Alterations for fins and footpockets

[Jlegrow]

Quick question as I leave for a trip Friday and I like to leave everything until the last second apparently.

After a lottttt of trying different fins and fin pockets, I've found that Cressi Gara Modular fit me best. However, I really like the Mako soft fiberglass blades I bought.

The two do not appear to fit together. The issue is the Cressi tendons aren't as wide (thick? I don't know how to describe) as the rubber rails on the Mako blades. They can go on, but they are *not* secure. And due to travel, I don't intend to glue as I need to take them apart.

Can you trim/thin the rubber rails (just where it would be under the tendons that extend from the foot pockets) and not ruin the blades? I've never had these kinds of fins before and don't want to screw anything up, but honestly I want to be comfortable in the water and this really seems to be the only way I think it'll happen unless I just say screw it and wear the Cressi Modular Sprint and deal with a stiffer blade being in the open ocean 5-6 hours a day (I will not be diving however or scuba, swimming alongside humpbacks and slowly sinking to take photos - but everyone has told me a softer fin will be infinitely better in the long run).

Advice? Thanks in advance!!

 

[Brett Hatch]

I don't know enough about freediving fins to answer this question, sorry. But, I'd recommend giving the good folks at Mako a call. Dano and his team have always given me good quality support, can't recommend them enough.

 

[happy-diver]

But, she likes the Cressi pocket

So trim away and buy a camera

 

[Nemrod]

Quick question as I leave for a trip Friday and I like to leave everything until the last second apparently.

After a lottttt of trying different fins and fin pockets, I've found that Cressi Gara Modular fit me best. However, I really like the Mako soft fiberglass blades I bought.

The two do not appear to fit toge but everyone has told me a softer fin will be infinitely better in the long run).

Advice? Thanks in advance!!

Did you get some fins socks?

What softer fin is being recommended by the people who you talk with?

I would not modify the fins as the result might be that in your trip they come apart just as you have a pod of whales that you have travelled so far to see.

It seems some years back that I was researching how not to dress like an American so as to be incognito when traveling. Every article ended with "but be sure to wear comfortable shoes and cloths" and that translates to "Amurikans" as white athletic shoes (with Velco straps), base ball caps and tee shirts with all kinds of advertising on them worn with those ghastly cargo shorts with a dozen pockets and strings hanging down.

My question to you, do you have the legs to push the stiffer fins? And why are we buying free diving fins vs a more common and smaller snorkel fin?

 

[Jlegrow]

Fin socks aren't necessary because the Mako foot pockets are already tight and fin socks would make them even tighter. And the next size are way too big. With the Cressi, they fit like a glove with just a spandex sock. Which is why I want to make the Mako blades fit with the Cressi foot pocket one way or another.

I already have my camera housing and DSLR ready to go.

As for the soft fins, everyone I've spoken to recommended a softer fin because we will be swimming 5-6 hours a day in the open ocean and told me a stiffer fin will tire my legs faster. Hence, buying a soft fiberglass Mako fin.

 

[sea_ledford]

If you are talking about trimming the rubber rails on the side of the blade, you can trim them. Mako even sells replacements (Replacement Fin Rails). But it sounds like the fin blades are too thick for the gap the blades are held in on the foot pockets? Is that just due to the thinner base section of the rail (close to the foot pocket), vs the wider rail (closer to the fin tip)?

Depending on how close the fit is, you may be able to just heat up the foot pocket tendons to make them more pliable to get the blades to fit. Hard to tell with out seeing what the actual problem is.

 

[Jlegrow]

No I was referring to the rubber rails - they're too thick for the Cressi tendons on their foot pockets. I'm talking about the things that stuck out and grab onto the blade - the ones with Cressi aren't as open wide as the ones on the Mako foot pocket, and Mako's fin rails are also thicker as well.

Am I making sense? Maybe I'm using the wrong terminology. But I was worried if I cut/trimmed that rubber that would somehow damage them, but you're right that people end up taking them off and replacing them entirely so thinning them down should be okay. The blade width themselves are fine (although I did realize the holes don't match up in the pocket as I initially thought for the assembly plastic things and screws - they are SO close and off by mere centimeters and can't be pushed in any further. A dive shop told me on the phone I could widen the holes but that makes me super nervous I'll screw them up entirely).

 

[Jlegrow]

Here's a photo that probably doesn't help but it's all I can do. On the left, the tendons are off the Cressi and on the right, tendons are off the Mako. So you can see the difference in what's underneath. The Mako is just wide enough not to fit comfortably when I try to attach the Cressi tendon - like it feels like it's gonna pop off like a can of Pillsbury dough.

 

[Jlegrow]

So I managed to actually get the tendons on without actually trimming (maybe because this is a different pair of Cressi and perhaps the tendons were more pliable?)...but the very end is where it all falls apart. They continuously pop off even when clipped - it's like the clips can't quite keep on the rails. That's where I'm debating trimming - the Cressi clips were made for a thinner area than the rails here. Or maybe I just glue them when I arrive in Tahiti and skip the clips altogether?

Also, the holes don't line up at all after I pushed the blade all the way into the pocket so is it fairly easy to drill new ones?

 

[Still Kicking]

Mating pockets and blades from different companies is always iffy. Trim if you like but they still may not grab properly. You can try gluing but it's not always 100% reliable either, even if you use the good glue.

If you do glue, clamp the heck out of the rails and allow to cure 24 hours.