Brian G
Contributor
When I got certified 2011, I was interested in buying my own gear as I hate "wasting" money renting stuff. I read a bunch of fin reviews and was impressed with the split fin concept as well as the numbers generated as far as thrust and speed. I'm a tech guy by nature and I tend to gravitate towards the latest-greatest as opposed to the tried-and-true. So without trying them, I bought some Tusa Xpert Zooms for $75. I took them cruising in the Caribbean as well as to my local lake Tahoe. I never had any complaints and could always go as fast as others I was diving with. I could do a helicopter turn but was never able to fin backwards properly, which I figured was lack of technique. I thought I had made a good choice.
Fast forward to a couple weeks ago. I had booked a dive trip for the Channel Islands and my son would be diving with my wife and I for the first time. I had most of the stuff to get him in the water but I had forgotten about fins. He actually fits my fins better than I do as his feet are a bit bigger, so I was looking for some new fins for myself. In the last two years I have hung out on Scubaboard and had read the split-fin vs paddle-fin arguments and I thought maybe now was the time to check out some jetfins, so I grabbed some from ebay for $35 figuring that I could sell them later if I didn't like them. I got a size Large, and for my size 9 feet in 6mil soft booties the fit is snug.
I have to say I like them even better than I thought I would. I thought I would find them more maneuverable but less thrust without kicking hard. I was doing boat dives with no significant current and they felt just as fast as the splits without the feeling of extra effort I expected. As far as maneuverability goes, they blew me away. One little wiggle and I would be turning. Helicopter turns were significantly easier and faster. Finning backwards was still a no-go however, so I guess I was right in that it was a lack of technique originally. They did not seem particularly heavy, but I'm comparing them to the Tusa fins, which are not a light fin either.
In short, if I had to recommend fins to someone, I would suggest trying the jetfins. I'll be sticking with the stiff paddle fins for a while now.
Regards,
Brian
Fast forward to a couple weeks ago. I had booked a dive trip for the Channel Islands and my son would be diving with my wife and I for the first time. I had most of the stuff to get him in the water but I had forgotten about fins. He actually fits my fins better than I do as his feet are a bit bigger, so I was looking for some new fins for myself. In the last two years I have hung out on Scubaboard and had read the split-fin vs paddle-fin arguments and I thought maybe now was the time to check out some jetfins, so I grabbed some from ebay for $35 figuring that I could sell them later if I didn't like them. I got a size Large, and for my size 9 feet in 6mil soft booties the fit is snug.
I have to say I like them even better than I thought I would. I thought I would find them more maneuverable but less thrust without kicking hard. I was doing boat dives with no significant current and they felt just as fast as the splits without the feeling of extra effort I expected. As far as maneuverability goes, they blew me away. One little wiggle and I would be turning. Helicopter turns were significantly easier and faster. Finning backwards was still a no-go however, so I guess I was right in that it was a lack of technique originally. They did not seem particularly heavy, but I'm comparing them to the Tusa fins, which are not a light fin either.
In short, if I had to recommend fins to someone, I would suggest trying the jetfins. I'll be sticking with the stiff paddle fins for a while now.
Regards,
Brian
Love my Jetfins. They're not for everyone, just like some people love split fins and others hate them. To each their own, we can give our opinions and let others make their own choices. 
