Ops

[ickis]

hey,
im sorry if i seem like a pest but im really interested in the OPS fin and when i mailed the force fins website i got no repsonse.
i was wondering about if it could fit me (as a SCUBA+free diver) and how can i get a pair if i want one.
a friend of mine turned my attention to the OPS and i was interested ever since.

 

[Blair Mott]

Thanks for the Post! Sorry for the delay in communication as we have had massive waves of Force Fins arriving and shipping out of our Head quarters everyday. I wish I could give you a price and delivery date. We are hoping to release the OPS Model later this year we will keep you posted!

 

[ickis]

thats nice to hear.
im kinda worried to go scuba diving with such a realtively large blade (im afraid i might hit something) but it seems to do a great job function and performance-wise.
what kicking styles are best for it (i hate frog-kicking though so i dont care if you cant do it) ?

 

[meesier42]

I have been asking that same question for about the last 4-5 years. I don't know if Bob is finally going to release it production or not, but he says he will...

Luckily, Bob was nice enough to loan a couple pairs of them for a while. The summary of my review, the look really cool, the foot pocket is awesome and some of the blades that he makes are really nice, but he never sent me the really long blade which I really thought that I needed. In the end I ended up preffering my Excellerator for their maneuverability and power. The Excellerator is perfect (it my go to fin 90% of the time, even though I own 10-12 pairs) for scuba and freediving. Although the freedivers that saw me wearing them laughed at me, when I put the fins on them they needed about ten minutes to figure them out and suddenly their bottom times jumped by 10-15 seconds (most of us were already doing 75-90 second dives) because of the increased comfort and decreased lactic acid production and they were seriously impressed with their power to bring big fish up. If you want a great scuba and freediving fin, you would do well to pick up a pair of Excellerators.

 

[Bob Evans]

Meesier42, what's the rush. I told Jean-Michael Cousteau the OPS which I was asked to make for him and his dive team, was the last fin I will be making.

Any way you have me tied up making you a Hockey fin, so the OPS is still on the back burner. Only so many hours in a day.

JMC diving the OPS while we were all in Fiji together

 

[ickis]

well i cant use the excellarators since my foot is kinda small, 7.5, but the ops seems like a great, versatile blade (like i need) and with a one-size-fits-most footpocket with or without an instep ill be able to glide the waters with ease.
and if the ops will really be your final fin i think it would be a spectacular finish to your legacy of
technological innovations just for the sake of helping people find their way underwater.
and if it will be your last i would be honoured to own a pair.
i hope you will launch them to the public soon.
do you freedive often or is your interest primarily in scuba ?

 

[meesier42]

Bob- you know I love you, and the OPS were very cool fins, but you know that the Excellerators fit my style better. And the hockey fin... since I didn't get a chance to call you today and remind you... THANKS AGAIN, I love just looking at the picture and dreaming how awesome it is going to be.

ickis- the foot pocket sizing of the OPS is the same as the Excellerator, so I am unsure why you think the OPS will fit your smaller foot and the Excellerator will not. With a small foot, you'll probably still wear and L or more likely and XL with most booties. If you wearing heavier military style boots (OTB's or similar) it may even be a XXL. I think the Excellerator is the most versatile fin that Bob makes, it flutter kicks wonderfully, it frog kicks fantastically, it can hover, helicopter, and scull very well, and although the OPS is a great fin, it doesn't maneuver as well as the Excellerator. I know Blair loves his and I even think Avi has come to love them as well.

freediving- I used to freedive nearly daily (normally to ~45-60', but regularly to 100+), its how I used to catch my dinner. although back then I was using my Extra's, I have converted over to the Excellerators for pretty much everything, I just really like the way they work and feel and are just my personal favorites now. These days, I do less free diving and more underwater hockey which involves both surface swimming and bottom swimming at near max speed. The Excellerator rocked in this environment as well (which is why Bob has been modifying an Excellerator as the base for the new Hockey Fin).

 

[ickis]

thanks. i didnt know the measurements for the ops so this is very helpful.
how can i fit my legs into either one of those? i have the action plus booties (not very thick sole) so you think ill need the instep as well?
and about the ops and the excellerator: i was interested in the ops since i wanted a longer blade (for scuba and free diving) thats more versatile and the blade seemed to fit my style more than the excellarator (i liked the water trailing concept).
now i dont know- both fins seem to function very well and i need a fin that gives a more natural feeling in the water and the ops seems to deliver the feeling better.
thanks for the responses and info, it really helps me get a better perspective on this.
i still havent decided on which one, ill have to think about it.

 

[meesier42]

To get sizing right, here is what I would ask. Put your bootie on and measure the circumference around your instep just below the ankle, I have found this to be more reliable than shoe size. Once I get the chance, I am going to compile a spreadsheet of the sizing using this measurement, but I just haven't gotten around to it yet. Bob's designs don't care in the least how long your foot is, only how wide/tall. Barefoot, you'll probably want a M, which makes me think you might actually be small enough to wear a L with bootie, but please post your measurement and we'll check to get it right.

Here is Bob's sizing chart
Fin Sizing

 

[uncleavi]

ICKIS,
Sod B'neinu, ani lo ohev ha OPS. Mispar echad bishvili zeh Excellorating Force Fin B' Tan Delta
That being said, the OPS are very interesting. I have most of the different fins they make and they are very different from each other. My 3 favorites are 1 Excellerator 2 Tan Delta 3 SD1 Military in Tan Delta. I have used them at the Base in Atlit. Also, I have used them in Eilat and Sinai.