Rocket Fin vs Turtle Fins?

[rudolph_medic]

What is the difference between the ScubaPro Rocket Fins and the Turtle Fins?
I have a set of the rocket fins from about '84, and am wondering what the difference is.

[tpscuba]

There is a great piece in the Jan. 2004 undercurrent onFins Article called Scientists Debunk Fin Claims If you don't get the publication you can subscribe at pete@undercurrent.org

[LKunze]

Are you sure you don't mean "Jet" fins? Scubapro made Jets and still do. Aqualung used to make a similar fin called the Rocket.
Anyway, Turtles only come in one size (REAL BIG). Turtles are popular among drysuit divers who have either big feet or wear rock boots with their drysuits. They have a very large footpocket. I use the Turtles and love them. The rubber on the Turtles is a little softer and more flexible than the Scubapro Jets.
As a side note...I heard recently that IDI, the company that makes the Turtle fins has gone under so if you want a pair of turtles better buy em' up soon.
Also, Scubapro has just come out with an XXL size Jet Fin now as an alternative to the Turtle fin for drysuit divers. Initial reports from divers that have seen them though didn't sound good to me. Rumor has it they didn't increase the blade size much and mainly just made the foot pocket bigger. Bigger than the Turtle footpocket even! :o Don't know what's up with that if it's indeed true. I can't imagine anyone needing a foot pocket bigger than the Turtle fin unless they've got Shaquille O'Neal sized feet. LOL!

[tcjtn0]

I double checked on that IDI going under and it is correct!!!
Dumb luck for those of us that never got any Turtles...Have to get along with my Mares , I guess....Sigh.....

Jean :'(

[LKunze]

Bummer, glad I got mine when I did. I even have one spare turtle since I lost one last year and had to buy another pair. : I'd imagine you'll still be able to find them used on Ebay for quite awhile though.

[rudolph_medic]

I looked and I do have the rocket fin- Guess I did not even remember what brand my own fins were!! :-[ I use a US Divers fin now because I changed wet suit booties and about cut my foot off with my rocket fins.
:o

[jasondbaker]

For Sale: Pair of IDI Turtle Fins, Classic Style, Spring Straps, $500 OBO

[Freedive WI]

Global Manufacturing bought out IDI's entire stock and will be offering them through their company until supplies run out.

This brings me to wonder why dive companies are so frigin' stupid! Here was a fin that did twice the work, at half the cost, and it's no longer going to be made. You'd think someone else would pick up the molds and continue on instead of trying to reinvent some thing that works so well. Instead they offer us a new bunch of gimmicks every year, just so they have something new to sell at twice the cost!

Scuba isn't the only sport effected by this. It is near impossible to find a good Freediving snorkel these days. I want a real snorkel, not some crappy "dry" snorkel that's bigger than my spare-air bottle! I had to actually scour through the postings on E-bay to find a 20 year old snorkel to do what I wanted it to- breath easy without a bunch of junk on it to ruin my streamline in the water. The best freediving snorkel was the old Farallon contour snorkel, with the orange bite-tabs that you could mold to your mouth, but it hasn't been made in 20 years either! Would someone please bring back the good ol' snorkel for people who actually use them! :'(

Why can't they concentrate their efforts on something we could really use, like a scooter that runs for hours instead of minutes, and leave the stuff that works, like snorkels and fins, alone? ???

Sorry for my rant, but it seems like such a waste of resources to fix something that isn't broken.

jon

[JoelW]

I guess I don't see why there are the complaints about SP not making the blade bigger on the XXL jets. As it is, the blades on the XL jets are longer than the ones on the turtles by about an inch and almost the same width. And they are a stiffer material than what is used on the turtles.

JoelW

[LKunze]

Yeah, I guess the blade size thing ain't a big deal but making the foot pocket bigger than the Turtle's is pretty dumb though. If the footpocket info. I heard is true then that really sucks. You'd still be stuck with a foot pocket that's too small for rockboots with the XL Jet, and now with the XXL Jet...too large for anyone with feet smaller than King Kong. :