Installing spring straps on Jetfins

[shark.byte.usa]

Just got a pair of jetfins, have some spring straps I got for Christmas and never installed on my twinjets.

My question is can you remove the stainless buckles on the jets without breaking them? I'd like to keep the buckles and straps just in case.

Thanks

 

[crlavoie]

Not reliably as far as I can tell. I tried to save mine and was able to easily pry on of them open. The other one had to be cut as both ends were very well curled over (I'm sure there's a technical term for that).

That said, I can't imagine a time when I would ever need them. There's not a lot that can go wrong on a spring strap. More so, they have made me dislike all other straps so much that I would be inclined to just have a back up pair of straps or fins.

 

[Robert Phillips]

This may be hard to describe, but I will do my best...
With a pair of channel locks (or groove joint pliers if you prefer) set on the smallest channel, place the top jaw on the edge of the stamped pin and the lower jaw on the edge of the buckle. Does that make sense? If so, squeeze the pliers and you should shave off the stamped part of the pin on one side of it. You may have to reposition a few times to get the mushroom off the pin.
Do this on the other side of the pin and repeat on the opposite side of the buckle. Now you can use another set of pliers along with the ones you just used to bend the buckle off the pin.
You won't be able to reuse the pins but the buckles should still be usable.

I hope this helps.
Robb

 

[SangP]

If you want to keep the buckle assembly on the fins you need to expose the ends of the spring by bending or cutting off the metal pin. Once you have removed the block from the spring you need to get 4 pieces of ss split rings, 2 for each spring and you can get em from a hardware or fishing shop.

Slide the split rings onto the spring and buckle much like you would attach keys onto a key ring.

As an extra precaution you could solder the split rings after you are done. I use 200 lbs split rings but you need a special tool to open the rings sufficiently to allow you to slide the ends of the spring and the buckle. Why don't you take the springs to a fishing store that specialises in big game fishing, they will have all the tools.

SangP

 

[Wayward Son]

I just used a screwdriver. The buckles popped right off the pins.

 

[scubadobadoo]

I tried all of the above without success so I got the dremel out and went to town, lol.

 

[riguerin]

I tried all of the above without success so I got the dremel out and went to town, lol.

I did something similar with my Turtles. I used a Dremel tool mounted in a press to drill out the flared pin ends. They popped right out. The pins are no longer any good, but the buckles are.

 

[scubadobadoo]

AAAH, mounted in a press! You are smarter than I am, lol!!

 

[Wayward Son]

My old Rockets were like that, nothing would pry the buckles off the pins. Those I ended up using a dremel with a cutoff wheel to cut the pins. But they were bought in 1984, dunno if the buckles on them now are the same. My Jets are only 2 years old & they were easy as can be.

 

[shark.byte.usa]

Thanks guys [and gals?], I tried popping the buckles off the pin last night without any luck, I'll borrow a dremel today and go to town.