Boomblast fins are 100% Made in Italy, with carbon fiber blade, unique flap and foot-pocket with kevlar insert.

Within the fin product line of Salvimar, both for spearfishing (Salvimar think fluent) and freediving (Salvimar Fluyd), the Boomblast are the top of the line choice, thanks to their Pre-Preg carbon fiber blades and the Delta One K-Reinforced foot-pocket, even though to such fins recently the Fibra 151° in glass fiber have been added and, from what comes from the very dynamic and never stopping company from  Casarza Ligure in Italy, very soon new surprises will arrive. Produced 100% in Italy, Salvimar, as almost all the international companies which are not artisans, rely on external specialized companies for the manufacturing of carbon fiber products. The good choice by Salvimar has led to a product, the Boomblast, with zero returns for defects, the Company says, a real record, we add. The foot-pocket is instead manufactured 100% in Salvimar, with very interesting solutions.

External design

First thing that catches one’s eyes of the Salvimar Boomblast is the flap, which is made with a strong V shape profile, unique on the market. This solution makes it possible to have a perfect balance of the fin, avoiding the traditional lateral sliding effect, without though needing important water rails. The latter are perfectly glued to the blades, without any glue showing. Carbon fiber blade is matt, for sure aesthetically not as attractive as polished solutions, such as GFT, maybe among the best as exterior design, but the carbon fiber of the Boomblast blades shows no imperfection, an aspect that confirms the extreme quality and resistance of the product. The twill of the carbon fiber shows clearly the different thickness of the central part of the blade compared to the lateral ones, while in front of the foot-pocket an imperfection, only aesthetic, is visible, with the thread loosing its straight line for a wavy one, generated by the great difference of thickness and the strong pressure used during manufacturing in the autoclave.

Lamination

As anticipated, the blades of the Salvimar Boomblast have quite a unique positioning of the layers of carbon fiber, easily visible looking at the blade surface. The latter shows a uniform pattern centrally along the blade length, and then an area of change where the twill is not straight anymore, all the way from almost the tip of the foot-pocket to the end of the blade. Such change in the shape of the twill is given by a strong variation of thickness of the layers, thickness that is greater in the central line, and smaller on the sides.

The manufacturing process sees lamination done using K300 Pre-Preg carbon fiber sheets, positioned in steel molds, then put inside the autoclave at very high pressure and controlled temperature.

Dimensions and weights

The blades of the Boomblast have central length equal to 56 cm, much lower than lateral measure, due to the strong V shaped profile of the flap. Such values position the Boomblast more or less in the middle among all lengths of the fins and blades analysed by AP, in the First Impressions section. The width of the blades goes from 14 cm in front of the foot pocket, slowly up to 20 cm, meased internally to the water rails. The latter are 15 cm long, have a minimum height of 8 mm and go up to maximum 1.6 cm. Since the stabilizing effect of the V shaped flap is extremely effective, the dimensions of the water rails is limited as they have more a function of protecting the carbon fiber and soundproof the blade. The manufacturing of the water rails is done in molds, a more complex and expensive process compared to the drawing solution, which can be utilized only with water rails that have constant shape and height (section).

 

Thicknesses of the blade measured by AP, as anticipated have greater values in the central line compared to the sides. In particular at the tip, centrally thickness has been measured equal to 1 mm, while on the sides it is 0.7 mm, meaning quite high values compared to competition, maybe due to the V shape flap. At mid length of the blade central thickness is 1.2 mm, and lateral 0.9 mm, while just in front of the foot-pocket thickness is the same all through the blade width, and equal to 1.9 mm.

The weight measured of the fins is not among the lowest, due to the important foot pocket, which weighs, in the size 43-44, 680 grams, while the blade is extremely light, weighing only 270 grams. Total weight of fins, including connecting screws and plastic plate, is equal to 955 grams.

The angle between foot-pocket and blade is equal to more classic 22°.

Flexion

Flexion of the Boomblast out of water shows what we could somehow expect from the thicknesses measured, meaning a curve which is constant all along the blade length starting from a few cm from the tip of the foot-pocket to the final flap. Differently from most competition though, especially the Alemanny Speedy, the tip of the blade is not particularly soft, and actually it is quite stiff.

Foot-pocket

The Boomblast utilize the extremely interesting Delta One K-Reinforced foot-pocket, already presented by AP. Strong point of such product is for sure the kevlar belt inserted in the instep to avoid excessive deformation of such area of the foot-pocket even utilizing a comfortable soft rubber, so obtaining a good transmission of force from the foot to the blade. Moreover, the foot-pocket is made of two different hardness natural thermo-rubber, with 90 degrees Shore on the base of the foot, and 50 degrees Shore on the instep, the heel and the longerons. The upper part of the heel area has a V shaped profile to help wearing the foot-pockets, while the longerons do not have the traditional plastic clips for better connection to the blades.

Click here for the technical data chart of the Salvimar Boomblast.

Click here for on-line price.

 

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