Surf Journal

Gato Heroi Surfboards: Complete Model Guide & Board Selection (2026)

Complete guide to every Gato Heroi surfboard model. Quick reference table, board pairings, fin recommendations, and how to choose the right Gato for your surfing style.

Gato Heroi Fin Buyer’s Guide (2025): Full Profiles, Board Pairings, & How to Choose the Right Fin

Keel Fins: How They Work and Which Set to Buy

Keels look like the one fin design that never changed. The ten sets on this wall disagree with each other more than any other twin category we stock — and they publish the numbers that prove it.

The Greenough Fin Guide: Which One Actually Works for Your Board

A practical guide to choosing between Greenough 4A, Power Blade, and Stage 6 fins based on your board type. Includes sizing advice and honest guidance on what doesn't work.

Twin Fin Buying Guide: Find Your Perfect Match

Bonzer Fins: How the System Works and How to Size Every Fin

How bonzer fins work as a system, how to size the center fin and side bites, and why a bonzer center fin is fundamentally different from a regular single fin.

Twinzer Fins: What Canards Actually Do and How to Pick a Set

Putting Two and Two Together: How Quads Work and Which Set Is Yours

Half of surfers will tell you quads hold better than thrusters and half will tell you they're skatey. Both are right — they're describing different axes. Here's the one that decides which set is yours.

Wild Things Fins Buyer's Guide: Byron Bay Surf Hardware, Shipped Worldwide

Wild Things fins from Byron Bay — single fins, twins, thrusters, and side bites. US stockist with worldwide shipping from San Francisco. Complete buyer's guide with specs and recommendations.

Twin Fins and the Trailer Question: What Adding a Third Fin Actually Does

Rage Traction Pads: The Crew, the Films, and the Purple Cockroach

Australian rider-owned surf brand Rage makes traction pads, leashes, and films with no corporate oversight. US stockist in San Francisco.

Side Bites: When They Help, When They Don't, and When They Ruin Your Board

The Volan 4A: What the Premium Buys and When to Pay It

Two 4As on the wall, one template, two prices. What the Volan panel actually changes, in the maker's own words — and the honest case for keeping the standard one.

Power Blade vs 4A: Two Fins for Two Different Surfers

The Greenough 4A and Power Blade are both Greenough designs, but they're built for completely different boards and surfers. Here's how to know which one you need.

Asymmetrical Fins: How the Three Sets Differ and Which One to Buy

An asymmetrical set looks like a mismatched box of leftovers: one big fin, two small ones, none alike. The mismatch is the design. Here is how the three sets we carry differ, by the numbers their maker publishes.

Longboard Single Fins: What Pivot, Rake and Flex Actually Do and Which One Goes in Your Log

"Noserider fin" and "pivot fin" are the same fin wearing two labels. What actually separates the 74 longboard-depth single fins in this shop is two axes nobody prints on the box: how far behind the base the area sits, and how much the thing bends. Every template we carry at 9 inches and deeper, sorted by those two.

Trailer Fins: How Much Third Fin You Actually Want

Your twin lets go on the drop, at the bottom of a turn, or on your backhand. A trailer fixes exactly those three moments — and how much fin you want depends on which one you keep losing. Eight True Ames designs, three real answers.

The Fin Gets Out of the Way: Choosing a Flex Fin for a Displacement Hull

Put a stiff performance single fin in a displacement hull and the turn begins and stalls halfway. Nothing is wrong with that fin — it is answering a question your board never asked.

Wild Things: Byron Bay Fins, US Stockist

Shop Wild Things fins, boardshorts, and Gato Heroi boards. US stockist shipping from San Francisco. Speed Fins, Fitz 2+1 setups, Chippa thrusters.

Best Fin for a Mid-Length (And How to Stop Second-Guessing Yourself)

Board-specific fin picks for eggs, speed shapes, and 2+1 mid-lengths—plus a tuning framework that stops the second-guessing.

Rage Traction Buyer's Guide: Which Pad Fits Your Surfing?

Complete specs and recommendations for all six Rage traction pads. Which grip fits your surfing style?

The 4C Isn't a Greenough Fin (And Why It Might Be Better for Your Log)

The 4C isn't a Greenough design—Paul Gross created it from scratch. Here's why that matters for choosing between the 4A and 4C.