A fins test… this is our very first fins test we reckon. We got some Stealth 2.0 to test not too long ago so we thought it’d be cool to write up a little review about those new fins. Although we’ve been using Toobs Bluntcuts for 11 years now we decided to give the Stealth 2.0 a try because they looked much better than all other asymetric fins we’ve seen on the market the last 10 years. Read the full test by clicking the link below.
Seriously, all fins like Churchills and all fins trying to imitate Churchills are lame: poor rubber quality, shitty water/sand drain hole position in the middle of the foot pocket, very very soft but not very powerful, always cutting your feet or ankles and creating balls on your feet cartilage… and the list of problems goes on and on…
Yeah Churchills and other asymetric fins look good in the air and when you cross your legs for spins… we all know this. But appart from that, all those fins suck. They’re pretty but they’re not good.
The only good fins we’ve tested – and actually think were good – are Vipers (maybe also MS Vipers which we havent tried yet, but MS Vipers are made in the same factory as Toobs Bluncuts so they’re probably good and they have a similar foot pocket), Redleys (but it seems that Redleys have completely stopped the production), and Toobs Bluntcuts which are solid, powerful and good for both DK and prone. We might have forgotten a few brands but that’s about it for good fins. The Hydro Tech2 are ok as well and they just released another fin called iFins which is pretty good too, we took them for a little ride and liked them. The Kicks fins are ok too, very comfy and light but the hole for water/sand drainage is in the wrong spot.
Alright, so now we can start talking about the Stealth 2.0 – The Stealth 1 were not that good but damn it, those new ones – the Stealth 2.0 – are good. Stealth enhanced and made corrections on every single detail that sucked on the first version: The drain hole is now at the end of the foot pocket, the fins are slightly shorter, the rubber is better and is also harder, the foot pocket is much more confortable, they’re ergonomic and the fins are more powerful. What else can we say? We were pleased with them. We took them for a couple rides and they were good, powerful and didn’t cut our feet. They might cut our feet if we surf them everyday but we only surfed them for like 6 hours total (2 long sessions) and they were nice to our feet so far.
They look as good as all the other asymetric fins but the Stealth 2.0 are way better in many ways, so we salute the new model and the new mold. It’s the first new good fins on the market in a long time we reckon.
Dropknee-wise those new fins are better as well than the Stealth 1 and any other Chruchills imitation, they’re a little bit shorter and stiffer so they’re easier to use for DK and the bottom of the foot pocket works better for DK, they’re more stable on the deck (for your front foot) and don’t slip or slide too much.
We still ride our Toobs Bluntcuts as of today but would definitely recommend the Stealth 2.0 to anyone who wants solid and powerful asymetric fins that look good. We keep our test pair and will use them from time to time, mostly for prone and even for bodysurfing.
This fins test was made in Dbah, QLD – Australia, late January in 3 foot waves, 4 foot with occasionnal barrels in the shorey.
