Thanks to a combination of unique designs and quality fins, the brand has grown to become a benchmark in its field. From shortboards to longboards and mid-lengths, the brand presents all types of set to suit all boards. From its beginnings presenting only fins, the brand now offers accessories and clothing, while continuing to specialise in fin design.

Here we present a short tour of the history, collaborations and iconic fins of Captain Fin Co.

The Captain Fin Co story

The Captain Fin Co brand of dinghies and surf accessories was founded in 2007 by Mitch Abshere. This Californian brand, with its original, artistic visuals, is all about fun surfing. It all started when he was just 16 years old. At the time, Mitch was working for a magazine called 'Surf X'. The magazine focused on the world of surfing, skateboarding and urban culture. It was while immersed in this environment that his eyes were opened to these disciplines, and he became hooked. He then set about restoring some old fins he owned that were in poor condition. He began to feel the pleasure of creating and bringing to life a board with his own fins.

Gradually he moved on from restoring to designing and building fins with his own personal touch. Mitch really wanted to give the brand a fun image. He even said, "There are too many brands on the market... and too many serious ones". Over the years, his work has enabled him to achieve some great things. In 2011, for example, Captain Fin Co released its own film called Be Cool Man. A meaningful name that fits perfectly with the brand's vision.

In recent years, Mitch Absehere's company has developed a range of surfwear called Fun Alive, with a unique aesthetic designed for the beach and everyday life. Captain Fin Co is based in what is now Oceanside, in a small building housing artists and designers.

The brand's collaborations

The brand makes collaborations a point of honour. Right from the start of Captain Fin, Mitch chose to use free surfers to promote his brand rather than surfers from the professional world. This choice has enabled him to develop an image as a passionate surfer, but also to build real cohesion between the company and the sponsored surfers. Joel Tudor, Alex Knost, Tyler Warren, Thomas Campbell, Andy Davis and Dane Reynolds are just some of the surfers who have placed their trust in the Californian brand. With all of them, he created original, high-quality collaborations.

Together with Joel Tudor, Mitch developed a collection of longboard fins optimised to produce quality hang ten boards with sufficient handling and grip for cornering.
Working closely with Alex Knost, Captain Fin designed a series of fins for mid lenght and longboards. With a straight profile and wide base, they offer perfect pivot and excellent drive.
For hybrid boards, Captain Fin collaborated with surfer/shaper Tyler Warren. They presented a set of 3 fins featuring easy rail-to-rail transitions and excellent grip on the shoulder and base of the wave.

In addition to his various collaborations with surfers and shapers, captain fin co has developed a truly close-knit team. It was with these big names that the film Be Cool Man was released in 2011.

A collection of quality fins

Captian Fin Co has produced hundreds of different daggerboards. For longboards, singles, twins or thrusters, all types of fins have been designed. So there's something for every taste and every board. To help you find your way around, we present the brand's best products according to configuration:

For singles, a large number of fins are of incredible quality, but we have two favourites. The first is the T.Muckuluck & Tanner Prairie 8.5, a D-fin made by Tanner Prairie and designed by Thomas Campbell. What makes it so special is its unique design. Composed of a multitude of leather patches sewn together, this fin is magnificent. More than just an accessory, it's a real work of art. For performance, the Captain Fin Christenson Alex Knost fibreglass fin is multi-purpose. Equally at home in fishing or calm conditions, this fin is excellent.
As for the twins, one of the brand's products stands out from the crowd. It's the fin kit from the collaboration between Captain Fin Co and Chris Christenson. The set features straight fins for excellent manoeuvrability. Made from multi-layered fibreglass, they are exceptionally rigid. The feel is great, especially when they hook up at full speed.
When it comes to thrusters, the first thing that springs to mind is the set of three Captain Fin co fins developed in collaboration with Dane Reynolds: 'Black Panther'. These fins are based on the AI Merrick pattern. They have a relatively wider base and a slightly smaller centre fin than the original template. They offer perfect tight transitions and a quality drive.

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