replacing BUNGIES on Force Fins - eeks!

[meekal]

i just bought a new pair of Force Fins with the basic strap and was gonna remove the BUNGIES from my old pair that had bungies on when i got them..... dang... do you need a special tool or something to get the straps off? i have the HEX wrench part... but what do i use to keep the INSIDE gizmo dooHickie from rotating? i can't grab it with a pair of pliers and slipping a flatHead screwdriver between the fin and inside gizmo dooHickie doesn't give me enough torque. i guess i could gouge them out and grab the INSIDE gizmo dooHickie with a lock wrench or something, but i'd hate to mar (my pretty new) fins that bad....

is this a forest-for-the-trees scenario? am i missing something obvious? can i go to my LDS and get a FORCE FIN BUNGIE strap replacement tool?

yes... i AM prepared for the onslaught of FORCE FINS MUST DIE responses... no worries!

thansk in advance

 

[KOMPRESSOR]

The best thing to do in your case is of course to toss the FFs in the bin and go get some Jet Fins with spring straps...

Anyway, if you haven't touched the bungee on a pair of FFs before, let me tell you that they are held in place with one-way "anchors" inside the rotating "gismo thing", so unless you can loosen the "grabs" really careful you may easily break something with careless use of tools. My impression is that you decide the lenght of the bungee once, press the "anchors" into the bungee with a pair of pliers, and they are not really meant to be readjusted (without something breaking and makes you go buy new parts...).

Now I have to ask, why on earth did you go buy another pair of FFs if you have a pair already? Did your feet grow? I mean, the FFs themselves are unbreakable. It's just the heel straps that (can) break, and that's the part you are moving over from the old pair? :06:

 

[guinness_ep]

I have two pairs of FFs. I put bungie straps on both and the first time was a real struggle. A pair of needle nose pliers is needs to grip on. Takes a few attempts. You need to break the glue that is currently in place with a couple of whacks using a hammer but make sure don't flatten the head so cannot use the little hex wrench.

I have two pairs as needed a bigger size for my drysuit. The rock boots are too big for my first pair.

Goodluck, they are fantastic once on. Soooo easy to get on and off.

 

[*Floater*]

I picked up a pair of used force fin pros a long time ago but haven't even tried them yet. my girlfriend uses force fins (although she's going to change to jets soon), but hers didn't have the bungees, while mine did, so i chenged them from mine to hers. in that process i ran into the same problesm as others here. i needed to use nose needle pliers and a hex key and after a lot of frustration i got all the screws out but in the process i destroyed one of the bushings.

i was hoping that the force fin company would send me a replacement bushing (since they cost nothing), but instead they wanted me to buy a whole new set of bungee straps for $20, which i won't do. instead i'll just put some bungee through the holes and that way i'll have homemade bungee straps for just a few bucks (cost of bungee + tubing).

Below are a few pics of what I plan to do, except I may use thicker bungee (maybe 1/4" will do) and proper tubing instead of the duct tape.

 

[meekal]

Now I have to ask, why on earth did you go buy another pair of FFs if you have a pair already? Did your feet grow? I mean, the FFs themselves are unbreakable. It's just the heel straps that (can) break, and that's the part you are moving over from the old pair? :06:

fatter feet - almost.... i had a regular pair of booties but have gone to the TENNIS SHOE style for comfort (going back to Bonaire and those rocky beaches were a beeeotch last year) and they don't fit - so XL --> XXL

 

[meekal]

the lockTite / glue *WAS* the surprise.... a few taps with a 'slegehammer' and i was still stuck.... got a MASSIVE pair of channel locks and pinched (at a slight angle) the inside gizmo dooHickie and the outside of the fine (ie: ooking DOWN on the fin, the pliers are pinching the inside and outside of the side where the strap is) and VOILA....

many thanks for all the help... i especially LOVE the homeMade version.... my next project for sure....