Question for fans of ScubaPro Gorillas

[MeiLing]

I'm a huge fan of the discontinued ScubaPro Gorilla fins and am down to my last pair. If I broke or lose another, that's it!

If you used to use Gorillas and loved them, what are you using now? How do you like them and what do you like or dislike about what you're using now?

 

[ReelDuel]

Do you want a spare set?? I can hook you up with a friend who has a set that have minmal use if any on them.

 

[MeiLing]

Do you want a spare set?? I can hook you up with a friend who has a set that have minmal use if any on them.

Unfortunately, I don't think that any that are currently existing, are long for this world. My last ones that failed had minimal use as I had been out of diving for a number of years. In the past year, I've had 3 fins fail.

Last year, a friend of mine busted out an entirely unused pair that he'd bought as they were being discontinued. Both failed within a month.

For that reason, I would not buy a pair unless they'd been recently manufactured. But thanks for the offer.

 

[mictrik]

I have a pair (XL) and used them as recently as last year they have held up well for nearly 20 years and many dives including shore entries... They require a kind of bicycle kick to fully take advantage of their design.

 

[beanojones]

Were the gorillas different than the regualr sea wings? other than being black that is.

 

[MeiLing]

I think they were. They were a very stiff fin and did not work very well for a bicycle kick at all. The most effective kick for Gorillas uses a from the hip kind of kick, if you're really planning on going places with them. Most of the time, you just kind of do a slight frog kick and they'll move you along pretty well. If you won't to take off like a rocket and cover some serious waterspace quickly, several good kicks from the hip and you'll take off like a rocket!

I'm not sure what is up with the deterioration of them here. Maybe it is the heat here that breaks down the materials over time. Not sure

 

[mictrik]

The Gorilla Sea wing of the 90's was made of a stiffer material than the "Hyperthane" multicolored and black Sea Wing fins. The fins though stiffer, are not so stiff that there is no flex at it's pivot points (especially in XL form), however you will have to be a strong individual to maintain this. Advantages was that the fin is more versatile than the Original Sea Wing, allowing for an effective frog kick & scissor kick. An old video of me with these fins shows that they did pivot and Snap when using a strong flutter or bicycle kick. I used the Gorilla for a while and was reasonably satisfied but returned to the XL Jet fin as I find them to be the best all around fin on the market. The sea wing design was intended for a bicycle or flutter kick, that was the point of the pivoting notches and this is also evident on the new Sea Wing Nova's. I still have the Gorillas and I must say that they have held up very well, I tried not to leave them in the sun though...

 

[Isaac-1]

I loved my Gorilla's also and my last ones failed while in a swimming pool a few years ago, looked in good shape, and just broke in half, my guess is the material does not age well (I would never trust an old pair again). I am currently using Atomic Split fins, I don't consider them all around replacement for the Gorilla's but for open water casual diving they do perform great in a semi straight line. Maneuvering is about like trying to parallel park a school bus though.