Cool diving fin!!!

[JohnnyC]

That fin doesn't work for the type of scuba diving I do, primarily which is any type of diving where I like to be in control of my position in the water column without having to rely on forward motion to maintain position. Or I guess you could just hand blast whatever piece of reef or coral you have available to maneuver yourself.

That thing looks great if all you want to do is go forwards continuously, which is what you seem to think is all scuba divers do. I'm not sure why you think that all scuba divers equate fun with the ability to swim solely in a forward motion.

I have never found a pair of Jets limiting, but I can think of numerous examples right off the top of my head where that fin would certainly not be ideal.

 

[Keith.M]

The way the OP has come in to defend some very good points, makes me think they have some "skin" in this product.

That is all well and fine. But if so, speak up and promote, don't act like someone who stumbled upon it.

 

[REVAN]

The way the OP has come in to defend some very good points, makes me think they have some "skin" in this product.

That is all well and fine. But if so, speak up and promote, don't act like someone who stumbled upon it.

OP?

At this point, I'm mainly curious why I can only find macro photographers and cave divers. That cannot be bulk of the diving population. 5% sure, and maybe even 10%, but what happened to everyone else? Are the other 90+% just a silent majority and not active on this forum?

 

[Scared Silly]

The mono fin is a specialize piece of equipment. Just like the mono ski. 99.9% of divers can spend <$150 for a pair of fins that will work for 99% their needs. So why spend more on a piece of equipment that will rarely be used. That said there will always be a small part of the population that do things like monkey dive who might find such a fin to be of interest. You need to learn to target the correct population other wise it is just a solution in search of a problem. As for currents - one should learn to go with the flow. Much more efficient.

 

[tursiops]

OP?I'm mainly curious why I can only find macro photographers and cave divers.

Maybe because they care the most about their fins and finning? And the other 90% don 't give a hoot? (If they did, why are they spending so much time in split fins, flutter kicking? )

PS: OP means original post or original poster. That's you.

 

[REVAN]

Maybe because they care the most about their fins and finning? And the other 90% don 't give a hoot? (If they did, why are they spending so much time in split fins, flutter kicking? )

PS: OP means original post or original poster. That's you.

I figured it was referring to me from the context, just not sure about it.

I'm an engineer, and I built the DOL-Fin mono fin. I've been using the hydrofoil monofin for freediving, and I even set a national dynamic record with one of them at the 2012 Team Freediving World Championships (so it really does work). I have also discovered that it is the only monfin that has been developed which can be used with a back mounted scuba tank, and that it works surprisingly well in that capacity. Finding if there is a market for something like that is another thing. This is the second time I have tried to show what it can do for scuba divers, and it hasn't been well received either time. It's like trying to present a bicycle to people who are used to walking wherever they go ("well, you can't ride a bike backward...").

I've been trying to get a feel for the scuba market. All the young divers (the new blood in the industry) are taking up freediving instead of scuba diving. Freediving allows for that dynamic interaction with the ocean I referred to previously. Those who take up scuba diving seem to predominantly fall into a select few categories. After about 10 to 20 dives or so, they migrate into a niche to occupy themselves, and that they are comfortable with doing. Specifically, they either become dive instructors, photographers, or cave divers/tech divers. I think these 3 branches exist primarily because these are the only underwater activities that the equipment of scuba will support that can remain interesting over the course of hundreds of dives. Otherwise, scuba diving gets boring, always sitting in the same spot looking at the same things over and over again, not exploring or interacting with the environment in a meaningful way. If one of these three niche activities doesn't interest a new diver, they get bored with the sport and just quit scuba altogether.

The fact that so many new divers are taking to freediving instead of scuba, tells me that the dynamics of swimming and diving are more important to them than even breathing. So, it is not a solution looking for a problem. The problem exists. It is just not a perceived problem for the cave divers and macro-photographers that seem to populate this forum. My impression is that I'm not likely to reach the right audience here on ScubaBoard. Agree, disagree? Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[tursiops]

I think you jump to conclusions, and too quickly. I also think you have limited scuba experience. ScubaBoard may be OK for you, but my guess is you are better off marketing to free divers interested in scuba, than to scuba divers thinking about free diving. Oh, and quit making fun of people who are interested in things that don't interest you. Best that you talk about the virtues of your fin rather than the stupid things your potential customers do.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[REVAN]

I think you jump to conclusions, and too quickly. I also think you have limited scuba experience.

Which conclusions do you think I got wrong? Please elaborate. We all have limited scuba experience. I've been limited to about 25 years so far. I'm certified NAUI OW, IANTD Nitrox and Deep Air, and I'm AIDA 3-star freediver.

...ScubaBoard may be OK for you, but my guess is you are better off marketing to free divers interested in scuba, than to scuba divers thinking about free diving...

I was coming to the same conclusion as I was writing the previous comment, so we agree on that.

...Oh, and quit making fun of people who are interested in things that don't interest you. Best that you talk about the virtues of your fin rather than the stupid things your potential customers do.

I didn't try to make fun of anyone, and I'm sorry if you felt that is what I was doing. My point was that I think the scuba industry is ignoring a large potential market, not that the markets they support are stupid.

I was interested in cave diving when I was younger, but I don't live close to any caves that can be dove. I've done a fair share spelunking and got my fill of caves that way and never followed through with the cave diving. I've done a lot of deep tech rec, but decided I didn't want to pursue mixed gas diving (too much uncertainty in tri-mix deco tables back in the late 90s and didn't want the increased risk of the bends). To keep diving interesting, I started building equipment. That was my solution (though an unusual one). Developing new equipment with new capabilities opened new dimensions in diving, and it kept it fun. I could do all this stuff that no one else could do, and it was fun stuff!

The public interest in what I made came from the freediving market, so I followed that, started freediving and had a blast doing it. I'm inclined to think that the ultimate evolution of a scuba diver is a freediver. There is so much to learn that is not taught in scuba classes or known in scuba circles. It is a fascinating activity that is supported by a lot of technology that scuba divers have not been exposed to and do not understand. After doing both, it seems there should be a middle ground somewhere that can unite the best features the two activities.

 

[tursiops]

Can no one see the benefits of being able to swim forward significantly better? Have you ever wished that it wasn't so damn hard to dive in a current? If nothing else, moving like a nekton is a lot more fun than spinning in circles and going backward. Diving is supposed to be fun! Why do you dive, if not for fun?

Anything that increases the fun factor should be seriously considered.

You are hung up on *your* kind of fun. Others find it fun to explore or tour a cave, or watch fish flirt and mate, or learn something new about the planet they live on, or challenge their photography skills.

All the young divers (the new blood in the industry) are taking up freediving instead of scuba diving.

LOL. Pure BS as stated. Now maybe you don't mean "all." Maybe you mean "many of the few folks I know" or something.

Those who take up scuba diving seem to predominantly fall into a select few categories. After about 10 to 20 dives or so, they migrate into a niche to occupy themselves, and that they are comfortable with doing. Specifically, they either become dive instructors, photographers, or cave divers/tech divers. I think these 3 branches exist primarily because these are the only underwater activities that the equipment of scuba will support that can remain interesting over the course of hundreds of dives.

This is a good example of jumping to conclusions based on limited or no input. I dive with or observe hundreds (maybe thousands) of divers a year who have hundreds (maybe thousands) of dives, are not instructors, photographers, or cave/tech divers. I have seen one (1) diver in decades of diving who thought free diving was better for him; he was into the physical activity of it, not the zen of being one with the ocean. You seem to equate

Otherwise, scuba diving gets boring, always sitting in the same spot looking at the same things over and over again, not exploring or interacting with the environment in a meaningful way. If one of these three niche activities doesn't interest a new diver, they get bored with the sport and just quit scuba altogether.

Again, show me the data. Yes, people quit the sport; do? Does that mean that free diving and/or a monofin would cure their alleged boredom?

My impression is that I'm not likely to reach the right audience here on ScubaBoard. Agree, disagree?

I think you are absolutely correct, for four reasons: (1) people are here precisely because they are NOT looking for an alternative to scuba...they like it! (2) Your approach is very narcissistic; that does not come across well. (3) You can't just post; you also have to read, listen, understand. (4) It is possible there is no right audience anywhere.

 

[REVAN]

..This is a good example of jumping to conclusions based on limited or no input. I dive with or observe hundreds (maybe thousands) of divers a year who have hundreds (maybe thousands) of dives, are not instructors, photographers, or cave/tech divers. I have seen one (1) diver in decades of diving who thought free diving was better for him; he was into the physical activity of it, not the zen of being one with the ocean. You seem to equate...

There is not a lot of crossover, like I said. Most scuba divers know very little about freediving or the equipment.

My 3 categories do not include everyone. I said predominantly, not exclusively. There are people who treasure hunt, but it is not common because it is generally far too expensive, unless just hunting bottles or things fairly common. And there are other activities, they are just not very common (including things like building diving equipment). I know lots of photographers, dive instructors, rebreather/tech divers and even some cave divers. I don't know any treasure hunters (aside from a bottle collector).

Where's your data? You dive with hundreds of divers that have thousands of dives, but they don't take pictures, they don't do tech diving and they don't teach. What do they do? (Note that if it is a job, then is not related to recreation and shouldn't be included here. Everyone works even when the job is no longer fun.)