Split Fin Bashing?
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Split fins have a top speed that cannot be broken. When cruising, they will often beat out an inexperienced diver with paddle fins.
They're very consistent in their performance, which is why it's such a popular fin to sell to new divers (from a diver perspective and from an instructor perspective)
But given a good finning technique, (big kicks with a pause between each to glide) Paddle fins will beat out split fins in speed and thrust.
What's more, when you need a quick burst speed to beat through a wave, split fins completely fail in this regard. A burst of speed from a mid-to-stiff paddle fin can easily out beat the top speed of all split fins. The only factor then becomes, can your legs provide that burst?
They are real forgiving to bad kick techniques. Whether you're bicycle kicking or doing a perfect kick and rhythm, you will get a near consistent push of thrust from split fins. To put it into perspective: My friend did a 900yd swim for our scientific course in under 20mins, all while using a bicycle kick in split fins.
Split fins also cannot do specialty kicks such as Helicopter turns, back kicks, or frog kicks. The setup of these kicks require you to slice the fin sideways through the water, and when splits fins move like this, their split and spoil; creating a lot of drag and strain on your feet. They can weakly perform frog and helicopter turns. But provide absolutely not movement for back kicks; as far as thrust from the fin is concerned. You might as well be back kicking without fins, because you actually make unstrained progress.
They have their uses, they have their crowd, but they are real specialized in only one kick form and therefore are limited in their overall capabilities once you start to utilize the static hover in your diving. Which is to say is very useful in a lot of diving specialties and recreational realms.
Here's a review I did a while ago when I first tried split fins. I will say I was a bit more bias to bashing them when I did this. So grain of salt is needed.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ba...-fin-review-2-0-split-fins-vs-all-others.html
They're very consistent in their performance, which is why it's such a popular fin to sell to new divers (from a diver perspective and from an instructor perspective)
But given a good finning technique, (big kicks with a pause between each to glide) Paddle fins will beat out split fins in speed and thrust.
What's more, when you need a quick burst speed to beat through a wave, split fins completely fail in this regard. A burst of speed from a mid-to-stiff paddle fin can easily out beat the top speed of all split fins. The only factor then becomes, can your legs provide that burst?
They are real forgiving to bad kick techniques. Whether you're bicycle kicking or doing a perfect kick and rhythm, you will get a near consistent push of thrust from split fins. To put it into perspective: My friend did a 900yd swim for our scientific course in under 20mins, all while using a bicycle kick in split fins.
Split fins also cannot do specialty kicks such as Helicopter turns, back kicks, or frog kicks. The setup of these kicks require you to slice the fin sideways through the water, and when splits fins move like this, their split and spoil; creating a lot of drag and strain on your feet. They can weakly perform frog and helicopter turns. But provide absolutely not movement for back kicks; as far as thrust from the fin is concerned. You might as well be back kicking without fins, because you actually make unstrained progress.
They have their uses, they have their crowd, but they are real specialized in only one kick form and therefore are limited in their overall capabilities once you start to utilize the static hover in your diving. Which is to say is very useful in a lot of diving specialties and recreational realms.
Here's a review I did a while ago when I first tried split fins. I will say I was a bit more bias to bashing them when I did this. So grain of salt is needed.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ba...-fin-review-2-0-split-fins-vs-all-others.html
cb5150
Contributor
Wear one split and one paddle and you'll REALLY get some funny looks.
...But, you'll only half die.
...But, you'll only half die.
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OK, I'll have a go at answering this one. For background, I started out in split fins (Apollo Biofins) and changed to blade fins after about two and a half years and 650 or so dives ... primarily because I wanted to take a GUE Fundamentals class and they don't allow split fins. I've since logged about 2700 dives in blade fins, and have tried several different styles over the years including ScubaPro Twin Jets and Force Fin Pros.
I got into the split fins for the same reason a lot of people do ... because during my OW class the cheap plastic blade fins I was using caused leg cramps, and both my instructor and the guy at the shop where I was renting equipment told me the split fins would remove that problem. They were right ... the split fins were so much easier to kick, and my leg cramps went away. And I have to say that for those couple years I used them, I loved my split fins. There were, however, trade-offs.
Naturally the dive shops will promote splits ... they're generally more expensive than a blade fin (except for the Force Fins, which are ridiculously expensive). Because they're easier to kick, they appeal to newer divers, many of whom are aging baby boomers who aren't in the best of shape anyway, and don't mind the cost. And they do one thing well ... they propel you forward efficiently using a standard flutter kick. I've read many comments about how split fins won't do other kicks ... but when I was using them I developed a reasonably good frog and helicopter kick. I was never able to back kick in them, but then I didn't learn a good back kick in any case until after I switched over to blade fins. Splits tend to be soft ... which is what makes them easier to kick ... and due to their lack of stiffness and inherent design they don't provide the requisite resistance to move backward effectively. If a back kick is important to you (and it should be if you're into photography) they would limit your ability to maintain position in any type of moving water.
There are those who claim that split fins aren't good in current. I rank that claim as "somewhat true" ... but I think that has more to do with technique than the fin itself. Split fins require more of a full leg kick, whereas blades work best using just lower legs and ankles to propel them. People who are used to kicking blade fins will find splits to be pretty wimpy ... and that's in part due to how they're used to kicking them.
Conversely, people who complain about how splits silt out the bottom don't consider that it's due to that exact same issue ... a full leg kick has more of a tendency to send turbulance downward, whereas those using blades are more likely to be using the bent-knee technique that sends that same turbulance more back than down. Also, because splits are easier to kick people tend to overkick them ... placing the fins outside of their slipstream at the fullest extension of the kick, which again tends to send turbulance downward rather than back. This will create silting regardless of what kind of fin you're using.
Split fins are limiting for anyone who wants to get into tech diving ... and because of this, most tech divers see them as useless ... or a gimmick for driving up gear sales. After all, they now end up trading in those fins they paid $200 for a pair that costs $120 and better suits their needs. But they're not considering that their needs changed, and that for most divers the reasons why they bought those split fins are still legitimate.
I remember clearly when I first went from my Biofins to a pair of Turtles ... it felt like somebody tied a couple logs to my feet, and I couldn't believe how hard it was to make them move. Over the course of a dozen dives or so my body adjusted, my brain adjusted, and the blades just gave me more "feedback" that enabled me to better "finesse" what I wanted to do with the fins. I already had developed a reasonably good frog kick and helicopter kick, and although I had to make some adjustments that included, among other things, using less leg and more ankle, these kicks improved significantly with the blade fins. And ... over the next few months ... I developed a consistent back kick which I find extremely useful both for photography and watching students as I'm teaching a class.
At one point I decided to play around with splits again ... just to see if I still could. They felt floppy and useless. But it wasn't the fin ... it was that my body and brain had made adjustments to the blades, and I had developed a reliance on the "feedback" of what they felt like. Had I stuck with the splits for a dozen or so dives, I'm sure I could've dived them just fine ... but frankly, I didn't want to.
I'm not a big fan of people who tout one style over the other ... what matters is choosing a fin that best suits what you're trying to do with it. Many of my dive buddies use splits. Most of them are good divers. Some of them are exceptionally good, and can do things with those fins I can't. So I have to conclude that just because I can't do it doesn't mean it can't be done. On the other hand, I'm currently using Hollis F1's, and absolutely love them. They're heavy and don't travel well ... for that I have a pair of OMS (now XS Scuba) Slipstreams. But it's personal preference. What matters isn't the fins you choose, but how you use them. Every fin ... every style of fin ... comes with advantages and drawbacks ... and how you use them determines how each will affect your diving.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
I got into the split fins for the same reason a lot of people do ... because during my OW class the cheap plastic blade fins I was using caused leg cramps, and both my instructor and the guy at the shop where I was renting equipment told me the split fins would remove that problem. They were right ... the split fins were so much easier to kick, and my leg cramps went away. And I have to say that for those couple years I used them, I loved my split fins. There were, however, trade-offs.
Naturally the dive shops will promote splits ... they're generally more expensive than a blade fin (except for the Force Fins, which are ridiculously expensive). Because they're easier to kick, they appeal to newer divers, many of whom are aging baby boomers who aren't in the best of shape anyway, and don't mind the cost. And they do one thing well ... they propel you forward efficiently using a standard flutter kick. I've read many comments about how split fins won't do other kicks ... but when I was using them I developed a reasonably good frog and helicopter kick. I was never able to back kick in them, but then I didn't learn a good back kick in any case until after I switched over to blade fins. Splits tend to be soft ... which is what makes them easier to kick ... and due to their lack of stiffness and inherent design they don't provide the requisite resistance to move backward effectively. If a back kick is important to you (and it should be if you're into photography) they would limit your ability to maintain position in any type of moving water.
There are those who claim that split fins aren't good in current. I rank that claim as "somewhat true" ... but I think that has more to do with technique than the fin itself. Split fins require more of a full leg kick, whereas blades work best using just lower legs and ankles to propel them. People who are used to kicking blade fins will find splits to be pretty wimpy ... and that's in part due to how they're used to kicking them.
Conversely, people who complain about how splits silt out the bottom don't consider that it's due to that exact same issue ... a full leg kick has more of a tendency to send turbulance downward, whereas those using blades are more likely to be using the bent-knee technique that sends that same turbulance more back than down. Also, because splits are easier to kick people tend to overkick them ... placing the fins outside of their slipstream at the fullest extension of the kick, which again tends to send turbulance downward rather than back. This will create silting regardless of what kind of fin you're using.
Split fins are limiting for anyone who wants to get into tech diving ... and because of this, most tech divers see them as useless ... or a gimmick for driving up gear sales. After all, they now end up trading in those fins they paid $200 for a pair that costs $120 and better suits their needs. But they're not considering that their needs changed, and that for most divers the reasons why they bought those split fins are still legitimate.
I remember clearly when I first went from my Biofins to a pair of Turtles ... it felt like somebody tied a couple logs to my feet, and I couldn't believe how hard it was to make them move. Over the course of a dozen dives or so my body adjusted, my brain adjusted, and the blades just gave me more "feedback" that enabled me to better "finesse" what I wanted to do with the fins. I already had developed a reasonably good frog kick and helicopter kick, and although I had to make some adjustments that included, among other things, using less leg and more ankle, these kicks improved significantly with the blade fins. And ... over the next few months ... I developed a consistent back kick which I find extremely useful both for photography and watching students as I'm teaching a class.
At one point I decided to play around with splits again ... just to see if I still could. They felt floppy and useless. But it wasn't the fin ... it was that my body and brain had made adjustments to the blades, and I had developed a reliance on the "feedback" of what they felt like. Had I stuck with the splits for a dozen or so dives, I'm sure I could've dived them just fine ... but frankly, I didn't want to.
I'm not a big fan of people who tout one style over the other ... what matters is choosing a fin that best suits what you're trying to do with it. Many of my dive buddies use splits. Most of them are good divers. Some of them are exceptionally good, and can do things with those fins I can't. So I have to conclude that just because I can't do it doesn't mean it can't be done. On the other hand, I'm currently using Hollis F1's, and absolutely love them. They're heavy and don't travel well ... for that I have a pair of OMS (now XS Scuba) Slipstreams. But it's personal preference. What matters isn't the fins you choose, but how you use them. Every fin ... every style of fin ... comes with advantages and drawbacks ... and how you use them determines how each will affect your diving.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
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Just to add to the collection of personal anecdotes:
When I was shopping gear for my OW course, the guy at the LDS talked me into buying splits. Initially, they were nice. Easy to swim with, forgiving WRT finning technique, and I was less prone to calf cramps than with unsplit fins.
As my diving developed, I aqcuired a taste for the frog kick. It was doable in splits, but clearly the fins weren't optimal for that type of finning. Same thing with heli turns, and I never managed to do a back kick (I still don't, so it may just be me...). It was also difficult to avoid silting, even with frog or modified flutter. And silt is something I really try to avoid, my photographs look crappy when the subject is behind a silt screen. So, I went to the opposite extreme and bought a pair of Jetfin paddles. Right now I prefer the Jets over splits. That may of course be post-purchase rationalization, but I have a feeling I'm generating less silt these days.
Ps: Yes, you're going to die if you wear splits. Most probably at the same time you'll die if you wear another type of fins. That's the whole basis for that joke...
--
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Typos are a feature, not a bug
When I was shopping gear for my OW course, the guy at the LDS talked me into buying splits. Initially, they were nice. Easy to swim with, forgiving WRT finning technique, and I was less prone to calf cramps than with unsplit fins.
As my diving developed, I aqcuired a taste for the frog kick. It was doable in splits, but clearly the fins weren't optimal for that type of finning. Same thing with heli turns, and I never managed to do a back kick (I still don't, so it may just be me...). It was also difficult to avoid silting, even with frog or modified flutter. And silt is something I really try to avoid, my photographs look crappy when the subject is behind a silt screen. So, I went to the opposite extreme and bought a pair of Jetfin paddles. Right now I prefer the Jets over splits. That may of course be post-purchase rationalization, but I have a feeling I'm generating less silt these days.
Ps: Yes, you're going to die if you wear splits. Most probably at the same time you'll die if you wear another type of fins. That's the whole basis for that joke...
--
Sent from my Android phone
Typos are a feature, not a bug
Im not a fan. In my 20 years of diving i did succumb to buying a pair a tusa expert zoom "stiffer compound". I've used sp jets for the past 6 years.
I teach open water, what i have noticed is that when I have students in shop rentsl split fins they are in constant motion. I kick and glide, glide, glide.... They are non stop kicking. All around manueuvering is flailing because the fins give no feedback. I am at the point in my instructing career where i have no problem telling shop staff " dont send my students to the ocean in split fins". I have spares just in case. Im not the only one, the last batch of shop rental fins are good basic paddle fins. Yay.
Not all split fins are equal either, the shop rentals are some horribly floppy scubapro plastic ones (not twin jets). Worse is a person with small feet who get a small floppy split fin and still have to push the same sized tank, drysuit and lead thru the water as someone who wears a large fin.
I teach open water, what i have noticed is that when I have students in shop rentsl split fins they are in constant motion. I kick and glide, glide, glide.... They are non stop kicking. All around manueuvering is flailing because the fins give no feedback. I am at the point in my instructing career where i have no problem telling shop staff " dont send my students to the ocean in split fins". I have spares just in case. Im not the only one, the last batch of shop rental fins are good basic paddle fins. Yay.
Not all split fins are equal either, the shop rentals are some horribly floppy scubapro plastic ones (not twin jets). Worse is a person with small feet who get a small floppy split fin and still have to push the same sized tank, drysuit and lead thru the water as someone who wears a large fin.
That is also a function of how they trim. Many novice divers tend to swim with a head up a bit/fin down a bit trim.
If I am close to the bottom I am looking for stuff and critters so I will tend to trim with head down a bit/fins up a bit trim which seems to not stir up the bottom.
Plus if close to the bottom you can always do the bent leg version of the flutter which keeps the vortices up a bit.
I think it is only partly a fin issue but also a diver issue.
victorzamora
Contributor
Bob, I liked almost everything you wrote....this was the biggest thing I found issue with.
I say that split fins churn up the bottom more than paddle fins. They do. You're right, though, that it's all about technique....BUT, splits don't allow you to (or reduce the efficiency of, or whatever other term you want to use) do a proper frog kick. So, if one type of fin requires a full-leg flutter to work as designed and the other will move you with a reduced flutter or proper frog in a kick-and-glide method but CAN BE USED as a silt-stirrer.....then I can confidently say that the first type of fin stirs up silt in locations where that's an issue, and destroys the bottom in locations where that's an issue. Not because silting techniques can't be used on paddles, but because non-silting techniques can't be used (well) with splits.
As for the "burst of speed" in a current thing you claim is half true....I think there's absolute truth to it. If a good, strong diver has a good, strong paddle fin, they can burst some pretty good speed. It'll wear that diver out to no end, and they'll be panting and cramped after not long.....but it's possible. With splits, you have to have a higher kick rate to maintain "normal" speed as compared to paddles. That means when you need a good burst of speed, like in a current, you have to kick even faster than that. The drag from your whole leg moving that quickly takes as much effort as the fin does, reducing the amount of output you can get. I'd be willing to bet that my kick rate (kicks per minute) are equivalent with paddles or splits, but I'd be more tired and have gone farther with the paddles. Now, if a bad, weak diver is diving in those conditions....it may not matter what fins he/she is wearing.
PS- That wasn't meant as a pro-paddle fin argument. There are plenty of dives where I think splits would work just as well as paddles. However, the reason I dive paddles is because I can dive them in ANY condition, ie: there's no dive I'd rather have splits than paddles, but there are plenty of dives I'd rather have paddles than splits. There's some overlap where the difference is negligible. I dive paddles because I don't ever have to switch, from single-tank diving on a 30ft reef with no current to a cave with high current and four tanks.
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