Cutting a Mahina Merfin?

[Akula]

Hi guys! So, last year I bought myself a Suntails monofin and started making fabric tails for it. Loved it! Buuuut I was pretty rough on it (I swim aggressively in a rocky lake) and I broke it.

Overall I found it quite durable, but it snapped where one of the straps goes through the body of the fin. I think it was under increased stress at those points because I had adjusted the straps into a (very) tight X formation in an attempt to stabilize my feet against it.

Now that the weather is starting to turn, and I'm mere weeks out from starting to swim again, I'm looking to replace it. Since the straps were my main issue, I have been looking at alternatives with separate foot pockets for increased stability and control. I'm drawn to the Mahina Merfin for several reasons: I like their conservation efforts, I like that the monofin is rubber (seems like it would hold up to my environment), and I like that it would hold my feet separately and firmly.

What I don't like is the shape.

First of all, it won't fit in my current tail (which I'm in love with) without some modification. Second, it's an issue of preference. The little swoopy tails on either side of the fluke are just not for me, so I'm wondering if it's feasible to cut them off, or if I would be robbing the thing of stability and/or propulsion by doing so.

I'm going to be upgrading to fiberglass within another year or so--I have plans to start making a silicone tail when I move to a place with room to work. Is the Merfin worth it if I'm going to alter the shape? Or am I better off just replacing my Suntails fin and trying to go a little easier on it until I'm ready for silicone and fiberglass?

[Mermaid Mia]

I just got a mahina and i did cut the tips off and the swoopys on the inside. I have seen others do it and doubt it will affect it at all. It was super easy to do.



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[Akula]

Awesome! What did you use to cut it?

[Mermaid Mia]

Awesome! What did you use to cut it?

An exacto knife I'm sure there are better ways but it went pretty well


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[Akula]

An exacto knife I'm sure there are better ways but it went pretty well


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Spectacular. I wasn't sure if the rubber would be too thick or elastic for that to work, but I also do leather work, so I'm well-versed in getting utility knives through stubborn materials.

If I could ask a huge favor--now that it's cut, if you happen to have a measuring tape on hand, could you tell me how wide it is in inches?

[Mermaid Mia]

Here you can see it with one of the tips so the cut is obvious. It is now 23 in at its widest point and 18 from new tip to new tip


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[Akula]

Wonderful! You have been enormously helpful, thank you so much.

[Mermaid Mia]

No problem! I hope you are happy if you chose to get one


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[Mermaid Jaffa]

I've cut mine several cm down to each of the tip of the fin lines. Its more the size of a child sizer merfin now. Cutting doesn't ruin propulsion or speed.

As long as you don't trim off the thick ridges on the back of the merfin, you should be fine. Those super thick bits on the back is what gives the merfin its strength and stability.

[lotusauriel]

I have wide feet and high arches, 8 shoe size, and found the medium really painful, even with the neoprene socks. The teal merfin is a large and works a lot better for me, and I'll be trimming it down too. The paint on the orange one was a combination of plastidip, regular spray paint, and glitter paint. Obviously that didn't work so well. LOL.

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[lotusauriel]

I used a box knife and some fishing shears. I might try to smooth out the edges with a dremel later.

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