Painting your Fins

[MyDiveLog]

I like to paint the bottom of my fins to make it easier for students and buddies to easily identify me u/w in the sometimes murky water of So. Cal.

I taped-off the bottom of the fins to mask everything but the the "raised panels" of the ScubaPro Twin Jets and Apollo Bio Fins. I used a spray paint called Kyrex's "Fusion," for painting plastic, and it worked great!. I got the paint at Michael's, a local craft/hobby shop.

I'd hand painted them a year ago with several coats of bright yellow acrylic paint. The paint stayed on pretty well, but got darn scraped and haggard looking after about a hundred dives (most of which were beach dives). The recent paint job seems much more durable, was easier (due to spray paint) and, with some creative masking, I was able to create distinctive blue & yellow patterns.

Anyone else paint the bottom of their fins?

 

[archman]

That's flipping bizarre! Of course, now I want to do it. Great.

 

[OBXDIVEGUY]

I haven't seen paint, but I have seen decals on the bottoms of fins. Something else I've seen to distinguish yourself to the students is to dip the fingers of your gloves into that plastic tool dip stuff. The bright yellow rubber coating shows up pretty well in murky water, and it really lengthens the life of your gloves when pulling yourself along some of the rusty wrecks around here.

 

[crpntr133]

I know not to use regular plastic model paint on the rubber part of your fins. I used it on my Oceanic Vectors and it is smearing even after couple of weeks of drying.

Intersting to know about the paint that will work. I just might have to try that.

 

[MyDiveLog]

Just checked .. the brand is Krylon "Fusion", for painting plastic (not Kryex, as I put in my original post)

 

[Sprinter]

Good idea. My neoprene gloves shows much damage after its second season. What is the dip stuff called? Where can I find them? Thanks. : :06:

I haven't seen paint, but I have seen decals on the bottoms of fins. Something else I've seen to distinguish yourself to the students is to dip the fingers of your gloves into that plastic tool dip stuff. The bright yellow rubber coating shows up pretty well in murky water, and it really lengthens the life of your gloves when pulling yourself along some of the rusty wrecks around here.

 

[cool_hardware52]

Good idea. My neoprene gloves shows much damage after its second season. What is the dip stuff called? Where can I find them? Thanks. : :06:

Sold under several names. Tool Dip, Tool Handle Dip etc. Sorry I don't remeber the exact name, but it's real common.

Several colors available.

Be ready to spend some time coating your gloves. It's just plastisol, but it's thin enough to paint with.

Plan on dipping and draining, it's like making a candle.


Good Luck.


Tobin

 

[Iruka]

I played a joke on a friend of mine, a Japanese girl by the name of "Naho." She'd painted her name on the bottom of her black fins, but I used some electrical tape to cover up the "N." So she dove as "aho," which means "stupid" in Japanese. I told her after the dive, though....don't want to be TOO mean!

 

[Mike Newman]

Anyone else paint the bottom of their fins?

It occurred to me some time ago to make it easier for students and dive buddies to recognise and follow me. I found some Orange Day Glo duct tape in a hunting store and put streaks of that on the bottom of the fins. It works a treat by day. Now I need to find some reflective stuff for night time.

 

[OBXDIVEGUY]

Good idea. My neoprene gloves shows much damage after its second season. What is the dip stuff called? Where can I find them? Thanks. : :06:

I use the Tool Dip brand from Ace hardware. I'm pretty sure you can find it in Wal-Mart or something like that too.

That brand is nice and thick, so one coat is really enough. When you do it though, put the glove on your hand, because as the goop dries, it will take the shape of what ever it is coating. Dip your fingers one at a time, and blow on them to dry them a bit. Then, carefully take the glove off, and hang it to dry.

I do the whole finger up to the second knuckle, and then just the palm side of the rest of the fingers. That keeps some of the mobility. I wouldn't do the palm, since it may make it difficult to close your hand.