A skeg or fin improves boat tracking and speed, thus the efficiency of paddling. It helps to keep the boat in the right direction, even if you stop or slow down your paddling (for taking pictures, snacks, put on clotths etc.). The use on open, calm waters is ideal. Especially when sailing, a skeg (better 3) helps to avoid drifting to the side, like a metal edge on skis!
The Anfibio Skeg is a small and light fin especially developed for packrafter needs. It has specifically been trimmed for lightness and effectiveness. The Anfibio Skeg has a balanced ratio of surface, shape and and a minimum weight of (floating!) 85g. This makes the desired effect clearly noticeable when paddling, but the fin remains easily transportable and can also be carried on backpack tours. Due to its special shape, it is also suitable for shallower waters typical of packraft.
However, the Anfibio Skeg should be dismantled before going into too shallow water where grounding is possible. The simple assembly/disassembly allows a quick change for different waters.
We mainly recommend to put one primary skeg to the stern of the boat. Optinal two fins can additionally be placed on the side tubes (but never to the the floor for rigidness and effectivness) to reduce drift. Sailer even put a further one on the bow of the boat.
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Excursus: Skeg in whitewater
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A skeg in white water? Yes, as long as it is about open, deep and big volume white water. Every surfboard does have several fins for a good reason. But the fin is not only an advantage when surfing. The propulsion with double bladed paddle (in contrast to canoeing paddles on both sides or even a motor driven propeller in the stern) always causes a rotation of the boat in longitudinal axis, so the energy is only partly converted into propulsion (with packrafts typically about 60%). A forward stroke is always a mixture of rotation (the typical packraft swing) and forward impulse. One can minimize the effect by a steep paddle position, but in whitewater bracing bow strokes are often necessary, which causes an increased rotation, the efficiency of the paddle strokes becomes even smaller. Now the fin or skeg comes into play, which minimizes the rotation of the boat, no matter at which stroke, you get more propulsion (about 20%) or a higher speed in whitewater. The feeling of riding (open) white water changes notably. It opens up completely new routes, manoeuvres and whitewater sections for packrafts. It is because packrafts are so short, easy to turn and therefore somewhat slower that the effect is so great. So, just try it out if conditions allow!
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Mounting: Easy to mount on and off, once the adapter is glued
Material: Polyethylen (PE)
Color: black
Weight: 85g (self floating)
Maximum length: 24,5cm
Maximum depth: 8,5cm
Width: 4mm
Content Glue: Tube Glue 50g + Hardener 10g
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ATTENTION: This item is declared as dangerous goods and can only be shipped to the following countries: Germany, Austria, Croatia, France, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland. For the shipment of dangerous goods outside Germany we charge a dangerous goods surcharge of 3,58 € net per shipment.
Manufacturer: Anfibio Packrafting, Schellin & Kreinacker GbR, Körnerplatz 6, 04107 Leipzig , Germany,
