January 2004

Vol. 19, No. 1     What's this?

Patently Absurd

from the January, 2004 issue of Undercurrent  

As the search for the perfect fin design continues, there is "Finvention," from L.A.'s George Moore. His patented design supposedly lets a diver swim like a shark by using a stepping motion to move a large single fin side-to-side behind him. Push down with your right foot, and the fin moves to the left. Push down with your left foot, and the fin moves to the right. Keep the stepping motion going, the fin swishes back and forth, and, voila, you're a shark. Moore says he expects Finvention to "render existing swim fins obsolete by giving divers more power and speed, with less strain on the ankles."

However, rather than manufacture (or test) his concept, he's shopping the patent around on the Internet and hoping someone smitten by his invention will buy the patent. He wants $500K. (www.finvention.com)