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foot pocket problem

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.

Jon

Dairyland diver
Supporter
Apr 7, 2001
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I am having a problem with my C4's staying in my footpockets. I have them screwed in, but the ouside rails keep popping off. Any suggestions on what to do?
 
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Hi Jon,

I have the same problem with my C4s. I make two loops out of cable tie-wraps and tighten them one at the angled spot where they start to part (in your photo) and another near the tip of the railing.

So far so good. The tie wraps are tight as guitar strings, don't generate much drag. But I keep away from marine plants (kelp, eel grass) so they don't catch anything.

Just a suggestion.

Dive safe,

Peter S.
 
What about bonding them in place with some to of epoxy? What do people use on their carbon fins to hold them together?
 
Jon,

check this out: http://www.heki.de/prod05.htm
i know it is in German, but if you follow the link to the PDF document, there are some diagrams of what the author suggests using silicon.
I'm happy to translate the German if you need ...
btw - what make are the footpockets?

regards,
eckhard
 
I had an older pair of Mares footpockets on them- which are made by Sporasub. I thought that I might try a new pair of Sporasub foot pockets I had lying around on them to see if the would improve things. Well, I just got back from the pool and they still pop out.

I also noticed that the carbon fiber rail, along the side of the blade, is starting to separate from one of my blades. I would think that I should glue that back onto the blade before I bond the blade to the pockets. Any suggestions on what I can use to glue a carbon fiber rail back onto a carbon fiber blade? :confused: :confused:


Jyri, what should I use for the thin rubber rails on the blades- aquarium tubing?


Thanks for the ideas.

Jon
 
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Here's a shot of the blade with a piece of paper slid inbetween the blade and the, now separating, rail.

Jon
 
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Here's a close-up of the rail and the blade.

I want to glue this back on before I bond anything to the rubber footpocket.

Jon
 
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How about sending the fins I'm supposed to review? :hmm

Jon- if you don't get the rails... head over to the plastics place and get some West Systems epoxy and hardener or to the hardware store foe some 5 minute epoxy. That stuff will hold it. Then score some 5200 sealant by 3M and bond the blade to the footpockets. This stuff holds the world together where it counts.
 
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Thanks again Sven!

Check your C.P. as you've been "karma-lazied";)

Jon
 
Jon,

I had the same problem with my C4s and simply crazy glued the small separating rail to the blade. The sides of the footpocket now secure onto the blade/rail without any problem.

Whatever you choose to secure the rail with, make sure you don't use too much. It's important to keep a little ridge that the footpocket can grip onto. If the glue smooths this out it could cause the footpocket to slip off.

If I understand correctly, some of the posts recommend that you glue the footpocket directly to the blade. I'd avoid this incase you ever need to change blades in the future.

Jason
Ottawa, Canada
 
This is a problem that sometimes occurs with all replaceable-blades fins. Don't use silicone; it has quite poor peel and tensile strength. Crazy Glue (cyanoacrylate) is good to fasten the small edge to the blade.

For the blade to the pocket rail, use either 3M 5200 (black is harder to find than white) or even AquaSeal works well. If using AquaSeal, make sure to keep it horizontal while drying because it like to run. Also useful here is black polyurethane adhesive.

If you want the blade to still be removable, then go ahead and use black silicone - the edges can be peeled off and won't be permanent.

Hope this helps!

PaulV
 
I picked up some 5 minute, two-part epoxy to glue the edge of the fin back together. I also found some black, 3m 5200 to seal the blades into the foot pockets. I went two three hardware stores with no luck finding what I wanted. Then, I went to a boat store and found everything I needed in any color I wanted. I don't know why I didn't just go there first.:duh

I glued, and sealed, them together last night and am now just waiting for them to dry. It said dry within 24 hours but wait 7 days for best results. I don't know that I can wait that long, but I can at least wait until the weekend to try them out.:D

Thanks again for the suggestions.

Jon
 
Jim,

They are the best fins that I have ever had.


When I did Kirk's clinic a couple summers ago I had Picasso Black teams, and thought that they were pretty good. During the clinic I saw all of these people with carbon fiber fins. I decided to get a pair when I got home. I bought a pair of Sporasub PUue's and couldn't believe how easy they kicked. I also got a good deal on a pair of Radical's, in a larger foot pocket size for winter use, and thought that they worked better than the BT's but not as well as the Pure's, but they are a LOT more durable than the PURE's.

This past winter I sold off a couple stage bottles and decided to take the plunge on the C4's that everyone raved about. They are awsome, even if the footpockets do pop off now and then.;)

I had to teach a scuba class a couple weeks ago and went back to using my Black Teams for the openwater dives. I guess I am now totally spoiled, because my once prized Black Teams now suck! It felt like I had two heavy boards strapped on to my feet. I would have rather had on my smaller rubber hockey fins than put those things back on! I also tried out the Pure's in the pool the other day, just to compare them to the C4's, and they felt like toys. I didn't feel like I could move in them becasue they are so light and floppy. This might make them great for a looong surface swim, but the C4's could just push me so much further underwater with less, overall, effort.

Now, I am waiitng for Ted to get his new Sebak fins in to give them a try. I love my C4's, but a fin that you can acutally abuse, but stills gives a great performance, would really interest me.

For now I will use my C4's all the time, and lend out the others to people that go diving with me.

It could be my crappy kick, but my C4's seem to bring me back up a lot easier than my monofin too, plus they are comfortable enough to actually wear for more than 20 minutes.:waterwork

Jon
 
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