Side Bite 4.35
True Ames’ general-purpose side bite at 4.35" — the size at which the sides stop being a subtle addition and start shaping the turn.Side bites turn a single-fin board into a 2+1: the centre fin still does the steering, and the two small fins add hold through a turn and drive off the bottom.
The Fin
True Ames’ general-purpose side bite at 4.35" — the size at which the sides stop being a subtle addition and start shaping the turn.
Side bites turn a single-fin board into a 2+1: the centre fin still does the steering, and the two small fins add hold through a turn and drive off the bottom. True Ames cut this all-round template in six sizes and 4.35" is at the tall end of them, aimed at getting the most out of a 2+1 rather than the least: stability, projection and hold added to whatever centre fin the board already runs. Hexcore, the lighter of the two constructions True Ames cut this template in, sold as a pair.
How that reads
More depth means more hold on rail, so a set this size locks the board in through a committed turn and drives it out of the bottom rather than simply steadying it. What you give up is the loose, pivoting feel that makes a single fin a single fin — with 4.35" fins either side the board behaves closer to a thruster.
Who it suits
Longboards and mid-lengths with a centre box and two plugs, surfed off the rail and in surf with some size behind it. If you mostly want the board to feel like a single fin with a safety net, one of the smaller sizes in the same range is the better buy.
If this is not the one
Want less side fin in the same construction? The Side Bite 4.0 - FCS Compatible (Hexcore), or the Side Bite 3.7 Hexcore (FCS) smaller again.
Specifications
The side bite for the maximum amount of performance when added to a single fin on 2+1 surfboards — an extra-large template aimed squarely at performance longboards in powerful waves.
Put these on a 2+1 performance log you surf hard in steep, powerful surf — they turn the board thruster-adjacent, with rail grip that holds through hard, committed turns. For most mid-length 2+1 setups this is more side bite than you need, and if the board tracks or feels stiff through transitions, step down a size.
The 4.35" side bites are the largest in True Ames' standard side bite range, an extra-large all-around template built for performance longboards run as a 2+1. They are made in Hexcore construction with FCS-compatible tabs and are typically run alongside a 7" to 7.5" center fin.
Mentioned in the review — CI Side Bites 4.0 · CI Side Bites 3.6 — not something we carry.