orca fins? other symmetrical fins

[belly rider]

They are very flexible blades that whip the water
These are medium strength blades (not hard) and they are really light as a feather
The blades are glued on and come in. three different width all of the same length
However the length of the blade is different for each shoe size (S, M, L, XL) for obvious reasons of rider's weight and physical size
I am 6'2" at 210 lbs age 60 so my size is the XL-- longest blade
They provide great acceleration

[bgreen]

Thanks Dave,

Regarding an instagram account I'm pretty sure I don't have one. I may have a pinterest account but don't use it. To many accounts. A FB account is more than enough for me.

How do you find the pockets in more solid waves? Do they ever come off? I never really had problems with fins coming off until an Indonesian trip and lost 3 fins. Now I more regularly use fin savers (patent pending - a piece of cord).

How durable are the fins - my Churchills have all manner of rock cuts and scrapes on the bottom.

[belly rider]

Hi I hope you got a chance to see the pictures I posted on page two
These fins do not have a closed shoe, therefore on the back securing strap I can apply fin savers to make sure I don't loose them-- plain string ones will do a great job as well
These fins do not float and actually sink pretty fast

The only "complaint" we all would find on fins with fiberglass blades, such as these, is the fact that the blades were never meant/designed for walking on reefs and or on rocky bottoms
These fins would not withstand many outings--- lets say low tide old mans San Clemente walk out through the rocks to get to water deep enough to start floating your board and body
Therefore I usually always use my 3mm neoprene fin sock to walk with and when I get to a point where I can lay down and float in shallow water then I slip on/secure my special fins

Just recently I have purchased and received a pair of the underwater "rugby" pool game fins I was mentioning in one of my earlier post---
I will post pictures of these new fins in the forum as well so anyone interested in knowing about new fin developments from Europe can have a chance to see these very particular new products

I find the advantages in using these products to be far greater then the "disadvantages" -- on one of the three ones I own I already started experimenting by shortening the fiberglass blade to
come closer to the actual size of a standard da Fin blade (these are some of my favorite rubber bladed brands)

more later good night from overseas
Dave

[bgreen]

It looked like a show? How does your foot fit into the fin?

[rodndtube]

It is good to see more of the pluses and minuses spelled out below. For one, if the swim fins can't hold up on rocky or reefy terrain they are not the swim fins for me, a real showstopper. I was very pleased to find out my DaFins were so much lighter than my Vipers because I usually take two pairs of fins when I travel and that weight adds up quickly. Kudos to being able to use the fiberglass blades in beach breaks. Slicing myself up might be another issue

Hi I hope you got a chance to see the pictures I posted on page two
These fins do not have a closed shoe, therefore on the back securing strap I can apply fin savers to make sure I don't loose them-- plain string ones will do a great job as well
These fins do not float and actually sink pretty fast

The only "complaint" we all would find on fins with fiberglass blades, such as these, is the fact that the blades were never meant/designed for walking on reefs and or on rocky bottoms
These fins would not withstand many outings--- lets say low tide old mans San Clemente walk out through the rocks to get to water deep enough to start floating your board and body
Therefore I usually always use my 3mm neoprene fin sock to walk with and when I get to a point where I can lay down and float in shallow water then I slip on/secure my special fins

Just recently I have purchased and received a pair of the underwater "rugby" pool game fins I was mentioning in one of my earlier post---
I will post pictures of these new fins in the forum as well so anyone interested in knowing about new fin developments from Europe can have a chance to see these very particular new products

I find the advantages in using these products to be far greater then the "disadvantages" -- on one of the three ones I own I already started experimenting by shortening the fiberglass blade to
come closer to the actual size of a standard da Fin blade (these are some of my favorite rubber bladed brands)

more later good night from overseas
Dave

[asier esnal]

belly rider :
Thank you very much for the information, I have been studying it, I have spoken with a friend who does underwater fishing, he has carbon fins and he has been teaching them to me. It is a very attractive idea, but on the beach I go there is a brutal massification of people. I'm afraid of hitting someone or myself with that kind of fins, that's why I decided not to buy these models


I've been to the store in France, they had a few models, happy because I could prove them before buying. It is very curious as some fins without escarpin, they fit me well, but a larger size with escarpin, they are fatal to me.

Hydrotech2 example. without escarpin size 9/10. very bad, with escarpin 3mm size 10/11 perfect. I bought these, they are not completely symmetrical but neither are the churchill makapuu. that deviation I do not think it hurts my knees

those that uses dafin 9/10 without escarpin, hidrotech2 with escarpin 3mm has the same foot shape

[belly rider]

Asier hope I did not confuse you with my information
Please remember these are NOT the long blade carbon fins -- measuring 90cm
The fins I am talking about are very rare and they are short bladed more similar to regular snorkeling fins
Shortly I shall publish pictures of a different model fin with short blades as well
You must be in the Basque region -- beautiful area-- are you close to Mundaka ??
An incredible wave

[belly rider]

here is a better overview of the fin model I am referring to

[rodndtube]

belly rider :
I've been to the store in France, they had a few models, happy because I could prove them before buying. It is very curious as some fins without escarpin, they fit me well, but a larger size with escarpin, they are fatal to me.

Hydrotech2 example. without escarpin size 9/10. very bad, with escarpin 3mm size 10/11 perfect. I bought these, they are not completely symmetrical but neither are the churchill makapuu. that deviation I do not think it hurts my knees

those that uses dafin 9/10 without escarpin, hidrotech2 with escarpin 3mm has the same foot shape

I can see the issue you may be having with or without escarpin! I had to do a Google search to learn about this escarpin...

escarpin_-_Google_Search_-_2018-1024.jpg (34.69 KiB) Viewed 116379 times

Possibly you might want to try this model with integrated escarpin?

highheelfins[1].jpg (16.81 KiB) Viewed 116379 times

[bgreen]

Dave,

Thanks. I get it now. Those earlier photos made the strap look larger - just the perspective.

Rod,

Perhaps you should post in Spanish - a bit is getting lost in translation.

Bob

[rodndtube]

Bob,

Oh, I thought it was the legs Honestly, I think the term might be French or Euskera, but not Spanish. I searched for escarpin thinking maybe it was a brand of fin socks or surf booties, not a generic term. Kept coming up with various forms of high heels.

In the reference to the Hydro Tech 2, was curious about the comment on the fit, with and without booties, as Asier stated a bad fit without booties in one size and a great fit with 3mm booties the next swim fin size up. Which raises the question, "What kind of fin socks or booties are being used, e.g., wetsuit material fin socks or stiff sole standup surfboard booties?"

My two cents on Hydro Tech 2, great material, probably could go barefoot in warm waters, very soft and supple, and a wide and tall foot pocket. However, when I outfitted with 5 to 6mm of fin socks in a larger fitting size (I used Vipers for warmer waters), the fin provided no propulsion... I might was well have been in bare feet. This in one instance I think the fin blade could have benefited from an additional 2 to 3 inches of blade.

[belly rider]

Ha Ha you are one funny "dude" Rod
actually our world class gold medalist Pellegrini came out with those fins -- tru truths
We all know about these Italian fashion conscious -- Gucci, Fiorucci and Pucci designer clothings accessories and yes now even ladies fins
This I find really absurd but hey those ritzy people go fir that crazy stuff

Hope one day I get to meet you Rod-- ha ha any chance you come down to Southern California in the winter time??
Dave

[belly rider]

The loss in translation was actually in Asier Esnal text
Escarpin actually comes close to Italian Scarpa -- translated in English its "shoe"-- I wonder if it actually means that

If its not Spanish it might be Basque language -- enlighten us/ explain translation to us please Asier
I love this very international forum. we are spanning the world here from "Down-Under" to the "Old Country" and the "Good old USA"
Thanks
Dave

[GeoffreyLevens]

My two cents on Hydro Tech 2, great material, probably could go barefoot in warm waters, very soft and supple, and a wide and tall foot pocket.

They must have done some serious re-tooling and sourced different materials. I had a pair about 10 or 12 years ago (guess they could have been Hydro Tech 1? not sure). they were very hard and narrow in the pocket. 45 minutes in the water and it felt like my feet had been pounded w/ sledge hammers. I could barely walk up the beach back to my car.

Just looked at their site and I had the original version. So different materials. Good to know because the ones I had sucked!

[rodndtube]

Ha Ha you are one funny "dude" Rod
actually our world class gold medalist Pellegrini came out with those fins -- tru truths
We all know about these Italian fashion conscious -- Gucci, Fiorucci and Pucci designer clothings accessories and yes now even ladies fins
This I find really absurd but hey those ritzy people go fir that crazy stuff

Hope one day I get to meet you Rod-- ha ha any chance you come down to Southern California in the winter time??
Dave

Winter time now means warmer waters for me... and some warmer air as well. It gets cold in the Mid-Atlantic USA. And, Florida where I need to look in on the elderly parents now and then year-round.

[rodndtube]

My two cents on Hydro Tech 2, great material, probably could go barefoot in warm waters, very soft and supple, and a wide and tall foot pocket.

They must have done some serious re-tooling and sourced different materials. I had a pair about 10 or 12 years ago (guess they could have been Hydro Tech 1? not sure). they were very hard and narrow in the pocket. 45 minutes in the water and it felt like my feet had been pounded w/ sledge hammers. I could barely walk up the beach back to my car.

Just looked at their site and I had the original version. So different materials. Good to know because the ones I had sucked!

About ten years ago, Hydro had 3 models: Hydro Finz Originals, Hydro Techs and Hydro Tech 2. The Finz Originals sported a super wide blade, real dogs that I bought at discount, felt like kicking 2x4's in the water, and hurt like hell; Hydro Techs which I used in cold water for a few years as the featured a wide foot pocket that could accommodate 4-7mm of fin socks (then I switched to DaFins); and, Tech 2's, which I mentioned above, super nice feel with a good sized foot pocket, but no punch.

[asier esnal]

forgive, sometimes I put words in Spanish, some may be local slang, which the translator does not understand. but the confusion has been very funny, you are very happy, that is the good attitude in life congratulations

al lio, in españa escarpin these photos are called that I do not know the name you use. we will take for good. the images are worth more than a thousand words

[belly rider]

those are called neoprene socks and the taller ones neoprene booties
En Ingles se llaman Neoprene socks en la foto baja
Y por la primera foto se llaman Neoprene botitas lo que son mas largo
David

[rodndtube]

those are called neoprene socks and the taller ones neoprene booties
En Ingles se llaman Neoprene socks en la foto baja
Y por la primera foto se llaman Neoprene botitas lo que son mas largo
David

Are the botitas rigid is the sole (bottom) in the first photo? Like stand up foot surfer booties, or softer and flexible?

[asier esnal]

I like soft neoprene booties, but that in the flat of the foot have some small rubber marks, something subtle but that holds the ride of the bike to the water if the sidewalk is wet by the rain is safer