Fix vs. The World: Surf Edition

The Kraken Surf Tool vs. Wax Combs, Fin Keys, and Everything Else

There’s a certain chaos built into every surfer’s car. A wax comb rolling around in the cup holder. Three different fin keys, none of which you can find when you need them. A rusty screwdriver that “should work.” Sand everywhere. For decades, surfers have pieced together their own solution. A plastic comb. A tiny fin key. Whatever tool happens to be nearby. It gets the job done. This is Fix vs. The World, and today we’re putting the Kraken Surf Tool up against the scattered mix of traditional surf accessories.

Round 1: The Wax Comb

The classic wax comb is simple and cheap. Plastic teeth on one side. Scraper edge on the other. It’s light, easy to toss in a bag, and just as easy to lose. Leave it in a hot car, and it warps.  Try to strip a full deck before a proper re-wax, and you’ll be there longer than you planned. It works, but it doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.

The Kraken approaches wax removal differently. Instead of a flimsy piece of molded plastic, you’re holding a solid, machined tool that doesn’t flex when you lean into it. When you’re digging old wax off a shortboard that’s seen a few sessions too many, leverage matters. Structure matters. Feel matters.

Round 2: The Fin Key

The fin key might be the smallest, most important piece of hardware in surfing. It controls how securely your fins are seated, which directly affects how your board drives, pivots, and holds. And yet, it’s usually treated like a disposable freebie.

It gets lost in board bags. It rusts in glove compartments. You show up at the beach ready to swap fins for different conditions, and it’s nowhere to be found. 

The Kraken eliminates that scramble. Instead of relying on a tiny, easy-to-misplace key, you’ve got an integrated fin adjustment built into a compact, purpose-driven tool. The engagement is solid. The torque is controlled. You’re not guessing or over-tightening out of frustration. It turns fin changes from a hassle into a quick, deliberate adjustment.

Round 3: The Improvised Solution

Surfers are known for making things work. That’s part of the culture. Credit card scraping wax. Wax glob ding repair, we’re a resourceful bunch, but it’s not an ideal way to travel. 

Stripped fin screws are common. Dinged fin boxes happen. Uneven wax jobs lead to inconsistent traction. Over-tightened hardware can stress inserts and glass jobs.

Modern surfboards aren’t cheap. They’re precision-shaped and carefully glassed. Fin systems are engineered. Rockers are dialed. Materials are refined. Maintaining that level of equipment with whatever's nearby doesn’t always work. 

The Kraken replaces improvisation with intention. Instead of cobbling together three or four separate tools — none of them built specifically for the job — you carry one piece designed specifically for the job.