Fin modification question

[Tomy Suero]

Hello Everyone,

Recently one of my fins cracked exactly where the rubber guide coming from the foot sock ends on the blade. I want to avoid this in the future, specially if I buy more expensive fins, and I wanted your opinion.

Can a carbon fiber fin benefit from being modified as shown in figure B? I think it could work but, I wanted to hear everyone's experiences before I go modding my equipment. Maybe you have better suggestions.

Thanks in advance for your input,

Tomy

 

[martin366]

Your fins are Omer Stingray, right ?
U can buy only blades for stingray footpockets
I can recommend: LeaderFins.com
*Glassfiber blades (pair) is 65€
*Carbon blades (pair) 90€
They ship all over the world.

 

[trux]

I wouldn't do it. First of all, at a properly designed fin, the rubber guides together with the right blades assure the proper fin geometry. If you remove them, the blade will flex much closer to the footpocket and the blade will lose its efficiency. And then, instead of cracking in the middle, the blade will crack near the footpocket even much easier (bigger square area and hence bigger forces acting on that place, without the guides). And lastly, the guides also serve for channelling the water laterally along the blade, hence without them, there will be more turbulences, water will slide to the sides, resulting so again in lower efficiency.

If you do cut the guides, make sure to purchase blades that are designed for such guide-less footpockets (such as the Breiers on the photo) - they are thicker at the root, and have rubber rails all along.

 

[Tomy Suero]

Thanks, for the advice trux. martin the blades are leaderfins carbon and the foot pocket are H.D.

 

[petar_dj]

Exactly as Trux said. The fins on the right are Brier with Immersion footpockets, which are designed to work best together, just as they are in Pic. B.

 

[cdavis]

Cracks at that point are fairly common, used to be endemic to the original cressi longfins, and are usually associated with very soft fins and a kick style that overpowers the fin. Overpowering results in a sharp bend right where the rails end. Trux is right on about cutting the rails, but whatever you do, to avoid this happening again, study your kick style. Might help to have someone video your kick. I was astonished at the video of how much I was overpowering a set of #1 waterways. A softer kick with soft blades will be much more efficient or, if you really want the acceleration, get a harder set of blades.

Connor

 

[Tomy Suero]

Thanks. Now I will be using carbon blades with H.D. footpockets, and carbon blades are strongest. Will be there any difference?

Tomy

 

[cdavis]

I don't know if carbons will be more or less susceptible to this kind of crack. Maybe someone else will chime in. Either way, fixing the underlying problem will improve your diving.

Connor