Anfibio Skeg/Fin

Anfibio Skeg/Fin

A skeg or fin improves boat tracking and speed, increasing paddling efficiency. Even if you stop or slow down your paddling, it helps to keep the boat pointed in the right direction (for taking pictures, snacks, put on clotths etc.). It is best used in open, calm waters. A skeg (better three) helps to avoid drifting to the side, much like a metal edge on skis!

The Anfibio Skeg is a small and light fin designed specifically for packrafter needs. It has been trimmed specifically for lightness and effectiveness. The surface, shape, and weight of the Anfibio Skeg are all balanced, with a minimum weight of (floating!) 85g. This produces the desired effect while paddling, but the fin is still easily transportable and can be carried on backpack tours. Because of its unique shape, it is also suitable for packrafting in shallower waters.

The Anfibio Skeg, on the other hand, should be dismantled before entering too shallow water, where grounding is possible. The easy assembly/disassembly allows for a quick switch to different waters.

Excursus: Skeg in White Water

In white water, a skeg? Yes, as long as the water is open, deep, and of a large volume. Every surfboard has multiple fins for a reason. However, the fin is useful for more than just surfing. In contrast to canoeing paddles on both sides or even a motor driven propeller in the stern, propulsion with a double bladed paddle always causes a rotation of the boat in the longitudinal axis, so the energy is only partially converted into propulsion (with packrafts typically about 60 percent ).

A forward stroke is always a combination of rotation and forward impulse (the typical packraft swing). A steep paddle position can reduce the effect, but in whitewater, bracing bow strokes are frequently required, which causes increased rotation, reducing the efficiency of the paddle strokes even further.

Now the fin or skeg comes into play, which minimizes the rotation of the boat regardless of stroke, giving you more propulsion (about 20%) or a faster speed in whitewater. The sensation of riding (open) white water changes dramatically. It opens up completely new packraft routes, maneuvers, and whitewater sections. The effect is magnified because packrafts are short, easy to turn, and thus somewhat slower. So, if the circumstances permit, just give it a shot!