Take a close look at this simple yet ingenious surf item. FinsOut is the world's first fin removal tool.
We have all suffered at the hands of the thruster setup. And if you're riding a five-fin system, it's even worse.
Installing and removing FCS II fins can be a painful experience for your fingers and your favorite beach towel. When you don't do it correctly, you end up with bruised hands.
The good news is that, sooner or later, there's always a solution to our surfing problems.
The founder of FinsOut has come up with a smart way of removing or swapping the surf fins out of the surfboard.
"To get your fins out, simply slip the FinsOut over the fin and remove it with ease in a couple of seconds," explains Kris O'Brien, the man behind FinsOut.
"The handy tool has a grip-contoured handle, and its patented fin-friendly design allows you to lever it with ease."
Kris realized there could be a solution for taking fins in and out of surfboards during a boat trip in the Mentawais when his fin flew out of my hand and went off the edge of the boat.
"I had to dive over to save the thing. It was a comedy act. About six months later, I woke up at 3 am and scrawled down some drawings on how to make it happen."
O'Brien has been working in the action sports industry for a long time.
He started in Trigger Bros Surfboards, then moved to Brothers Neilsen and Quiksilver. More recently, as an entrepreneur, he founded OBfive Skateboards.