. surf was pumping and i had no fins left in the car so was mega pissed
Chuck all the big surfboard fin brands make blank fins for every size thruster fin model that they stock. So either befriend a shaper or head to a local surf shop owned by one. In Sydney Simon Anderson has one, manly, One at mona vale run by old division shapers, Brookvale has bennet and also another two shapers close to bennets in broojvale near the pacific highway. Lots of options in Newcastle and wollongong. So for your surf set up and side fins you should pay around $20 a fin, those larger back fins are not cheap so around 80 -100 and these are usually scarce as the industry does not manafacture them by the million.
Heads up for the surf shop in Bondi who helped me out when I broke both my plastic starboard side fins,
What kind of fins do you need?
I watch every thread about fins as i am interested... and i see a lot about trialling different setups etc.
However, i came new to this, with no surfing background so i guess i am missing that accumulation of the sundried that go with it.
so i am curious where people get their stuff...
www.hugedomains.com/domain_profile.cfm?d=indofins&e=com has good prices for old style fcs fins in fiberglass.
True Ames from the US.
Rainbow Fin Company also.
Alkali from Balina my favourite.
Captain Fin.
But they all cost.....
Although you can get True Ames shipped from the US cheaper than you can buy FCS here, and they are a really nice fin.