Are there DIR fins out there?

[ChrisA]

#1 most obvious "new product worth developing" in my mind. The DIR diver wants a fin that maximizes the efficiency of the 4 main kicks DIR employs: Frog, modified Frog, Flutter & Back kick.

My idea would be a fin that is better integrated to the boot. We loose a lot of energy because of the poor fit. I'm thinking about how road bicycle shoes lock into the pedles and how ski binding fit the boots. If you already have sturdy footware, like a rock boot why even have a foot pocket. Better to make a fin that locks with a "click" to the sole of the rock boot. Skip the straps and the foot pocket

There is room to improve the boots too. They would be both warmmer and fit better if they used a foam liner like ski boots and even in-line skates do. Even better if the foad is custom blown or heat molded to fit your foot. Foam provides good insulation and the fit could be perfect if the boot was designed to be worn over a thin drysuit or wetsuit sock. No need for thinsulite socks if the boots have perfect fit and 1/2" think foam.

So you would have ALL of the energy from the legs translated without "slop" into the fins. But it would not be cheap. would divers pay $500 for the setup? maybe some but not enough to recover the development cost Jets will be around be another 40 years

 

[David P]

I wear turtles cause my feet are too damned big. Even in my wetsuit I cant squeeze into Jets. But I would love to get a pair of red ones like they had in that stupid Bill Murray movie...Life Aquatic!

 

[PfcAJ]

I don't think that a fin that clicks into your rockboot would be the best option.

First off, rockboots in general, have a tendancy to limit ankle movement. Not good

A design that clips is failure point, bottom line up front. Imagine your cliped on fin comming of at a very inoppertune time. Big no-go.

The spring strap works very well already. it adjusts for both wetsuit and drysuit (you might not have this luxury because of your foot size), think or thin undergarments, doesn't break or have unneeded parts.

A nice part of DIR equipment is it's ability to be repaired or replaced easily. The jetfin allows this.

I'll admit, the footpocket isn't the Jets best feature, but if they are sized right, they work very well. The jetfin is a tried and true design that has been performing for many years.

 

[Soggy]

What would be nice is if they took the foot pocket from the Twin Jets and stuck it on the Jet fins. That would be the best of both worlds, but it's one of those "ain't really broke" things, so I doubt we'll ever see it happen.

 

[jonnythan]

The thing with thick foam liners like in ski boots is flexibility. This is what makes thick Thinsulate a better option for socks. The DIR thing is to wear these under Turbo Soles, which are simple rubber soles glued to the bottom of well-fitting drysuit socks.

 

[roakey]

For the record, here are some bad ideas that have already been tried:

http://www.freedomfins.com/
http://gillsfins.com/gallery.htm

Roak

 

[Green_Manelishi]

For the record, here are some bad ideas that have already been tried:

http://www.freedomfins.com/
http://gillsfins.com/gallery.htm

Roak

The second site actually induced a feeling of nausea. Cripes.

 

[Capt Tom McCarthy]

Hmmm... the idea of being able to walk around unhindered with fins on it heavenly. If those first fins actually work i'd be interested to try them for some nice carribean reef dives, but I wouldn't dare try them for anything else. They look like they pose some serious entanglement issues.

 

[Dan Gibson]

Need to get somewhere fast with little effort, get a scooter.

My idea would be a fin that is better integrated to the boot. We loose a lot of energy because of the poor fit. I'm thinking about how road bicycle shoes lock into the pedles and how ski binding fit the boots. If you already have sturdy footware, like a rock boot why even have a foot pocket. Better to make a fin that locks with a "click" to the sole of the rock boot. Skip the straps and the foot pocket

There is room to improve the boots too. They would be both warmmer and fit better if they used a foam liner like ski boots and even in-line skates do. Even better if the foad is custom blown or heat molded to fit your foot. Foam provides good insulation and the fit could be perfect if the boot was designed to be worn over a thin drysuit or wetsuit sock. No need for thinsulite socks if the boots have perfect fit and 1/2" think foam.

So you would have ALL of the energy from the legs translated without "slop" into the fins. But it would not be cheap. would divers pay $500 for the setup? maybe some but not enough to recover the development cost Jets will be around be another 40 years