Stretching Foot Pockets

[..Sam..]

I have a finis competitor which in the first place is not known for its comfort but nun the less I like it but, I have never really been able to wear it with socks because it is to tight across the top, width and everything else is good I just have fat feet so it gets a bit tight.

So to the point. Is there a way to slightly stretch the top rubbery bit of the foot pockets so as not to make it so bad with my 3mm socks on?

Cheers,
Sam

 

[..Sam..]

Experimenting it is....
So far I have a cup in each pocket to stretch it.

Test 1 With the hair dryer didn't do anything....I don't think.

Test 2 hot water.....updates to come.

 

[Bill]

Sam
Years ago the first all rubber long fins came in two sizes, too small and way too small, We took a pair of heavy duty scissors and cut the top of the foot pockets down the centre, then took a red hot bike spoke and poked five equally spaced holes on each side of the slit and laced them up with heavy duty shoe laces. You can tie the laces to make them comfortable leaving just enough room to put on without untying and use a strap (velcro now-a-days) to make them very tight when you need max performance. It's just like having two sets of fins with you by making a slight adjustment. No reason it wouldn't work with a monofin.

 

[..Sam..]

Thanks Bill,
That sounds brilliant but I think I'll leave it as a last resort. I'm very much a trial and error person and would need a few goes at it to get it right. But thanks for the input if I every get a new fin I may do this to the old one for some adjustment.

 

[..Sam..]

Hot water didn't go well either.....may have to have a go at your suggestion Bill.
Or just live with it.
Thanks for the help though.

 

[jome]

Heh, sounds just like me 2 years ago.

Stretching didn't do anything. I ended up cutting the footpockets and patching them up with some extra rubber. But it was never quite right. I'd say your best bet is buying a fins with comfortable footpockets (now the trick is finding one ).

 

[info@janploeg.n]

Thanks for the lacing up suggestion, Bill, for if all else fails. I get bumps on top of my feet as my foot pockets are also pretty tight. A less invasive way I used is on the thightest spot make an incision there with on either end a hole (like which one uses for leather) to prevent it from tearing.

 

[yustian]

Experimenting it is....
So far I have a cup in each pocket to stretch it.

Test 1 With the hair dryer didn't do anything....I don't think.

Test 2 hot water.....updates to come.

is the cup trick working??

 

[DRW]

Sam
Years ago the first all rubber long fins came in two sizes, too small and way too small, We took a pair of heavy duty scissors and cut the top of the foot pockets down the centre, then took a red hot bike spoke and poked five equally spaced holes on each side of the slit and laced them up with heavy duty shoe laces. You can tie the laces to make them comfortable leaving just enough room to put on without untying and use a strap (velcro now-a-days) to make them very tight when you need max performance. It's just like having two sets of fins with you by making a slight adjustment. No reason it wouldn't work with a monofin.

I understand your reluctance to "mutilate" a perfectly good pair of fins, Sam, and I know you've decided against the lace-up option, but I just wanted to show for everyone's benefit how some commercial Russian and Ukrainian fins used to come with laces as standard:

1. Akvanavt Shark

2. Mosrezina Tyulen

3. "Tri Pukli"

 

[David Nelson]

I wedged a glass bottle in the pockets then ran hot water over them (my shower water can get - extremely - hot).

They went from extremely painful to wear - to fitting comfortably "like a glove".