Attaching spring straps to Jetfins

[alexxred]

Hi All,

Glad to say that my Jet fins fit great. Also recently got some springs straps sized at 11 inches which I figured for a size XL fin would be right. But before removing the orginal buckle was just wondering if there is anyway this can be done without butchering the orginal buckle itself? Only reason I ask, is that I do have the current rubber straps set pretty tight, and am hoping that i'll get the same tention out of the spring straps. If not then I would prefer to avoid destroying the orginal setup, if that's possible.

Cheers

Alex

 

[BabyDuck]

i'm sure you'll get plenty of more knowledgeable answers, but i'll give you what i know. i think you can save the actual buckle, but not the pin going through the rubber. it has to be clipped or dremeled or whatever to get it off. here's my bit of advice - slip the strap out of the way, and put your foot & bootie in. measure from one little hole where the pin goes through around your heel to the other. that is still too big - your straps need to be smaller than that measurement or they won't be stretched enough to hold. but they can't be too much smaller or they will make your foot ache. the spring straps themselves can be cut down a bit if need be, to make them snug. good luck, and when they're right, you'll love them.

 

[The Kraken]

You can remove the stock buckles without "butchering" them.
It requires the use of a small die grinder, read (Dremel Tool).
Simply grind, or file off the heads of the pins that run through the fin, itself. Once you do this, you can push the pin from the remainder of the buckle.
If you need to replace the buckle, purchase some stainess steel screws, washers, lock washers and nuts and use them as the pins.

the K

 

[Wayward Son]

It doesn't even take that. At least with mine it didn't. All it took was a medium sized flat blade screw driver. Try this before taking power tools to anything:

Take a screw driver in hand. Place the blade between the ear on the fin & the buckle, right behind the pin. Pry up gently. The buckle should pop right off the pin, move it to the side so it doesn't go back on. Repeat this for the other end of the pin. Pull the buckle off, pull the pin out & set them aside while you do the next buckle.

I have a complete set of buckles from my Jets, in perfect shape to go back on if I needed to for some reason.

 

[Wayward Son]

Looking at this pic, put the screwdriver blade under the buckle just to the left of the pin & pry up gently. It should just pop right off, I was surprized at how easy they came off.

 

[miskatonic]

There are new 2006 spring straps that just plug right into the built in buckle! They just came out last week. I saw them on scuba.com

 

[Hoosier]

It is depending on how much the pin has been bent. If the pin is bent severely, it is hard to get rid of the buckle without destroying the shape. I post “H’ spring project in other thread (you can find it by using “search” function)…

Global Manufacturing only sells a pin and buckle together. So, if you can’t save the pin, you eventually need to buy one set of buckle… It will be around $4 at the LDS and $2 from the Global Manufacturing if you have a business account with them.

 

[alexxred]

thanks again to everyone. As someone pretty new to diving I really appreciate all the advice I've been getting. Any advice on the best way to cut the spring straps down if I need to make them tighter.

 

[Wayward Son]

Dremel tool.

 

[alexxred]

so if the springs to long I would just use the grinder to cut through the spring and reduce its lenth?