I recently received yellow-tipped F1 fins from LP and have been very pleased with them in the water. ((They stink like crazy in the house.)) I was wondering if this model has been given a descriptive tag, and if there was a particular inspiration for the yellow decoration.
I have size 9 feet and the "regular" fin size fits fine. These fins are heavy and sink like a stone. Seven freaking pounds for the pair dry. In salt water, they are 22 ounces (0.62 kg) negative. Trim is definitely affected.
The top edge of the foot box is harshly rigid and straight. It would be more comfortable with some scoop or flare to accommodate tendons at the ankle. ((Or maybe this is a design feature for teaching us to keep our toes pointed.)) The vents are silly and create a choppy, turbulent surface on the underside. Less would be more in these areas.
Still the F1 fins are comfortable, responsive, and powerful. I have never been able to swim so fast, maneuver so finely, and with all so little effort. They simply provide more traction in the water. Turning my toes up provides real braking action. They keep my position more stable for photography and hunting. A gentle flutter produces instant acceleration. Solid propulsion from frog kicking is a whole new experience. This is the fin I wanted for poking around under ledges for bugs and leaving silt to rest in peace.
Commenters fret that the F1 is too much fin and likely to fatigue recreational divers. This is nonsense. Poor swimmers will always have some reason to exhaust themselves and their air. Good swimmers will quickly learn to get more propulsion from these fins with less movement. In a slow swim, the F1 allows me to eliminate knee action.
Even more importantly, these fins don't fold under pressure. Swimming into a current to reach a mooring line or a sheltered position, the F1 will take everything your legs can produce in a sprint and deliver more speed for your effort. That is a real safety factor, not a bad thing.
There are many good things about the heel straps and big grab loops. Very secure, yet could not be faster to doff in the water. This is a big deal if you happen to always be the last diver to surface, and everybody is waiting on the boat, and the divemaster is clicking her perfect fingernails on the ladder.
The strap adjustment should be explained better. Each fin comes with 4 bolts and self-locking nuts, in 4 positions. However, only 2 are used to hold the strap. (There are also a pair of washers with each bolt, but they are useless.) There is a ss loop formed from the spring at each end of the strap. Each end slides into a molded pocket and the loop is captured when the bolt passes through the entire assembly.
This provides 3 possible lengths for the strap. You can use both forward bolt positions for shortest, or both back positions for longest, or get a mid length by using one forward and one back. Changing position will reduce strap length exactly 1 or 2 inches compared to the longest configuration. You can only use 2 out of the 4 bolts on each fin in any case. When the shorter configurations are used, 1 or 2 of them must be removed from the fin. So there are some spare parts to keep in your kit forever. But why? In a pinch, a lost bolt could be replaced with a zip tie, drywall screw, fishing line, dental floss, or even a bamboo skewer. Yes, TSA-approved luggage padlocks also work.
Since the nuts are visually inspectable, mount them on the top side of the fins so you can glance at them occasionally. Just for fun. Sadly the holes in the rubber are too big to grip the bolt in the event of a lost nut. However, tension on the straps will keep loose bolts in place, as the loop wire does engage the bolt threads. Altogether, the F1 strap won't be a failure point. You are more likely to be annoyed by the need for both a #2 philips driver and 3/16" wrench/pliers if you get the urge to adjust strap lengths between dives.
I have size 9 feet and the "regular" fin size fits fine. These fins are heavy and sink like a stone. Seven freaking pounds for the pair dry. In salt water, they are 22 ounces (0.62 kg) negative. Trim is definitely affected.
The top edge of the foot box is harshly rigid and straight. It would be more comfortable with some scoop or flare to accommodate tendons at the ankle. ((Or maybe this is a design feature for teaching us to keep our toes pointed.)) The vents are silly and create a choppy, turbulent surface on the underside. Less would be more in these areas.
Still the F1 fins are comfortable, responsive, and powerful. I have never been able to swim so fast, maneuver so finely, and with all so little effort. They simply provide more traction in the water. Turning my toes up provides real braking action. They keep my position more stable for photography and hunting. A gentle flutter produces instant acceleration. Solid propulsion from frog kicking is a whole new experience. This is the fin I wanted for poking around under ledges for bugs and leaving silt to rest in peace.
Commenters fret that the F1 is too much fin and likely to fatigue recreational divers. This is nonsense. Poor swimmers will always have some reason to exhaust themselves and their air. Good swimmers will quickly learn to get more propulsion from these fins with less movement. In a slow swim, the F1 allows me to eliminate knee action.
Even more importantly, these fins don't fold under pressure. Swimming into a current to reach a mooring line or a sheltered position, the F1 will take everything your legs can produce in a sprint and deliver more speed for your effort. That is a real safety factor, not a bad thing.
There are many good things about the heel straps and big grab loops. Very secure, yet could not be faster to doff in the water. This is a big deal if you happen to always be the last diver to surface, and everybody is waiting on the boat, and the divemaster is clicking her perfect fingernails on the ladder.
The strap adjustment should be explained better. Each fin comes with 4 bolts and self-locking nuts, in 4 positions. However, only 2 are used to hold the strap. (There are also a pair of washers with each bolt, but they are useless.) There is a ss loop formed from the spring at each end of the strap. Each end slides into a molded pocket and the loop is captured when the bolt passes through the entire assembly.
This provides 3 possible lengths for the strap. You can use both forward bolt positions for shortest, or both back positions for longest, or get a mid length by using one forward and one back. Changing position will reduce strap length exactly 1 or 2 inches compared to the longest configuration. You can only use 2 out of the 4 bolts on each fin in any case. When the shorter configurations are used, 1 or 2 of them must be removed from the fin. So there are some spare parts to keep in your kit forever. But why? In a pinch, a lost bolt could be replaced with a zip tie, drywall screw, fishing line, dental floss, or even a bamboo skewer. Yes, TSA-approved luggage padlocks also work.
Since the nuts are visually inspectable, mount them on the top side of the fins so you can glance at them occasionally. Just for fun. Sadly the holes in the rubber are too big to grip the bolt in the event of a lost nut. However, tension on the straps will keep loose bolts in place, as the loop wire does engage the bolt threads. Altogether, the F1 strap won't be a failure point. You are more likely to be annoyed by the need for both a #2 philips driver and 3/16" wrench/pliers if you get the urge to adjust strap lengths between dives.
