Force Fin Sticker shock

[meesier42]

cost/ benefit analysis
assume they save you 10% on air alone.. that's an extra 6-8 minutes at 60' on every dive, for those who dive rebreathers that's potentially $8-$10 per dive less O2/trimix that you have to buy at the end of each dive. how many dives does it take to make them worth it, well that depends on the person and how they use it.

and before anyone else says it, I have been putting people in these fins for years, and everyone of them has had significant reductions in air consumption for the same dive, rarely do they believe it, until they put their old fins back on and repeat, shortly there after many buy a pair for themselves. however, nearly all of them were put in the Pro ForceFin.

besides- 90% of people have no need for this level of equipment. if all your ever going to do is putter about in clear, calm, warm, tropical water with your dive buddy then you have no need for these and even the cheapest worst fins on the market would be fine for you.
if on the other hand, you are a working divemaster, pushing doubles stage bottles, a large camera rig, or pushing pneumatic tools and salvaging crap off the bottom a fin like this may make or break the dive, is it worth it to you? I don't know, but then again, do you say the same thing about those who drive a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, McLaren, etc at normal highway speeds when my Kia does that for less than 10% of price.

 

[pescador775]

This test, conducted a few years ago, showed the Biofin XT to be 5% faster than the top of line Force Fin. As for air consumption, the whole split fin lineup is way more efficient than paddle fins. I haven't seen numbers for the Excellerator but it would be hard to beat the 30% improvement that I experienced testing the original BioFin back in 1999. Swimming into the Gulf Stream current was never easier. Anyway, who really knows what "top of line" means to FF with Bob constantly adding and subtracting stuff hoping that the next thing will stick, but we do know it will add cost to the analysis and grist for Messier's mill.

http://www.divernetxtra.com/equipment/fins0902/fins.htm

 

[AbyssalPlains]

Nearly 800 bucks for a pair of fins?




If I want "whiskers" I get myself a cat.


That's all I have to say.

 

[marchand]

cost/ benefit analysis assume they save you 10% on air alone.. that's an extra 6-8 minutes at 60' on every dive, for those who dive rebreathers that's potentially $8-$10 per dive less O2/trimix that you have to buy at the end of each dive. how many dives does it take to make them worth it, well that depends on the person and how they use it.

and before anyone else says it, I have been putting people in these fins for years, and everyone of them has had significant reductions in air consumption for the same dive, rarely do they believe it, until they put their old fins back on and repeat, shortly there after many buy a pair for themselves. however, nearly all of them were put in the Pro ForceFin.

besides- 90% of people have no need for this level of equipment. if all your ever going to do is putter about in clear, calm, warm, tropical water with your dive buddy then you have no need for these and even the cheapest worst fins on the market would be fine for you.
if on the other hand, you are a working divemaster, pushing doubles stage bottles, a large camera rig, or pushing pneumatic tools and salvaging crap off the bottom a fin like this may make or break the dive, is it worth it to you? I don't know, but then again, do you say the same thing about those who drive a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, McLaren, etc at normal highway speeds when my Kia does that for less than 10% of price.

Either you are spending way to much for mix, or you are clueless. How the heck is a person diving a breather going to breathe though $8 in gas in 8min? He would have to be metabolizing 4cf/min or constantly doing dill flushes to get those kinds of figures. I maybe breathe 1.5cf/min on OC at depth on the working portion of the dive. How in the world is someone going to suck down 4cf of mix in one minute on a breather?

Still, for the $800 to get the top of the line FF I can almost get a rebuilt Mako from Gamble that can haul @$$ and make diving nearly effortless. I wonder which one is going to save me more monney on mix?

 

[marchand]

Another thing, most of the FF don't look like they would work too well with the frog kick.

 

[Narcd_dvr]

$786.25 base price for Excellerating Force Fin before other options.
Man...I just want a pair not half a dozen.

Yikes $786, what does it come with? Propellers

At that price, I can buy 7 Jetfins with spring straps and some change..

 

[deco_martini]

You can get regular force fins off ebay most of the time for a fraction of sticker price. I think the problem is, the high end fins are better suited for a frog style kick. They really don't have a simplistic version of the Excellerating Force fin with less sizzle and less cost.

 

[WetCell]

The bottom line is that you have to find the fins that are right for you, then look for a good price. I use Zeagle EZ-travel fins. They almost look like force since they are so small, but I doubt they have anywhere near the efficiency. The very best feature of them is that they are uber comfortable, but then again, I put comfort over performance. However, I really have to question what you would get out of $700+ fins other than stares. Better to put the money into reg, mask, or BC.

 

[The Kraken]

Kinda like buying a titanium first stage regulator to save weight only to have to add the lost weight on your belt to get properly weighted.

It is my considered opinion that should I need such force from a fin, I shouldn't be diving in the environment anyway.

Plan your dive, dive your plan.

I'd rather buy a nice Atomic stainless steel regulator.

the K

 

[The Kraken]

I just told the Yellow Angel Fish about the price of these fins and she asked, "So, do you use these fins in lieu of a boat or what?"

the K