Powerbox - wedge and slot dimensions

Question
Hi there,

would you happen to know what are the standard Powerbox fin wedge and board fin slot dimensions? Any sites on fin manufacture details?

I recently purchased a fin (ProLimit slalom) and it's pretty loose in the board slot. I can't even tighten it properly and pull it up the slot (wedge it) as I'm running out of bolt length. So, I thought to repair it myself by adding little bit of epoxy adhesive and re-finish the sides, but would need proper dimensions of the taper and widths first.

Or, make an insert that'll support the fin wedge inside the slot?

Grateful for any advice, cheers,
Den

p.s. MODS, sorry for possibly cross posting this: I posted this question to the *surfing* expert and later realized he's not *wind*surfing expert.


Answer
Hey Mladen,

I'm not sure of the actual size specs and I can't seem to find them posted on some of the fin manufacturer sites.

You don't mention the make and model of the board you are trying to fit the fin into. There could be a couple of reasons for the new fin not fitting properly. My first inclination is that the fin is the correct size. There is a slight possibility that a batch of fins came off the line undersized and that is something to discuss with ProLimit. Their site is www.prolimit.com, go to windsurfing and then prolimit to get contact info.

The other thing to check is, compare your new fin to an old fin that you have been using in the same board. Are they the same size? If so, does the old fin fit tight? There is a possibility your fin box has expanded from heavy use, usually jumping with poor landings. Do any kind of comparison you can to determine where the problem is. The new fin, old fin, fin box, etc.

If you determine that the new fin is actually smaller, contact ProLimit first before you do any modifications. If there was a manufacturer defect, they should stand behind their product. Not sure how they are with board gear but I do know that they are really good about wetsuit issues.

When an old 'A' box type fin was loose, I used shims made from a sheet of acetate (thin, firm, plastic sheet for stencils). I still use this on a couple of my older boards. Not sure if you can do something like this with a Powerbox fin but it seems like something could be used. Pieces of a plastic pop bottle may work.

As for adding some epoxy and sanding it down (as a last resort), use some shims to determine how much to build it up. Then just sand it until it fits tight in the fin box.

Hope this helps.
Keep on sailing,
Windlover