Modifying bootie or fin for better side fit?

[Jeffrey]

Has anyone here ever modified their bootie and/or fin to allow for more room on the outside (lateral) side of their foot?

I have 7mm booties and xxl DaFins and get serious pain on the lateral sides of my feet. My bones protrude there more than other peoples. The booties have two layers of overlapped rubber close to where it hurts. I can either take some of the rubber off the bootie, or grind away the side of the flipper and drill holes or make a slit in the foot pocket, or both. I don't want to ruin the bootie or fin and wonder how others have done similar mods before I dig in.

Someone here said he "vulcanized" the rubber either before or after he drilled holes to insert laces; how do you do that? With a blowtorch?

Any suggestions?

[gumby]

Based on your location I would modify the fin before the booty. Use a grindstone bit on a drill. Thin out the side of the pocket. That will allow for more flex.

[skansand]

...sooo wierd this comes up today!..not more then a couple hours ago i was modifying/fixing my makapuus that had cracked from the blade up about 4" because i didnt vulcanize the tips

this time instead of drilling holes for the lace up i used a needle tip soldering iron and melted the holes in ....Worked much better! Instant vulcanization for the holes...

for vulcanizing the split down the top of the foot pocket i used a lighter...BIC : )


Last year i got a pair of XXl Da Fins and 5 mil Fin socks.... bad foot cramps the first couple sessions ... so i tried to rapidly break down the neoprene by tossing em in the Dryer with the other socks a few times......


in later sessions i used my broken in blunt cut makapuus (which are roomier and work better for kneelo riding pin tails )

and made a point of not washing my fin socks and leaving them in the sun!

a few months later and my fin socks are well broken in,thinner and fit snugg in my my Da fins...

[Jeffrey]

Thanks guys. I went and just did the fins by using a rotary rasp and ground away the very stiff side portion of the fin that DaFins have, and it worked like a charm. I Wore them with booties indoors and pain is gone -- we'll see how they fare in the water.

Skansand - Thanks for the clarification on vulcanizing, I may still need to use it for more toe room.

[KenM]

Jeffery I'm glad that worked for you as I was about to suggest you have those boney protrusions removed from your feet. I've found that a dremel tool with a barrel sander works great, for the fins that is.

[Jeffrey]

Ken, not so much boney protrusions, just a different shape. I have noticed that people with REAL arches have a nice concave curve into their foot, mine curves out. A dremel just might be the answer.