Non lightning bolt jet fins

[OzeDiver]

Hi, I just bought a pair of jet fins of ebay which i didnt notice until just now do NOT have the lightning bolt on them which means there older? i think.

My questions:

1.when approximately did they start putting the lightning bolts on them?
2.is there much difference between them physically?
and last of all
3. is there much difference in performance

I paid $59.00 USD including postage to australia ($37.00 without postage)
is there a good deal or was it a rip off?

thanks

 

[*Floater*]

Hi, I just bought a pair of jet fins of ebay which i didnt notice until just now do NOT have the lightning bolt on them which means there older? i think.

My questions:

1.when approximately did they start putting the lightning bolts on them?
2.is there much difference between them physically?
and last of all
3. is there much difference in performance

I paid $59.00 USD including postage to australia ($37.00 without postage)
is there a good deal or was it a rip off?

thanks

$37.00 is a decent deal on ebay if they are size XL (edit: and assuming the shipping was fair - be careful with the shipping when ebaying). Size L and M often go for less. Not sure what the XXL's go for? But ebay is volatile and it depends how much time you have to wait for a deal and how good you at searching - usually it's the mislabeled items, or items in the wrong section that end up going for cheap. Also, sometimes you see ones without the straps and buckles, and those end up usually going for real cheap (and you'll get spring straps anyway, right?). Leisurepro sells the new ones for $65+shipping, though maybe it's cheaper to buy them locally for you. Every once in a while you can see them go for $20-30 shipped in US, but most people don't have time to wait for those deals.

I don't know how the non-lightning bolt ones compare in the water to the lightning jets, but I'm also curious. My belief is that the lightning bolt ones are made of a new rubber compound whereas the non-lightning bolt ones were made of a different material. Some says the old material was also rubber, others say it was thermo-plastic.

Here's something from a 1999 divernet article: http://www.divernet.com/gear/fins999/fins999.htm

Are we about to witness the return to popularity of black rubber at the world's dive-sites? Scubapro, after years of using thermo-plastics, has re-introduced black rubber with the Jetfin (thrust 14.5-15.5kg; price £69). Yes, all you geriatric divers who thought that Jetfins went out with the ark - you read that right! I remember being unable to get rid of mine at a car-boot sale, but I recently met a young Japanese diver who thought he'd bought the latest thing in diving technology. Scubapro seems to have identified a new niche and, I am told, now plans to concentrate on selling these negatively buoyant fins, which were also by far the heaviest of our test selection.

So what improvements have been made over the traditional design? Apart from a new mix of materials which I am told they use, but which I have no way of confirming, they look exactly like the ones I owned 15 years ago - right down to the impossible-to-thread-or-adjust-underwater stainless-steel buckles held in by pins with the ends hammered over. These are the original Jetfins!

How did they perform in our test? Although they felt heavy, and the foot-pockets are short, they proved as good as many others.

 

[piikki]

When I was getting mine, I was told the biggest difference is in the rubber material and the foot pocket design. Apparently, the ones without lighting bolt are supposed to be a bit heavier (?) which I personally like. I think they were made till early/mid-eighties? Someone will know exact year I am sure

My buddy dives the lighting ones, I dive the old ones. I could give performance comparision if mine weren't Mediums and hers Large which produces a slight difference. I have dived both, and honestly, I haven't noticed much difference, they are both great. I bet it would be a bit different if I couldn't squeeze my feet in though.

I have heard several people swear on only the new ones but surprisingly many also are hunting the old ones down from eBay.

 

[piikki]

ops

 

[shil]

I have 2 pairs of lighting jets of european origin, guess they are late 60's early- 70's vintage. What is fantastic about them is the rubber compound used has stood up to my hot (40oC summers) 90%humidity climate ! All other rubber gear lasted only a couple of years before melting,cracking and distintegrating away, a costly affair then, now thanks to silicone and technoplastics gear seems to live almost forever. But these Scubapro lightings I am sure will be around till the next ark and might serve well then !