Monofin falling apart- how to fix?

[Jon]

My 2 year old Specialfins monofin has started to disintegrate right before my very eyes.

I just noticed it this week and it appears that the footpockets have started to spilt and peel right off of the blade. The fiberglass, of the blade itself, is also starting to flake off and seperate.

The fin is too old to be covered under any kind of warranty, but I was wondering if anyone had any idea on how to fix it. It looks like I need to both glue the footpocket back together as well as glue the pocket back onto the blade.

Thanks,

Jon

[Yidaki]

hey Jon, If u want to get rid off, I will gladly accept it. Just send me, obviously I am joking..

I am sorry man for your fin, but people dies, so no worries...

That fglass pieces from peeling off is still sticky (howsoft) or dry dry? Also mounting screws are still good? and dilamination is how bad?

All I can suggest is, if fglass dilamination is bad, u should use good epoxy to fill again low spots to bond better..And do not forget to clean all peeled pieces from footpockets before applyin epoxy, for cleaning u can use aceton.. Also, mix epoxy with CABOSIL until u get toothpaste density..When u get nice creamy epoxy puddy, u can use for filler and as a glue.. CABOSIL is a kind of chemical stuff that looks like white powder..u can find it at marine suppliers in a quart or pint can..

If it is not that bad, use just glue to bond them again.. For Glue, Erik suggested Cyanoacrylate (Loctide) glues long time ago, other day, I saw Loctide in Home Depot for 5 bucks. Also I recommend ITW Plexus Glue...This is in marine suppliers too or order from glue companies via internet...

whatever u r gonna use, u should need liitle scuff the area anyhow (if u can grinding or sanding), do not try to glue dirty surfaces...

Hope it helps,..
Cheers,
Burak

[oferdegi]

From the photos, Jon, it seems like the trouble is in the fiberglass itself, i.e., the edges are not watertight, and some water seeps into the glassfiber and disintegrates it, making it part in the points of max. stress. Yidaki's advice is great, I'd just add that it would probably be best to remove the footpockets completely (I don't know which solvent would work best), get an uninterrupted surface of fiberglass to work on, with all edges exposed. Then sand it down to get all the loose stuff off, until you reach "healthy" material. Fill in and sand as suggested, and finally, get some very good sealing along all edges, and put a finishing coat on the whole fin surface, if you're at it (I don't know which materials are in fashion these days, it's been years since I worked with glassfiber - and hated it - but if you can find something more flexible than the kind of jel-coat used for glassfiber boats, that would be great).
Good luck!
Ofer
P.s. On closer inspections of the pictures, it seems like the footpockets themselves are pretty worn out, maybe you need new ones, too? At least it looks like this fin has worked long, hard & well, if that's any consolation...

[DeepThought]

Jon, that's what you get for diving in liquid nitrogen.

[spaghetti]

For fixing blade to footpocket we use a glue called Attak (that's its brand name in Italy): two gouts and you're ok. But if the footpocket splits itself, well, i'm afraid there's not much to do...

[Jon]

Well, you've got to hand it to Jyri, he offered to fix my fin for free if I just ship it back to Estonia. That's pretty classy considering how much use the fin has gotten and how old it is.

Unfortunatly, the cost of shipping it both ways could buy me a brand new standard monofin from Specialfins instead.

Since the fin has been so well used, I think that I am back to just trying to patch it myself. So, I first need a glue to fix the OMER footpockets, maybe Mark L. has a suggestion, and then I also need another glue for the blade to foot-pocket contact point.

It looks like I can get the crynolite at a hardware store so I might try and buy some this weekend. It's going to be next to impossible to take the footpockets off since they are molded around the blade with the rubber wing portion that has been added onto it. In addition, I see there are no access points to the screws that would hold them on- unlike a pair of bi-fins.

I guess I'll try to pry them up and glue the $h!t out of them to see what happens.

Jon

[Asturven]

Jon,

I will send you the right name of the glue to fix the boots.

You can try, they look pretty bad but you do not have anything to lose.

Tee problem of the blade is the lamination, you better send them to Estonia if you want to save them.

Cheers

Ivan

[Asturven]

Jon,

The email was sent.

Cheers

Ivan

[Jon]

I just wanted to thank everyone for the emails and the postings here on how to fix it- especially which glue to buy.


BUT, I got a MUCH better offer!

Jyri told me that he would cover the return postage and even offered to build me a brand new monofin if he couldn't fix my existing one!

You can't beat that for service.

Now, where did I put that fin box?

Jon

[cdavis]

Hi Jon,

Glad to see Special Fins maintaining their spectacular level of service. Jyri treated me mightly well, too.

I'm curious as to why this happened. Omer pockets are pretty tough, and I've never heard of damage like yours. Is it possible that bifin pockets are just not up to the stress a monofin develops? Have you used yours much more than most fins are used, or in a way that is unusual? Any ideas?

Connor

[Yidaki]

There you go Jon, that is the right thing supposed to be..Nice to know, there are good companies in this sport and has business ethic.
By the way, for that blue fins, looks like been used Surfboard resin, just curiosity..himm..

Anyway, hope everything works out for u.. Before I forget for the shipping package, why don't u get one roll bubble wrap. U can wrap it up firmly and then with the thick package paper finish it up.....

Burak

[Absolute]

That is super cool Jon!

Jyri and Special Fins are geat to deal with. I just (I mean like yesterday) recieved my Specail Fin Carbon Freediving Monofin. (Just typing that makes me smile )

Everyone around here is in awe.....I think I am the only guy on the island that has one!

50m here I come!

[icarus pacific]

After holding up my pairs of Omer footpockets next to your photos, Jon, it appears to me to be a bunch of things, primarily that the bond between the blade and footpocket is to small to take the stress and flex of the blade.

Think of it like a fence post installed in a coffee can sized hole and one installed in a ole the size of a small kid. The larger area supported by the larger concrete filled hole is able to take the shear.

Glad to hear that they're covering your loss. Smooth points to 'em!

[Jon]

I just got my monofin back from Specialfins- where the fixed for FREE, even though it was well out of any kind of warranty!

They also gave me a SWEET price on any new monofin I chose- so I chose a dolphin carbonfiber one.

I haven't gotten a chance to try it yet, but the foopockets already seem MUCH more comfortable than my Waterway's and the whole fin has got to be less than HALF the weight of my OMER pocketed monofin. I know that Sam loves her fiberglass version, and we all no what Martin has doen with his , so I'm really looking forward to giving it a shot.

BTW: Jyri has left Speccialfins and is now a Scuba rep over in the Estonia part of the world. I spent a good deal of time dealing with Karmo and he delivered on everything Jyri promised.

3 years later I still remain very impressed with Specialfins!

Jon

[oferdegi]

Congrats, Jon!
Incredible deal, & very cool looking new carbon fin - hope you put it to lots & lots of good use!
Would love to hear how it feels in the water once you get down to it.
Ofer