Modifying Fins?

[Scarecrow]

I got a new pair of fins, the 5" Vipers, yellow dot.
They're really comfortable but I think they've got too
much thrust for me--I've got a fallen arch in my left
foot and after using the fins a few times I've got a
sharp pain on the outside of the foot if I try to kick
with the fins on. I'm gonna wait for the foot to recover
and then try using them again, but I really can't afford to
screw up that foot more than it already is--so before I go and shell
out $40-$50 for yet another pair of fins, I'm thinking
of cutting these down a bit to try and reduce the thrust.
I know that people cut a bit off the blade of one of their
fins for drop-knee riding, but does anyone do it just to
reduce thrust? And if so, how much would you cut off, and
would you cut them at an angle so they'd have blades like
churchills, or just cut them straight across?

TIA

[tbing]

Instead of cutting off the fin straight across. The ridge that goes along the fin (stiff part) just cut a little slot inbetween that and the rest of it. This will give the fin more flex without losing area that you kick with. It will leave you with more capable thrusting power but it will be flexible as well.

[Scarecrow]

Instead of cutting off the fin straight across. The ridge that goes along the fin (stiff part) just cut a little slot inbetween that and the rest of it. This will give the fin more flex without losing area that you kick with. It will leave you with more capable thrusting power but it will be flexible as well.

On both sides? I imagine you mean to cut a little 'V' shaped notch out of it? Sounds like a good idea.

Also, what would you use to cut it with--it's really thick tough rubber and I don't think regular scissors will work.

Thanks!

[tbing]

I don't know exactly what your fins look like. But I got churchills. The stiff part that runs along the sides which gives it the thrust. If you were just to cut a straight line (or a very thin V) to ensure that the fin is still there. It would give the nose of the fin a lot of flex. Just enough so that the fin will flex in the middle. After you do that, you can always cut the stiff part off later when you have it where you want it if you don't want those stiff things just kinda sticking out.

Make sure you don't cut too far. Its better to go small, test it out then cut again if you need to.

Box cutter? Razor blade? Those should work cutting it. Don't do it with your foot in the fin :cool:

[Scarecrow]

OK, that sounds good. They've got vertical side rails down each side of the blade, similar to the churchills, but higher I think. Maybe an Exacto knife will work. thanks.

[tbing]

Good luck :)

[ExtremeSpongerChicks]

OK, that sounds good. They've got vertical side rails down each side of the blade, similar to the churchills, but higher I think. Maybe an Exacto knife will work. thanks.

I used both a utility knife and scissors to modify my left churchill fin. I cut slowly with the scissors first then carved out the remaining rubber with the utility knife. Good luck!

[ExtremeSpongerChicks]

BTW...Exacto knives are great for precision cutting (pics, paper, posters, etc) but I'm not sure if the blade can handle cutting through pretty thick rubber.....just a thought....

[Spongah]

Kicks
Kicks
Kicks
Kicks
Kicks
Kicks
Kicks
Kicks
Kicks
Kicks
Kicks

*this is not subliminal messaging*

[ExtremeSpongerChicks]

Kicks
Kicks
Kicks
Kicks
Kicks
Kicks
Kicks
Kicks
Kicks
Kicks
Kicks

*this is not subliminal messaging*

HAAAHAA...really? We've never personally seen kicks available at our local surf shops...are they online order only?? I have to look these critters up! I had the worst stage 2 to 3 pressure/shearing going on due to a larger left foot...right below the ankle on the bony prominence. Anywho...I'm going to go research KICKS :)

[Spongah]

You can get them at East Coast Bodyboards or ebodyboarding.com.

I have arthritis in one of my feet, and a farked up ankle, so I hate fins. The only 2 fins I can deal with are Makapuus and Kicks. Kicks, however, are my total favorite. Rounded blade have decent thrust, foot pocket is comfy, ankle strap is low and thin. Plus I can walk in them with no issue - backwards and forwards. Good also for DK. They also don't drag like some fins do, yanno? Like if you have good shorey and are in a closeout barrel or something, you don't want something on your feet that drag...

LOVE THEM.

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

[Scarecrow]

I went out this morning in my Churchill Slashers, which are somewhat uncomfortable but fairly easy to walk in, and they don't aggravate my screwed up foot. I may be able to get through the summer with these, my feet seem to be growing nice calluses, but the Vipers fit comfortably over a pair of 3mm socks, so they may be my winter fins, at least.

I'm gonna start by cutting the side rails on the Vipers and if that doesn't do the trick I may just cut the blade across at an angle like the Churchills.

I'd like to try Kicks, Techs, Pods, Lagunas, and all sorts of other fins but all they sell locally is Churchills. I ordered the Vipers from ebodyboarding. They're size medium, a bit loose, but OK with fin socks and ankle pads.

thanks, y'all.

[chuck white]

I'm gonna start by cutting the side rails on the Vipers and if that doesn't do the trick I may just cut the blade across at an angle like the Churchills.

thanks, y'all.

If you cut them @ the angle of churchills there will be added pressure/stress on the long side of the flipper to your ankles. Though not as much due to the vipers being much more narrow.

[Scarecrow]

If you cut them @ the angle of churchills there will be added pressure/stress on the long side of the flipper to your ankles. Though not as much due to the vipers being much more narrow.

Do you mean that this stress on the ankles would be worse in cut-down Vipers than it is in the Churchills? Because the Churchills I've got don't bother my ankles now.

Or would you recommend maybe taking an inch or so off the tip of the blade in a straight line across the tip of the fin?

[chuck white]

Do you mean that this stress on the ankles would be worse in cut-down Vipers than it is in the Churchills? Because the Churchills I've got don't bother my ankles now.

Or would you recommend maybe taking an inch or so off the tip of the blade in a straight line across the tip of the fin?

Very little you can do to vipers without comprimising the integrity of the fin. Cutting the fin a bit shorter will not make much of a difference. Vipers were designed to have that powerful thrust. Really the only way you can make them have more flex is removing the rail blades on the top & bottom of the fin. There is a good chance that you could ruin the fins by doing so. Better off saving for a new pair of fins.

[Chris Joyner]

Very little you can do to vipers without comprimising the integrity of the fin. Cutting the fin a bit shorter will not make much of a difference. Vipers were designed to have that powerful thrust. Really the only way you can make them have more flex is removing the rail blades on the top & bottom of the fin. There is a good chance that you could ruin the fins by doing so. Better off saving for a new pair of fins.

Well spoken and so true. Remind me to try your fins next time Chuck, I am still thinking of picking up a stash of Redleys to hold on to. :)

[CurtFlirt732]

most reasons people cut fins are to help with DKing i find the most comfortable fins are techs cause ive got such a wide foot and redleys

[Chris Joyner]

most reasons people cut fins are to help with DKing i find the most comfortable fins are techs cause ive got such a wide foot and redleys

Yeah man, was sad to see Redley's leave the scene. I think I have rocked those for 13+ years.

[Scarecrow]

Well, I did try snipping the rails on the Vipers, it didn't seem to reduce the thrust noticeably and after 10 minutes my foot was killing me...this was a couple of weeks ago and now my foot hurts no matter what fin I wear because the Viper really strained it. The Churchills hurt it now, and I got a pair of Kicks, which I do like for the comfort, but they're also killing the weak foot.

I can't stop bodyboarding, 'cause I'm like an addict, even when the surf is tiny, like this morning I was out paddling for 18" waves, and having some fun at it, too.

So now I'm considering taking the old and kind of uncomfortable Churchills and cutting off the outside of the left fin at an angle so there'll be less thrust there at the outside of the left foot, hopefully I can continue to bodyboard while the foot recovers, then switch over to unmodified Kicks.

I gave the Vipers to Mr. Scarecrow, he seems to like them even though he has wide feet.

[Spongah]

Well, I did try snipping the rails on the Vipers, it didn't seem to reduce the thrust noticeably and after 10 minutes my foot was killing me...this was a couple of weeks ago and now my foot hurts no matter what fin I wear because the Viper really strained it. The Churchills hurt it now, and I got a pair of Kicks, which I do like for the comfort, but they're also killing the weak foot.

I can't stop bodyboarding, 'cause I'm like an addict, even when the surf is tiny, like this morning I was out paddling for 18" waves, and having some fun at it, too.

So now I'm considering taking the old and kind of uncomfortable Churchills and cutting off the outside of the left fin at an angle so there'll be less thrust there at the outside of the left foot, hopefully I can continue to bodyboard while the foot recovers, then switch over to unmodified Kicks.

I gave the Vipers to Mr. Scarecrow, he seems to like them even though he has wide feet.

Tape up your ankle?? I tape mine because I have no ligamentous support in my right ankle, plus I fractured the distal part of the fibula way back when.

= )

[Scarecrow]

Tape up your ankle?? I tape mine because I have no ligamentous support in my right ankle, plus I fractured the distal part of the fibula way back when.

= )

It's a fallen arch, so I was thinking of wearing an arch support bandage under the fin. The thing is useless otherwise but maybe it will help this way.

It's frustrating, because just as I'm getting to be pretty good at catching waves with the fins, my foot is bothering me--actually you get pain from the toes to the ankles with a fallen arch. Last year, I hurt my lower back and the fins aggravated that so I was arm paddling. Now that the back's better the foot's acting up. Sucks to get old and start falling apart.:(

I did get some of those webbed paddling gloves, and I probably should just go back to arm paddling for a while to let the foot recover. The surf's gonna be tiny anyway.

[ExtremeSpongerChicks]

It's a fallen arch, so I was thinking of wearing an arch support bandage under the fin. The thing is useless otherwise but maybe it will help this way.

It's frustrating, because just as I'm getting to be pretty good at catching waves with the fins, my foot is bothering me--actually you get pain from the toes to the ankles with a fallen arch. Last year, I hurt my lower back and the fins aggravated that so I was arm paddling. Now that the back's better the foot's acting up. Sucks to get old and start falling apart.:(

I did get some of those webbed paddling gloves, and I probably should just go back to arm paddling for a while to let the foot recover. The surf's gonna be tiny anyway.

Well, at least it will be relatively "flat" for ya....keep working on those arm muscles and rest your foot already for the next nice swell!! :) are U sure your fin is not too tight on the imposing foot? I had a similar issue until I ignored it and then subsequently had worn a 2cm by 2cm chunk off of my inner foot ...just a thought and an easy fix if so..........

[Scarecrow]

Well, at least it will be relatively "flat" for ya....keep working on those arm muscles and rest your foot already for the next nice swell!! :) are U sure your fin is not too tight on the imposing foot? I had a similar issue until I ignored it and then subsequently had worn a 2cm by 2cm chunk off of my inner foot ...just a thought and an easy fix if so..........

Of course the fin's too tight! And the next size up is too loose. Isn't that the way it always goes with these fins?:rolleyes:

I can wear fin socks with the looser fitting fins, but they fill up with sand and soon become uncomfortable.

[ExtremeSpongerChicks]

Of course the fin's too tight! And the next size up is too loose. Isn't that the way it always goes with these fins?:rolleyes:

I can wear fin socks with the looser fitting fins, but they fill up with sand and soon become uncomfortable.

Geezzz...what worked for me (cause one foot is usually slightly larger than the other) was to carve out a smaller piece on the upper right side of the fin. Not only didi it slightly loosen the fin overall on my left foot (I was having cramping in the foot also) but it also stopped the rubbing on the pressure point. At least you are not playing around with the outer portion of the fin (i.e. the blade). Not sure if you've tried this yet??

[Scarecrow]

Geezzz...what worked for me (cause one foot is usually slightly larger than the other) was to carve out a smaller piece on the upper right side of the fin. Not only didi it slightly loosen the fin overall on my left foot (I was having cramping in the foot also) but it also stopped the rubbing on the pressure point. At least you are not playing around with the outer portion of the fin (i.e. the blade). Not sure if you've tried this yet??

I don't think that's the issue for me. I mean the Churchill fins are tight enough to give me a bit of a sore around the heel, but it's no big deal and my feet--the skin on my feet--has toughened up now.

The pain I'm having is from a structural weakness with my flat feet. I went out this morning but the high tide shorebreak was so impossible that I couldn't really catch a wave without risking a broken neck, so the foot's getting a rest for a couple of days anyway.

[ExtremeSpongerChicks]

I don't think that's the issue for me. I mean the Churchill fins are tight enough to give me a bit of a sore around the heel, but it's no big deal and my feet--the skin on my feet--has toughened up now.

The pain I'm having is from a structural weakness with my flat feet. I went out this morning but the high tide shorebreak was so impossible that I couldn't really catch a wave without risking a broken neck, so the foot's getting a rest for a couple of days anyway.

It was just a thought...fins...a love/hate relationship at times. Have a speedy recovery!

[Scarecrow]

Here's a picture of Mike Stewart at a Chilean bodyboarding competition. If you look closely, you can see that he really cut his Vipers down, halfway through the yellow dot. Interesting, I'd like to know why he cut them like that.

http://picasaweb.google.com/ibamedia/AricaDay2/photo#5229650196641002370