So I have been testing a few variations to the setup of my BOTE Aero HD SUP and thought this short write up could perhaps help some people, or at least just provide some valuable information on fin setup.
Firstly, BOTE Aero inflatable paddle boards come with a removable Aero Centre Fin. This hard plastic slide-in fin can be purchased as a spare or replacement for the inflatable Aero line of BOTE paddle boards and kayaks. It is a 10inch fin.
Now this fin does take up quite a bit of space, ie. depth of water you are paddling in, as can be seen by the images above. So the question is, do you need it?
Well, although each person and their exact application may be slightly different, the same factors, may or may not affect you. Herewith a list of key factors to consider:
- How much wind do you expect to encounter?
- How far are you paddling?
- Do you have to deal with fast current or drifting water?
- How loaded is your kayak and how good is your balance?
| Ket Factors to Understand | With Centre Fin | Without Fin |
| Straight line tracking when paddling | Very Good | Terrible |
| Straight line tracking when drifting | Very Good | Variable |
| Tracking while in windy conditions | Much Better | Terrible |
| Paddling in Current/strong drift | Very Good | Terrible |
| Additional stability when lots of gear loaded | Much Better | Relative |
| Stability when moving around on top of SUP | Much Better | Not as Good |
| Ability to paddle very shallow | Limited to Fin | Very Good |
| Effect on paddling in general | Direct & Stable | Very Loose |
| CONCLUSION | MUCH BETTER | NOT GOOD |
So this was my summary for what it's worth folks on whether we need the BOTE centre fin (10") which is supplied with the Aero HD SUP. I tested it in numerous conditions and with multiple different loads and even without any loaded gear. So perhaps if you really travel through some super shallow sections, you could easily stop, Lift the back of the SUP and unplug the fin and paddle on and when cleared of the really shallow section, put the fin back. It is really easy to do this, but to be honest, I just hop off the SUP and pull it a little from behind just shallow enough and then walk it. Then get going again. But of course depends on the distance and how frequent the shallow sections are.
Anyway, hope this was in some way helpful or information. Enjoy.
