may ForceFin set me free

[skankpile]

I'm ecstatic with anticipation.

The new material just feels alive; if you just tap the fin you feel it reverberate as it just wants to transfer energy. I mean, it feels kinda-like a bouncy ball bred with a fin as thats the only thing I can compare it to: if I drop it on the floor on the heel of the fin it bounces back. This thing wants to snap there is just no comparison and I now see why Bob was so happy about the flip test.

[video=youtube;vymSxEmao0E]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vymSxEmao0E&feature=youtu.be[/video]

 

[Doubler]

Oxford's are the only dress shoe to wear with Force Fins.

 

[USVet96]

I don't think anyone has doubted whether they are a good fin or not. They are a great fin.

However, being the fin is made from a composite material, and manufactured using assembly techniques and machined through robotics, not to mention that each fin is made from a single piece of composite mold, there is absolutely NOW WAY they should be charging $1100 for them.

It's actually kind of insulting. The design of the fin really does eliminate ALOT of the stress that divers feel on their feet, knees, and legs, but 95% of those divers will dive and deal with this inconvenience and be partially uncomfortable because the manufacturer of these fins has priced them out of their affordable range.

I am a disabled war veteran who has needed 3 reconstructive surgeries on my ankle from an injury that happened during an airborne op in Afghanistan 5 years ago. I would ABSOLUTELY LOVE to have a pair of these to use because of my ankle problem, but I CAN'T because I don't have an extra GRAND to spare on fins.

People cannot actually afford to be comfortable because at $1100 it's either THEM or your ENTIRE Dive Vacation.

Not a hard decision to make either. Unfortunate, but easy.

 

[Bob Evans]

Shankpile Yes.

 

[Bob Evans]

usvet96, We have never forgot our VET's. Their has always been a special price for those who Serve. What's this $1100 price ?. Give as a ring. Americans helping Americans, that's my new theme, sounds good, now we just have to get our government singing the same song. Best, Bob

 

[USVet96]

Bob

I hope I didn't come across the wrong way. I think you guys make a FANTASTIC product and in NO WAY did I imply that you were not caring of our Vets.

Like I said, I have really bad ankle issues and have since my last tour in the Middle East (6 total). I like to dive however because it's very therapeutic to me and underwater is so full of life and promise and peace, unlike the world we live in today. But I digress.

The Force Fins were at the top of my equipment list and come highly recommended to people with injuries because of the design you employ. The non-profit I work with, and the disabled veterans programs I assist with, often help injured vets learn to dive, even with their physical limitations. What was really unfortunate however, was that the fins you make seemed to be so expensive in price that we were quickly turned away, myself as an individual diver as well.

I apologize about the price I quoted. They are not that high

Like I said, I would LOVE to use your product, and would love even more for the vets in the program to be able to use them. I have done ALOT of research into your gear and truly believe that they would benefit the disabled divers.

Just have to figure something out.

 

[skankpile]

Hey USVet96, glad to get your input. Considering what I've spent on my other gear and my other 6-10 pairs of fins I don't use its not that bad.

 

[meesier42]

lets get a couple of things straight

being the fin is made from a composite material, and manufactured using assembly techniques and machined through robotics

assembly techniques? they're all hand poured, no robotic machining again all hand worked finishing, and this is not Thermoset poly (aka TPU), it's a cast polyurethane that is at least 10 times the material cost. this is probably one of the last all American made, largely by hand products your going to find, at least in the scuba industry.

not to mention that each fin is made from a single piece of composite mold, there is absolutely NOW WAY they should be charging $1100 for them.

huh???, even this model, which is a very high end model is only $400. There isn't a single fin that Force Fin makes that sells for $1100, and owning nearly every model, there never has been a pair that sold for that price or anything near it. Considering you claim to have done a lot of research on the fins, where did you come up with the $1100 number to start with?

The design of the fin really does eliminate ALOT of the stress that divers feel on their feet, knees, and legs, but 95% of those divers will dive and deal with this inconvenience and be partially uncomfortable because the manufacturer of these fins has priced them out of their affordable range.

this is true, the fact is that these 95% of divers really want the Original Force Fin, this is a fin that Force Fin sells direct from the manufacturer to the customer is $190. Considering that the Atomic Splits sell for $210-$260 and fail to perform to the level of the Original FF and certainly do not have the longevity (I have 3 pairs that are 20+ years old).

 

[skankpile]

back to my hockey fin:

WOW... I spent the last 3 days with my family in a state park and doing mostly surface swimming which usually the worst for fins.. not this one. I've never shot around the surface at such speed with such little effort before. Surface frogging and kicking in this fin is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. I hope soon I'll have the opportunity to get this under the water and see how it goes. I feel like such an idiot for not trying force fin sooner; the finning technique once I acclimated and felt what the fin wanted became natural and effortless. I can easily poke around or hammer this fin, and when you hammer the hockey its awesome.. you feel the blade rebound and give it another wack... what a great feeling.

The hockey has great feedback so you know where you are in the stroke and cannot out-swim this fin. I can't imagine it getting much better than this. I eventually did get a calf cramp after 5hrs of straight treading and sprinting while my children were jumping off rocks as I following them around playing lifeguard, but half the time I was traveling so fast I was making wake.

Thanks Bob for making such a great fin. People if you've not tried force fin...you just don't understand. I think I've had a complete paradigm shift.

 

[Blair Mott]

Skankpile,
Thanks for your post. Love the photo with your shoes and your video reminded me of the saying "never toss your Force Fins on the deck of the boat" I have seen more than a few Force Fins bounce right out of the boat and into he water.

We keep getting really positive feed back on the Hockey Force Fin and we thank you again for sharing your Force Fin experience. Be sure to obey the NO WAKE ZONE in your local waters. Do not feel bad that it took you so long to try Force Fin, just feel good that you are flying them now!

Take care and keep us posted about your time in the water.