OMER ICE blades

[Jon]

After trying these out at this year's Freedive-A-Palooza I decided to get a pair. They are some of the smoothest fins I've used and will be great for spearing around here- especially with long surface swims. The clear factor is also pretty cool, but I just really liked how the felt on my feet.

When i got the blades it turns out that OMER had been doing a little bit of a redesign so I needed to make some modifications to fit them into my Sporasub footpockets- which I had lying around after my Sporasub PURE's broke in half, twice!

It seems that OMER is coming out with anew footpocket that gets away from using Screws to hold the blade in place, so there are no holes drilled in the blade and I had to do that myself. Instead the rely on a plastic nub molded into the bottom of the blade that will fit into a hole in the bottom of the new footpockets. It took me about two minutes to grind them off with a hand grinder, but here's some pictures of what they looked like:

I also see that they must becoming out with some new rail attachment system since there are no notch cut into the side of the blades. I did a quick modification to the tips of my rubber rails and they snapped in fine- Ted (unirdna) had to do something similar to his Sporasub footpockets to get a pair of SpeacilFins blades to fit into them.

After a little bit of work I've got them mounted and ready for diving. I just need to wait another week to try them out- as we've got a cabin rented for a week on a clear lake about 4 hours north of here and I plan to be diving every day.


BTW: A big thanks to The Spearfishing Store for getting me a set of these in record time-so I would have them for my vacation.

Jon

[SanderP]

Hey Jon! Great choice, I think the Ice fins are one of the coolest fins on the market. Would like to try them out myself. Oh yeah, do your blades also have that vanilla smell on them?

I don't mean to hijack your thread here, but as you mentioned the new OMER footpockets, it made me wonder about one thing...

I just planned to order a bigger pair of OMER footpockets from scubastore - but will my SpecialFins blades fit into those new footpockets? Right now they are in place with screws. Do you know how heavily are the new footpockets modified?

Also, do socks actually help against heel rubbing? At the moment, the OMER footpockets I use fit very tightly without socks. The problem is that after about 30-45 minutes in the water they start to hurt my heel and I will eventually get blisters. So would a pair of socks and a bigger pair of footpockets help? Or is the footpocket itself the problem and I need to try an entirely different footpocket model? (btw, they feel really comfy until they start to hurt).

[JPPLAY]

Originally Posted by SanderP

Also, do socks actually help against heel rubbing? At the moment, the OMER footpockets I use fit very tightly without socks. The problem is that after about 30-45 minutes in the water they start to hurt my heel and I will eventually get blisters. So would a pair of socks and a bigger pair of footpockets help? Or is the footpocket itself the problem and I need to try an entirely different footpocket model? (btw, they feel really comfy until they start to hurt).

Try using just ordinary socks when you dive. I have seen lots of underwater hockey players use house hold socks to make their feet more comfortable. IT the cheapest solution. After that I would try using a different style of footpocket. If you can try before you buy that is always the best way.

[spaghetti]

Sander you didn't ask me but every Omer footpocket user that I know (included myself) wears socks to avoid blisters but that's no problem as far as I can see: wearing socks is good unless you dive in the very warm waters of Estonia .
I've heard of a new edition of the Millennium footpocket with shorter bladeholders being distributed and more different sizes to match the fit of more people, but don't have more details or fino to share by now.

[SanderP]

No wearing socks is not a problem at all, in fact, I already have a pair but they just don't fit with my current footpockets. And of course, thanks spaghetti and JPPLAY!

Sorry Jon for asking the question, just thought it wasn't important enough to have its own thread. Oh, and if anyone has any information about the new OMER footpockets, let me know.

[Fondueset]

My ice fins are like a comfy pair of slippers. I can wear them all day without even knowing they are there - underwater of course. Lately, however, I have become completely addicted to my monofin.

Interesting about the new Omer footpockets.

New video of (in order) the biggest freshwater drum I've ever seen, and the most at one time.

Major Drumage

Resolution suffers from compression of course. I've also set a new proximity record with these fish. Seems they love you when you are headed down - as long as you don't move to much - and they'll close in toward your head and try to be there at the moment of impact. Got within about 8 inches of a huge one. Interestingly all the fish are a bit camera shy - must look like a big eyeball.

[Jon]

Footpockets

The only fins I have ever tried that didn't need some kind of a sock are Cressi's. Everything else I have ever used, including my Sporasub Cruise's (that I used for underwater hockey), I have need some type of sock to prevent blisters. With hockey fins I just used some thin nylon biking socks to prevent blisters, but for everything else I use wetsuit socks.

I use a size 42-44 footpocket on all of my fins. I find that I need a 3mm sock for my Sporasub and Picasso pockets and a 5-6mm sock for my OMER pockets- in the exact size size. For my NEMO pockets I use a 5mm sock and for my old Esclapez and Spetton footpockets I wore a 6mm sock. I've never owned Beuchat fins so I can tell you how they compare size wise.

I have no idea what else they've changed on the new OMER footpockets- just what I needed to do to modify their new blades to fit into my old footpockets. It looks like a nice system, but I don't have any idea how compatible they will be with SpecialFins, C4's, M-technic's, Waterway's, Picasso's, or any other ones on the market. I'm not even sure how well they will work with OMER's own Record blades- will they have a carbon fiber nub on the bottom of the blades or will they just be glued in?


The ICE blades are some of the softest, without being outright floppy, fins I've ever used. I can easily see spending hours in them with no discomfort. I still have a pair of C4-30's for my winter diving and a couple of monofins hanging around for deeper stuff.

[Morg]

Wow the new ones look nice... Has anyone run into their blades clicking underwater?

I notice mine do that from time to time. I noticed this the last time I used them (In a pool).

Hope you enjoy the fins as much as I do mine

[SanderP]

If anyone's interested...

So I went by at the SpecialFins office today and got myself a new pair of OMER footpockets. These new models aren't really different at all, there is only a slight modification, which is a hole, located under the sole. Had no problems installing my SF blades into them.

Here are a couple of pictures. Sorry about the blurry quality, I was too lazy to make better ones.

[naiad]

The Ice fins are very good. I am no good at dynamic and most fins are too hard for me, but I don't find the Ice fins tiring. They are the best long fins I have tried. I prefer the Cressi footpocket, but the Omer is still quite good.

[cdavis]

Sander,

Get a pair of your wife's/girlfriends thin nylon socks. Work great for blisters and take up no room in the pocket.

Jon,

I tried a pair of ice fins, very soft and very smooth, I liked'em. Curious if they get stiffer in cold water. When you get them into both temps, let me know.

Thanks,

Connor