Old jet fins vs New jet fins

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Gone for diving

Contributor
Messages
1,510
Reaction score
1,115
Location
Ont
So my jet fins which are 15-18 years old have given up. There is a cut on the side of the fin. They have been a very faithful fin. And I like them. So I got my spare identical jet fins out. And its amazing how stiff the new ones are. Has anyone else seen this?
Seems like the rubber has fatigued over the years. And it not like they sit in the sun much... maybe from use...
just thought it's weird it that different...
 
So you’re saying that you had a new pair stored for years and are breaking them out just now for use?
Rubber has a way of deteriorating if it sits. I heard that talc will prevent deterioration of rubber. Many things that used to be rubber were always packed with a white powder on them and I always wondered why. Talc is the reason.
Supposedly Jetfins have undergone a few compound changes over the years and they have introduced more nylon into the formula just like they do with neoprene. This supposedly stabilizes the deterioration to some degree and gives the product more consistency with flexibility, durability, etc. I’ve had the same pair of jets now for over 20 years and they are still going strong. Best fins I’ve ever had.
 
Interesting in that I had the opposite issue - my first pair of Jetfins lasted about 13-14 years (think I bought them in 2003); the side ribs eventually developed stress cracks and I bought a new set in I think 2016. The new Jetfins seemed way floppier than the old ones and last year I took them into a different Scubapro dealer; they were definitely easier to bend than a brand-new pair off the rack. That second batch might have been from one that was a little softer than spec; my friend at the shop was like "yeah, you shouldn't be able to bend them in half like that."
 
I have a habit of collecting dive gear.
When it cheap.
not quite sure where these new jets came from. But are very new looking zero scuffs. So it totally is possible it has a different rubber compound...
I do like these new ones... and I am sure I'll get use to them... just feels much different, in a good way...

I was also told the reason some of the old rubber is better is because it has lead in it...
Some really old stuff is really good
 
I have a habit of collecting dive gear.
When it cheap.
not quite sure where these new jets came from. But are very new looking zero scuffs. So it totally is possible it has a different rubber compound...
I do like these new ones... and I am sure I'll get use to them... just feels much different, in a good way...

I was also told the reason some of the old rubber is better is because it has lead in it...
Some really old stuff is really good
My old original no lighting bolt Jets (circa 1971) had the foot pocket failure along with their replacement, it took years but it had me swear off Jets for a long time, I have 3 pair in use, the older USA with lighting bolt xxl with the huge foot pocket in black, I only use these where I want my fins on or off quickly, a pair of camo and a pair of red which are newer and have a smaller foot pocket, the newest have a hole in the tip and have the same pocket.

I have no idea what compound changes they have made over the years but they all perform very well.
 
Just spent four hours or something getting the talc off my new rubber fins

full.jpg


Thinner, then I vaselined them

Swim Fins,Rubber Fins,Flippers,Eyeline, Eyeline Australia Fins

They float so all I have to push is heavy water and not also the bricks bolted to my feet that are jet fins


It just has to be about the look!

and the least weight
 
After 25 years, my old jet fins broke and I replaced them with much lighter ones that have as much power at 1/2 the weight. OMS are great.

OMS Slipstream Monoprene Fins

These are just as stiff as the original [well, yours are the originals I am meaning] Jet Fins, but half the weight??

Also, are they floaty, sinky, or neutral?

Not cheap, but if they are as stiff but 1/2 the weight as the "normal" [stiff, heavy, durable] Jet Fin...I will consider these :)
 
These are just as stiff as the original [well, yours are the originals I am meaning] Jet Fins, but half the weight??

Also, are they floaty, sinky, or neutral?

Not cheap, but if they are as stiff but 1/2 the weight as the "normal" [stiff, heavy, durable] Jet Fin...I will consider these :)

They (Slipstreams) are just as stiff, perhaps stiffer and yes, they are much lighter. You might also look at the Deep Six Eddy Fin. I have both the Slipstreams and the Eddy Fins and right now the nod goes to the Eddy. The Slipstream is bigger blade for the same size foot.

One reason your new Jets may seem stiffer than your old ones is that the old ones, I bet the ribs, especially that center rib is full of cracks in the rubber.

For the life of me though, if one is to copy the Jet but in Monoprene, and the foot pocket aside, why not just copy the Jet as is? The Slipstream blade is wider (than the Eddy) but shorter than the Jet, the Eddy blade is smaller than either:

IMG-1131.jpg


Accel (R), Avanti Quattro (R), Slipstream (XL), Eddy (L), Jet (XL). All of these fit the same with the same neoprene boots. Yes, the blades on all vary by fin size but effectively these fit all the same, so they are the same size in that regard regardless of what is stamped upon them. I wear a Nike/NB shoe size 11D.

James
 

Back
Top Bottom