Repair Force Fins?

[lagoiski]

Hi. I am staying in Singapore. Recently I purchased a second hand pair of force fins. Not sure if its Extra or Accelerating. Those things have bat wings on! How awesome is that!! Can anyone give me the exact model and maybe the model year of this beauty?

So yeah, the problem is next, after a few uses I have noticed that the part where the bungie screw is attached to is starting to crack! This reminded me of my friend's Force Fin Pro where the whole rubber piece came off with the screw!

Any recommendation if I can fix those as I really like them! I was thinking of taking off the screws then using some special glue to patch up the cracks. This will spoil the old screws and bushing right?

The question is next, what kind of glue do I use to patch up the rubber and where can I get new hardware? I know I can buy a new bungee set but its like USD50 + USD60 shipping to Singapore for me! And I just need the screws and bushings, my bungie is fine. For screws I am sure I can find it in a hardware store, but bushings I am not sure, is it some special design or is it a standard part? And what kind of glue is used on the screws? Ive attached the pics of the fins and the cracks for reference. Another option I was thinking of is if i can't patch up the cracking rubber, to drill new holes further up the fin. The bungie is long enough to still wear the fins.

On the bright side, I am looking at buying another pair of Force Fins! Was currently tempted to buy neon yellow Pros, but I really want a red pair! Then was happy to realise that Tan Delta Ruby Red might be released in April!! So now I am confused haha. To wait for Deltas or get Pros first and when/if Deltas come out get them!

The whole interest in Force Fins now is that I am doing my Dive master course, and had to snorkel 800m. My scubapro jetfins failed miserably! I read somewhere that Force Fins are the best candidate for the job to get 5 points! Sadly the pair that I have is about to fail so I am reluctant to try it before I can get it fixed! I had a few dives with it, and they were really fast! But that was underwater. For surface swims which model would you all recommend?

Thank you all in advance for replying me! Hope I can get those fixed and get a pair of Ruby Red Tan Delta's soon! Cheers!

 

[davidlkh]

You have the excellarating force fin, it appears narrow near the toes and spreads out. Maybe the cracks developed because of over tightening the screws. The screws should be used with loctite material so you dont have to over tighten it. You can ask for loctite "glue" from the DIY shop.

 

[Bob Evans]

Lagoiski, Many good questions. Had hope some nice Force finner might get into this...Brass bushing are custom made. Screws can be order from a store, we use a special lock tight on the screw, Looks like to me the Brass bushing has corrosion and is affecting the fins material. Need to wash off after use. The high humidity of Singapore does not help. Nice you have Bat wings, Yes you can drill new holes forward and you need 10 inch bungee. The Force Fin Excellerating is a real winner. Made for my good friend Captain Billy Deans. Keep us posted and let me know about the strap replacement, so I can put in the 10 inch Bungee cord, USA Made. Thanks Bob

 

[Bob Evans]

Lagoiski, Many good questions. Had hope some nice Force finner might get into this...Brass bushing are custom made. Screws can be order from a store, we use a special locktight on the screw, Looks like to me the Brass bushing has corrosion and is affecting the fins material. Need to wash off after use. The high humidity of Singapore does not help. Nice you have Bat wings, Yes you can drill new holes forward and you need 10 inch bungee. The Force FinExcellerating is a real winner. Made for my good friend Captain Billy Deans. Keep us posted and let me know about the strap replacement, so I can put in the 10 inch. Best. Bob

 

[lagoiski]

Thanks Bob! I have just placed an order on the neon yellow Pros! Cant wait! I'll def get the Tan Deltas when they are out.
Was on a trip to Tioman this weekend, brought my Excellarating FFs and jetfins. The pocket is pretty tight fit with my thick booties, so I wore them with the loose bungie (I guess its still a matter of time before the bungie snaps off). After struggling to swim to the boat on the surface for 500m in jets, I put on my FFs and did not look back for the rest of the dives. Pure awesome!

What are the wings for? From what I have noticed is they allowed me to frog kick without turning my ankles much like a regular frog kick! For regular frog kick at first I was skeptical, as the fins felt very soft. But after playing around a bit, if you time the flexing right, you get a pretty powerful frog kick!

 

[Bob Evans]

Logoiski, Great images...I think the xl would be a better fit, and the bungees look like they were pulled in. Now for some fun, you can careful move the Bat wings inwards to speed up the action. Glad you noticed the frog kick with out the leg twist. You can also move the winglets outwards, which kind of locks you into position...Having the ability to change thrust makes the bat wings kind of cool. Have FUN, Best, BOB