Donald Takayama - DT Flex Fin: The Longboard Single Fin That Does It All
When a customer walked into Hawaiian South Shore after a session on the South Shore and couldn't stop talking about his new fin, we knew something special was happening. He kept trying to explain it to other surfers gathering around: the fin nose rides like a pivot fin, generates speed like a Greenough 4A, and draws out powerful turns when you want them. After years of selling longboard fins, this was the kind of genuine excitement that made us pay attention.
The Donald Takayama Flex Fin represents something rare in the single fin world—a design that genuinely delivers the "best of both worlds" that so many fins promise but few actually achieve. Created by legendary shaper Donald Takayama and handcrafted by Larry Allison in California using techniques refined over 50 years, this fin has quietly become a favorite among serious longboarders who understand what proper fin design can do for their surfing.
What makes the Takayama Flex Fin unique? The bottom two-thirds of the fin follows a pivot template for responsive turning, while the top third rakes back to hold speed and provide control during nose riding. This hybrid design lets you pivot in tight sections and draw out powerful turns when the wave opens up—without ever feeling like you're fighting the fin.
The Design Philosophy Behind the Flex Fin
Donald Takayama spent over 60 years pushing the boundaries of surfboard and fin design. While he's perhaps best known for his innovative Halo fin system, the Flex Fin represents his mastery of traditional single fin performance. The template wasn't borrowed or modified from existing designs—this is a Donald Takayama original that he personally developed and refined.
When you first look at the Flex Fin, it can be intimidating. The wide base and dramatic rake at the tip make some surfers hesitate. But that distinctive shape is exactly what creates its unique performance characteristics. Noah Shimabukuro, who now oversees production at Hawaiian Pro Designs after working with Donald for nearly two decades, explains the thinking behind it.
"The Flex Fin has a lot of rake, but it's almost like an upright template in itself. It's kind of best of both worlds in the sense that you are able to pivot on your turns, but it does have a lot of drive and it does have a lot of hold in your turns because of that rake."
The design breaks down into three functional zones. The bottom third of the fin provides your power mechanism—that wide base gives you something solid to push off of when generating speed. The middle third transitions between power and release. And the top third, where the fin rakes back dramatically, is where the magic happens for nose riding and controlling wider tails.
Handcrafted Excellence: 29 Layers of Precision
Every Takayama Flex Fin is handcrafted by Larry Allison at his shop in California. Larry has been making Donald Takayama's fin templates since the mid-1990s—nearly 30 years of dedication to a craft he started learning in 1971 at age 13.
The 50-Year Craft
Larry Allison began his fin-making journey at San Pedro Surfing Sport when he was just a teenager. What started as sweeping the shop floor evolved into a lifetime mastering every aspect of fin construction—from lamination to foiling. Today, he continues this "almost dying art" of handcrafted fins for discriminating surfers worldwide.
The construction process that Larry uses sets these fins apart from machine-made alternatives. Each Flex Fin starts with 29 layers of 7.5-ounce fiberglass cloth, carefully laminated two layers at a time. This specific weight of cloth isn't arbitrary—it's the result of decades of testing to achieve the ideal balance of strength, flex, and responsiveness.
"If your fin is six ounce or four ounce, you have to foil the fin thinner, which means that now you lose your spine, which then affects the flow and the flex dynamics of the fin. The fin won't have a torsional twist, like a fish. It'll have a lateral flex, but that doesn't give you punch and power."
The spine of the fin—the thickest point in the foil—sits at approximately 25% back from the leading edge. This positioning creates lift and reaction rather than just drag. Getting this right on the Flex Fin is particularly challenging because of the dramatic rake, requiring Larry to foil the fin thin enough for proper twist while maintaining the structural integrity needed for power.
For this special Hawaiian South Shore edition, we sent authentic Hawaiian fabric to Larry in California, which he carefully inlaid into the fin's lamination. This creates a unique visual element while maintaining all the performance characteristics that make the Flex Fin special.
How the Flex Fin Transforms Your Surfing
Understanding what the Flex Fin does in the water helps explain why surfers who try it often don't go back to their previous fins. The design addresses several challenges that longboarders face, particularly those surfing Hawaii's varied conditions.
Nose Riding Performance
When you walk to the nose, you're transferring significant load to the fin. Traditional fins with lots of rake can feel too loose or sketchy during nose rides because they deflect under that pressure. The Flex Fin handles this differently. The raked portion at the top creates resistance that delays water release, giving you more hold and stability while your board is in trim.
Noah describes it this way: the extra rake helps slow the board down when you want it to, which is essential for controlled nose riding. If you're riding a board with flatter rocker that generates a lot of trim speed naturally, the Flex Fin helps you manage that speed rather than fighting it.
Turning Characteristics
Here's where the "best of both worlds" claim proves out. The pivot-style bottom portion of the fin lets you turn in a smaller radius when you need to—essential for Hawaii's sections that close out quickly or require rapid direction changes. But unlike pure pivot fins, you can also draw out powerful, arcing turns when the wave opens up, using the rake to hold your line and generate projection.
"With this fin you're able to almost do both. You can draw out your turns when you want to, but also pivot when you want to."
Control on Wider Tails
Modern longboards often feature wider tails for stability and wave-catching ease. But those wide tails can become difficult to control, especially when the waves get larger. The Flex Fin's design helps tame wider tails by providing additional hold and grab in your turns. This makes it an excellent choice for contemporary longboard shapes that might otherwise feel skatey or hard to control.
The "Feels Shorter" Effect
One interesting characteristic of flex fins that Larry points out: due to the flex dynamics and rake, a 9.5-inch Flex Fin will feel more like a 9-inch conventional fin in the water. This means you can run slightly more fin depth for additional hold without the typical penalty of feeling sluggish or over-finned.
Size Selection Guide
Choosing the right size Flex Fin depends on your board length, tail width, and riding style. Noah shared his personal sizing as a reference point—at 5'8" and around 180 pounds, he typically runs a 10-inch Flex Fin on his 9'6" single fin longboards.
| Board Length | Recommended Fin Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 7'6" - 8'6" (Eggs/Mid-lengths) | 8" - 8.5" | Great for single fin eggs |
| 9'0" and under | 9" - 9.5" | Standard longboard range |
| 9'0" - 9'6" | 9.5" - 10" | Most common setup |
| 9'6" and above | 10" - 10.5" | For larger logs and nose riders |
Tail width matters: If your board has a more pulled-in tail (under 14.5"), you might size down slightly. Wider tails (15"+) often benefit from staying at the larger end of the recommended range for better control.
Weight consideration: Heavier surfers (200+ lbs) should generally stay at the larger end of the size range for their board length.
Fin Box Positioning Tips
Where you position the fin in your box significantly affects performance. Noah recommends starting with the fin in the middle of the box, then adjusting based on how the board feels.
Move forward if you want the board to feel looser and more pivoty. This is Noah's preference on certain boards like the new Long Scorpion, where he runs the Flex Fin as far forward as possible for maximum looseness.
Move backward if the board feels too loose or you want more hold and drive through your turns.
Important note on fin hardware: Due to the Flex Fin's design and the load it carries during use, the plate and screw should be positioned at the back of the fin box, not the front. The dramatic rake puts significant stress on the trailing edge during flex and recoil—having the hardware in the back provides better support and prevents tongue cracking that can occur with front-positioned hardware on this template.
Why Hawaii Longboarders Love This Fin
Hawaii's surf presents unique challenges that mainland spots often don't. Waves here are typically more sectiony, requiring surfers to pump down the line, make sections, get on the nose, then pump again to make the next section. Long, perfectly peeling point breaks are the exception, not the rule.
The Flex Fin excels in these conditions because it doesn't force you to commit to one style of surfing. You can nose ride the open sections, then quickly pivot and pump to make a closing section, then set up for another trim. Traditional pivot fins can feel too loose for the power moves, while heavy raked fins can feel too stiff for the quick transitions.
Larry notes that Hawaii longboards tend to run lighter and more reactive compared to the heavier, fatter boards common in California. The Flex Fin's design complements these performance-oriented shapes, working with the board's characteristics rather than against them.
Experience the Takayama Flex Fin Difference
Hawaiian South Shore carries the complete range of Donald Takayama Flex Fins, including our exclusive Hawaiian fabric inlay editions. Our team has been working with Takayama fins for over 20 years—we can help you dial in the perfect size and setup for your board.
Shop Takayama Fins📍 320 Ward Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96814
📞 (808) 597-9055 | ✉️ sales@hawaiiansouthshore.com
Frequently Asked Questions
While both have an upright base for pivoting, the Flex Fin's top third rakes back significantly. This gives you pivot-style maneuverability for quick turns plus the hold and drive of a raked fin for nose riding and drawn-out power turns. A standard pivot fin excels at quick direction changes but lacks the hold for committed nose rides.
Yes, the Flex Fin is excellent for nose riding. The raked portion creates resistance that holds the board steady when you walk to the nose. It also helps slow down boards with flat rocker that might otherwise have too much trim speed for controlled nose rides.
Every Takayama Flex Fin is handcrafted by Larry Allison in California. Larry has been making Donald Takayama's fin templates since the mid-1990s—nearly 30 years. He uses 29 layers of 7.5-ounce fiberglass and hand-foils each fin, a craft he's been perfecting since 1971.
General guideline: match fin size to board length (9' board = 9" fin). However, consider your tail width—wider tails benefit from larger fins for control. The Flex Fin also feels about half an inch shorter than its actual measurement due to the flex dynamics, so you can run slightly larger without feeling over-finned.
The Flex Fin's dramatic rake puts significant load on the trailing edge during flex and recoil—this is where your power and projection are generated. Positioning the plate and screw in the back provides better support for this stress. Front-positioned hardware on this template can lead to tongue cracking over time, especially for heavier surfers.
Absolutely. The Flex Fin template originally started as a mid-length design for single fin eggs before being scaled up for longboards. An 8" or 8.5" Flex Fin works beautifully on eggs and mid-lengths, providing the same versatile performance characteristics.
The Legacy Continues
Donald Takayama passed away in 2012, but his design innovations live on through the careful stewardship of Noah Shimabukuro and the master craftsmanship of Larry Allison. The Flex Fin represents one of Donald's many contributions to longboard fin design—a template born from decades of experience shaping boards and understanding what surfers need.
For surfers who have struggled to find a single fin that handles both nose riding and performance turning without compromise, the Flex Fin offers a genuine solution. It's not the right fin for everyone—some surfers prefer the pure pivot response of an upright fin, or the pure drive of a heavily raked template. But for those seeking versatility without sacrificing performance at either end, the Takayama Flex Fin delivers something truly special.
Hawaiian South Shore has been carrying Takayama fins for over two decades. Stop by our Honolulu shop to see the Flex Fin in person and talk with our team about finding the right size for your board and riding style.