Everything About Wakeboarding Fins

Wakeboarding fins are the small claws attached at the end of the bottom of a board. Their primary purpose is to provide grip for when riders try to turn in the water. Without this, the board would be a lot freer to slide along on the surface of the water. When this happens, riding the board in a forward manner would be difficult to do.

Now, anyone can use a wakeboarding fin. But usually, it would depend on what your preference is. Most advanced riders would actually say that they do not like using fins, especially for doing tricks and obstacles. But for some, they beg to differ. If you are interested to learn more about wakeboard fins, how it works, when to use it or where to get it, just keep on reading.

Type of Wakeboarding Fins

There are a lot of different fins available on the market right now. In general, though, there are only two types. One is thin and one is wide. If you are a beginner to an intermediate rider, it is best to choose a wider one. When wakeboarding, the most important thing is stability. With a wide fin, more water will move around the board creating a drag, which can give you more stability.

For more advanced wakeboarders, a thin fin is more suitable as it shoves less water which creates less drag. This can give them the freedom to control the board more and do stunts. Older versions of wakeboards had two-inch fins and they would come out of the water. Board nowadays, however, have smaller wakeboarding fins located at the outside edges. 

Things to Consider Before Getting Your Own Pair

Wakeboarding fins
Wakeboarder rides behind a boat

When purchasing a wakeboard, you would usually receive a set of fin inclusions. These are the ones that fit the board best. So, if your worry is about how to choose the right one, you can just start there.

Some brands do not come with wakeboarding fins to encourage riders to customize their board based on their ride preference. If this is the case for you, here is a guide on what you will need to know on getting a fin that can complement your board.

The first thing you need to understand is the whole setup on your board. You may want to figure it out first before buying so you would end up with the perfect-fitting pair of fins. Find out the size of the screws or how much the holes are separated from each other. Make sure you take note of this so you can avoid buying the wrong type of wakeboarding fins.

Here are the two types of screw designs you should be aware of.

Single-Screw (Old)

For older or classic boards, the design would usually be a β€œsingle crew” style with two nubs that keep the wakeboarding fins in place. 

Multi-Screw (Modern)

For modern boards, usually features a couple more holes and a few screws.

Wakeboard Compatibility

The style of the boards you are going to use will tell you if you need to get wakeboarding fins or not. One board design may require a fin and another may not. Here are types of wakeboards and their compatibility with fins.

Flat or Contoured

This style is the most common for wakeboards. Boards like this have flat bases that do not have any structure. An example of this is the brand Slingshot that sells flat baseboards. 

Contoured boards are flat as well but with slight hollows or β€œcontours” that help the flow of the water get directed to the board. 

Flat and Contoured wakeboards are the best kind of style that can benefit from adding fins. Normally, these types of boards are used by professional riders who prefer to have more control of the board. 

Molded-In Fins

Wakeboarding fins are directly built into the board and you cannot remove them as they are not just screwed, it is part of the board. Molded fins are usually located at the edge of the board, not the center.

Most molded-in fins come with pre-drilled holes in them for fins. For this style of wakeboard, add-ons are not really necessary since these are made to work well without fins. But again, it will still depend on the rider.

When Not To Use Wakeboarding Fins

Everything About Wakeboarding Fins 3
Man riding wakeboard on a lake

Do Not Use it at Cable Parks

Why? Because first of all, you might damage the park obstacles and you might also ruin your board and fins.  The ones you can get on the market right now are not meant to take explosive hits so even fiberglass might crack with force. You might also get stuck on obstacles which can be a dangerous situation for you as the rider. 

Do Not Use it if You do Not Like it

If you have tried using wakeboarding fins and you did not like the feeling of the ride, then do not force yourself to be into it. As I said before, having fins or not is a decision to be made by the rider. Just do whatever that works for you and you will be fine. 

When to Use a Wakeboard Fin

wakeboarding fins
Girl riding on a surf board

If You are a Beginner

If you are new to wakeboarding, maybe it is time for you to try fins out. After all, it keeps the movement of the board simpler than without. To explain even further, a wakeboarding fin is equivalent to a rudder for boats (the rudder controls the steering of a boat) because they both have the ability to control and direct.

If You have Flat Board

Beginner boards normally have bases that are flat. The same thing goes for many high-end ones. And, with wakeboarding, the flatter the board, the more slippery your ride can get. This can be difficult for beginners as it gives you less control than when wakeboarding fins are gripping in the water.

If You Prefer to Ride behind a Boat

As I mentioned, cable parks can be a risky place to use wakeboarding fins as you can ruin the obstacles or your board. That is why riding behind a boat would be a perfect way to try out fins. The speed of the boat is less consistent than in wakeboard parks so it would help to have the grip of the fin for balance. Plus, it will allow you to move forward and turn easily.

Product Recommendations

Now that you know the things you should consider before getting your own pair of wakeboarding fins, let us now talk about my favorite ones:

Hyperlite P-Wing (2 Pack) Wakeboard Fins

Everything About Wakeboarding Fins 4

First on the list, we have a pair of wakeboarding fins from Hyperlite.

This product is a P-Wing replacement for wakeboarding fins. The mounting holes for this recommendation are three inches apart and you can mount this on most wakeboards and wakesurf boards.

  • Size: 8.5 x 5 x 1 inches; 2 Pounds
  • Material: Molded
  • Price: $19.99Β 

CWB Fin Fiberglass Skater Fin Pack, 1.9-Inch

wakeboarding fins

As for my second recommendation, here is a pack of fiberglass wakeboarding fins from CWB. It is made from durable and high-quality material. You do not even have to worry about ruining it.Β  When you purchase this product, it comes with a screw and a washer. This pack is compatible with wakeboards such as Bella, Surge, Pure, Lotus, and Charger. Bonus perk: It is easy to install.

Last updated on 08/02/2025 06:20
  • Size: 5.3 x 4.8 x 0.5 inches; 2.4 Ounces
  • Material: Fiberglass

Ronix 1.75″ Fiberglass Hook Wake Edition Wakeboard Fin – (2 Pack)

Everything About Wakeboarding Fins 5

Similar to the CWB one, I like this Ronix wakeboard fin as it is made of fiberglass, which we know is a heavy-duty material. This one is ranked as number 319 on Amazon wakeboarding equipment so that should tell you that riders really do like it.

The holes in this one are three inches apart. If you like your ride to have a little more β€œbite” on the water, I think this product is for you.Β 

  • Size: 3.94 x 3.94 x 3.94 inches; 4.8 Ounces
  • Material: Fiberglass
  • Price: $19.99

Hyperlite 2019 Feature 2 Pack Fin Kit

wakeboarding fins

Here we have another Hyperlite product. This is a two-pack fin kit that is more affordable than the ones I have mentioned. Of course, it is not going to be as durable but for beginners, this one will do just as well. The screws for the Hyperlite 2019 are three inches apart too.

$30.90
in stock
2 new from $30.90
as of 08/02/2025 06:20
Last updated on 08/02/2025 06:20
  • Size: 6 x 3 x 0.1 inches; 8.82 Ounces
  • Material: not indicated
  • Price: $17.99

For the most part, discovering a personalized set-up that you really love is what matters the most when it comes to wakeboarding. Whether you use a fin or not, it will all just depend on what you are comfortable with while riding your board in the water.

I hope you found this blog post helpful and that you became confident enough to try wakeboard accessories like fins. Remember, watersport equipment add-ons are supposed to make your riding experience a little better and easier. If it does not, then maybe it is not right for you.

If you have any more questions or blog post requests, leave me a comment below! To join the SUP and watersport community, follow me on Facebook and Instagram.Β 

Other Interesting Articles

I might earn a small commission when you make a purchase through my link, so that I can keep my site running and pay the hosting bill. Read my affiliate policy to learn more.
Best Paddle Board Banner

Download our 60-page SUP Guide

* indicates required
The Best Paddle Board of the Year