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

I am cut and posting, a note from Solo that was in the Fin Flap thread, so, we can dedicate a whole one to the new UDT duckfeet from Dr. Deets.....

Anyone else get them yet?

How are they, unmodified?

I'll get in the pool, tomorrow night, I hope with mine.....

Big swell on tap for the weekend, too....

Solo wrote....

Surfers of all disciplines, recreational divers and Navy SEALS are using the new Voit UDT fins... an entirely different re-formulation of the original rubber compounds.

Some surfers are so pleased they`ve purchased multiple pairs, literally "lifetime supplies"... persons including George Greenough and friends who`ve been modifying and refining their swim fins to provide even more quickness and powerful response (yet easier on the ankles), and reduced water resistance. There are no comparable swim fins on the market today.

The new Voit UDTs are currently a bargain at only $50.00 per pair. For further information, or to place an order, contact Prof. Greg Deets @ parsimony@earthlink.net

http://digitalstar.com/dalesolomonson/OriginalImages/293301ORIG.JPG

Phantom · Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2004 9:13 am Post subject:

Won`t be hiking very far with these Beasts. Shock and Awe, the Mother of all fins... thoughts that came to mind when I opened the box. Then, slapping them around the house, monster like, scaring kid and dog. Good fun.

Phantom · Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2004 9:22 am Post subject: U.D.T. Recovery Program

Looks like George and friends are cutting the strap down slightly. Jig saw, surform,disc sander, perhaps some dragon skin....I am hobbling a bit , after yesterdays first use, but found them suprisingly comfortable, wearing a 5 ml. sock. Performance ; a direct transference of energy, a fin worthy of passion.

rodndtube · Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2004 11:23 pm Post subject:

Mine arrived in the mail today. My wife says to herself, "Oh no, not another keyboard (aka the Northgate OmniKey Ultra collection). " So she goes ahead and opens the box sighing to herself, "Thank God!" Can't wait to check them out in a couple of days Smile

_________________
rodNDtube
"Prone to ride"
I love my papa li`ili`i

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

Ok, got in the pool tonight.....chilly out there!

Spent a 1/2 hour with them, then....did running in place (deep end) and other non-fin things....

I am going to have to break them in...like a new pair of shoes, they are stiffer at first....might take 2 months or so to really get them "there" AND my leg muscles firing in all the right places....

Great on the quads and hams!

I would suggest to everyone with a new pair - make sure you warm up by walking or jogging or biking or whatever before you hop in the winter surf for the first times with these...and stretch *after* you get out and take them off.

They are heavier and much longer than all my other fins, so, requires different or more stress on muscles...which is great, I appreciate the work out - I just am going to have to break them in AND a few muscles.

Will be using them in the pool for 30 minutes as much as possible this winter/spring.....and in the ocean.

Oh, and propulsion? Haaaaaaaa these things make you charge right along and just plain kicking!

Really funny taking them off and then swim kicking.....What a difference!

My pool training is including short bursts of intense kicking as if kicking to catch a wave...and plenty of long haul paddle out kicking...

Underwater diving is next...and wearing them with socks, a good idea!

Birdie

rodndtube · Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2004 7:17 am Post subject:

Birdie, do you plan to "trim" your UDTs ala Greenough as shown in the pics?
_________________
rodNDtube
"Prone to ride"
I love my papa li`ili`i

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

I'm not planning on trimming them.

I am planning on breaking them in....

And, I am going to drill out the "hole" plugs so they will drain!

That's important.

Fin length isn't an issue for paipo and other prone riding, and, while they are heavier than my other fins, so what...my muscles will adapt.

Birdie

John Galera · Joined: 01 Feb 2004 Posts: Location: Mililani, Hawaii

I normally wear the orange and blue duckfeet without booties, but they always blister my 2 nd and 3 rd toes. I normally duck tape them. Do anyone find these softer than the blue ones?? I haven't seen them at the local stores here.

Solo · Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2004 3:02 am Post subject:

John,

The new Voit UDTs are made from the original molds, but with completely re-formulated rubber compounds. The foot pocket area is firmer, while the tapered blade is a bit softer and more flexible. As far as I know, they aren`t yet available through distributors or surf shops. The price is currently $50.00 per pair, plus shipping.

The new UDTs have appeared in the latest issue of The Surfer`s Journal, see "Custom Craft - Three Vessels from the Conceptual Hinterlands":

http://www.surfersjournal.com/assets/images/custom_craft.jpg

http://www.surfersjournal.com/html/current_issue.htm

******

Your best contact is Greg Deets @ parsimony@earthlink.net

http://photothru.com/photo_filedb1/A5/E7/E4/A5E7E4/viewable/A5E7E4_131C9C32AA6C_2.jpg

http://digitalstar.com/dalesolomonson/OriginalImages/293301ORIG.JPG

I hope this has been helpful... aloha,

Solo

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

Used a rounded X-Atco blade to knock out the "plug" in the drainholes today....and went in with the paipo...

Left "Creature from the Black Lagoon" tracks leading into the sea, as they are too long to walk forward very well...so...did the backward thing a la SeaHunt.

Had a 3 hr session.... 2 - 4 with some plus sets.... water 57 F

One of my socks got bunched near the topside of my right foot, and was trying to make a 'knot' in my foot....so....I took it off, enlisted a surfer to hold the leashless Paipo and one glove....Fargghhhhhhhhhh.....do not try this with socks on....wound up with my foot and the "franken fin" on her surfboard deck...because I needed a hand getting it stuffed down on to my foot....the wet socks make it *very* hard to pull on....I don't think I could have done it without help....

Anyway, finally got it back on and boy was that a relief, sock all straightened out and everything.....

Am not, I repeat, am not taking them off again in the water.

Meanwhile, breezed right along on the kick out.....

The firmer pocket is an adjustment....I am used to soft pockets...Makapuu's or T2's.

Tomorrow, going to wear the T2's, and let my feet rest.

Probably will take awhile to break in the fins AND my feets, quads, hams, etc....

Got A LOT of comments on the Paipo today, in and out of the water....

"What IS that???"

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

I think I want to make 2 small rectangluar drainholes on each side of the bottom of the footpocket, up at the toe end of the pocket....

Saw a shorter and slightly wider voit duckfoot at the pool, had almost quarter sized drain holes in the bottom of the footpocket.

After the T2's, I am a firm believer in drainholes up near the toes for flow through draining.

Maybe with a drill and X-acto blades....

Cheers

Birdie

doc · Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2004 11:09 am Post subject: Drain holes? why?

This may seem a little counter-intuitive, but....

what good do drain holes do, anyways? I've used quite a few different fins over the years, with and without water outlets of one sort or another, and I haven't really noticed any difference beyond those fins with drain holes letting in a lot of sand, which in turn seems to do a great job of removing the hair on my toes (though unfortunately doing nothing at all about corns and such).

Now, a different but related question; the new UDTs are made from the same molds as the older UDTs, if I remember right. I'm about to order a couple pairs ( the tax refund came in, hurrah hurrah ) so I just want to double check - a size large new-Deets UDT will be the same foot size as one of the older size large Voit UDTs?

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

Larges are for US sizes 9 - 11

I have the M for 7 - 9

They don't come in small.

My foot moves around in them without a sock on - I can't imagine needing a fin saver with the sock on...

My T2's have one big hole in a tube that comes from the footpocket.

What happens is when you have a completely enclosed foot pocket or one with small holes is that they can act like buckets on your feet - when either your feet are being dragged through the water catching a wave or you are swimming out and the waves are going past you....

Go ahead, drag a small bucket in the water.

Now, poke a hole in the bottom of it.

Water will go out the hole in a stream, and the bucket will move faster.

If you wear fins without much in the way of drainholes and then slap on a pair of T2's, you will notice your feet will not drag as much in the soup, etc and you'll pick up more speed.

Last of all, I am in no mood for any small pebbles as taking these off while in the water when you cannot stand is not something I want to do again, and having to come back in to get a nasty pebble or two out should be unneccessary.....

2-4 with plus sets today...sunny no wind.

Birdie

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

Since these are Underwater Demolition Team swimfims, they were originally made for diving, and so the drain hole issue is completely different.

When you are diving, you don't have water at an invasive velocity headed at your footpockets.

When you are in waves or have them going past you, you do have invasive water at a velocity going at your foot pockets. The snugger the fit, the less water gets in...

There is a picture of my aqua T2's on my "website" (workbench) and you can sort of see the drain tube. It is a great feature.

Nels · Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2004 1:45 pm Post subject:

For me having good drain holes is the difference between comfort and torture. While having some kind of water vent does keep the fins from washing off so easy, the key thing for me is washing sand, rock, and shell out of the foot pocket. Leaving any of them in makes quick work of skin, and as we all know here cuts quickly turn into sores if the feet don't heal beause we keep getting wet.