Home Tournaments Calendar Weather Merchandise Sponsors

Go Back   Spearboard.com - The World's Largest Spearfishing Diving Boating Social Media Forum > General Topics (Non-regional) > General Spearfishing & Diving Discussion

General Spearfishing & Diving Discussion This is where you post to discuss general spearfishing topics that could apply to any region.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 11-20-2018, 09:14 AM   #1
Gary H
gangsta' speargun pioneer
 
Gary H's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Fort Pierce, FL
Age: 67
Posts: 1,189
Storing full foot pocket fins

I saw a video some time back showing a technique of folding the heel back over the back of the foot pocket which leaves the foot pocket wide open to put your foot in. It is then an easy grab of the heel tab and it pops right up onto the back of your foot. I have been using this technique for several years now and like it. I think I saw it on the Mako website, but can't seem to find it there now.


Anyway, my question regards storing fins with the heel tab flipped under the foot pocket. Does it potentially cause long term damage? Anybody tried this with good, bad or indifferent results?
__________________
When you're arguing with a fool, make sure he isn't doing the same thing.

Fishing is like sex, you don't have to be good at it to enjoy it.
Gary H is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-20-2018, 09:27 AM   #2
Tyson Brown
Mer*Man*. Mer-MAN!!!
 
Tyson Brown's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: New Port Richey, FL
Age: 42
Posts: 2,106
Re: Storing full foot pocket fins

Yeah, seems like it would fatigue the rubber long term. Never tried it though.
__________________
< this is a "sherpa."
Tyson Brown is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-31-2018, 02:30 PM   #3
popgun pete
Registered User
 
popgun pete's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,245
Re: Storing full foot pocket fins

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gary H View Post
I saw a video some time back showing a technique of folding the heel back over the back of the foot pocket which leaves the foot pocket wide open to put your foot in. It is then an easy grab of the heel tab and it pops right up onto the back of your foot. I have been using this technique for several years now and like it. I think I saw it on the Mako website, but can't seem to find it there now.


Anyway, my question regards storing fins with the heel tab flipped under the foot pocket. Does it potentially cause long term damage? Anybody tried this with good, bad or indifferent results?
Rubber under tension is preferentially attacked by ozone in the air and causes cracking. You see it on mask straps where they wind through buckles and on speargun bands where they are secured over wishbone balls. A lot depends on the material used in the fins, but rubber heels reversed will pick up cracks, however you may have chopped up the fins elsewhere before it gets bad. Ozone is oxygen, but produced by electrical motors sparking and industrial processes, small amounts are always in the air around us. I worked in the tire industry for a decade, so that is where my info comes from with respect to rubbber products.

Last edited by popgun pete; 01-01-2019 at 04:24 PM.
popgun pete is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-01-2019, 08:39 AM   #4
florfreediver
Registered User
 
florfreediver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Palm Beach Florida USA
Posts: 1,722
Re: Storing full foot pocket fins

Hi Gary H,
I have been putting my fins on that way for about the last forty years or so.
Still doing it, especially with my practice swim fins at the local pool.
However, I would not dream of storing them with the heel tab flipped. Why would you want to do that in the first place?
Have a safe New Year.
Mike.
florfreediver is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-01-2019, 09:09 AM   #5
Gary H
gangsta' speargun pioneer
 
Gary H's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Fort Pierce, FL
Age: 67
Posts: 1,189
Re: Storing full foot pocket fins

Thanks guys, Happy New Year!

A dive day for me is usually a 3 day activity … Load gear in the car on day 1, move gear from car to boat, dive, move gear back to the car, clean fish, unload the car again and rinse gear on day 2, then store gear on day 3.

The reason I asked is I am always trying to think of ways to save the load on my hands on dive days.
__________________
When you're arguing with a fool, make sure he isn't doing the same thing.

Fishing is like sex, you don't have to be good at it to enjoy it.
Gary H is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-01-2019, 09:27 AM   #6
florfreediver
Registered User
 
florfreediver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Palm Beach Florida USA
Posts: 1,722
Re: Storing full foot pocket fins

Hey Gary,
What make of fins are you using?

The reason I ask is that a lot of full pocket fins will not allow the heel tab to be bent back and under.
If I remember from the shop days, Omer and a few other brands have foot-pockets that are not that supple and it would be bad (probably impossible) to try and force them.

I have always been a Cressi guy myself and they allow the tab backflip.

Mike.
florfreediver is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-01-2019, 09:48 AM   #7
Gary H
gangsta' speargun pioneer
 
Gary H's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Fort Pierce, FL
Age: 67
Posts: 1,189
Re: Storing full foot pocket fins

They are Mako pockets that have screws, rails, etc. for replaceable blades
__________________
When you're arguing with a fool, make sure he isn't doing the same thing.

Fishing is like sex, you don't have to be good at it to enjoy it.
Gary H is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-01-2019, 04:32 PM   #8
popgun pete
Registered User
 
popgun pete's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,245
Re: Storing full foot pocket fins

To answer your question it depends on what you mean by long term. A couple of days, or maybe a week and I doubt there will be problems as long as you relax them for longer periods when the fins are not being used. When new the rubber will not show any cracking, but as the rubber gets older and stiffer you will find one day as you stress them that you will see a bunch of tiny cracks that seemed to have suddenly developed, but have been there longer without you noticing them. That is when the fins may still be usable, but are on their way out.
popgun pete is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:34 AM.


The World's Largest Spearfishing Diving Social Media Forum Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2002 - 2014 Spearboard.com