Surfski Knowledge Base

FENN Footplate

Jonas Ecker Apr 29 #31505

Hey all!

Slightly specific request but thought I’d give it a shot.

Does anyone have an old FENN footplate lying around, like pre-factory fire? I have a a newer replacement that fits the new Fennix models but the older connections are slightly different.

I’ve put mine through the ringer and I came out on top.

Jonas Ecker

Reivers Dustin Apr 30 #31507

I'm thinking of Deano. He's old and he's a big fenn fan.

David Hooper Apr 30 #31509

Along these lines, does anyone know how to keep a Fenn footplate from rubbing on the footwell and squeaking annoyingly and scraping up the bottom of the footwell? (some of you whom I've followed in races will know what I'm talking about!)

- I've tried sanding down the bottom, but that hasn't worked: because of all the flex in the footplate, I'd need to take off a substantial amount.

- I currently have a piece of old foam wedged in between the bottom of the plate and the footwell, but it keeps wearing through.

- My next idea is to carve out a block of hard foam and wedge it between the front bulkhead and the bottom of the footplate to reduce flex. Any thoughts as to where one would get such foam?

Other suggestions?

Dave H.

Dennis Mowry Apr 30 #31510

Dave,

Check the “L” brackets where the foot brace connects to the slides.

The older models were weaker and cracked causing movement and sqeaking.. DJ has some solid upgraded version. You will need to take the whole foot brace out to change them.

:Dennis

Duncan Howat Apr 30 #31511

Or just buy a flex and end all of life‘s problems. Including relationship problems money problems, children teenagers and adult children problems. And job problems. Flex boy

Denise Weeks Apr 30 #31512

Dave,

I have not noticed your squeak, but I believe I have the same problem in my Spark.

My solution came from Austin K. by way of Ana. It’s to use shower curtain holders and a rod to brace the footplate so it can’t move. Photo attached. These shower curtain holders are on the big side but my hope was to distribute the pressure so as not to bust a hole into the boat. Seems to be working. Squeak is reduced but not absent, esp. when I am really going for it with leg drive, as in a race, when I guess I don’t mind annoying my competition. I will never be stealthy like Thom P.

Jon Denham Apr 30 #31513

Interesting solution Denise.

Have the same issue in a Swordfish S. The footrest was wearing through the gelcoat so I took the footrest out and added an approx 1/8 inch thick 'pad' of additional gelcoat there to keep the footrest from wearing a hole in the boat. (I have a sinking boat phobia. 🙂) This reduced the creaking and although the creaking still persists, I may now be less likely to go down with the sinking ship…

gsouthstone Apr 30 #31515

Hey D;

I've got the rigid foam probably enough for a few boats. As for the rubbing, I had to take almost a half-inch of both the foot-plates and pedals on both new Nelos before they quit cat-scratching the cockpits . The Nelo carbon plates squeak also when driving hard. Fortunately I don't drive often like that . Track me down.

Gary

paul clement Apr 30 #31521

My Flex squeaks too… just like my Fenn.

Sad.

Jon Denham Apr 30 #31522

Me too. I have wondered what would happen if I did cut off enough of the bottom of the footrest such that it wouldn’t touch the boat, but it seems like FENN may have designed the footrest to be supported by the bottom of the footwell such that it couldn’t take the stress of pushing hard without that support. IDK. But I hesitate to permanently change something where that may be the case.

And, pushing with the heels…I’d like as much footrest contact on my heel as possible near the bottom of the footrest so trimming some off there may not be good for that either. That’s why the Ana/Denise solution seems interesting.

I also wonder if a hard foam block could be carved to snugly take up that whole area where the ‘shower curtain rod’ is and provide the support such that the footrest doesn’t squeak. Glue it in? It’d be lightweight. That would also take up volume in the footwell…less water to slosh about and the footwell should drain faster. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Larry Bussinger May 1 #31523

Use Sugru. It’s a moldable glue. Look it up on google, it has a thousand uses. Just fold up a wad of it and put under the bottom edge. I have it on all my boats, and its hasn’t worn a bit. I put a wad of it on my coffee cup to rest my finger on. Its been through the washer everyday for the last 4-5 years and has shown no wear.

Larry Bussinger

Larry Bussinger May 1 #31524

As an after thought, put it on the footbrace and let it dry before you let it touch the boat. It’ll not attach to the boat then.

Larry Bussinger

gsouthstone May 1 #31529

Sugru is easy to DIY;

A mix of 1 corn starch to 1 silicone caulk will be like a putty in 1 to 2 minutes and can then be hand smoothed. In 3 or 4 minutes it will be like clay and can still be molded but is hard to smooth.

G