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:
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.
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:
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.
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