Hey Mike , How bout a review on your new SD1's , thanks , LL
I'd love to, although I haven't had a chance to dive the new pair yet. I can, however, tell you about my original test dive.
I originally dived with a pair Bob sent me back in 2009. I took his pair of SD-1's, a pair of Gorilla fins, and a pair of Jet fins to work a drysuit demo weekend with the DUI DOGs in the Lake Rawlings freshwater quarry. I was wearing my CLX450 and steel 120 doubles with a steel plate and OxyCheq Mach 5. I flexed back and forth between my MK20/G250 and Cyklon regulator sets.
My Gorillas are still boards. Lots of stiffness resulting in lots of movement, but hard on the legs. Not the new ones that flex, but these old-style beasts:
Jets are Jets. I thought it only fair to insure a side-by-side with the SD-1s. They push water and work the legs nicely.
The SD-1...are amazing!
First, if you change up on your drysuit/boots, they're adaptable. No more having to change fin sizes for different suits. I was diving other suits for fun that weekend as well, and it was good to be able to use my fins on all of them.
Next, I moved easier than either other pair. Same approximate power/speed, but less effort and stress. Pushing a drysuit and doubles takes effort; you know you've got drag and mass. These fins made everything much more relaxing in the water. (Bob, could you invent something to make steel doubles easier to walk around with outside the water?
)
I missed the window to get them back then due to contract negotiations, and I've been nagging Bob ever since. I've spent over a decade trying to get a pair...if that's any indicator of what I thought of them. The day he made these limited stock, proof of concept fins available, I got my order in. I looked today and there are nine pair remaining:
SD-1 Military Proof of Concept Fins - Force Fin