Aqualung style UDT duckfoot fins

[treasureman]

I have found a pair of nearly new Aqualung type of fins which look like the duckfoot. are these desireable vintage, or should they be left alone.

[Emilio Largo]

I think they are desirable. I have 3 sets of duckfeet style fins by different manufacturers. One set is reproduction UDT's, one is by White Stag, and the third is the US Divers version. I have dove the US Divers duckfeet and they are pretty stiff, but work well. The only caution is the size. Mine are marked" Med. Large" and they are tight on my size 11 feet. I would like to trade these for another USD set in a bigger size.

As a side note, the White Stag duckfeet have much softer blades than the others.

[duckbill]

If you're refering to the Aqualung Professional, the heel strap is VERY thick and heavy. Not much stretch at all. I have a practically new set which I have never used because of this very problem. I'm know I would encounter great difficulty in removing them, especially if I were in a hurry. If there is any kind of a sole on the bootie, the heel strap catches it. I need to get a pair of soleless booties if I ever wanted to use these fins.

[YankDownUnder]

The UDT style duck feet were marketed by several companies. I have a set by Nemrod. They are also stiff, as were the US Divers pair I used when I was stationed at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. I have wide feet and I needed the extra large, even though I only have a size 10 foot. The softest duck feet were the gum rubber models.

They are a great classic and belong in any collection, but they really are for the UDT type diver, with s-t-r-o-n-g legs.

[treasureman]

well the fella that is selling them wants 15 bux canadian for them. Cheap at twice the price.

[Bryan]

It's worth a shot at that price.....Allan has a really cool blue pair that I've seen him wear a few times.
I can't find a pair to fit my 11 1/2 DD feet......If I could web my toes I would not need fins

[21]

The key phrase is "Duckfeet style fins"

There is only one Duck feet fins, (duck foot?) and those are the ones designed and manufactured by Arthur 'Bud' Brown in Laguna Beach, later Huntington Beach. He sold to Ken Norris of Pacific molded products (PMP) in 1960 who continued producing the original ducks under Brown's Swimaster label.

PMP sold to Voit around 1961 who for a while used the Swimaster name and product line as their professional line.

Voit people changed the compound from pure gum rubber to black neoprene and stated the downward spirl of Duck feet.

Over the years there was many companies with designs that attempted to duplicate ducks, but were just a little off the mark. S/W 707, Imperials, US Divers Aqualungs etc looked like Ducks but missed the mark in comfort and performance.

If the diver was kicking corrrectly the ducks were noted for rubbing the top of the toes RAW! After several months the toe skin was like elephant skin and the diver would dive in comfort-with thrust to spare-but if he did not dive regularly the elephant skin disappeared and the process started all over again.

Over the years of Duck feet production there were a number of fin performance test performed. The frist was by Captian Walter Mazzone, USN in 1950 (?) on USN divers, then 1955 (?) Bill Barada on Sport divers, and in 1965 by Tony Christensen for his UCLA doctorate with a variety of subjects in size weight and experience. In all the test the ducks out performed all other fins.

Tony's was the most accurate and conclusive. He constructed a huge UW test bench which measured air consumption, thrust; maximum and sustained, etc etc. The best performing fin was the straight blade stiff fin (aka Ducks). A distant second place was a curved blade stiff fin (aka Aqua Lung)

Therefore, they may look like a Duck but they are NOT Ducks! There IS a difference.

Remember you read it here! On VDH

21

[Bryan]

In the downloads section of the site you can see some of the performance testing data from the "new" Duckfeet.

http://www.vintagedoublehose.com/downloads/index.php

[Nemrod]

I have the new reproduction Voit UDTs from supposedly the original molds. They are the ones that Bryan mentions. I have had the original gum version, I like the gum color better but I like the new fins better for perfomrance. I am not sure the UDT is still the top dawg but be that as it may, they are still a very powerful and fast fin completely suitable for pushing a heavy equipped scuba diver. The new reproductions are of quality rubber. The rubber has a smokey smell, they are the real deal best I can tell and even come in a Voit UDT box. I believe that VSS carries them sometimes and they are found here nad there on the web. If they ever make a natural or gum version, I want them. Black gets awfully boring.

Nemrod

[Bob3]

Resurrecting an old post - a bit over a month isn't too bad, eh?
I got my USD Duck Feet back in '67 or there abouts, paid a lot for them at the time (way over $20), but in spite of having one of the critters go missing for a couple years the things are still quite usable.
The USD foot pocket is wider than the Originals, one of the reasons I got them. I could get my canoe-paddle feet into them wearing booties - Unisuit soft booties too.
For warm water I currently use XXL Originals with a lycra sock - there's a LOT of extra room in the toes but still barely wide enough.