Mares fin buckles

[phhappy]

thanks fo ur info..

can u post some pics of ur spring strap?

In case you decide to buy the spring strap, I have seen some from Dive Rite Express that has universal clips at the end that you can change yourself in case you buy new fin. The three clips can probably fit in most of the fin. They are having a promotion Free Shipment. Please contact they direct to make sure you get the right length.

With Spring Strap Picture
SCUBA Diving Fins...All-Purpose Fins for All-Purpose Diving


happy diving.

 

[miketsp]

..snip..
However I do find I need to open both sides to get them off which is a bit of a nuisance.
..snip..

If you need to open both sides to be able to get them off there would appear to be only 2 possibilities:
1 - You're over tensioning the strap leaving it too stretched while in use. This should be unnecessary and this abuse will provoke early strap failure. The strap is only there to ensure the fins will not move forward and not to control lateral and vertical movement of the fins on the boots. Your boots should be a snug fit into the pocket of the fins.

2 - You have boots that do not fit well leaving airspace behind the heel so you need extra slack to get the strap over the rigid heel base.

I've used these same clips for years on both Mares and Dacor fins and just opening one side should give you more than enough slack.

 

[BlueDevil]

If you need to open both sides to be able to get them off there would appear to be only 2 possibilities:
1 - You're over tensioning the strap leaving it too stretched while in use. This should be unnecessary and this abuse will provoke early strap failure. The strap is only there to ensure the fins will not move forward and not to control lateral and vertical movement of the fins on the boots. Your boots should be a snug fit into the pocket of the fins.

2 - You have boots that do not fit well leaving airspace behind the heel so you need extra slack to get the strap over the rigid heel base.

I've used these same clips for years on both Mares and Dacor fins and just opening one side should give you more than enough slack.

Thanks for your comments - there is some truth in what you are saying. I have the extra large size of Mares Volo fins and I got that size since the boots on my drysuit are fairly large. However my wetsuit booties are not as big as the dry suit boots so in reality a medium size would probably be ideal for them. Obviously I didn't want to spend the money to buy two pairs of fins so in effect I have fins that are the correct size for my dry suit but a little bigger than necessary for my wetsuit. This seems to be a reasonable compromise and the slightly larger fit with my wetsuit booties doesn't adversely affect the comfort or function of the fins. It does however mean that I have to have the fin straps reasonably tight when using the booties. However I think as you suggested that I may be 'overcompensating' by having the strap a bit tighter than I really need - I will do some experimenting on my next dive.

I did a dry suit dive a few days ago and this was the first time I have used these fins with the dry suit. I found that with the larger size of dry suit boots I didn't need to pull the straps as tight and that when I took the fins off it was adequate to open only one side.

Dave


PS If I was a single man I would probably get myself a second pair of fins so that I could have a perfect fit with both setups - however I don't think "she who must be obeyed" would be impressed if I went and bought another pair!!!! The trouble with buying over the internet is you can't just sneak stuff into the house when she is not around!!