Caine
05-26-2015, 10:53 PM
I have a finis competitor I bought online. I found it very satisfactory except that on my size 13-14 wide feet with a high instep...the stiff straps were too short for me and drove my feet uncomfortably deep into the pockets, making them pinched and painful.
I struggled for while with various ideas. but finally hit on using my replacement straps for my "Aqua-Lung" "blades" scuba fins. The straps are relatively wide and tough and designed for big boot fins, and better yet, flipped over they present a flat face that can be sanded flush for adhesive.
I purchased a "Q bond" adhesive kit from amazon. This is a high strength CA adhesive with a rubberized filler powder. I tested it on one of my old straps on a safe area of my beat up old fins. With the rubber freshly sanded with fine paper...the bond was much stronger than the rubber itself.
Thus encouraged I cringed but then cut the center back of my finis competitor straps, spread them apart two inches, and carefully cut and glued the longer blades straps to the finis pocket sides. Leaving plenty of stretch (e.g. I only adhered the first inch, leaving the rest of the strap free to stretch). I then loosely taped the original finis straps (now split flaps) with black electrical tape to the blades straps without cutting them off (I did round the edges so they lay comfortably against the sides of my ankles), and all seems to work great. I now have an integral strap that is more resilient and longer than the original, that fits me perfectly. The dive tests so far have gone swimmingly....
Note that I first did a couple of "one drop" test bonds I could break to test for various perfect strap lengths (on wet feet with dive socks).
If you need to bond rubber to rubber, I found this "Q bond kit", on a properly de-glossed rubber, stronger than the rubber itself on break tests.
I won't say anything for the experimental but necessary cutting of an expensive fin. It's a bit nervous.
If someone wants to see, when I get back to my dive boat Friday night, I can take pictures.
I struggled for while with various ideas. but finally hit on using my replacement straps for my "Aqua-Lung" "blades" scuba fins. The straps are relatively wide and tough and designed for big boot fins, and better yet, flipped over they present a flat face that can be sanded flush for adhesive.
I purchased a "Q bond" adhesive kit from amazon. This is a high strength CA adhesive with a rubberized filler powder. I tested it on one of my old straps on a safe area of my beat up old fins. With the rubber freshly sanded with fine paper...the bond was much stronger than the rubber itself.
Thus encouraged I cringed but then cut the center back of my finis competitor straps, spread them apart two inches, and carefully cut and glued the longer blades straps to the finis pocket sides. Leaving plenty of stretch (e.g. I only adhered the first inch, leaving the rest of the strap free to stretch). I then loosely taped the original finis straps (now split flaps) with black electrical tape to the blades straps without cutting them off (I did round the edges so they lay comfortably against the sides of my ankles), and all seems to work great. I now have an integral strap that is more resilient and longer than the original, that fits me perfectly. The dive tests so far have gone swimmingly....
Note that I first did a couple of "one drop" test bonds I could break to test for various perfect strap lengths (on wet feet with dive socks).
If you need to bond rubber to rubber, I found this "Q bond kit", on a properly de-glossed rubber, stronger than the rubber itself on break tests.
I won't say anything for the experimental but necessary cutting of an expensive fin. It's a bit nervous.
If someone wants to see, when I get back to my dive boat Friday night, I can take pictures.