FII nose clip!

[DivingDane]

Hi Guys

well i ordered through a family member in the US a FII nose clip and FII float setup (Martin stepaniks)

so i figured i'd give you a bit of a personal review on the product, those of you who know me personally know i am pretty pedantic about my gear and for those of you who dont know me well now you know "i'm pendantic about my gear"

so here goes:

customer service:

i contacted FII via their web page and within a very short time recieved a polite and informative email from Martin outlining and answering all my questions, so very professional

the order was made through a third party so cant speak for them (it was a family member)

apparently payment was easy and postage quick.

so all in all service gets the thumbs up from me.

Product quality:

now i've only used one other nose clip the Paradisio which did its job well and the finish was ok. however the FII nose clip is incredible!!!!!! finish is superior to the Paradisio it is sold delrin so can basically run over it with your car, the unit is CNC machined by the looks of it from a solid block of delrin not cast, this maked the unit very solid and feels great in the hand.

there are no unfinished edges are dag marks (nor should there be) the cushions on the nose piece are felt which secured well on my nose both dry and wet.

the bar and locking mechanism are a bit chunkier than the Paradisio although the unit does feel and look a little more compact, something i am thankful for after my last problem at depth with my paradisio being knocked off my nose and tangling aroiund the set line and my lanyard! yes the neck cord of my clip was around my neck its just one of those "impossible events" anyway back to the FII.

the clip engages positively in comfortable increments so as to ensure it caters for most noses (so far 4 different noses have tried the unit, and the people attached to those noses like the clip quite a bit).

as for longevity i am unsure as the clip is only new but by the materials and build quality i think i wont need to be looking for another clip again (short of my girlfriend pinching it of course).

so to sum it up:

Good points:
- knowladge and service
- appearence
- build quality
- comfort
- fit
- materials

Negative;
- Price? maybe mind you all of the equivelant clips are about the same
- Branding! no branding or anything on the clip, if i were martin i'd be plastering the FII logo on this baby its a product worth being proud of.

DD

 

[Aldan]

I share the very same opinion on the clip. I got it a while ago and still am very happy with it. I can say the price was not bad at all (I got it for czech crowns from David Cani - Martin's friend, Czech national freediving team coach and last but not least my FIT course instructor).

The only thing I can say as negative is that it doesn't fit all noses. Friend of mine has probably special equipment in the middle of his face and the clip did not hold firm. Not as it bothers me, right?

 

[island_sands]

I have a nose clip which i bought from a UK supplier. No idea what brand it is but have to say it just doesn't stay on my nose. As soon as i descend or push off from the side it falls off, the grip is hopeless as well. I either have to grow larger nostrils or find an alternative.

Does anyone else have a smallish nose and what brand of noseclip do you use?

 

[Stuart]

i have added one or two layers of cycle inner tube (same as you use for a neck weight) to my noseclips for a perfect fit. Just cut round a suitable coin and glue on. If you can find chamois leather to add on top - even better. This process makes all noseclips work for all nose sizes.

 

[efattah]

There is a new nose clip which is by far the best -- it is made by Trygons. Herbert Nitsch used it in his latest records and let me try it -- WOW! I must get one. It is made of metal and the shape is different than previous nose clips.

 

[salibandy]

Sarah, I have both the FII and Paradisia ones, and personally, I prefer the FII as it fits better. I have a pretty tiny nose.