Fins like they used to be

[DRW]

The availability of Technisub Ala fins has been widely discussed on the World Wide Web and Underwater Hockey sites in particular. The Underwater Hockey directory at

The Underwater Hockey Directory

contains the following information:

* Nov. 2003 TrueBlue still placing orders for them, AUD$150.00 (aussie add 10% GST) +P&P
* Sept 2003 listed on this site Wannafind.dk
* November 2002, From Hockeynet "I talked with Technisub president. I told me they are not going to produce more Ala fins, because of dioxine emissions. So, if you can buy Ala fins in UK or in Slovenia or in Germany in the past years, in the next years it will be IMPOSSIBLE. I don't know if we could buy the mould, but I know that making them is impossible because of Italian law about dioxine emissions.

Doing those 250 telephone calls I discovered that you can find a lot of rubber made fins, like Rondine pro, or Rubber by Mares. You can buy them for 30 or 40 euros, ..."

* 2001 Info from Hockeynet, by Leone Tarozzi. Then informations on Ala fins from Italy:

Following a request from a Canadian friend and good player I phoned to Technisub to have direct informations on Ala fins for 2001. I had been told few months ago they were not going to build them any more in 2001.
This time the answer is:
o Ala fins are on Technisub catalogue still
o They are not making them for Italy because of insufficient request from our country (and they can't deal with privates )
o They will be making some for foreign countries only if the request is over 1-2 thousands, any fewer number being not commercially convenient
o To order them use the email: technisub@ AT @technisub.com, but remember point 3.
So, if some national groups gather, maybe it could still be possible to have them. No idea on prices, since it depends on countries, numbers made and other. Better ask them directly.
* in theUK http:tigger.phy.bris.ac.uk/~
* Splash Sports, Edinburgh,UK, kevin@ AT @splashsports.co.uk . They ship fins. Current price is about L55 ($l20 Can.) plus shipping
* TrueBlue, still placing orders for them Nov. 2003, AUD$150.00 (aussie add 10% GST) +P&P. They can be paid for by Credit Card.

So the outlook isn't good, considering too that the above information is 7-8 years old. More recently, I've even seen one wanted ad begging for Alas, any size, any price. It seems a shame that the Ala fin moulds are lying idle. A number of Italian rubber fin moulds have found their way to Turkey, where they have been brought back into service. One example is Mares' famous "Sea King" fins, which have helped millions learn to snorkel and which are now reincarnated as Free Sub/Adililar Kauçuk's "Süper Jet" fins:
Sea King

Süper Jet

On the subject of alternative all-rubber underwater hockey fins, a Portuguese UWH site proposes the Francis Nettuno:

NOVO SITE: www.hoqueisubportugal.wordpress.com: May 2008
The caption says: "Created by New Zealanders with the intention of replacing the old Ala purposes. all rubber was specially designed for this mode. I have not had contact with anyone who has experienced them."

Nettuno fins were manufactured by Francis of Italy. They appear on the company's website at

.:: FRANCIS ::.

but the site remains under construction.

 

[hon]

Thank you very much for teaching me of this really cool japanese company! I love the fact that I work for a japanese company. There's always someone going to Japan for some reason or another, so I know I can get some stuff pretty easily....now I just need to decide what I want :t

Now, regarding the topic of the retro-fin. I'm far too young to be aware of any of these fins...wonder what the next 25 years will bring...

EDIT: Umm......38.000 yen (400 euro) for their Gull barracuda line of fins.....I think I'll pass. For that money I can get a pretty decent monofin to play with.

You can get a pair of Barracuda for around 180 Euro in Hong Kong. If you have friends there, you can ask them to get them for you.

 

[Dannyk]

In message #43 of this thread I wrote about a long-bladed all-rubber fin, coded LW 702:

Well, Seemann Sub now markets these fins as "Stream Fins" under their new "Gear Sub" trademark. Their product description reads:

Ideal for beginners of this trend sport
Special Apnea fin with long fin blade and comfortable foot pocket, compounded of solid rubber. Its a light weight apnea fin, perfect for easy descent and beginning or recreational free-divers. The long blade gives extra power and control.
Blade length: 44 cm (size M), 46 cm (L), 47 cm (XL)

You can download an illustrated Seemann Sub catalogue from their website at
SUBGEAR | experience the difference

In the UK, the fins are sold online by Simply Snorkel at
Sub Gear Stream Fin | Snorkelling Fins | Simply Snorkel UK
I've just treated myself to a pair and am looking forward to trying them out in the North Sea some time in the near future when the weather's a little better. Though a little narrow-fitting for my liking, the soft foot pockets match my UK size 11 feet very well length-wise. I will let you know how they perform in the water.

Have you tried them yet?

I have a pair and found them too narrow for my size 11 feet. My arches are very high which is a problem with most foot pockets for me. I did spearfish with them for a couple hours, but have decided to sell them as they are just too tight. Plenty of room length wise and for my toes. My high arch lifting up on the foot pockets really puts on the squeeze on the sides in the middle of my foot.

 

[DRW]

Mine fit my UK size 11 (US size 12) feet quite snugly. Getting them on over the feet of my suit wasn't as easy as I would have liked. So far I've only tried them once in the sea as the conditions have been either too cold or too turbulent lately. These are my first long-bladed fins and they certainly felt unfamiliar both in terms of the distribution of weight and the effort expended. I suspect it'll take me a while to adjust to what is a very different kind of fin.

 

[Diversincedirt]

yep them Long L's bring back fond memories of my dad's spearin' days then handing them down to me, got many years of use out of them. How about the faralon fat tube snorkel, I still use it as my back up.

I have used a fat tube Nemrod snorkel for years now and still love it. It's been on the strap of my Cressi Lince which, I need to find a new (old) strap for.