The FCS lineup is categorised into four primary performance families: Reactor, Performer, Carver, and Accelerator, each designed with a specific surfing style and specific wave type in mind.
Reactor: Speed and Tight Turns
The Reactor family is built for surfers seeking maximum speed and sharp, agile turns. Ideal for hollow, fast-breaking waves, these fins enhance quick transitions and dynamic maneuvers. The upright template allows for rapid response, making them a favorite among performance-focused shortboarders.
Performer: Balance and Versatility
As the name suggests, the Performer family emphasizes balance across speed, flow, and control. These fins are suited for a wide variety of conditions and boards, making them an excellent all-round choice for surfers looking to maintain consistency and predictability. The balanced template offers stability while supporting both powerful carves and smooth rail-to-rail transitions.
Carver: Power and Drawn-Out Turns
The Carver fins cater to surfers who enjoy drawn-out turns on open-face waves. They provide excellent grip and drive, especially in powerful surf. The elongated design prioritizes control and hold, perfect for surfers who prefer to draw smooth, sweeping lines and maintain power through the turns.
Accelerator: Speed with Control
Accelerator fins combine speed with control, making them a hybrid option for surfers looking to maintain power through critical sections of the wave while still enjoying the speed required for high-performance surfing. These fins are ideal for progressive surfers aiming to blend aggression with finesse.
Materials
Let’s dive into the different materials FCS uses in their fins, as your choice of construction can dramatically impact performance.
Performance Core (PC), these are your reliable workhorses of the FCS range. Made from molded fiberglass composite, PC fins deliver consistent flex patterns and impressive durability. They’re perfect for surfers who want solid performance without breaking the bank.
Step up to Neo Glass and you’re entering more refined territory. These premium fiberglass fins offer enhanced response compared to PC, with sophisticated flex characteristics that many intermediate to advanced surfers love. Think of Neo Glass as the sweet spot between performance and value.
Performance Core Carbon (PCC) takes things up another notch. By reinforcing the fins with carbon, FCS creates a lighter, more responsive feel that generates serious drive through turns. These fins mean business – they’re for surfers who surf with power and want their equipment to match their intensity.
At the pinnacle sits the Neo Carbon series. These full carbon constructions are the Formula 1 cars of the fin world. Ultra-lightweight with maximum response and drive, Reactor fins are what you’ll spot under the feet of pro surfers in competition. They deliver uncompromising performance for those pushing their surfing to the limits.
Each material tells a different performance story, and your choice ultimately depends on how you want your surfboard to feel beneath your feet.
The table below shows how these characteristics combine and gives example fins you can find in the library.
| Speed Control (Performance Core Carbon, Performance Glass) | Balanced (Performance Core/Neo Glass) | Speed Generating (Neo Carbon) | |
| Carver & Accelerator (Carving & Control) | Filipe Toledo PG Pro FCS Accelerator PC Carbon | Mick Fanning Performance Core Accelerator Performance Core | Mick Fanning Neo Carbon |
| Performer (Balanced) | FCS Performer PC Carbon | Jeremy Flores Performance Core FCS Performer Performance Core | N/A |
| Reactor (Quick Turns) | FCS Reactor PC Carbon | Gerry Lopez Performance Core FCS Reactor Performance Core | N/A |