I'm heading to Hatteras in a few weeks and I heard that the sound can be very shallow and maybe weedy. Does anyone have recommendations on whether or not I need to get a weed fin to sail out there? What size? How about those Delta fins (super shallow but super wide)?
This would be for my 125l Goya Bolt that I normally sail with a 42cm/8.5 and a 39cm/7.0-6.0 combination.
Thanks.

Greg.
I have makani ono weed. It works great in the weeds I encountered so far.

I've been to Hatteras three times, was there in October for OAS windfest in fact. I'm 100% freestyle sailor, so I never have a problem with weeds or sanding out, but I am also on a veeery small fin. If you're normally slalom sailing with one of those great big scimitar sized fins, then you might have issues, but I don't recall ever hearing about it being a real problem for anyone. There are few people who use weed fins out there, but not many. I haven't sailed on one in like 30 years, because I hated them.

How about a True Ames surf grass? On big days on Lake Michigan its my go to wave fin as well.

Ooooo!!! I LOVE IT! ....the dog, that is.You can TELL that he is a good boy! Horrible fin though: no grip! Try a Makani Kaku or True Ames Enduro: vastly superior wave fin to any weed fin. You should never need a weed fin on Lake Michigan anyway. What's that thing doing in your fin quiver to begin with?

Ha! What? Your beats are incorrect! Thanks about my dog, she's a good one, but not too good. Her name is Alta.

Love the dog pic! Looks sweet.
As far as weed/shallow water fins, I see there are not many with tones of experience with them. But thanks for those who posted and gave advice.
For now, I’m considering a black project Weedspeed fin to fit on the Goya Bolt. Maui Ultra Fins has some interesting ones but out of stock...
I read mixed reviews on the true Ames weed fin and haven’t heard back from the guys at MFC...

Greg, oceanairsports.com and wind-nc.com might have some fins you can demo, or tell you what's working for folks.

Reid Fillman wrote:
Thanks Reid. Yes, I talked to Brian at OceanAir last week and he mentioned that riding freeride or race fins around 40cm can be risky in some areas on the sound. He sees people riding weed fins up to 39cm in total depth.

I cannot afford to bust my carbon fins.... but I can afford 2 black project Weedspeed fins for less than $400:
40cm (32cm deep) to ride with the 7.0 and a 45cm (36cm deep) for my 8.5. Hopefully, they will work ok. I’ll use them in places like Wolf where I’ve already busted fins in the shallows near shore and during summer on Winnebago or other inland lakes when the weeds are just going crazy.

Best weed fin out there for Hatteras in my opinion is the Weed Demon 2 by Tectonics Maui. It is shaped by a guy who lives in Hatteras.

I also have a MFC, Tangent Dynamics and Hydrotech in various sizes. They all work fine, main thing is to close the gap on the front to keep a weed from getting stuck between bottom of board and top of fin.

I sail at Hatteras regularly. On lighter wind days it's ok to use a pointer (use one that fits in the box not so tight). I even ride formula fins at Canadian Hole but makes sure I stay in the hole area. On heavy days I don't risk the pointer, I use a weed fin or wave fin. Sudden stops at 30+ don't feel so good and I have met a lot of old timers that have broken bones multiple times in Hatteras.

Dennis Koscielski wrote:
I've experienced that a couple of times going over the handlebars at full tilt and didn't need the help of shallow waters! On one particular occasion, I landed hard on the mast and thought I'd broken my arm. I won't take any risks and a weed fin is on its way! Thanks for sharing your experience.

Just came in. Will see in March if they do the job.