Fin Fight!!! (Help me sort out these 4 options and choose 2)

[RainPilot]

is the learning curve that big if I've never used scuba fins?

Not really no, but you will need to work on it independently as your instructor may not have any idea on how to use them effectively. Check out the FF sub-forum on here, some good info

 

[Lorenzoid]

I recently took a drysuit course, and part of the course was to allow me to try out different fins, since most divers find they need a heavier fin for drysuit diving than wetsuit diving to counter the "floaty legs" syndrome. I have also been reading all the old threads on SB where fins have been compared. Jets and Hollis F1s seem to be top contenders with many drysuit divers. Jets are a decades-old design, but they seem to work. If you find you do not need heavy fins but still like the stiff old-school paddle style, then consider something like OMS Slipstreams, or a more updated design such as the HOG Tech 2. For wetsuit diving, a neutral buoyancy fin suits most divers, and of those there are a wider range of choices. For air travel to places where currents are mild, I love my Hollis F2s for their compact size and light weight. However, I am finding that they don't cut it where there is current to fight. Before my next trip to such a destination, I may buy a more powerful fin. Many wetsuit divers who for whatever reason prefer the Jet-like stiff paddle style to a more compliant fin seem to go for OMS Slipstreams. But there are all kinds of choices in neutral or near-neutral fins. I'd like to try out some Aeris Accels, for example. I can't bring myself to try Force Fins--they just look too weird to me--but they have a loyal, even fanatical following. Try try try before you buy. And don't buy any fins for your anticipated drysuit diving until you are actually able to try diving with them in the rig you do your drysuit diving in, because there are too many variables--floatiness, boot fit, etc.

 

[stuartv]

However, I am finding that they don't cut it where there is current to fight. Before my next trip to such a destination, I may buy a more powerful fin.

On my last trip to Hawaii, I disassembled my freediving fins, so they would fit in my bag, and took them. They were great! And they are long, but they are pretty darn light. I bet they are pretty close in weight to the F2s.

 

[Buliwyf]

Fin A(cold) -Scubapro Jets or DGX Classics (Jet copy)

Fin B(warm)- Scubapro Seawing Gorilla.

The Jets are heavy and perfect for cold water dry suits. Cheap and indestructable. Just toss them in the back of your truck, bilge of your boat, or in the woods at your marina for storage.

The Seawings are +. Nearly impossible to kick the reef with them on. Great speed at low effort. Might not be any faster with 100% effort, but very efficient at lower effort levels that are more normal for diving. Very comfortable and easy to get on/off. Easy on the knees and ankles.

 

[Lorenzoid]

On my last trip to Hawaii, I disassembled my freediving fins, so they would fit in my bag, and took them. They were great! And they are long, but they are pretty darn light. I bet they are pretty close in weight to the F2s.

I have indeed seen more scuba divers using freediving fins. I wasn't aware they could be disassembled.

 

[stuartv]

I have indeed seen more scuba divers using freediving fins. I wasn't aware they could be disassembled.

Not all of them can be. I got the "Competition Freediver" fins from Mako Spearguns.

Competition Freediver Fins | MAKO Spearguns

They can be disassembled, so you can replace the blade, in case you want something stiffer, etc.. They are $90. Though I got them with a nice discount on Black Friday last year.

They have a cheaper model ($68) that cannot be disassembled.

I also took my Atomic Blade fins with me to Hawaii, so I had both sets of fins. I did 2 shore dives and 8 boat dives. I never did use the Atomic fins.

 

[The Laconic]

You're overthinking everything. Go dive.

 

[elgoog]

Just finished a short Cozumel trip and every DM was using freedive fins and had no trouble in any of the swim throughs (of course, those are not exactly confined spaces but they're as tight as I'm comfortable going anyway). I'm totally getting a pair myself - the Mako ones @stuartv referenced look like the best bang for buck.
I was using my Hollis F1s because I was stubborn enough to not buy any extra gear for warm water trips and definitely would not recommend doing that with a 3mm wetsuit. Also, since those are sized for my drysuit, I also had to pick my Converse sneakers. I'm fully convinced of the benefits of using full foot fins in warm water now.

 

[MidwestSteve]

I honestly prefer my us diver rocket fins (similar to jets) over my lighter fins for most occasions. I always wear some light ankle weights with my dry suit and 7mm wetsuit but I am pretty light legged. I usually only put that thing on to work and not for sight seeing. I have some lighter scubapro split fins that I use but just dont feel like I have the power that I have with the rockets and almost feel like I am wasting energy with them so I stick to the rockets. Maybe I just never got the hang of them.

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

On my last trip to Hawaii, I disassembled my freediving fins, so they would fit in my bag, and took them. They were great! And they are long, but they are pretty darn light. I bet they are pretty close in weight to the F2s.

Great to hear you like the MAKO freedive fins. We are slowly seeing scuba divers begin to adopt many "freedive" gear types: low volume masks, longer freedive fins, elastic rubber weight belts, freedive wetsuits.. etc.

Freediving is often, to some extent anyway, performance based. If the gear does not work and enhance the diver's performance, the weakness in the piece of gear is readily evident when you are trying to do everything on one breath.

A leaky mask is an annoyance to a scuba diver, but a freediver really can't be wasting air at 40 or 80 ft to clear a mask. Similarly, if their fins are causing foot cramps, wasting energy or just not working efficiently, time and depth are going to be impacted. Gimmicks are outed pretty quick in this type of activity.