Here is a brief history of the development of the MaxAirTM swim fin.
9/13/06 - The first prototype is always in the mind. This is the first physical representation. Just a sketch. A concept. Interestingly the hydrofoil sections shown here are completely backwards. Testing of physical prototypes pointed out the error.
8/13/11 - MaxAir gets People's Choice Award at Central Florida Inventors Fair in Orlando FL. It is here where we started asking for ideas for a trade name. We are still offering a pair of the production fins to whoever suggests the name which is used in prodution.
2/11/12 - MaxAir has a successful showing at the Inventors Expo in Palm Beach FL.
4/25/12 - MaxAir Fin 42 and 43 successfully tested showing air efficiency improvements of up to 40% and 50% respectively against the TUSA X-Pert Zoom.
5/10/12 - The utility patent application is published by USPTO.
5/15/12 - Provisional patent for FIN43 technology is filed.
5/26/12 - They loved us at the Orlando Mini Maker Faire.
12/31/12 - Completed a great week of ocean testing with Divi Dive in Bonaire.
1/11/13 - Sent 3 pairs of fins to CLASSIFIED for testing.
1/23/13 - US Patent Office Notice of Allowance Issued.
7/9/13 - US Patent 8,480,466 issued.
7/26/13 - Open water testing of Fins 49,50. SeaJay of Deep South Divers loved them.
10/1/13 - Presented at the Tampa Bay Inventor's Council 30th Anniversary bash and was featured on Tampa Bay Fox TV 13
10/5/13 Exhibited at the Orlando Mini Maker Faire at the Orlando Science Center. Talked with over 50 divers and they all wanted to buy a pair. Made initial announcement of coming crowd funding to make production version.
2/13/14 FIN 67 testing showed a durable model with efficiency improvements of up to 56% over the Tusa X-Pert Zoom. We also established that air consumption rate is at least the 4th exponential function of the swimming speed.
3/15/14 Published a 5 page article in the March issue of Inventors Digest Magazine called "Every Prototype is a Good One".
9/12/14 - Exhibited at Maker Faire Orlando
1/6/15 - US Patent 8,926,385 Issued
2015 - This was a slow year since we were building the new home to FamiLAB, the premiere hackerspace in the southeast.
11/3/15 -DEMA Orlando - Met with manufacturers and started learning about social media. The objective is to be crowdfunding during DEMA in 2016.
2/28/16 - Resolved performance issues which were created fixing structural issues last year. Produced 5 pairs of fins for general testing
3/18/16 - Introduced the fins to the ScubaLab team at Blue Grotto, FL. Many testers wore them as they tested BCs. It was a big hit.
4/13/16 - Joined ScubaLab in testing regulators at Alexander Springs, FL. The testers who wore them liked them. (Because they represent a neutral testing agency and these are only prototype fins they cannot offer specific endorsements.)
