 |  |  |  |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| FEATURED FIN TALES August 2007 |
Richard Thomas, Owner, International Scuba
You might have seen either Brian or me diving with a strange looking set of black
fins. I have fallen in love with the performance and features of the APS Mantaray Dive
fins, but many divers believe they were only good for tech diving. There is no doubt
they are great technical diving fins, but recreational divers can benefit from the radical
design also.
The fin is now available in a cool translucent, Aqua Blue, a pearlescent, Caribbean,
and the unique, bold White Lightning.
It was very interesting listening to the evolution and process to design this incredible
fin. The inventor, John Wagner, has spent years studying various fin design. In 1990,
John developed his first prototype fin and in 1993, filed the first patents on his
designs. The next step was to get the fins into the hands of the very people that
would most benefit from a high performance fin, Coast Guard divers, Navy Seals,
and local free and scuba divers. From the feedback and further tweaking, John has
reached the final design for the Mantaray fin.
What makes the fin unique is that its shorter than most fins. This allows for better
maneuverability in close quarters. I think of cave divers and wreck divers right off the
bat, but the shorter fin is also great because you are less likely to kick your buddy or
inadvertently kick a coral head. Packing these fins is a breeze due to the shorter size.
The first thing that stands out about these fins is the system of vents running along
the blade, with a channel along the top. This patented dual water channeling system
has proven to stabilize the fin making it much more efficient and provides a thrust of
power in the optimum direction. An added benefit is that water is not directed down to
stir up the silt on the bottom or up to disturb rust found in older wrecks. Imagine if the
visibility at Clear Springs could be maintained all weekend like it is on Saturday
mornings. Another nice feature is that you can utilize any kick style. Many alternative
fins don't work as well with the frog kick or other modified kicks.
The white fins really caught my attention because they stand out in our local dive
conditions (low to no vis) now my buddy can spot my fins from across the lake. The
original idea behind the white fin was more ingenious than just high visibility. John
had photographers in mind. The fin works as a white balance slate for digital
photographers.
The Mantaray fin has received numerous awards such as the Testers' Choice Award
from Scuba Diving Magazine, Asian Diver Magazine, Dive Trainer Magazine, Sports
Diver Magazine, and Dive Newswire. It was chosen to be exhibited at the Inventors'
Expo sponsored by the U.S. Patent Office at Disney World's Epcot Center. It has also
received numerous testimonial letters from divers of all types and varying
backgrounds. All of our tech oriented instructors in our shop own and love the fin."
You might have seen either Brian or me diving with a strange looking set of black
fins. I have fallen in love with the performance and features of the APS Mantaray Dive
fins, but many divers believe they were only good for tech diving. There is no doubt
they are great technical diving fins, but recreational divers can benefit from the radical
design also.
The fin is now available in a cool translucent, Aqua Blue, a pearlescent, Caribbean,
and the unique, bold White Lightning.
It was very interesting listening to the evolution and process to design this incredible
fin. The inventor, John Wagner, has spent years studying various fin design. In 1990,
John developed his first prototype fin and in 1993, filed the first patents on his
designs. The next step was to get the fins into the hands of the very people that
would most benefit from a high performance fin, Coast Guard divers, Navy Seals,
and local free and scuba divers. From the feedback and further tweaking, John has
reached the final design for the Mantaray fin.
What makes the fin unique is that its shorter than most fins. This allows for better
maneuverability in close quarters. I think of cave divers and wreck divers right off the
bat, but the shorter fin is also great because you are less likely to kick your buddy or
inadvertently kick a coral head. Packing these fins is a breeze due to the shorter size.
The first thing that stands out about these fins is the system of vents running along
the blade, with a channel along the top. This patented dual water channeling system
has proven to stabilize the fin making it much more efficient and provides a thrust of
power in the optimum direction. An added benefit is that water is not directed down to
stir up the silt on the bottom or up to disturb rust found in older wrecks. Imagine if the
visibility at Clear Springs could be maintained all weekend like it is on Saturday
mornings. Another nice feature is that you can utilize any kick style. Many alternative
fins don't work as well with the frog kick or other modified kicks.
The white fins really caught my attention because they stand out in our local dive
conditions (low to no vis) now my buddy can spot my fins from across the lake. The
original idea behind the white fin was more ingenious than just high visibility. John
had photographers in mind. The fin works as a white balance slate for digital
photographers.
The Mantaray fin has received numerous awards such as the Testers' Choice Award
from Scuba Diving Magazine, Asian Diver Magazine, Dive Trainer Magazine, Sports
Diver Magazine, and Dive Newswire. It was chosen to be exhibited at the Inventors'
Expo sponsored by the U.S. Patent Office at Disney World's Epcot Center. It has also
received numerous testimonial letters from divers of all types and varying
backgrounds. All of our tech oriented instructors in our shop own and love the fin."
| APS Mantaray Dive Fins Advanced-Aqua Propulsion System Dual Directional Water Channeling |
| BUS: 619.461.1328 FAX: 619.461.1347 |