Jet fins in other colors

[ilee1990]

Hi,

I use SP jetfins and I have heard that they used to make them in other colors besides black. Does anyone have any idea where or who might have a pair in another color (pink or yellow maybe) that are in good condition?

[luis]

I know of someone that has a pair of yellow ones, but I am sure that she is not interested in selling them.

I dove with her once and her yellow Jet fins were in excellent condition. I don't know when they were available.

[nemrod]

There was a blue pair recently on ebay and from time to time you see the other colors. Ever since Johnson Outdoor took over ScubaPro they have slowly begun to loose their center. No other fin is as loved as the JetFin, not even the UDT. Generations now have grown up with the JetFin and it is the number one fin of all time (and the fin I love to hate or hate to love). So why would ScubaPro ignore them as a step child as if to wish them away, why won't they offer them in vintage colors with a matching oval vintage re-issue retro oval and Shotgun snorkel? Beats me. Mostly because the scuba industry has it's colective head up it's colective --uh--you know.

Nem

[ilee1990]

Well, I take a size medium...if anyone is interested in selling me a yellow one :-)

[JohnA]

I have seen them in light blue, pink, (I think but not sure) white, and as others have said yellow. Late 80's early 90's.

John

[YankDownUnder]

Blue Jet fins were made for sale in Australia, under the name Australian Divers. When the French owned US Divers Corp. purchased the Australian Breathing Appliances Company in 1960, they renamed it Australian Divers Spiro Pty Ltd. I recently found a pair of the blue Jet fins on eBay Australia, and bought them for $5. I just gave them to a friend who has a collection of Porpoise SCUBA from that era. Many of the products sold in the USA and stamped with US Divers were made in Japan and marked Australian Divers. One notable item was the Vulcan knife carried Mike Nelson, althoigh I think his had Voit stamped on it.

Jet Fins were also made in Red White and Blue stripes in the US Divers Americana series. It included a matching mask and Sea Hawk knife. In 1976, Americana was the rage. Chevrolet even made a bicentenial Vega car. Keep watching eBay and you'll see it all parade by in time.

[luis]

yankdownunder said:

Blue Jet fins were made for sale in Australia, under the name Australian Divers. When the French owned US Divers Corp. purchased the Australian Breathing Appliances Company in 1960, they renamed it Australian Divers Spiro Pty Ltd. I recently found a pair of the blue Jet fins on eBay Australia, and bought them for $5. I just gave them to a friend who has a collection of Porpoise SCUBA from that era. Many of the products sold in the USA and stamped with US Divers were made in Japan and marked Australian Divers. One notable item was the Vulcan knife carried Mike Nelson, althoigh I think his had Voit stamped on it.

Jet Fins were also made in Red White and Blue stripes in the US Divers Americana series. It included a matching mask and Sea Hawk knife. In 1976, Americana was the rage. Chevrolet even made a bicentenial Vega car. Keep watching eBay and you'll see it all parade by in time.

Are you confusing Scubapro Jet fins with US Divers Rocket Fins?
They are very different. Were the Jet fin has a huge following and they are still in production, the Rocket fin has basically disappeared.

[JES]

luis said:

Are you confusing Scubapro Jet fins with US Divers Rocket Fins?
They are very different. Were the Jet fin has a huge following and they are still in production, the Rocket fin has basically disappeared.

You can still purchase the Rocket Fin. In fact, there are two versions available. The Rocket Fin and the Rocket II Fin .

[JES]

Here's some detail about the Rocket fins.

The Rocket Fin:
-One of the most popular of the original vented fins in North America
- Traditional all rubber design
- Popular with military and professional divers
- Available w/ Quick-Release buckle, or traditional stainless steel buckle (Super rocket fins only come with quick release buckle)
- Sizes: Regular (8-10.5), Super (11+)
- Size recommendations are based on flexible sole dive booties.

The Rocket II Fin:
- Redesign of the Rocket Fin based on suggestions from the Army Special Forces
- Lightweight rubber compound
- Neutrally Buoyant (won't sink or float)
- Modernized, larger foot pockets which accommodate standard molded sole dive boots and combat style boots
- Extended foot pocket provides better leverage
- Two "molded in" reinforced grommet-type holes for tethering options
- Foot pocket drain holes
- Foot pocket ribs reduce suction and help draining
- Traction feature on bottom of foot pocket
- Fin strap has large rubber loop for pulling on straps and as third tether option
- Heavy-duty stainless steel buckles with threaded bolt and locknut for easy field replacement
- Sizes: Large (9 - 11.5), Super (12+)
- It is recommended to wear molded sole dive boots or combat boots with the Rocket II

[luis]

I know they are still made (with modifications), but I didn’t think there was much of a following for them. When I looked at the Aqua Lung web site it seems to lack the promotional write up that their other fins have.

Looking at the description you posted about the Rocket II, it does sound like they put some thought into the modifications.


Personally, I still like my Scubapro Jet fins and I am fairly certain they have a much larger following. Just ask Nemrod for his opinion…He will be here soon… ;D

[dhaas]

Luis, Nemrod and others,

The Scubapro Jetfin is and always WILL be too stiff and clunky. I feel the same way about the original USD Rocket Fin. It's a POS.......But then most divers don't swim far enough or long enough to know the difference.

I tried the new Rocket II recently and what a difference. Newer compound, still a nice short length for diving with clunky wet suit (or dry suit) boots and a bulletproof buckle with screw and nyloc secured nut versus the old pins that could still get bent or come undone. These may just work out for my light commercial dive work or as a vintage looking fin.

If you like this style "old school" fin I'd get to an Aqualung dealer and see them, and even try them out.

Just don't be surprised if they don't have them in stock, as they are so ugly, clunky and not as efficient as modern fins. Especially for real world open ocean diving

YMMV

dhaas

www.haasimages.com

[nemrod]

Dave, when you test fire those strobes you should not be looking at them---lol. I just suggest that cuz you must be near blind not to have noticed this is an "old school" vintage forum--duh.

BTW, since 1963 more serious divers have used and still use ScubaPro JetFins than any other fin combined and in every test they have been put to they performed equal or better than your sissy rainbow colored plastic pool toy fins your partial to-----ha.

Another BTW, Rocket Fins, by contrast, new or old, are only good for shooting at.

Nem

[dhaas]

LOL.....I wondered when my buddy James would chime in

Yes, I read on forums all over how Jetfins are the best thing since sliced bread. And have also pointed out how several people have SWITCHED from these to those "sissified" split fins and are pushing 1600 IMAX cameras around with them, like 200+ dives per year in real open ocean conditions.....

I also have to put up with the new "tech" weenies (even here in Ohio!) swimming around the quarry with their beloved Jetfins, ever so slowly with their 4 tanks on......I just laugh as I zip by them in whatever I have on my feet that day

I KNOW it's Vintage site, but the new Aqualung Rocket II LOOKS Vintage and performs MUCH better than ANY Jetfin ever did! OK, so they don't come in colors like this thread started out

I'll take a pair of old USD Otarie or other vintage full foot fin any day over those Frankenstein foot pocket fins! But maybe that's also because I'd ALWAYS rather be barefoot or wearing sandals than shoes

All in fun.....

dhaas

[duckbill]

Jetfin.....too stiff
I guess it's all relative. My standard blade-sized Jets are definitely NOT stiff, compared to Rockets or my old (LOL) Mares Power Planas. Compared to Vikings, I guess they could be called "stiff".
My XL Jets are "relatively" hard to kick, but not because they are "stiff"; It is because of the surface area. Maybe Dave's referring to XL Jets?
JMHO (i.e. who cares)

[SeaRat]

The regular Jet Fins can get stiff with age. But I have a pair of Scubapro Lightning Jet Fins I got in the USAF in about 1975 that are still soft and pliable. I think Scubapro changed the rubber formulation with the Lightning Jet Fin. Scubapro came out with the Jet Fin in 1965, then came out with the Lightning Jet Fin around 1972. Here's what Scubapro says in their 1986 Equipment Selection Guide:

SCUBAPRO RUBBER AND PLASTIC PRODUCTS INTRODUCTION...

QUALITY NEEDS CONTROL
Some of the most important pieces of diving equipment you will own will be made from rubber. Many diving equipment manufacturers design rubber products and then contract the actual mixing and molding process to an outside firm. This is not the case at Scubapro. In 1972, an established, modern rubber fabricating company named Hydro Rubber joined Scubapro. This "Total Control," blended from Scubapro engineering and Hydro Rubber seasoned technology, has set the standard fro product excellence industry wide. These standards include "The Lightning Jet Fin," "The Shotgun Snorkel," a complete facial geometry series of "neoprene rubber masks," and the largest selection of "Crystal silicone masks and snorkels" in the industry.

I, however, do not agree with the idea that these are the best fins. As you know, I have been experimenting for years with fin designs, and find that all these vented fins have a similar problem, in that on the upstroke they cause a lot of drag. As mentioned above, with age many of them stiffen up too. I just bought a pair of Dacor Turbo vented fins, and they were so stiff I could hardly use them. They are getting better now, after a week's soaking in ArmourAll. That, by the way, will help preserve these fins.

The best production bi-fins (one fin per foot, compared to "monofins" with one fin for both feet--finswimming terminology) are the long ones, with a full-foot pocket. They are the most streamlined, and were used in both open water and pool competition in finswimming for years. Now, they are mainly used by spearfishermen and other freedivers. But I still maintain that my scoop fin concept (from the early 1970s, so you could say it's still "vintage") produces the best overall fin design, even better than split fins, as water is lost through the split on those fins. You can see the thread I have here explaining them below:

vintagescuba.proboards2.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&n=1&thread=588

vintagescuba.proboards2.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&n=1&thread=972&page=1

John