Introduction
Salvimar launches the all new Speeder polymer fins. The Italian Company has designed and has in its product line a great number of fins. In the last years the Salvimar 151 line, with the Turn 151, the Fibra 151 and the Carbo 151, have represented a excellent and very complete offer. The possibility to have the same design of fins, simply changing the material of the blade has been a smart idea.
Polymer, glass and carbon fiber solutions are available. In particular, the Turn 151 have represented a revolution. This, due to the fact that the blade has been designed with differentiated thickness. Just as composite material blades, the Turn 151 had a thicker area in front of the foot-pocket and a thinner one at the tip. The flap could actually fold in an accentuated way, and the final curve of the blade was parabolic. This curve is indeed the most efficient nowadays.
Now Salvimar has wanted to move forward once more. They have launched a new polymer fin, the Speeder. Maintaining the advanced variable thickness blade, the new fins revolutionize the foot-pocket and the entire design. During the development of such fins, Salvimar has implemented the interaction between foot-pocket and blade through the improvement of the coupling system, effectively improving the overall functionality of the product. The Salvimar Speeder are indicated both for freediving and for speafishing.
The footpocket
The foot-pocket is the key element of the Salvimar Speeder fins. From this element the great performance of the fin and the additional comfort are determined.
Materials
The new foot-pocket by Salvimar is made of an extremely soft 45 Shore hardness thermo rubber. This material is much softer than the one used on the Salvimar Delta One K-Reinforced foot-pocket, but also on foot-pockets of competitors. The material has been chosen with an excellent elastic memory, so it does not deform along time.
Design
The first thing which catches the eyes is the design of the foot-pocket with an almost closed tip. This has been inspired by mono-fins. The compactness and the particular closed design make the new foot-pocket extremely hydrodynamic. In addition, the two small holes on the tip are actually somehow sealed by the socks. The final result is a sucker effect of the foot-pocket on the diver’s foot. This determines a perfect match and transmission of the force from the leg to the blade. Another positive result is that the foot is completely protected when hitting a rock. Moreover, the almost sealed foot-pocket has less water sacks and water flow, and so is much warmer when diving in cold water.
Sizes
The choice of the foot-pocket size can be precisely chosen by measuring one’s foot from the heel to the toe. Salvimar offers indication of the matching between the foot-pocket size and the measures of the foot. To choose the precise size foot-pocket, during the measuring we suggest to wear the sock of the thickness with which we want to dive. Anyway, the Salvimar foot-pocket is so soft and comfortable it will well adapt even with changes of the thickness of the socks. Sizes available are 39-40, 41-42, 43-44, 45-46.
Lateral rails
The new foot-pocket by Salvimar is complete with two short, lateral rails. They have a specific design that moves from the front of the foot-pocket and runs under the latter. This solution permits to have a much narrower lateral section in the frontal area of the foot. Also, the sides of the foot-pocket will remain softer and more comfortable for the absence of the side rails.
The lateral rails are extremely soft, also with synthetic thermoplastic rubber of 45 Shore hardess. In such way they do not interfere at all with the bending of the blade. The rails have not been eliminated because they channel the water flow. Still they are short and of reduced height.
Special clips
In addition, and this is another advanced solution, the side clips are co-molded with the rails. Such clips are visible with a nice Salvimar Acid Green color. Even though the clips are of a harder material than the side rails, they are thin enough and segmented to avoid any interference with the blade curve. The connection is excellent and also reduces any areas of turbulence. Mounting and dismounting the blade from the foot-pocket with these clips is extremely easy.
Integrated rigid sole
But the key element of the new foot-pockets of the Salvimar Speeder is the hard integrated sole. The material used is acid green polypropylene. This part generates an extremely efficient transmission of the force from the leg and foot to the blade. In addition, this connection permits to design the blade with a much narrower width in the area in front of the foot. Such area, as we know, does not help thrust and actually only moves water increasing the effort by the diver. With a narrowed width the Speeder are much more efficient and less tiring.
The rigid sole goes from the tip of the foot back to the beginning of the heel. This is done once more taking inspiration from the mono-fin world. Here the foot-pockets are actually keeping the heels uncovered. It is in fact true that when the kick is negative (backwards) the rigid sole all along the foot, including the heel, would determine a detachment of the foot from the latter. This would reduce the efficiency in the transmission of the force. Still, a minor additional stiffness is offered by the lateral rails that, as anticipated, stretch all along and under the foot-pocket to the heel and partially behind it.
Upper part
The upper part of the foot-pocket has a nice design which has also a specific function. In fact, the differentiated thickness of the rubber, from 2.5 to 4.5 mm (the latter on the tip and instep), balances perfectly comfort and force transmission.
The blade
Material and dimensions
The blade is made of differentiated thickness polypropylene with added elastomers for greater reaction and elastic return. The thickness of the blade goes from 3,5 mm under the foot, to 1.8 mm at the tip. This permits to have a blade with a behavior similar to a composite material one and a final parabolic curve. Such design is today the most efficient.
The length of the blade is measured equal to 75 cm in the center starting from the angle under the foot. Laterally the length is 63 cm. The maximum width of the blade is 20.6 cm. The total width, including the side rails, in front of the foot, is 13 cm (compared to over 16 cm of standard fins).
Flap and angle
The flap has a special convex shape which permits to utilize the entire lengths of the blade. This means maximum push and performance. This is possible thanks to the 29° angle of the blade. With smaller angles, a concave V shaped flap would instead be needed. Such solution in fact avoids the lateral sliding of the fins. With a greater angle instead, for a number of reasons that we will not here analyze, the risk of lateral shift of the blades is strongly reduced. In addition, when matching the blade to the foot-pocket, the Salvimar Speeder reach a 32°-33°. The 2°-3° additional degrees are given by the rubber element at the tip of the foot-pocket. The shape of the flap of the Salvimar Speeder also reduces the turbulence (power loss) compared to a V shaped tip.
Neutral buoyancy and weight
The choice of materials both of the fin and the foot-pocket determine a neutral buoyancy of the Salvimar Speeder. This is an additional help for comfort and effort reduction.
The weight of the entire fin with 43-44 foot-pocket is 920 grams. The foot-pocket complete of the rubber inserts weighs 485 grams, and the blade is 435 grams.
