Duck foot -fyi- history

[Eric Sedletzky]

My favorite fin was the USD Otarie. Sadly, USD stopped making them years ago and my last pair finally succumbed to rot last year. I am now using a fin that Aqualung calls "Otarie" in Australia and sells in the US under the names of "Sea Star" by Deep See (an Aqualung company) and Deep Blue Gear's "Aquanaut." It's a good fin, just not quite as stiff as the old Otarie. David Wilson has told me of a fin made in Japan called the "Gull Hard Mew" that he says is very comparable to the old Otarie. They are a bit costly but I think I'll get a pair and try them out.

Post up some links to this stuff when you find out what doing.
Thanks

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Those photos are fantastic!!
Thanks for sharing. Are those Royal Aquamasters?

I'd like to see the new DIR school try and make a comment about those photos and how things were done back then. You guys were tough as nails and ripped! That was real diving. I'm envious, even though I was only 5 years old at the time, I'm still jealous.

As a matter of fact, I was on the phone today with a friend who just happens to have a pair of black UTD Duck Feet in size large. He also has a pair of the blue Aqualung fins that look almost the same as Duck Feet in size XL - my size. He said I could use them anytime I want.

Add:
The same guy I was refering to above used those Duck Feet to win several freediving spearfishing championships back in the early 70's also. That was the fin of choice for freedivers back then apparently. This was before long fins came out. I asked him what he and his buddies thought of jetfins back then and he said everybody thought they sucked. One guys opinion I guess?

ZKY,

Those were DA Aquamaster regulators--the Royal Aquamaster had yet to appear.

That guy you're talking about couldn't be Terry Lentz (sp?) could he? He was pretty well known during that time.

SeaRat

 

[james croft]

I will only use a curve mouthpiece with my double hose regulator because all others will block my downward vision. With my frameless mask (and the curve mouthpiece) I could look down at my chest and tie a neck tie if I was so inclined. What would I even want to wear a neck tie with a wet suit is beyond me, but it is nice to know that I could.

For the same reason that we wear tuxedos underneath our drysuits.

 

[Paladin]

Post up some links to this stuff when you find out what doing.
Thanks

The Gull Hard Mew fin can be purchased here:

Gull Mew Hard Fin | CanAm Underwater Hockey Gear

I'm going to try to order a pair in the next week or so.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

The Gull Hard Mew fin can be purchased here:

Gull Mew Hard Fin | CanAm Underwater Hockey Gear

I'm going to try to order a pair in the next week or so.

Thanks Paladin,
I added that website to my favorites and will be ordering them as well.
They look like a perfect cross between a modern long fin and a Voit Viking.
I just hope I can get my foot in with a 5mm or 6.5mm sock. I dive in pretty cold water so I have to wear neoprene socks.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

ZKY,

Those were DA Aquamaster regulators--the Royal Aquamaster had yet to appear.

That guy you're talking about couldn't be Terry Lentz (sp?) could he? He was pretty well known during that time.

SeaRat

No, the guy's name is Joe Gonsalves. He was in with Terry Maas and those guys.
He rattled off about 5-6 names of people he competed against and I'm drawing a blank as to the names. I'll ask him if he knows Terry Lentz.

He has a few of those old dive boards, like the Litehall. Those were the predecesor of the Ocean Kayak for freediving/abalone platform. They were long and skinny and you layed down on them and used your arms and fins to kick out. There was no paddle. The bow was turned way up so it wouldn't get hung up in bull kelp. He claims that to this day Voit Duck Feet are still the best fin to use with one of those boards.
He says long fins are great for diving but a PITA to use trying to propel a dive board?

 

[Sam Miller III]

....
Also, the Mares name on the evolution to JBL is new to me. Not saying you are wrong, I just don't remember that. I think some guys on Spearboard have a good history on Voit/JBL.

....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We are still waiting for your information from the Spear board...???

 

[Nemrod]

How do the old dive boards differ from this board, as an example?:

Body Glove Square Tail 8 ft. Soft Surfboard at SwimOutlet.com

N

 

[hongrace]

Post up some links to this stuff when you find out what doing.
Thanks

Link here:
?????????GULL???? - ???????????????????????????

Hard Mew only comes in Black colour. The black one in the lower row is Hard Mew. The white one on the left is Soft Mew. Those colourful ones on the top row are standard Mew.

SuperMew is longer, heavier and harder than Hard Mew.

 

[David Wilson]

To add to Hongrace's helpful message above, here are images of Gull's other lines in full-foot fins:
Super Mew

Barracuda

Warp

Apparently, they have two lines in budget full-foot fins as well:
AQA

Emden

You can get a flavour of the wide range of traditional full-foot fins available in Japan in the English-language version of Rakuten's site at
Fin at Rakuten. Rakuten Ichiba is the biggest online shopping community in Japan, which has the largest selection of products.
Sadly, these offerings aren't yet available to us in the West. I've tried ordering one or two items, following the on-screen instructions, but have heard nothing more.