New Formula Duck Feet - A Review by James H

Having acquired the aforementioned fins off G, here is my assessment of the new formula Duck Feet after 3 hours in the water with them.



Footpocket and Straps

At first glance I knew the footpocket was going to cause a few issues. My feet are bang-on UK 11 (US 12) and even though these fins are moulded as a Super XL they are quite tight (as the footpocket narrows significantly as it reaches the strap). A UK 11 is the limit these will take with fin socks.

The top of the footpocket was moulded straight across with no beading or concave. Surprisingly less ergonomic than the UDT in fact. This meant I had to reshape the top of the footpocket using a silicone carbide block and 320 wet n' dry.



The result was a little more room and less rub/pinch on the tops of my ankles. Also made the strap less constrictive when on.

I also glued a square of 3mm neoprene inside the top of the footpocket to increase comfort and reduce rubbing.



The straps give a pretty bombproof fixture so no chance of these getting pulled off.

Blade

Excellent. I really like the soft rubber and the flutter you get with these. They power up faster than UDTs and drag less in the water. With less pronounced splines the hold was not quite as dramatic as the UDTs which seem to dig in more and extend the rail through your leg with less user input.

Verdict

Overall the new Duck Feet felt really good in the water.

The main drawback is that the footpocket needs to be modernised (and widened). It just feels too dated. I'd recommend VOIT correct this one day as they could produce an amazing fin.

In more thumping surf I'd opt for my good ol' UDTs purely because they will get you out of the sh*t with confidence if you get separated from your mat. You can tell the UDT was military SCUBA hardware as the sizing allows for socks/ boots unlike the Duck Foot which I now see was conceived as a barefoot or recreational fin.

Finally, a point on looks. I'd opt for the new formula Duck Feet over the new formula UDTs as the green/brown colour scheme on the latter is simply 'deader than A-Line flares with pockets in the knees' (to quote Cat from Red Dwarf).

Laterz

Good mods mate.

G

The modding continues...

I've just about got these fins right now. I've been grinding out some of the lower foot pocket and have thinned the outer sidewalls to make the pocket softer and more flexible.

The green rubber is really stiff and on one fin it has been moulded higher up the foot pocket making that one noticeably harder on the feet. I've made them foot specific now with my mods and they feel ok.

I bought a pair of dafins, I put socks on, I put the fins over the sock and went surfing, after the surf I took the fins off followed by the sock. This allowed me to put both items in my bucket. Later that day I sat and watched tv safe in the knowledge I didn't have to fanny about grinding my fins because, these have actually had someone in the production stage think about it. They're light, soft, comfortable & kick like mule. Ian made a very good point to quote "you don't buy shoes & modify them" which u don't, do you. You put them on say yh they seem fine and that's it!
I'm off to work later in my very old 1975 princess, it's really heavy, fuel consumption of a cow drinking water (to quote my dad) but its old, looks old but because it's old it must be better, because things don't progress..... Or do they??

Do the pockets feel any more pliable thinned out James?

G

sinclairio wrote:I bought a pair of dafins, I put socks on, I put the fins over the sock and went surfing, after the surf I took the fins off followed by the sock. This allowed me to put both items in my bucket. Later that day I sat and watched tv safe in the knowledge I didn't have to fanny about grinding my fins because, these have actually had someone in the production stage think about it.

I borrowed a pair of dafins, I put socks on, I put the fins over the sock and went surfing, got stuck in a rip with no power to get me out and wished I was wearing UDTs.

I'm a modder through and through. I also like powerful fins. If off-the-peg sucks, go bespoke. I knew the Duck Feet had potential with a few alterations

GRAYMAN wrote:Do the pockets feel any more pliable thinned out James?

Yes, much better now as essentially one fin had a harder footpocket than the other and needed correcting. They are starting to break-in now and are getting easier to put on. I'm pleased with the result

[quote="James H"]

sinclairio wrote:
I borrowed a pair of dafins, I put socks on, I put the fins over the sock and went surfing, got stuck in a rip with no power to get me out and wished I was wearing UDTs

I managed the rip fine.

G

GRAYMAN wrote:I managed the rip fine

one of the lucky ones

Interesting point no foot or style is the same, some fit some don't it is far more ambiguous than mats! and far more personal.

I too managed the rip & thank god you had Dafins on, else your legs would have been dead before you started for strapping thoses lead weights to your legs!

I'm a big fan of customizing too and this is a great bit of work.

Luckily, DaFin work really well for me but I like more drive so the only modification I need to make is padding the strap to go over-sized. I've got Tech 1 fins which I used to use for kneeboarding which I cut away loads of the blade to prevent it hanging over the rail.

Horses for courses at the end of the day. I do wonder why Voit have stopped short of properly dropping the weight though. Also, inconsistent foot boxes isn't really good enough in my book. Does that mean the molds are inconsistent?!

G

GRAYMAN wrote:I do wonder why Voit have stopped short of properly dropping the weight though. Also, inconsistent foot boxes isn't really good enough in my book. Does that mean the molds are inconsistent?!

I completely agree and was expecting much more in that regard. From the adulation one reads in the surfmatting blogosphere I was expecting a real breakthrough but these fins turned out to be the same meat with different gravy.

As I like the old UDTs I can cope with this to some extent

Hmm,interesting points raised.However I agree with Phil.My 1978 princess's going like a dream.I make sure to ease into her gently,only go out for a 3 hour sesh,rinse her out thoroughly,and always wear neoprene to avoid rubbing.
Oh,and I use plenty of straps.
I think length's largley irrelevant to drive.Width and texture far more important for taking off and bottom turns.And if you get superb hold in the steep barrels,well,you're a lucky man.

Interesting articale about Greg Deets http://www.allaboutsurf.com/articles/deets
Must thank Aussie Robin for this one on magic towel.
S.

I'm still not happy with the comfort of these fins. The hold is excellent and they have really improved my matsurfing no end. BUT... the stiff rubber footpocket is torture. 100 times less comfortable than my old UDTs. If it's horses for courses then I definately need a softer footpocket.

I compared the designs to see what is making the Duck Feet so harsh. I noticed the UDTs are more "open" underneath and do not enclose so much of the foot in a narrow "box" like the ducks (and some Vipers). This causes the duck feet to torque the midfoot area in a nasty fashion.

Not wanting to give up on these fins Ive been cutting rubber out of the underside to replicate the proportions of the UDT footpocket. The result is now my feet have more room to flex without being torqued by the stiff footpocket area. The fins are easier to get on now and feel like a much more relaxed fit. The foot also rides more naturally in the fin. A bit of padding on the inside and we're good to go.

I'd definately recommend this mod to anyone with bigger feet who wants to use Ducks with fin socks.



And side by side after the ducks had been modded

Really high quality work mate.

I'll forward a link to this to Greg.

G