forcefin2020 Youtube channel

[Blair Mott]

This last weekend I was fortunate enough to travel to Catalina Island for the Ultimate Diver Challenge Catalina Reunion. As some of you know the weather was not in our favor for a weekend of diving and it was in question if we would could even make it to the island. Erik Phariss, who is an instructor for the National Academy of Police Diving, invited along me along and we were lucky to make the first out of the only two Catalina Express runs to the island on Friday morning.
Once we arrived we were greeted by Ron Moore of Dive Catalina and he was a tremendous help with getting our gear to our house for the weekend. I knew we might not be diving because of the weather, but that did not stop me from bringing 2 drysuits, 2 wetsuits, full scuba set up and 3 sets of Force Fins. With the a recent landslide occurring near the ferry dock we had to lug all of our gear into town. Ron asked me who Erik and I were with and then he immediately offered to help. A bright smile was imprinted on my face once I saw the Dive Catalina truck. As Erik was traveling from Mexico and then further on to Miami afterward so you can see the we had more than dive gear to transport.

It seems that not only was he a safety diver and camera operator during the UDC, but a good friend of my old mentor Don Santee. Thanks again Ron! I look forward to diving with you soon!
Once we settled in Erik and I started to explore the town and if you have been there, you know it is a special place with signs that you are not on the mainland everywhere.

We met up with Jim Pearson of Cinema Rentals who was the logistical coordinator for the Reunion and in charge of all the filming that took place during the 2009 competition and the topside filming that would take place during the weekend.

Erik Phariss recounts his experience during the Ultimate Diver Challenge 2009. We did not get to dive on Saturday as originally scheduled, but we did see some clear sky from time to time.

It was a great weekend where I learned a lot about the Ultimate Diver Challenge and met the very passionate people who compete and support the competition on a yearly basis. Pam Bertrand, the Executive Producer of the Ultimate Diver Challenge ,has a lot of great enthusiasm and energy that is contiguous and truly a breath of fresh air towards promoting SCUBA diving in 2010. My highlight of the weekend had to been spending time with Erik and swapping his Tactical and Special Response Diving missions with my expeditions. He has an amazing story and a lot of experience with Force Fins. Before he left to Miami to teach another course he shared his thoughts on Force Fins.

"Nothing comes close to a Force Fin" - Erik Phariss

 

[uncleavi]

I love that Van! I used to take a couple of thousand Eggs to an Incubator on my Kibbutz in one of those.

 

[Blair Mott]

Eric Phariss is an Instructor for the National Academy of Police Diving and he uses Force Fins. Erik tells us in english why he uses Force Fin

He has also been a top competitor in the Ultimate Diver Challenge for the last few years.

 

[Blair Mott]

The Excellerating Force Fin is my favorite Force Fin. Getting to and from the dive site has never been easier. This model has proven itself to me in currents, diving CCR, Data Collection and Commercial Diving. Having the ability to adjust the Force Wings on the fly makes this model part of the Force Fin Extra Line.

I swim on the trail of discovery with Tan Delta Excellerating Force Fins.
Along the way I fin through my front yard, the Channels Islands National Marine Sanctuary in California, Deco stops in the Gulf after documenting the USS Monitor with Ocean Futures Society, surface swim on my way to capture natural methane gas seeps from the ocean floor with the BBC, and come up for air with Steve Barsky after talent diving for the up coming Full Face Mask video from Hammer Head Press.
Fining through adventure I share the screen with Kevin Gurr and a glimpse of the Excellerating Force Fins can be seen on descent.
Blair Mott's Stunt Double for opening sequence : Nathan Dembeck

This video is the beginning of a series of videos that will take different models of Force Fins down the trail of discovery!

 

[Blair Mott]

Flat Fins VS Force Fins

Bob Evans president of Force Fin shows you a simple way to understand the difference between a Flat Fin and Force Fin. Every Force Fin that is hand poured has a curved blade that faces away from the bottom of your foot to provide more resistance on the power or downward ( during freestyle) phase of the kick. The blade then snaps back to assist on the recovery.

Have you ever seen a fast-swimming fish with a blunt or squared-off tail? Neither had we. That is why we pattered our fins after the split V shape of fish tails that more efficiently channels the water.
We also noticed that other fins worked basically like boards strapped to your feet; they were stiff and inflexible. Again we took our cue from nature and physics, and we came up with very flexible fins using innovative materials like polyurethane instead of cheaper rubber. We did this from the beginning when we started making Force Fins decades ago.

One of the Force Fin production runs in the 80's

 

[Blair Mott]

The Ops Force Fin Blade is one of kind and was initially designed and made for Jean- Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society expedition team. The OPS Force Fins were the featured fins used in the PBS “Ocean Adventures “ episodes “Voyage to Kure” and “Sharks at Risk” and have been used in all of the reaming episode of the series along with other Force Fin models.
This footage was captured off the island of Kure. The Northern most island in the Northwestern Hawaiian Island Chain.



This piece is meant to highlight the OPS Force Fin, but turned out to become a salute to the Freedom of Marine Mammals. The diver never really gets the magical close up encounter with the Dolphins in the video and is always reminded that Marine Mammals should be free in the open oceans, offshore islands, shallow bays, barrier reefs, Fjords, and Polar Regions of the world. Just a reminder-

 

[ZenDiver.3D]

Thanks for all these.

 

[Blair Mott]

Scuba Diving and Leg Cramps

One of the most common complaints that people have about diving is that their feet and legs hurt when they try to kick with today's long or stiff fins. Their arches or calves cramp, their toes are smashed into the end of the foot pocket, their legs tire... Sound familiar?

The primary cause of all this pain is that most fins are designed to concentrate much of the force from kicking on the smaller muscles of the lower leg and feet. And those muscles simply can't take the stress of powering a large fin blade through the water. The result? Fatigue and cramping.

But with the trail-blazing Force Fin, our unique foot-pocket design transfers much of the effort of moving the blade to the largest muscle group in your body, the quadriceps, removing pressure from the toes and feet. Because your entire leg is now doing the work, muscle fatigue and cramping is significantly reduced.

Don't get fouled into eating bananas as the solution for your foot or leg cramps, get into a pair of smart fins - Force Fins

 

[Blair Mott]

Ever wonder about a Force Fin PRO? SimplyScuba.com presents some great information that gets to the point and illustrates the features of a Force Fin PRO in a very professional manner.

 

[Blair Mott]

The KQED PBS TV series Jean-Michel Cousteau Ocean Adventures is an eight part series that includes 10 one hour episodes. In American’s Underwater Treasures the expedition team explores all the National Marine Sanctuaries. One of the Treasures we explored is NOAA’S Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. While there we were able to dive on the wreck of the Defiance. Using mixed gas in our rebreathers and Excellerating Force Fins we not only documented the current state of the wreck with HD video cameras and lights, but were able to make some measurements for the staff at the Sanctuary for the their ongoing records.

We were supported by Luke Clyburn and the Sea Cadets. Captain thank you again for all your support! A special thanks also goes out to Russ Green Deputy Superintendent/Research Coordinator Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. We did some amazing dives into history ones I will never forget and look forward to revisit someday.


We would like to thank Jean- Michel Cousteau and the entire Ocean Futures Society Staff for providing us with this footage so we could bring you another Force Fin Experience®