Mares Volo Power - plastic rubber separation?

[QQQ99999]

I bought a pair of Volo Power fins a couple months ago, I currently have less than 20 dives on them and the rubber near the tips is separating from the plastic ribs in the face of the fin. Is this a common problem? Maybe I will have to be more careful about how I store them.

 

[sbesana]

If some piece of gear can't handle 20 dives it's clearly a poor piece of gear and not your fault. Have it replaced.

 

[rjm60]

I have the same problem. I think it's a design flaw and will be looking into returning them for a different fin. Too bad because they work well in the water.

I bought a pair of the Volo Power fins in May for OW class. About a month ago, I noticed the rubber is tearing from the tip of the plastic stiffeners (about 1/2 an inch from the fin tip) on both stiffeners and both fins (4 places). At the time, I had under 30 dives on them. They were replaced under warranty with no cost to me at all. After about 7-9 dives, the replacements are tearing in exactly the same place. Same thing happened to my wife's volo power fins. Her fins were also replaced but she's only used them once since then.

 

[Damselfish]

No fins should do that. I had a similar problem long ago (different fins) and had no trouble getting them replaced. At least if you don't count the good natured abuse I got in the dive shop for being hard on fins, before they 'fessed up that a lot of those fins were doing that.

 

[Humuhumunukunukuapua'a]

I saw the same thing in a pair I rented to try them out. It was a big part of why I decided to avoid fins that were glued together pieces of different materials. I went with Apollo Bio-Fins, which are just a chuck of rubber so they can't have that problem. I think that no matter how well made they are, fins that have different pieces are always going to come apart eventually. Fins, in my world, take a beating.

Jets/Turtles/etc are good solid fins without different pieces glued together too. I'd return em and get something else if possible.

 

[Daryl Morse]

I bought a pair of Volo Power fins a couple months ago, I currently have less than 20 dives on them and the rubber near the tips is separating from the plastic ribs in the face of the fin. Is this a common problem? Maybe I will have to be more careful about how I store them.

This is a common problem. Mine separated a bit right away, but it didn't keep separating. I've got over 60 dives on them and they've looked the same for the last 50+ dives. I didn't think it was a big enough deal to do anything about it.

 

[Phil Mintz]

I bought a pair of Volo Power fins a couple months ago, I currently have less than 20 dives on them and the rubber near the tips is separating from the plastic ribs in the face of the fin. Is this a common problem? Maybe I will have to be more careful about how I store them.

The Volo Power is one of our best selling fins, we sell many of them worldwide. We fully stand behind the product, if they are defective you should bring them back to the place of purchase and they can forward to us for review and replacement if the damage is a defect.

Phil

 

[deepseafalcon]

Phil,
do you want me to send you a pair of Volos that have less than 150 dives on them?
Can't return them to the store, as the warranty is up.
I have to say that I was quite disappointed.
150 dives is not a lot (my previous fins lasted 15 years and are still not broken), yet the 200$ Volos started to fall apart at several different locations (incl. all 4 rubber "hinges")
d-s-f
an otherwise happy Mares and Head customer

 

[ishbaby]

hmm so is the Avanti X3 a better buy than the Volo Power fins?

I have the Avanti X3 and have no problems using it even in strong currents, and it's still in good shape. My friend is actually considering to get the volo, but reading this, I can just advise him to purchase the same thing as what I have.

 

[nathan837]

Our dive store had the same issue, we put volo powers in our hire fleet. And yes students tend to stand on the tips of fins which would have encouraged the problem. Although the tears have not progressed any further than the very tip.