Question Deep6 Eddy fins in yellow?

[cerich]

As for whether it affects performance, I do buy that any detriment is small or imperceptible. I'm super interested in how different fin features (from the tip hole, to vent shapes, to "power bands" and other gimmicks) affect real performance. I have a feeling that most of the snazzy designs actually aren't doing much over flat paddles, though admittedly no data to back that up. I would really like to see or even organize some independent testing of different fins. That could be computer modeling, runs with human divers, a fin flapping machine, or some combination. Doing that right costs real time and money though.

so much money, and literally a ton of programing and machine building if you want to do it as scientific as possible. Then if doing that scientific, density plays in, salt/fresh/depth/temp etc. Which is FAR more detail than need for flippers vs say a prop design for a submarine.

A human test, meh, way to much variance because humans to get meaningful data unless you literally weeded thru a few thousand humans to get a test group of exceptional ones in technique and fitness etc.

 

[cerich]

How much fluid modeling do you (or any other manufacturer) actually do for fin designs like this? If you have data I would be very very interested in seeing it, or even just learning about the methods, though I understand if it's proprietary.

Truthfully almost none when doing the Eddy , it was 100% what I wanted based on my gut feelings and experience. We did a bunch of different compounds testing when the molds were done to find what I wanted, and even some involved in making the fin can't agree on the best there.. thus why we have soft compound sold in Asia generally and hard in US.

the 3D fluid dynamic modelling was actually done when we did the hole because my CAD guy thought it would be fun to see what he could do using the fluid dynamics plug in we use for regulators and see what it says on the fin.. it was a fun few days that showed not much at all and would have been a months long diversion to get to the point we would feel validated via CAD, and for what? If there had been some gross change, the modelling and our own use of the ones with holes would have been making it worthwhile, it wasn't.

 

[cerich]

New colors and especially mold tooling being prohibitively expensive is totally understandable. After all, D6 seems to be focused on low-cost high-performance gear and fussing over little features and custom colors is not really critical to that mission. We as a community, and myself specifically, just love to bitch about products and overly optimize our kit.

we are focused on performance more than cost actually. Cost follows when we have a product we are happy with generally. Cost was always an area we looked at our business model to deliver savings.
LOTS of passionate OCD inclined divers aren't happy unless they have done something to make their gear "better"
, delivering them a theoretical perfect product and you will find some that make it less so perfect just to feel happy with it.. human nature and all

 

[mattvish]

@cerich , thanks for all those proficient explanations and insights.

each color we do requires us to order 900 pairs of fins

Why is the minimum production quantity for each color so high? Is this because of the volume of polymer materials that must be purchased or is this a manufacturing requirement? I thought pigments are typically added just before the melting and mixing process prior to molding, wouldn't it be possible to produce smaller batches with different colors without incurring significant additional costs?

 

[cerich]

@cerich , thanks for all those proficient explanations and insights.

Why is the minimum production quantity for each color so high? Is this because of the volume of polymer materials that must be purchased or is this a manufacturing requirement? I thought pigments are typically added just before the melting and mixing process prior to molding, wouldn't it be possible to produce smaller batches with different colors without incurring significant additional costs?

a few reasons, some is some of what you suggested, some is the sizes is extra changes in mold machine and color match in batch, some is where we have them injected is busy as heck and has zero interest in doing a small batch to my mild annoyance, offset by them doing a great job.

The pigments are actually chips, not a liquid and needs to be ordered from the plastic manuf in big drums.. with a long lead time

 

[Jcp2]

when combat divers exit the water they use a carabiner to clip fins off to themselves, and fin pocket holes still take some time to drain just as they enter gravity land and it's annoying. Plus, the pocket side clipped is bulky and they want as much mobility as possible, which the pocket end down low gives you versus right at waist or higher if you clipped them off by fin straps.

A bit of duct tape can take care of the hole to address any hydrodynamic issues, although it will change the OCD focus to cosmesis.

 

[LandonL]

I finally went with the OMS Slipstream... while they may not give me that 'Eddy's magic,' they're doing their duty. Feeling froggy in yellow

So…. Fashion over function?

 

[Regulated]

Yellow? Okay. Yet white Eddys are just about the coolest flippers on the planet, just sayin’. Hard to miss.

 

[Fastmarc]

many if not most folks think a flutter is a faster kick than frog in diving, it's really not when your frog is mastered. Swimming no flippers(fins..lol) and diving with them are quite different. In swimming what most think of the same as flutter, and actual trained swimmer using a freestyle kick may look like a flutter, but a divers flutter is mostly all knees down and a swimmers freestyle becomes the fastest kick when your upper legs are doing it right. ( freestyle ) Some freediving fins let you freestyle quite well however, 99% of dive fins are not going to be a help there at all. Note that frogs themselves don't revert to a flutter to go fasterfrogs do a great frog kick..weird that

A well trained and practiced frog kick in diving actually like freestyle involves your upper legs a ton, and see many divers doing frog not really involve them. See this video that shows very little upper leg or quad involvement frog kick, it works fine but will lack power compared to using quads/upper legs lower power frog but pretty , now compare to more powerful but i would quibble on knees and fin tip dropping

Yeah, I'm with you on this. Usually if the pace is upped and there's a reason for me to keep up, I can do so with 'my frog kick' with my previous fins, but this was first splash and immediately after descending and with the amount of surge I had no idea if 'my frog kick' would be good enough in these new flippers. Plus I want to experience the flutter and see how hard they would be on my legs.
That being said, I really not sure how good my frog kick is, but figure this style fi... flippers will help me improve it if it isn't as good as it can be. Pretty excited for my next dive with them just for that.

 

[dedezelic]

I love my Eddy’s no matter how I’m kicking. Had DR XT’s before and they felt so long and heavy on me. Eddy’s help me feel more in trim and I do t lose anything with the lighter, shorter fins. And love the white.