fins have heal straps rather that close heal pocket so water from a wave hit can flow through. Once on an indo trip I took some closed heal booties (usually wear the open heal fin socks) on one paddle out I took a lip to the fins duck diving, it took the booties off my from under my fins, which stayed on fine and the booties were gone!!! Like a girl taking her bra off with her shirt still on, magic!!
Heal pockets for swimming are ok, but in surf they will get ripped off.
I’d be interested to know what you end up having in one mould to make a fin. I have heard it costs a bodyboard company $30,000plus for moulds to make a run of new fins, but then there is left and right fin and maybe 6 sizes, so 12 moulds.
Hi Krusher4, here’s the basic design from my local CAD guy.
Everyone will quickly pick out the mistakes but that’s why were a team working on getting the right elements together. Design , prototype, test, redesign.
I’m part Chinese which makes getting it all organised a lot easier and cheaper when everyone you’re related to has a factory in China. Not really but it’s kinda true, even my CAD guy is Chinese. I can get molds made for $2K and each unit is a few dollars.
I’m not going to do a massive range of fin sizes, start with ‘Medium’ and I’ll probabaly give them away as testers and not sell them. That way I’m not infringing on anyone’s patents if I’m not making money.
Its not my first Rodeo so I know how to design a single mold that makes a Left and a Right fitted fin.
I find that even though I am a size 8.5 uk /US 9, is still end up with most companies large or XL fins. I always wear at least a 2mm fin sock, and in winter a 4mm sock,
so if I was just selling one size I would go for something that would suit 10 to13 foot size. maybe bigger!
I’m 9 and using MS viper larges which are supposed to be a 10/11. and have a XL set 11/13 for if i wear 5mm boots in the winter.
I agree with the closed pocket fins coming off easier. I think that could be fixed by cutting them open. Just hate to buy a pair of fins then cut them up, but if it works…
Sharkcountry, same here but it was my great grandmother who was Chinese. White people just see another white guy but if I go to Chinatown, they can see the mixed race and talk to me in Cantonese.
I chose Medium to make becaus that what I wear,
and while the average U.S. male foot size is 10.5 Im thinking the average U.S. male probably doesn’t surf, so I’m thinking of the active youth market which would probably fall into the Medium size.
I would say “the average youth market” are more than happy with the fin selection out there from the already huge bodyboard fin selection. When ever I find people want some fin that’s not the norm them seem more in the over 50’s demographic.
If you’re making a custom design, you really need to start with what fits you. If it works out and you want to reach more people then you can add more sizes. Problem with using Chinese manufacturing would be if you have something really special, it’ll be cloned and sold before you can claims rights of the design.
This thread shows how we all feel so differently about what we like in swim fins.
These fins look interesting. The force fin caught my eye when it first came out. It has since become way too expensive for me to try.
I like the Force Fin for its simplicity but it is very expensive.
He’s got the right idea of making a unique product, it’s an interesting design with the preloaded curve along and across the blade.
Sharkcountry, I understand what you’re saying about getting ripped off, if the design was popular it could be ripped off no matter where it was produced.p, there’s some small companies here in Australia who would make them, it’ll cost more per unit but I’d rather keep the fin cheap than try to get the maximum profit.
i don’t think anyone got rich from selling fins so why not make an affordable product for all. That’s the only thing I dontt like about the Force Fins, too expensive at $490 U.S.
i used to have a pair of the laguna swinfins and they worked pretty well, you just had to crank them on as tight as the strap would go to make them feel connected to your foot and not wagging on the end of your toes. they were also very compact and light for traveling.
They look to me to be a very complicated way of making a product that most companies have covered for $50/60.
The ones that are $490 are a diving fin with specific extra fin tips, although it does say for your $490 “Whiskers not included or available at this time!” so you don’t even get them for you money!!!
I have one of the RipsCurl GPS watches and while paddling out the fastest speed on a wave function is basically telling me how fast I’m paddling since I haven’t caught a wave yet. Seems if I just cruise along I get 2.1mph and if I sprint it goes up to 2.6mph, if I then get forward on my paipo and simply arm paddle this goes to between 3 and 3.5mph. I think most of the lack of speed kicking is due to being off the back of the board it’s now not flat planning,
That’s cool. Those fins look huge. Probably made to be worn over booties. I have small feet US men’s between 8 and 8.5. Funny thing, my right is a little bigger than my left, so it likes 8.5.
I have a pair of training fins with straps like that and they always come off the back of my foot. I used them today with velcro straps to keep from losing my fins. I was lucky I had the straps. The fins were easier to kick with, but I didn’t get much propulsion. I just need to use the normal fins enough to get my legs back, but I’m having a lot of fun riding my surfboards.
Here are my hacks. This pair is about 8 years old now and are starting to tear. I should have rounded the tips but I got attached to the pixie look and figured there was no negative in them being a bit longer. They are slighly assym. The long cut is so they don’t hang over the rail of my kneeboard and drag through turns. They work fine to get me into waves. Had to swim in from sizable Granites in South Oz and they did a good job getting me out of trouble, but I’m not going to win any paddle races.
I’ve got an unused pair of Hydros somewhere. They are wide at the foot with big edges. I bound that the wave would catch the edge too much.
Definitely have to cut out the heel or they just get ripped off. It helps I always wear booties.
The fin tether is a leash ankle strap through a simple loop of cord. I only need one because I use my leash on the other foot and just loop around that. Foolproof system I’ve been using for 20 years.
The brand was sold by sports chain but they’ve gone all upmarket on me. Might have to slaughter a pair of Cressi subs next
When those fins first came out the designer had information about them, when I looked recently I couldn’t find that stuff. They must be good because the military uses them, but it could be because they can be used over foot wear. With the wide open foot pocket, there’s a point where it can be too big and you foot will slide through too far. Check the website, there’s all kinds of accessories that you might be able to copy and fill the foot pocket.
My surf yesterday left me feeling the same way you felt about kicking and not getting enough thrust.
Just fitting some 3 mm neoprene inside the Force Fins.
One question for everyone…By what mechanics is your foot held in the pocket ?
The full footpocket holds around your foot like a shoe.
The Force Fin types do it by using the heel strap to push your forefoot into the arched cover.
But the truesurf flipper holds you with the heel strap against the opening of the foot pocket. Not by the foot or the toes, just around the fattest part of the foot.
Or at least that the way I see it.
These green fins have a massive foot pocket and there’s never any pressure cramping of the foot or toes. This is the basis for my design. Get the foot pocket right first.
I’ve found that the shorter the part under the foot is, the less secure the fin feels and seems to get blown off easier. I like the bottom of the pocket to go all the way to my arch/heel junction. Edit It’s also easier to tip toe across mussel and barnacle encrusted reefs when the foot pocket protects that soft skin in the arch
Wider heel straps seem to do a better job of holding on than tight narrow ones.
![https://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o155/rted99/flippers_zpsmowcxexz.jpg",“field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:"hacked](https://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o155/rted99/flippers_zpsmowcxexz.jpg%22,%22field_file_image_title_text%5Bund%5D%5B0%5D%5Bvalue%5D%22:%22hacked){kind=link}
