The Accels are still under wraps even though they're getting some press here and there. They're in the final stages of development - we've completed tooling for the 4 sizes, awaiting samples of the last two for testing and approval. We've been putting out updates and any coverage we come across along the way via our
facebook page and you'll be able to find additional early release information on the
web site.
To address your specific questions:
"So, how good are these new fins?"
We set out to develop a small, lightweight travel-friendly fin... but to specifically avoid the typical performance sacrifices made to do so. I wanted the fact that it can fit in a carry on bag to be secondary. So far, our internal testing and some initial third part testing has shown that we have been very successful in accomplishing that goal. I assume you're referring to the recent
Scuba Lab mention - while they have not conducted a complete fin evaluation as of yet, we received very favorable initial feedback compared to fins that they've previously identified as top performers in the market.
As for "How do they compare to something like the seawing novas, my current fins of choice for sheer speed, or the warp 1 fins?"
I can't make a direct comparison to these other fins, I can say that from my perspective, we took a completely different approach. Let me say at this point, I appreciate that after all these years, new ideas and designs continue to come forward in an attempt to improve upon what exists today - and both of these fins have seemingly backed it up with performance (as opposed to what frequently happens - degraded performance for the sake of "new" design and technology). The Accel is very much old-school. We use a modern material, known for both performance and durability - and spent an incredible amount of time prototyping and studying the dynamics of the blade and rails to achieve the performance we have - but we've done everything that we could to keep it simple... to stay focused on performance, size, weight and comfort. The strap is a great example. We have many options - typical plastic quick release buckles, spring straps, bungees, or some radical new design that we could tout as the latest greatest thing. If you design the strap well - and use quality materials, you can achieve everything that these solutions provide (easy on/off, adjustment, release) without over thinking or engineering it. Some may recognize the strap - we licensed the design from the APS Manta Ray universal fin strap - although we redesigned it and are making it out of silicone, the concept is the same. It attaches directly to the standard buckle post - and eliminates the need for a buckle of any kind. Classic "AERIS" solution from my point of view - a simple, clean solution that is not lacking in its function, but is actually is an improvement over much of what's out there today.