How classic natural-rubber full-foot snorkelling fins are made

[DRW]

The following video shows the process of manufacturing natural-rubber full-foot snorkelling fins from raw material to finished product. The setting appears to be the Pacific Moulding plant in California and the fins are light blue Oceanways Aquapros.

The finished product:

A close-up of a foot pocket:

British actress Helen Mirren going snorkelling with a pair of Oceanways Aquapro fins while on vacation in Hawaii:

DRW

 

[DRW]

The following footage also shows the process of manufacturing natural-rubber full-foot snorkelling fins from raw material to finished product. The setting appears to be the Alphaplastic plant in the Russian capital Moscow and the products are marbled Дельфин (Del'fin=Dolphin) fins.

Processing and milling the rubber:


Moulding, quality-controlling, trimming and packing the fins:


The finished product:

Sole embossed with sizing information (pocket length: 285-295 mm) and national standard product compliance (GOST 22469-77) :

Russian instructions on slip of paper enclosed with fins, accompanied here by an English translation:

Modelling the fins:

DRW

 

[DRW]

Malaysia not only has large rubber tree plantations but also several rubber processing plants where natural rubber snorkelling fins are made for export to western countries. By way of example, the Adila Manufacturing factory:

And the Principal Win plant:

In an online Divernet article entitled "My favourite kit", Australian professional underwater photographer Pete Atkinson below expressed himself very satisfied with his all-rubber full-foot open-toe SF 158 fins made in the Adila Manufacturing rubber goods plant in Malaysia: "I currently use the best fins I have ever used, but no dive store in Cairns will stock them, as they aren't profitable enough. They are orange and blue, Malaysian rubber fins by Eyeline, available from a local sports shop for £20. From new, I could snorkel for a couple of hours without any hint of blisters. They are stiff enough that I can push a Seacam housing around all day. For the diving I do, such full-foot fins are by far the best. Manufacturers continue to dream up fancy expensive gimmicks to extract more money from us. I'll concede that a few of these might actually be useful but, offhand, I can't think of any."

DRW

 

[DRW]

Rubber fins still dominate the snorkelling and scuba diving market in the world's third-largest economy, Japan. Such fins are typically available there in a rainbow of different colours too, exploding the myths that coloured rubber fins are short-lived acquisitions and that bright colours can only be achieved with plastic fins. Kinugawa is probably the largest rubber fin manufacturer in Japan, but other brands are available.

Image of the fin production area at the Kinugawa plant in 1984 when a new fin line was introduced, the Gull Mew

Gull Mew fins for barefoot and booted use

Raw materials: natural rubber and synthetic elastomer

Natural rubber processing and coloured rubber blends

Heat and pressure moulding and untrimmed fins removed from moulds

Gull Emden fins for barefoot use

Snorkellers about to don Gull Emden fins

DRW

 

[cdavis]

Thanks DRW. always interesting

My wife had a pair of the OceanWays fins, or, at l least the same mold. I think they were called "Corsa" at the time.
She loved'em. We could not find a exact replacement when her fins finally died. Now she uses a ScubaPro split fin, plastic and not anywhere near as comfy, but a bit more thrust.

 

[DRW]

Thanks DRW. always interesting

My wife had a pair of the OceanWays fins, or, at l least the same mold. I think they were called "Corsa" at the time.
She loved'em. We could not find a exact replacement when her fins finally died. Now she uses a ScubaPro split fin, plastic and not anywhere near as comfy, but a bit more thrust.

Thanks, cdavis, for the response. I have a pair of light blue Oceanways fins and I also love them for their wearing comfort and because they suit my gentle snorkelling style. Life is already too much of a rush and snorkelling for me is a joy to be savoured slowly in tranquillity. It saddens me that fins are no longer made in the UK in the tried and tested, virtually hand-made way, deploying Mother Nature's version of rubber rather than some oil-based thermoplastic substitute that never feels quite the same in use. Fortunately, a number of manufacturers around the world have stuck with their old fin presses as they process the tapped natural secretions from long-established rubber-tree plantations in the Far East. Unfortunately, too few British basic diving equipment distributors are prepared to import these natural rubber fins because the profit margins aren't big enough...

DRW

 

[DRW]

In conclusion, here is another contribution designed to shed a little light on the process of manufacturing all-rubber fins. The factory in this instance is outside Athens, the Greek capital. The Hellenic Republic remains an excellent source of well-made rubber fins, particularly full-foot snorkelling ones, and the plant in this case is where Balco brand diving equipment is manufactured, including fins, masks, snorkels, snorkel-masks and spearguns. The firm has been in business since the early 1950s, maintaining a tradition for high standards of quality and workmanship throughout.

The Balco workshop area where raw materials are prepared and converted in compression moulds to finished products: all-rubber fins

The fins hanging up to dry in the foreground are the Balco Superjet model with vented blades like the French-made Beuchat full-foot Jet Fin.

 

[DRW]

Here is an online auction image of a pair of Balco Superjets:

Balco Superjet closed-heel vented fins (discontinued)

 

[DRW]

Two more examples of Balco all-rubber full-foot fins still in production:

1. Balco Sprint

2. Balco Hydrodyn