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VOIT UDT Duck Feet Fins

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.
U

ultra

Well-Known Member
Jul 6, 2005
19
0
86
*Legal Disclaimer: I am new to freediving, and I am not trying to recommend these fins*

I just ordered these fins (I now know that they are called 'fins' not 'flippers') because they are used in Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training. Do you know how well they will work for freediving? Thanks.

VOIT UDT Duck Feet Fins
 
I have never used those but they have to be very inefficient for freediving; yet probably better than the cheapo plastic fins. I've seen some use them to swim freestyle. If you want a good fin for freediving and cannot afford carbon fins then look up the Gara 3000, there is a lot of info on them here in the forums. This is the bifin that I use since I also cannot afford carbon bifins.
 
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Reactions: scottwilson
Yes, it doesn’t surprise me that they aren't great for freediving. I just wanted to check though.

Thanks. I'll look into freediving fins as well.
 
I used those fins back in the early 1960s, and of course when I went though Navy Diving School. They are extremely hard on your feet and require a very thick bootie. I suppose that they are capable of generating a lot of power if your legs are capable of using them, but I don't think they would make a very good freedive fin.

Fin design has come a long way since then. I'm currently using Matrix #2 fiberglass blades in Picasso Black Team foot pockets, and would not even consider trying to find out if I might have kept those old UDT fins.
 
Thanks Bill. I have to get familiar with them because they are used in SEAL training.

Did you work with SEALs?
 
John M. said:
Thanks Bill. I have to get familiar with them because they are used in SEAL training.

Did you work with SEALs?
Click to expand...

No I didn't. I was an artillery officer at the time I went to diving school. I had already been to jump school and was going to try to get into Marine Recon, even though its generally populated by infantry types, but then I got another whim and went to flight school instead and spent the rest of my career as a jet pilot.

I think it was just as well. That Recon stuff is dangerous.
 
Heh, what does 'dangerous' mean?

Do you see SEALs on San Clemente? They do lots of training there.
 
John M. said:
Heh, what does 'dangerous' mean?

Do you see SEALs on San Clemente? They do lots of training there.
Click to expand...

Yes, we see them sometimes doing their thing. In particular, when we anchor in Northwest Harbor for the night, we sometimes see them launch their inflatables over the beach and go roaring off into the dark and make big bangs and flashes.

One time when I was about to spend the night in Pyramid Cove at the east end of the island, a couple of RIBs with 50 cals mounted on the bow came speeding around the point and told us that we had to leave because they were going to be firing until 3 AM. We pointed out that this had not been listed on the Navy web site that shows what parts of the island are closed for training, but of course we left anyway.

I don't have a 50 cal on the bow of my boat, and my crew is not all that well trained anyway.
 
John M. said:
Thanks for the response, that sounds awesome!
Click to expand...

This talk of San Clemente Island prompted me to post a report of a trip on the Trip Report Forum. Unfortunately, I was only permitted to post one photo since the others would have put me over my quota.

The way I read that, I can never again post a photo unless I go back and delete them from old threads. Is that correct?
 
I'll check it out!

(I don't know about the photo limits if you were asking me.)
 
John M. said:
I'll check it out!

(I don't know about the photo limits if you were asking me.)
Click to expand...

No, I didn't expect you to know, but I was hoping a moderator would clarify it. When I got the notice that further attachments would exceed my limit, I got an invitation to view my previous attachments. I presumed that this meant that I would have to delete some if I ever wanted to attach another.
 
UDTs are some of the best big wave bodysurfing fins made. I grew up in them, and my feet don't mind. I would get a larger size and tie them to my ankles, and they worked great.

They are to sadistic for freediving hard core, but are decent for snorkeling or shallow spearfishing.
 
UDTs are the reason my ankles are as weak as theya re. I grew up with them, and my father constantly telling me to keep my knees straight. Teh result was my ankles gave out before my knees did. Now I use medium SpacialFins Blue Water specials in Picasso footpockets, and find they provide plenty of force for me to get as deep as I might desire.
The UDTs will also get you down, though. By the late 50s my father was getting past 100 ft on occasion with his UDTs.
Howard
 
Thanks Howard. In my case, I will need to use mine for my pre-military training. I just got them today, so I'll post what I think of them in the pool.
 
I have been down below 100ft with both the Voit Duckfeet (original UDT-type fins a design dating back to WW2), and the ScubaPro Jets (issued to UDT/SEAL teams in the late 70's & early 80's)-and this is in the last year.

But I have the leg power to make these heavy/stiff fins work. But for freediving now, I am using a longer more flexible blade or a monofin. I still wear Duckfeet to bodysurf and water patrol and the ScubaPro Jets for open water rescue and SCUBA diving. They would work fine for a beginner...and will strengthen your legs too......
 
It depends what kind of free diving you're doing. If you're going for a record depth or hunting in open water then you don't want Duck Feet. If you're abalone diving or anything where kelp and dexterity might be involved then Duck Feet are probably the best fin ever. But there's a problem; over the years Duck Feet have had changes to the design. The first ones, like the military used early, were very stiff and had a square rather than rounded top to the foot pocket causing too much discomfort. On the other hand I did have a pair once that I thought a bit too flexible but it was still a great pair of fins. Once Voit went to the rounded pocket and got the flexibility right you couldn't beat them - unless you were born with fins instead of feet. The new ones are far too stiff again and hard on the ankles but do have the rounded pocket. If you're a body surfer who happens to have ankles made of steel, then the new ones might work. They're very powerful. If you get a chance to try an old pair and dive in the conditions where they are best suited, you'll see why so many people prefer them. If I was to redesign the Duck Feet, I'd make the pocket a tad larger to accommodate the larger sole on most new booties and keep the flexibility they had in the late 70's early 80's. With this redesign, I doubt that one could find a better all around fin for both scuba and free diving in conditions where thick soled boots are standard equipment.
 
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