Replacement Fin Strap

[jjchang]

Hi,

After the second shore dive, I replaced my factory fin straps with spring straps and never look back. Recently I saw Aeris Accel fins that get rid of the buckle system entirely and use elastic rubber bands instead. Do this rubber band type straps achieve same effect/purpose as spring straps for replacing factory straps for other brands (most)? More specifically, I just got Atomic Blade fins, and can I use Aeris Accel replacement straps (come with many colors) to replace the factory straps and act like spring ones? $69 v. $19

Thanks.

 

[Akimbo]

Another less expensive and more versatile option is DIY bungee straps.

A little off subject, but I recently replaced springs with 3/8" bungee at the suggestion of maxbottomtime.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/fi...in-question-time-heel-straps.html#post6586465

I was always uncomfortable with spring straps because you can’t tell when they are about to snap, short of sophisticated metallurgical testing. Bungee or shock cord fails slowly as individual rubber strands break and the outside woven fiber cover frays. Bungee also won't fail completely or suddenly unless under tremendous load. The best part is they are cheap, easy to replace, and adjustable.

The bungee happened to be the same size as the spring on my set. The molded rubber pull loop had broken so I replaced them with 1" Nylon webbing. The tension feels just like the springs they replaced. Hope it helps.

 

[buddhasummer]

I'm not sure if the posts are the sane size, but I think I read somewhere someone put Atomic springs on their Accels so that being the case posts will be same size. It was on SB so if do a search and you might find it. They do the same as springs although being silicone will not be as robust as SS springs. But they are cheap enough that you could carry some spares. I have the Accels, although replaced the factory straps with some SP SW Nova bungees, and the factory straps are quite elastic. I've not used them so can't comment on comfort although some SBers have and said they liked them. I think wearing thick gloves they wouldn't be as easy to get on/off as springs with finger loops. The XS Scuba spring straps I think are the most robust on the market as they use metal buckles as well while some other brands Atomic included use plastic buckles. The XS Scuba straps are around $55. Although just looking at DGX website they seem to offering their own "copies" of the XS springs at a much cheaper price of $29.95. Good luck.

Fins and S/S Spring Straps - Dive Gear Express

 

[buddhasummer]

I stand corrected, I must have read wrong. Atomic posts are the small type and the Accels are the "standard" large type so Atomic springs off Atomic fins will not fit. I'm not sure if their universal springs will, I'll guess so given that they brand them "universal". Sorry about that.

 

[jjchang]

Actually, I got the Aeris Straps and put them on the new Blade fins. They worked great. I almost forgot them until I tried to take them out at surf zone. BTW, when we popped out, we saw 30+ surfers were lining up waiting for the perfect wave and knew we were in trouble, but the fin straps worked fine. This week I will try the bungee set up. Thanks

 

[Damselfish]

I'd say try the universal straps, if you like them great, if you still want to try springs they're great spares to have around and you didn't spend that much.

I've used the Aeris/universal style straps some. I think they're better for comfort/donning than most standard straps, though I don't like that they are only adjustable in about 1 inch increments and I'm always afraid I will pull them off the posts. I have homemade bungie straps (using flat bungie) and like those the best all around, probably because they're the stretchiest. I also have aftermarket springs, for me those are a little less comfortable than my bungies but probably more durable. (Though my husband and I have both had trouble keeping them on the posts of our old fins and have a tangle of zip ties helping with that.)

One of the problems I've had with straps is that with thin booties there's not that much of my heel sticking out of the fin. I think this is why the 1 inch increments on the universal straps especially bothered me - 1" is a largish percentage of the whole thing. Same issue with springs - with a short length of spring in use there's just not enough overall stretch so I always find one size too tight to get on and uncomfortable to wear, and the next size too loose once on (lost a fin that way once.) I've recently moved to thicker booties and larger fins, and having more length of strap in play and a little more padding helps any stretchy strap work better.

 

[jjchang]

Thanks for everyone's input. Now I'm using DIY bungee straps and the Aeris straps as backup. They work great.

Jay