black vs. colored fins--opinions?

[Goose75]

Also, the color difference in the same fin from the same manufacturer sometimes has to do with the buoyancy characteristics of the fin. ScubaPro's Twin Jets for example, the black fins are negatively buoyant while the pink or bright yellow fins are nuetral to positively buoyant.

To each their own, my fins are black.

IMHO, if you need bright fins to see your buddy in low viz, then you're too far apart.


Mel

If I'm the one following, I agree. If I loose sight of the black ones, I was falling too far behind. However, everyone's eyes don't have the same ability to focus. Some people have more trouble discerning black among the silt but can pick up a bright color quite easily.

My black ones are negatively bouyant. That is how I came to own them. A friend found them on the bottom.

 

[Goose75]

Let me get a bit geeky here... Black fins are black because one of the additives used in the elastomer is carbon black (powdered graphite, essentially). Carbon black is a great additive in elastomers (think car tires) because, among other things, it improves UV resistance. No other UV inhibitor works as well as carbon black. (Of course, my info is a bit dated, as I haven't done plastics in a few years).

That said, some depth of salt water is also a great UV inhibitor

Carbon black is a UV resistant additive. It should also increase the strength and stiffness. From reading my polymer book, apparantly it can cause mechanical hysteresis (damping) as well but only under high oscillatory loading. My legs can't pump thousands of RPM, so that's a non-issue.

Personally, I'm not that worried about UV resistance. Most of our gear should be stored out of direct sunlight and I keep mine all together.

 

[Daner]

this my be a silly newbie comment but according to my OW class, the water obsorbs the colour. At any significant depth, wouldn't everything be in grayscale?

 

[jonnythan]

this my be a silly newbie comment but according to my OW class, the water obsorbs the colour. At any significant depth, wouldn't everything be in grayscale?

At significant depth everything is dark or black.

This is why we bring flashlights

 

[_Bella_]

I want to go on a scuba gear shopping trip to Japan where I can get pink, white, red, yellow or almost any other colour of anything including but not limited to hoses, fins, and wetsuits.

Check out these fab colours!

 

[Moogyboy]

I want to go on a scuba gear shopping trip to Japan where I can get pink, white, red, yellow or almost any other colour of anything including but not limited to hoses, fins, and wetsuits.

Check out these fab colours!

I have noticed that in Japan white seems to be extremely popular for almost everything scuba-gear related. White regs on white hoses, with white yoke screw knobs...you get the idea. I actually think that has some practical merit, and it looks way cool besides...

cheers

Billy S.

 

[KrisB]

Has anyone tried putting a yellow stripe down their black fins with some of that rubber tool handle coating liquid?

I think you would likely be more successful with a thinner dye -- fins are not overly porous, nor do they usually have much in the way of texture. This would mean that you would need some sort of dye (paint, marker, or otherwise) that would penetrate them, rather than just sit on top (like the toolcoat would do).

 

[dilligaf368]

In the Navy the "Duck feet" were Brown.......

 

[_Bella_]

I think you would likely be more successful with a thinner dye -- fins are not overly porous, nor do they usually have much in the way of texture. This would mean that you would need some sort of dye (paint, marker, or otherwise) that would penetrate them, rather than just sit on top (like the toolcoat would do).

I tried this with an old pair of fins. The stripe lasted for years, but was totally useless. I would have had to cover the entire blade to make it visible (If that's the goal)

 

[Mike Veitch]

Ok, didn't read the thread just the title...but i have been involved in three searches for missing divers with each one lasting a minimum 5 and max 8 hours.

All three time the missing divers were spotted by plane and it was bright green fins that were spotted! Not the orange sausages and everything else that was spread out, just a good ol pair of bright fins

That said, mine are grey so i'd better not go missing..