Whether snorkeling or scuba diving to deeper depths, the diving fin is an essential component for humans to navigate and propel themselves in the underwater world. French sports equipment manufacturer and retailer Decathlon was inspired to take a new look at the design of the diving fin and make product performance and sustainability synonymous.  

Decathlon’s Raphaël Vis, circular project leader and designer, and Armand Macé, product engineer, decided to start from scratch. What would an ideal fin with less and better materials without losing optimum performance look like? They turned to Autodesk Fusion and generative design for inspiration. 

The team simulated hundreds of fin configurations, meticulously analyzing every detail from weight distribution to fin flexibility. The resulting React fin uses 50% less material and reduces the carbon footprint by 50% compared to the market benchmark. Generative design not only helped the Decathlon team to meet sustainability goals but also created an elegant aesthetic and a leap in the actual performance.  

“Generative design has opened unexplored horizons for us, allowing us to explore design solutions that were previously beyond our reach.”

—Raphaël Vis, circular project leader and designer, Decathlon

Learn more about Decathlon’s journey on Design & Make with Autodesk.