Big dive bag that fits freediving fins

[wetpixel 0]

I just got some long blade freediving fins, and found out that they do not fit in my Stahlsack. Any tips on a good bag that will fit 'em?

[bearaway 1]

I just got some long blade freediving fins, and found out that they do not fit in my Stahlsack. Any tips on a good bag that will fit 'em?

Let me guess. You bought these fins and threw away your Mares Quattro for your next Galapagos trip in order to follow the whale sharks and avoid sucking air like mad due to complete muscular exhaustion. Correct ?

 

Now, I have a very good answer to your question. Bring back your fins to your dealer and get a pair of Sporasub Variant.

 

You can find then at a US dealer such as Divers Direct or close to you: AquaSafari.

 

 

A Diver 'test' here

[wetpixel 0]

Stephane -

 

You got it! Except that I still have the Mares fins, which I will probably have to take with me on Thursday, unless I can find the Sporasub fins tomorrow somewhere close to SF. Have any idea whereI might look around here? (Santa Cruz is too far!!).

 

I've seen those fins before, but I couldn't remember what they were called. Or maybe I just forgot about them completely.

[craig 0]

Perhaps a simple duffle bag will do instead. I use a North Face XL duffle bag and its pretty big. It's also very lightweight but has no wheels.

[Alex_Mustard 0]

The other option is too seek out a custom bag for the fins. When I went to the Red Sea a couple of weeks ago we took a large monofin that came with its own bag. The fin manufacturers might make a bag?

[wetpixel 0]

Alex - if I check in another bag, I have to pay over $80 USD, unless I plastic wrap the bags together to make them look like one.

 

Of course, then there's the Transportation Security Administration to deal with...

[tshepherd 0]

I second Craig's recommendation for a duffle bag. My last two trips I used an LL Bean XL duffle with wheels that you can find here. REI has something similar, why not swing by the one off 101 (can't remember what city, down by Oracle) and check it out?

 

I end up packing anything large and relatively unbreakable in the duffle, then putting things like masks, etc, in an Akona rolling bag, and can fit two full sets of gear, 6-7 regs, multiple computers, etc, between the two bags.

[wetpixel 0]

Hmm. Yeah. Maybe I'll check out a big rolling duffle at REI tomorrow.

 

I have to fit all my dive gear + clothing in one bag. My second "bag" is a big Storm case with my housing in it. I carry one carry-on and a "personal item," with my computer and most of my camera bodies and lenses.

 

But this REI bag has more volume in it than my Stahlsac does. And, it's a lot cheaper, but probably doesn't have a lifetime warranty. If it works out, does anyone want to buy my old Stahlsac? This is what I have now: http://www.stahlsac.com/submariner/islander.html

[craig 0]

The North Face XL duffle only weighs about 5 pounds and is plenty durable. I go to a "Container Store" and find the right sized plastic tubs for the types of things I want to organize, pack the tubs, then put them into the bags. It's a little heavier but it protects things and the duffle is quite light on its own. The tubs help keep you organized and make packing and unpacking easier. If you try this, run duct tape around the tubs to prevent damage while they are checked. The thick ones don't need it but the thin ones do.

[wetpixel 0]

The North Face XL duffle only weighs about 5 pounds and is plenty durable. I go to a "Container Store" and find the right sized plastic tubs for the types of things I want to organize, pack the tubs, then put them into the bags. It's a little heavier but it protects things and the duffle is quite light on its own.

Hey, Craig -

 

I plan to do this with my camera housings and gear as soon as I have more than two days at home to organize myself! Then I will travel with two soft bags, and since the North Face duffle is 20 points lighter than a Storm case with padded dividers, I'll just fit under the U.S. 50 lb limit for my housing/strobes/etc.

[tshepherd 0]

The North Face duffle is great as well, probably more durable than either of the two I mentioned, but slightly more expensive. Only reason I have the LL Bean one is that I got it for free.

 

Another way of organizing in addition to the tubs is to use zippered pouches. Outdoor Research has a few different sizes here. I use them for cables, batteries, etc., so that when I want to find my MP3 player accesories, or my camera manuals and cords, they're all in specific pouches. Obviously a little lighter than tubs, the downside being they don't provide impact protection.

[craig 0]

I use those zipper pouches the same way. The tubs I use for larger organization, like all my strobes in one for example. I don't use a conventional Pelican case at all. A side benefit of the pouches is that you can leave them packed and its easy to make sure you haven't forgotten little things.

 

A nice packing tool Mauricio Handler showed me are Domke wraps. You can wrap virtually anything with them and bypass foam and rigid dividers. I got both my housings (no handles), both camera bodies, all my lenses and most of my small electronics into my Porter case that way. Amazing, although security checks can be slow.

[craig 0]

Hey, Craig -

 

I plan to do this with my camera housings and gear as soon as I have more than two days at home to organize myself! Then I will travel with two soft bags, and since the North Face duffle is 20 points lighter than a Storm case with padded dividers, I'll just fit under the U.S. 50 lb limit for my housing/strobes/etc.

That's the way I've gone. Two soft bags with internal organizers. Domke wraps are great.

[james 0]

[qupte]Domke wraps are great.

 

Are those the fabric squares with velcro on them?

 

Cheers

James

[craig 0]

Are those the fabric squares with velcro on them?

 

Cheers

James

Yes. MC makes them, too, but the Domke's are a little less bulky so I prefer them.

[bearaway 1]

Enjoy your trip. I would kill for this one.

 

That said, please post your feedback concerning your fins use compared to the Quattro.

 

Being a Mares Quattro user, I'm absolutely convinced that these fins are absolutely awesome as long as you don't kick :angryfire:. More exactly they probably perform very well when it is a machine that kicks but definitely not a human.

 

I would appreciate a real fins test in magazine to figure out what is best rather than the marketing bull. This is not extremely complicated to do a basic one.

 

I suggest swimming 500m at 15m and note the time and air consumption. Repeat this 5 times for each fins. All this should be preceded by a 1 week basic training to avoid too much fitness influence and tests should be conducted in a mixed order as well.

 

They conduct tests for regulators to figure out the effort of breathing but none for fins...very strange. Is that because no one want to volunteer for such a marathon ? I volunteer anytime.

 

While I find useless to have powerful fins for most of the dives (after all the goal is mostly not to use them...) it can be pretty useful to have a boost for some dives without feeling that you need to move the ocean to go forward...

[Dave H 0]

I know this topic has gone dead but I have to put a plug in for the Sporasub Variants.

 

I did a review on them last year and at the completion of the review I immediately purchased a pair and put my quatro's on the shelf. The only fins I use whilst diving from a boat is my Sporasubs, they are the best fins I have EVER used and I've tested about 10 different types.

 

The review can be found here:

Diveoz Gear Reviews

[Patterns 0]

I would appreciate a real fins test in magazine to figure out what is best rather than the marketing bull.

Try here.

 

This wasn't out when I bought my last pair of fins, so I looked at this one when I was looking for info.

 

-David

[bearaway 1]

Try here.

 

This wasn't out when I bought my last pair of fins, so I looked at this one when I was looking for info.

This is still very subjective to me. And there are strictly no indication so far about how the performed the 'objective' timed tests. Kind of disappointing considering the background of the divers who are mostly scientists. But they are not writing the review.

 

IMHO you can hardly give a performance review when you have no idea of the validity of the data. That means that a same reviewer must do the timed-tests several times, then we must compute the mean, the confidence interval, standard deviation and see if it makes sense or not. We may even do a t-test or f-test between measurements.

 

And the timed-test itself is hardly enough, air consumption data must be given as well, this is a key variable for us.

 

Stephane

[davet 0]

What about here or here maybe these are more to your liking..

 

Let me know what you think

 

Dave