Skip Frye Volan
A single fin designed by one of the greatest surfboard craftsmen of all time… Straight forward, clean lines, and classic curves are the name of the game here.
The Fin
A single fin designed by one of the greatest surfboard craftsmen of all time… Straight forward, clean lines, and classic curves are the name of the game here.
An iconic figure in San Diego surf culture, Skip Frye is an accomplished surfer well known for his silky smooth style as well as his innovative and unique designs. Devised in the mid ‘70s, Skip’s single fin was developed to perform and excel in a supporting role for some of the boards he’s best known for such as his Eggs and Gliders. Minimalistic and pure, these fins lend themselves towards fluid and graceful surfing.
If you want to follow in Skip’s footsteps and search for that ultimate trim, minimize drag, increase speed, and let the board do the talking…Then this is the fin for you.
Made by True Ames in Santa Barbara, CA. The Volan panels are laid up and templated so the weave runs the right way, and the flex comes from the body of the fin rather than just the tip. This enhances speed and projection off the bottom and through turns.
- Slight / minimal rake and medium flex
- Can be used as a single fin or also works great in a 2+1
- Pairs well with mid-lengths, thinner planing-type boards, or shapes that rely on pinched rails or long rail-lines to do the heavy lifting
- Solid fiberglass construction, flat matte finish
Specifications
What people say
On a long, flat glider, riders say flex does little.
The template is built around effortless trim and flow, and the hand-laid volan panels flex from the body rather than just the tip — the fin loads under your weight in trim and releases, so the board feels like it accelerates out of a bottom turn instead of just holding a line.
Choose the volan if your egg or hybrid feels a touch lifeless on small days and you want spring through turns — same line as the solid-glass Frye, more rebound, and the better pick in weak, mushy surf where a solid fin can feel locked up. On a long, flat glider the solid-glass version is the calmer, planted tool.
The Skip Frye Volan uses the same template as the standard Skip Frye single fin, an outline Frye drew in the mid-1970s for his own eggs and gliders: upright, with very little rake and a base nearly as wide as the fin is tall. True Ames builds it from hand-laid volan cloth panels so the flex comes from the body rather than just the tip. It comes in four sizes, 6.5, 7.5, 8.5, and 9.25 inches, and suits eggs, gliders, and fuller hybrid mid-lengths in a single box or as a 2+1 center fin.
Mentioned in the review — Skip Frye (solid fiberglass) · Greenough 4A Volan — not something we carry.