Thruster Fins

Three fins — two at the rails, one at the tail center — create a balanced system. As Anderson saw it at Bells: "the twinfins were unable to hold in the big surf, and the pin-tailed single fins only able to draw their long, classic lines" — his thruster could attack the wave in a way nobody else could. The side fins generate speed and drive, while the center fin adds hold and keeps the tail locked in during turns.

Thruster fins vary mostly in template (outline shape) and construction. Smaller fins with less area are looser and faster. Larger fins hold better in bigger surf. Stiffer construction (fiberglass, G-10) is more predictable; flex-heavy builds (carbon, composite) add spring through turns. Anderson never patented the design — it spread worldwide within two years.

For most surfers, thrusters are the starting point. As Swaylocks puts it: "the hardest setup to mess up and the most versatile setup, working for small wave boards all the way up." They work in every condition, on every wave, and reward both progressive and traditional surfing styles.