Which Force Fins & Boots?

[Plain Old Jim]

I went out in 1' waves and high winds with a pair of nice felt bottomed wading boots, in my float tube, and a pair of cheap flippers. I now find out I need Force Fins. Which ones.....the 18" or the 21". With a big size 13 tennis shoe style bootie and the 18" there wasn't much flipper sticking out past the shoe to propel with. I don't wear 13's.....I am a 8.5 to 9 size foot guy. But was having trouble finding something that didn't cramp my toes in width. A great Simms wading sandal would work terrific but the moulding in the toe area cramped my toes to the point of uncomfortable. Someone loaned me a pair of 18" force fins and a neoprene bootie and that was great. Her husband doesn't use them anymore but they didn't want to sell them to me. Too bad, perfect fit. Bought Hodgman's for wife that zip up front and couldn't even get the zipper up. Friend also had same trouble with Hodgmans. Unfortunately that is all Sportsmans Warehouse sells. I saw a boatload of cheap shoes at Wal-Mart that looked like they would work. Tennish shoes, etc....So my questions are do I get the 18" or the 21" Force Fin....and would some cheap shoe from Wal-Mart ($9 & up) work with the fins and my expensive sock soled Simms waders? Or should I get a brand name neoprene bootie made for the job? (Had to pay $90 for wife's Simms sandals but they perfect for her.)

Jim

[ducksterman]

Jim,
Just to start this off...

It's something I've been paying attention to...and there is a recent thread ...I came away feeling that if one is going to spring for Force Fins it might as well be the adjustable ones....incidently my first fins were Force fins which I went away from because of the fit problem but I'm giving them a try again...they're XL's

Incidentally, I didn't know they had 18 and 21 inch ones.

Sportsman's Warehouse prices are $20 less than suggested...but I don't know if they have adjustables.

I have the same problem as you re: width but also wear a 12 shoe so it's an issue getting something to fit in my current Force Fins...right now I just wear a cheap pair of Aqua socks over my stocking foot waders and take them off to get into the fins...leave on the bank or store in a pocket... incidentally just tried the Hodgman bootie...size 14 and they were too narrow...returning them today...

I'm sure you'll be getting a lot of input on this..

[This message has been edited by ducksterman (edited 12 June 2005).]

[Bamboozle]

Go with the adjustable Float Tube Force Fins. They only come in one size and they work great. I've had mine for several years now and they are made to last, work well and well worth the $$$.
[url=http://www.forcefin.com/FF_PAGES/FF_Products/floattubeforce.htm:d79a6]http://www.forcefin.com/FF_PAGES/FF_Products/floattubeforce.htm[/url:d79a6]

They are available from Cabela's
[url=http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jhtml?id=0011322312111a&type=product&cmCat=se arch&returnString=hasJS=true&_D%3AhasJS=+&QueryTex t=force+fins&_DARGS=%2Fca%20belas:d79a6]http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jhtml?id=0011322312111a&type=product&cmCat=se arch&returnString=hasJS=true&_D%3AhasJS=+&QueryTex t=force+fins&_DARGS=%2Fc abelas[/url:d79a6] %2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jhtml.22&N=4887&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall &Nty=1&Ntt=force+fins&noImage=0&returnPage=sear ch-results1.jhtml

By the way I use the crappiest pair of wading shoes I could find with my neoprene bootied waders and have no problem using the Force Fins. I just sprung for a pair of the new Chota Kick Boot Booties, (say that three times fast), but haven't received them yet to review.


[This message has been edited by Bamboozle (edited 10 June 2005).]

[ducksterman]

Bam,
Can you let us know if they tend to run narrow or wide?

[P.Dieter]

"we dont need no stink'n force fins"

10 years with these guys and still going strong; and they move ya right along.

Have fun
Paul

[Bamboozle]

ducksterman:

I wear a normal, (D) width shoe size 10-1/2. So that means that my wading shoes & wader bootie sort of make my foot an E or Double EE width as evidenced by the size of a custom pair of wading shoes I have.

That being said; the pair of adjustable float tube Force Fins I have fit me just fine. There is a heel pocket thingy and a strap that is adjustable that goes behind your ankle. The other adjustable strap goes over your instep. The ONLY place that isn?t adjustable is where your heel sits and unless you have an elephant sized heel you or anybody else should be fine. Depending on where you set your foot in the fin, you can determine where the instep strap sits making a comfortable fit a breeze.

I find them extremely comfortable; easy to put on and take off and they are built like a brick $h!t house; I mean the quality is incredible! If you are lucky enough to have a Cabela?s or possibly Bass Pro nearby go see them for yourself. You will instantly see why they cost 4X as much as the plastic ?float tube? fins everybody else sells. The best part is the really do work better and at least for me give me better results and less cramping and fatigue.

[Plain Old Jim]

As I said I had trouble in the hurricane wit my outfit....wader SHOES....and cheapie fins. Last Saturday a friend loaned me the 18.5 inch Force Fins....plain solid rubber top...(as opposed to the adjustables) and a neoprene bootie that velcrowed to strap it on. ONE big open flap, not straps. One big open flap, I slide my foot in and just stretch the wrap around flap to the velcro on the bootie and rub it in! That's it. Worked great. I go online everywhere and only see the neoprene's in zip up style. That may work zipping up the side as the Chota's do. But the zip up the top Hodgmans for the wife didn't even come close. Sooooo....I was hoping to find the velcro jobbies. Tight Lines in Tucson says he has then....alon with the "XXL" adjustable size Force Fin! I gotta make a run to Tucson. BTW...Sportsmans Warehouse in Phoenix has the 18.5" Adjustable force fin for $85. The heavier wader boot I had on and the cheapie flippers didn't come close to the ease of the Force Fins with the lightweight neoprene bootie. Gotta have it. Bam, I been ALL OVER the force fin website. By the time you read about each one designed to propel you better.....I am left with still not knowing which would be better. My friend from Phoenix has a size 13 foot and wears the 21". I may see him this week. He HAS to have the 21"......Thanks all. For now I am going to cut a "V" in my Wal-****"s and cross my fingers.

Jim

[flyfisherjoe]

What Bamboozle said is right on the money regarding the fit and performance of Adjustable Force Fins. However they do not sell them at Bass Pro. Cabelas does have them as well as a lot of sporting goods dealers and fly shops.

They only come in one length but, as bamboozle said, you can adjust where your foot mounts in the foot pocket to give you more or less fin extending from the toes.

I often wear them with soft booties, which are very comfortable. If I am going to do a lot of walking or the footing to the water is rough, I wear wading boots. The Adjustable handles both.

I have tested most of the fins out there and Force Fins are by far the most comfortable and best performing I have used.

------------------
Joe

Go with the adjustables period.

I have the cheaper non-adjustables and, while I like the fin, I'm very sorry I didn't go the extra bucks for the adjustables. Then you could wear cheap sneakers, wading boots, reef runners, whatever. With the non-adjustables, I can only fit them over my wader's bootie. Means I have to wear reef runners over the bootie to get to the water and then take them off, and put on the fins.

Go with the adjustables.

Silvertop

[Plain Old Jim]

Thanks men. You too Silvertop2!
ahhhhhh....just kiddin' Silvertop2. A little humor there....as W.C. Fields says..."...yeah....Very Little Humor"

Fire in the hole!

Jim