You guys all crack me up. I just can't believe that a fin can make that much difference.   

Haha!  Depending on DW conditions a change in fin can make a huge diff cutting hard across waves.  These DW fins all have a fairly narrow base so can turn ok - but the ones with more area deep have more stability and hold.  Basically a short fin like the 7.0 turns fast and changes the feel like night and day.  See pic to compare.

a)  SIC 7.0 -> Bullet
b)  SB Race Ultra -> AS
c)  JL Tracker -> M14

You guys all crack me up. I just can't believe that a fin can make that much difference.   

Well, it does. It can make the difference between having fun and feeling eternally frustrated.

People need different fins at different stages of their paddling progression. I used to use huge fins for DW (50-60 sq ins). Now I use quite small area fins (the FCS Fat Boy is 42 sq ins and the 9 is only 34).

One of the advantages of paddling a "fixie" (fixed fin downwind board) is that you can use a fin that is optimised for surfing bumps. Rudders, by contrast, because of their requirement to turn the board, tend to be a straight up and down dagger style. Dagger fins are pretty bad for DW, IMO (in most boards). You need some rake if you want to surf a bump properly, by weighting/sinking a rail (i.e. carving) and using the board's rocker to turn. Straight up and down dagger style fins really just require pivoting the board flat to turn, which is not carving. In this way, fin choice can dictate a huge amount about what you can and can't do with your board.

Currently have the stock 9" dagger style. Use is smaller closer frequency.... not big open swell.  I'm curious if anyone has come across a worthy alternative?

For small short period swell it's hard to beat the SIC 7.0 on a Bullet. I've had that fin in the V2 and the V3 the last several years and it turns great and doesn't collect weeds. The key in short swell is getting the angle early before you get to the trough and carrying your speed to connect the next bumps. That's hard to do if your board is tracking straight. I think the stability of bigger fins is overrated for downwinding and can actually cause balance problems when you can't keep the board turning under you.
I was doing a run with Lopez a few weeks ago and he uses the same tiny fin that Connor was using last time I saw him in the Gorge , just a short fat nub basically. Obviously ridiculously talented individuals, but it's working for them.
A few years ago Covesurfer turned me on to using pretty small traditional windsurfing fins in our old 2011 Javelins. That transformed those boards for downwinding into something pretty fun, despite the lack of any rail to speak of on those boards. My 2 cents.
JP

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Yeah the attributes of a tracking fin like the JL or Elite oppose optimal use for DW.  Can do -> but more of a fine line and extra challenge surfing across waves.  Found they can add some stability in big slop and slamming reflected waves.  Just allows a second more reaction time.  So recommend you try different fins to feel the difference firsthand. 

JL Tracker has long drawn out DW turns vs short immediate ones with the SIC 7.0 fin.  This thread details general tracking variables that might help explain more.  Pic below shows JL Tracker rolling and rounding up due to excess hold deep from a big fast wave push from behind.  Makes that DW stability fin quite finicky.  Need speed for that fin to work.

https://www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php/topic,13810.0.html?PHPSESSID=012e8cfe421e7a217c891a19dd65cf75

Eagle, I can't get over the PFD you're wearing, It looks like you have another body attached to you
There are much better PFD's out there, especially for your lightweight like you.

You guys all crack me up. I just can't believe that a fin can make that much difference.   

Well, since the spectrum runs from no fin, to huge fin, and no rake, to lots of rake, low aspect to high aspect, base weighted to tip weighted, rigid to flexible--it shouldn't be too surprising. and then there's multi-fins.

you can get away with anything, heck, if you lose your fin you can wrap your shirt around the tail and limp home. Been there, done that, though it was windsurfing, and it was my harness, not my shirt.

People that come from a surfing or windsurfing background tend to be a little obsessed by fins, mainly because they compliment a style. You can use your favorite fin in two somewhat different boards and still like it, but a fin you hate won't work for you no matter what you put it in. And one person's fave is another person's trash.

People that come from a surfing or windsurfing background tend to be a little obsessed by fins, mainly because they compliment a style. You can use your favorite fin in two somewhat different boards and still like it, but a fin you hate won't work for you no matter what you put it in. And one person's fave is another person's trash.

I never thought of it that way PB, but it makes sense. Coming from a windsurfing/wave sailing background, I've hated every deep blade fin I've ever paddled because they just don't turn how I expect them to. Of course, I don't paddle flat water unless it's to take my dog for a spin. Maybe those big ugly fins are good for that

Hey that's just prudent Howe Sound shark avoidance...