Naked Viking Surf Fins Review

We were stoked to get our first shipment of NVS fins a few weeks ago. Naked Viking Surf is a company founded in 2010 by Leif Bronn and Jamin Luoto that sells premium, durable, high-performance fins at a great price. Based out of the aeronautical hub of San Diego, Leif and Jamin first started looking into making high-performance fins after seeing the quality of the free fins offered with a board purchase. After a few years of testing multiple fin constructions, they have refined a great product that is becoming more popular.

Construction

Their Apex Series of fins made from G10 fiberglass is what NVS is most known for. G10 is manufactured using heat and pressure in an autoclave oven that yields flat, consistent sheets with more layers of fiberglass in the same thickness than a standard layup. This construction creates a stronger material that you need less of, so it allows these NVS Apex fins to have a thinner foil than most other fins, which creates less drag and turbulence. Those raw G10 sheets are CNC precision cut with foil designs based on research done by the National Advisory Committee of Aeronautics (NACA). The more streamlined leading edge of the NACA foils has a higher angle of attack than standard fins that creates smoother water flow through extreme direction changes so that you have more stability and speed through turns.

Performance

So, how does all that high-tech construction translate into your surfing? Well, the strong G10 material provides a very stiff flex for instant response and drive. You can trust them to push hard into turns without them flexing and washing out like softer fins. Instead, they will hold and spring you out of your turns providing you with more exit speed. Adding the stiff flex to the thinner foil for less turbulence equates to a noticeably faster fin in the water.

Originally I was intrigued by NVS because they offer unique templates that are hard to find like the Grennan quads and the C-Drive fins (more on those later). When I bought my first set I immediately noticed the precision foil, and the premium material they are made of and wanted to learn more. After testing my first few sets I liked the construction, flex, and foil so much that I re-ordered some more standard templates like the AM comp, the Album Fascination split keel quad, an upright twin template, and a keel set.

Value

Not only is the G10 material very strong and durable, NVS has cracked the code for pricing. Thruster and quad sets made of this material from other brands are priced between $200 - $280, but NVS has most of their Apex Series thruster and quad sets priced between $85 - $110; less than half of the competitions price.

 

Final Thoughts

NVS delivers a durably constructed fin that has a responsive flex with a fast precision foil for a good value in a variety of templates, from old classics to new experimental designs. I’ve been pleased with the design, performance, and durability of all my NVS sets so far and I would recommend them to anyone who is looking for a premium fin at a great price. If you want to learn more about all the best fin sets of 2022 check out our Top Quad Fin Sets of 2022 blog.

If you have any questions about NVS fins, feel free to leave a comment, give us a call at 1-888-546-6176, or shoot an email to support@cleanlinesurf.com