The primary purpose of the Bonzer system is to efficiently organize water flow. We have done this by designing fin and bottom systems that work in a synergetic fashion in order to maximize the use of the energy that is created by the water passing through the tail area of the board. When you’re doing a turn, the water travels diagonally across the bottom of your board. The Bonzer side fins have a base totaling 9-3/4” on each side, and a maximum depth of only 2-3/4”. The angle, combined with the shallow depth of the fins, allows the fins to come in and out of the water with little resistance. This makes rail-to-rail transition much easier, which in turn allows you to keep your board on the rail with much less effort.
While turning, the fins on the inside rail are fairly vertical in the water, providing very refined edge control. As the water races across the bottom, the outside fins deflect it down and back through the tail. We have always looked at the water that escapes off the outside rail as unused energy. The combination of the Bonzer concaves and the long base of the side fins redirect far more water through the tail area than other designs. This maximizes the use of the force that is created during turns. The fins are essentially an extension of the concaves and, since water adheres to curved surfaces, there is very little disturbance as the water passes through the fin area. This dramatically reduces drag. Basically, we have tried to create surfboards that you can get more out of with less effort and energy input. It’s all about reducing entropy.
The Bonzer 3 and 5 fin systems have very similar performance characteristics.
The main difference is that the 5 fin setup is a bit quicker off the top, and is more maneuverable in the hook. This makes it more conducive to a contemporary approach to wave riding. The 3 or 5 fin systems can be used on any model. This will produce a slightly different feel in each, but inevitably, the shape of the board will determine more the way the board rides than the fin set up. For instance; putting the 5 fin setup on a Russ Short Model is not going to turn it into a contemporary shortboard.
