ArticlePloS one2020
Performance evaluation of humpback whale-inspired shortboard surfing fins based on ocean wave fieldwork.
Article in PloS one, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Measurements of the hydrodynamic pressure on a surfboard fin during surfing.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Understanding the relationship between surfing performance and fin design.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- A forgotten element of the blue economy: marine biomimetics and inspiration from the deep sea.PNAS nexus · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
We present field results revealing improved surfing performance when a novel approach ("Real Whale", RW) is used for applying several of the humpback whale's passive flow control mechanisms, including tubercles, to surfboard fins. It is also the first study presenting evidence of dynamic performance of tubercled designs rotating on all three axes. We evaluated low aspect ratio, thruster-style 3-fin configurations used in high-performance surfing. Fieldwork involved surfing almost 2,000 ocean waves from around the world, comparing standard commercial fins with straight leading edges to RW fins. We collected surfing data from instrumentation attached to surfboards, including GPS and 9-axis motion sensors. Eighteen turn performance values were measured and calculated, including novel, surfing-specific rotational power coefficients. ANOVA revealed surfers using RW fins showed significant improvements in power generation compared to when they used standard commercial fins. Turn rates using RW fins also improved, although not significantly. We found using RW fins allowed a skilled surfer to improve their surfing performance relative to a professionally ranked surfer.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.