Light Fins for Travel

[Kharon]

.... The Rockets feel like a "fin" the Accels like a "toy" but I think in the main they are more similar in performance than not. I imagine the Rockets will outlast the Accels, a much more robust fin. ....

I have to disagree. Just because the Accel is made from a very light material doesn't make it a "toy" or any less durable. In fact I've found the Accel to be very rugged and quite able to stand up to bashing against rock, rusted iron, and other abrasive things I encounter when doing milfoil remediation and lake cleanup dives. Rubber does not and in addition rubber degrades over time while the Accel material does not seem to. A rocket fin I found in this years cleanup of Snyder's Lake was somewhat rotted. Can't imagine an Accel doing that.

As far as the thrust thing - take a look at this post: Fin experiment with totally unexpected results.

 

[dmaziuk]

Plastics tend to get brittle with age, though of course exactly what/how/when depends... I imagine they'll fail when the side walls (? beams?) deform/bend and lose their stiffness and bounce.

When that happens, I'll buy another pair.

 

[Nemrod]

Plastics tend to get brittle with age, though of course exactly what/how/when depends... I imagine they'll fail when the side walls (? beams?) deform/bend and lose their stiffness and bounce.

When that happens, I'll buy another pair.

The Accel is made of Monoprene just like the well regarded OMS Slipstream fin. The material is inert and non reactive with most environmental agents.

N

 

[scubadada]

The Accel is made of Monoprene just like the well regarded OMS Slipstream fin. The material is inert and non reactive with most environmental agents.

N

These fins are very inexpensive, see them for $65 with spring straps!

 

[buddhasummer]

I have to disagree. Just because the Accel is made from a very light material doesn't make it a "toy" or any less durable. In fact I've found the Accel to be very rugged and quite able to stand up to bashing against rock, rusted iron, and other abrasive things I encounter when doing milfoil remediation and lake cleanup dives. Rubber does not and in addition rubber degrades over time while the Accel material does not seem to. A rocket fin I found in this years cleanup of Snyder's Lake was somewhat rotted. Can't imagine an Accel doing that.

As far as the thrust thing - take a look at this post: Fin experiment with totally unexpected results.

I didn't say it was a toy, I said it "felt" like a toy, I was referring to its low weight. If you read my various posts on these fins you'll see I actually quite liked them. The simple fact is being made from rubber and with spring straps the RK3 are a more robust fin. The pair I sold to my friend developed a crease in the foot pocket after he had left them in storage obviously with something heavy sitting on them. For travel I think the Accels are a good fin, IMO, better than the F2s but I think the Apeks are better. For travel fins I'm interested in both weight and robustness. YMMV.

 

[tcphil]

Another great thread. Thanks all. I have the Accels, do quite like them, and have used them for a few years with no issues. Use them travelling, and in the pool when helping with classes. Clearly not as strong and maneuverable as the F1s I use most of the time, or as effortless as the Apollos (slightly stiffer yellow) I use if I have to swim really long distances, but for overall performance they work well, and ooooh so light. With another trip coming up wanted to see if there was something significantly better out there. While other options out there, nothing seemed to rise significantly higher.

 

[macado]

For what it's worth I've used a set of Accels with my rebreather for last two years. While I don't think they are as powerful as my OMS Slispstreams or Jetfins they seem to move me around fine in a rebreather + stand and two AL80s sidemounted for bailout.

I originally switched to them after using Slipstreams for quite a while because my new drysuit boots caused me to go up a fin size and my old Slipstreams did not fit anymore.

I've got some chuckles about my "baby" fins on dive boats but they work for me. They are awesome for travel. Have used them in St Lawrence, Great Lakes, local New England diving, North Carolina, Mexico and Florida.