Force Fin Designs

[Bob Evans]

Tie-dye Force Fins. Here our Dealer Dive Master, showing off his personal pait of Force Fin Foil Force, Palm Beach, Flordia.

 

[Bob Evans]

Miriam Greene caught me after a dive on the " HAIK "..all smiles. 1982 Santa Barbara Channel. Interesting to note, we started out with a velcro stap system. You can see how we made a finger hole for easy pull off. But since the Force Fin pushed onto your foot while kicking the velcro became a bad choice. With the Nylon strap system Bill Meistrell came up with you could tighten the strap with a ladder lock buckel, which we still use 38 years later. Each Force is still drilled for strap mounting with the Machine Bill made. Really very special if you knew the twin brothers, Bob and Bill

 

[Bob Evans]

I've read that on your website and it's something I've not tried yet. I wonder if it would be same while frog kicking for example. One more thing to do on my post Covid bucket list.

Thought you like this

 

[JMBL]

Thought you like this

 

[Bob Evans]

We were on a roll. Robbie Meistrell hired the marketing firm Mark Oliver Inc. Mark was a local Santa Barbara Company winning Design awards. Here is one of many Ad's his firm produced. Force fin sales were branching out from Trade shows surf and Diving. Very exciting times. Force Fin

 

[Bob Evans]

While working at Dive N Surf. My High School friend Vance Scott (now producter at KTLA 5 ) cover our adventures in Dive Magazine. This story is the beginning of my interest in Man Made Reefs.Bob Evans Photography Some of the first were Los Angeles Street Cars dropped off Redondo Beach. A great spot to dive, located on a sandy bottom.

 

[Bob Evans]

For over 43 years I wore Protective Gear. Making Force Fin molds required some nasty stuff under California State Laws. Using thousands and thousands of gloves and many replaceable filters/oganic I understand the need for safety. So shopping at Lazy Acres here in Santa Barbara, we all wear mask and limited shoppers. This might be the NEW NORM so I feel just at home now....wonder about going to the BANK ?

 

[Bob Evans]

I think this was one of the best ad Mark Oliver Inc, did for us. The Orginial surf shoe " Decks " bolted down to a wooden fin blade. This piece of Dive History was Bill Meistrell fin when he and Bob first came to California, I found it in the attic of Dive N Surf Dive N' Surf | Home of Body Glove and Bill let me have it after he told me the story. So his fin made our Ad stand out to a point.

 

[Bob Evans]

Working with Robbie and Billy Meisrell of Body Glove we went to all the Dive and Surf Trade shows across the USA. Met some really cool DUDES and received many fun photo's. Seemed the Force Fin was great for cross marketing due to it's performance. Outside parties were taking notice of this new Fin Design. At the time I had met Captain Fred Calhoun in Boston. A real diving hero. He said if Force Fins were good enought to water ski in he would be sold....so I sent him this image and he tested Force Fins on the " Easy Diver " and became my bigest supporter with C.C.

 

[Bob Evans]

Found the contact sheet from the pool photo shoot with John Hodges. We had a local Santa Barbara Hotel we could kind of slip into. We came in with white towels and swim suits on..but we got bused one day. These photographs helped with the Patent Drawings.