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Birdie · Joined: 20 Jan 2004 Posts: Location: so cal

Since I tend to frequent cobblestony reefs, which can produce all size of gnarly footpocket gremlins, the T2 tube, literally flushes anything out that gets into the FP in no time at all....just whooses right out. I love them for that, seriously. There is no drainhole on the bottom of the fin, everything comes in under the heel....which it can do with the U.D.T.'s, and walking backwards into the surf is an open invitation....

I'd like to see a navy seal training film where they put them on and off at the surface of the water...while swimming....

I'll prolly keep one pair unmodified and modify another but in the summer.

Off to the beach.

rodndtube · Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2004 12:32 am Post subject:

I slipped on (that's an overstatement) my new jet black UDTs this afternoon, flopped around the living room for several minutes, and flexed them a bit. Slipping them on is a misnomer. The suckers were a tight fit for me and made for a very difficult entry. Maybe they will be easier when or after they are wet like my Viper V-5 Flex (Orange Dot) Model.

The UDTs seemed more stiff and rigid than expected. They are certainly long. The foot pocket is kinda rough it seems. But all this needs a water test. Maybe I'll give them a wet run in a pool tomorrow.

I bent and flexed them severly while wearing them, pressing the blade bothways. That seemed to loosen the flex some on the semi-stiff blade. Need to look at the Greenough blade cuts again - believe they were straight blade cuts. I may pattern mine after my Churchill Makapu's. That and create some T2 type draino cuts.
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Birdie · Joined: 20 Jan 2004 Posts: Location: so cal

If I was making a modified version, for surf zone fun...

I would put a drain hole in like the T2's....

Coming from the middle of the front toe area, on the bottom of the fin, and like a small tunnel, down the center maybe 2", where the center ridge is...just make it wide and hollow - a tube. You could carry on with the center ridge/strake after it.

Anyway, they'll be the bomb for launching off of boats with....as is.

I wore the T2's today...I have a rythym with them that my muscles and brain are used to...and they are sooo soft in the foot pocket...they rate with Makapuu's that way....and since I am sore from a 3 hour session with the udt's yesterday, it was good to take it easy....

My arms are even sore today, so, not just feets and legs...it has been flat for too long!

Tomorrow, I may just do the H2O class at the pool....no fins at all.

81 F water....just to get myself in shape for the work week....and stretch everything....

Cold water is not the best way to break in new fins or muscles!

Birdie · Joined: 20 Jan 2004 Posts: Location: so cal

Ah ha!!!

I was showing the UDT's off to some of the lifeguards at the pool today, and we were checking out the flex - they are still stiff - so...I put one in front of me, and the tip against the wood guard shack and leaned/pushed into the fin, which made it bend/flex against the wall....then, I turned it over , did it again...a few times....

Excellent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Much more flexy now....

Do it only on a smooth surface, stucco wouldn't be kind to the rubber.

Tigerbeach · Joined: 11 Jun 2006 Posts: Location: Newport Beach, Ca

The swell is breaking 8-10 feet at Waimaia; lifeguards are getting tourists out of the water, left and right. Clear, clean water is pounding, punctuated with the sound of bombs. The scene is surreal; beautiful magestic waves surrounded by pandemonium on shore. Guards are shouting, and running, and swimming.
My brother and I, in our 20's walk un-hindered to the waters edge and wait. In our hands are UDT fins(brown and blues.) As we watch and wait, a lifeguard, (local, of course. My bro and I are blond and blue eyed haoles.) "Hey, go out by churches Brah! Da kine rights, li'dat!"
And we did. The reputation of the UDT's proceded us to the North Shore.

I got my new ones from parsimony@earthlink.net.
They're in my truck now.
ASW

PaipoJim · Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2006 7:55 pm Post subject: Re: My best UDT story of many

kage · Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2006 8:30 pm Post subject:

Dang. I have exactly the same set of fins (except the vipers are V7's). But I just cut down my UDT's (last night!). Sad

I Just couldn't get the kick out them. Am I a wimp? say it isn't so.
Here's my question, how do I figure out if it's the way I'm kicking or just leg strength. If I could change my kicking technique I would buy another pair and leave them uncut. From your "pittypat" comment I suspect you are a fan of a more major leg stroke, but clearly, even tough guys like you must take longer for a bigger stroke and sacrifice immediate speed for later speed. You are just that strong? I am sincerely a fan of going faster in the takeoff, I am regularly racing against big old floaty surfboards coming from way outside and scooping up my waves. And if it's taking time to go to the gym, I'll do that. But I am in the water 6 out of 7 days and even though the rest of my body has pretty much gone to pot my calves and legs are Arnoldesque. Well, maybe they're more Arnoldene...actually AARPy would be the best description being also in my 50's.
Technique advice?

PaipoJim · Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2006 6:37 pm Post subject:

Tigerbeach · Joined: 11 Jun 2006 Posts: Location: Newport Beach, Ca

So I have my "lifetime supply!" I bought my second pair from Dr. Deets!!

I used to teach scuba at Sea Sports in Laguna Beach in the early 80's.
I was Naui Instructor # 8319. I only used UDT's.(Along the way, I tested everything else on the market; but that's a different story.)

I have size 12 feet and couldn't wear boots inside super sized UDT's.
(My trusty brown and blues) What I did was to get some 1/4" wetsuit material, cut it to fit the upper part of the foot pocket, and glue it in with wetsuit glue. I folded/glued a remaining 2" flap over the top of the fin, covering the where the size is located. I was in the water 5-6 days a week; the rubber needed to be re-glued every 6 months or so.
This was a comfortable and warm option for year round chilly So Cal waters.
For me, cutting holes in the fins was asking for sand to pour in. As a Scuba diver, I'd walk in from the beach during a lull, fins in hand. Put my fins on quickly in chest deep water, and snorkel out to safe water. If I needed to empty sand from the fins, I'd do it before I descended. I could then dive the entire time with no sand.
I'd like to hear about other people's experience with these fins.
ASW