Thats It! I'm Buying Jets

[BIGSAGE136]

The kids are in in college, I dont really have to work EVERY day. I have spare time...gotta get back into SCUBA. Mind you when I started SCUBA it was 1964. Mike Nelson was a god I just had to try it. Fins...well...there were fins...period. Choice..hardly.

Zoom forward, and today BOY..CHOICE. OK I went for the Atomics.
Made sense. Drift dive, flutter, more power, wing effect, lower SAC, add cool factor for quality points etc.

Not for me.

It seems that what was best then for cornering around a reef.
hovering a current, negotiating buddy position, not to mention a good BURST of power is the ticket now.

Sucapud jets, and them turtle things. Not cool...unless you know what they can do.

Just my 02.

Safe diving..if it aint fun thumb it.

 

[R_Deluca]

I think jet fins are cool!

Safe Diving!

 

[5615mike]

Finally ordered mine. Can't wait to try them to see what all the fuss is about.

 

[BIGSAGE136]

The cool factor is getting away with someting. The marketing ploy, clever by the way, for most of the "Modern" fins is that you do not have to kick as hard or the design does better against a current, or these defy physics. You're getting away with something, in this case effort.

For the fiftyish man the subtleties run rampant.

Bottom line they are a compromise, IMHO, and suck for close quarter work.

A leisurely drift dive over the Palm Beaches and a good taxi to pick me up and haul me in fine. But thats it.

And yeah Jets are cool. Always have been.

 

[cdiver2]

Bought my scubapro jets in 74 still use them never saw any reason to change

 

[Mo2vation]

BIGSAGE136 once bubbled...
The cool factor is getting away with someting. <snip> And yeah Jets are cool. Always have been.

Looking cool topside is fine, but for those of us who stopped turning heads long ago, watermanship is what sets us apart from the boys.

If you want precision, you can't beat the jets. GQ will be flailing about and struggling to hold position - in your jets (with some practice) you'll rule the pool.

K

 

[ElectricZombie]

Jet fins are the best fin ever made IMHO. Nothing else even comes close.

 

[rjdiver]

I have the old AMF version of the Jet Fin and a pair of ScubaPro Jet Fins. For a while, I hardly saw any black fins anymore. I was thinking that maybe I should upgrade, but why give up on a great set of fins. I was amazed when I started seeing more and more Jet Fins and Twin Jets. I was on a boat with ten divers and there were 3 sets of Jet Fins and two sets of Twin Jets. Makes me feel better, now. I have had mine since '84.

 

[jplacson]

Well, this is probably just me but I recently got into the whole DIR thing... got all the gear, and I'm scheduled for the DIRF classes next year.

I own a pair of Mares Volo Race fins (a brand which most DIR guys hate) and found them to work just fine.

I recently got a pair of SP Jets with spring straps and tried to see if they really were much faster...etc...etc.. than all other fins.

I was a bit disappointed... They were fast... but in a current... not faster than my Volos... and I felt I was using up more energy to go the same speed as I did when I used my Volos.

This is using the flutter kick, btw...frog kicks are a totally different story

Using the frog kicks, the Jets are a whole lot better. The Volos flex too much and can't generate much thrust beyond a certain point... Jets are great for frog kicks, and control.

Over-all, the Jets really are better... but coming from Volos, speed-wise, they didn't impress me as much... maybe cuz everyone who uses them came from crappy fins? I don't know. I'll be moving my Volos to my free-diving bag (They're too colorful for DIR anyway! :lol and keeping my Jets for scuba.

**small note... the Volo Race fins are designed differently from the original Volos which Mares recently discontinued... the new OH Volos (Volo Power) are now designed like the Volo Race (full-foot) fins which I use**

 

[kingprawn]

jplacson once bubbled...
**small note... the Volo Race fins are designed differently from the original Volos which Mares recently discontinued... the new OH Volos (Volo Power) are now designed like the Volo Race (full-foot) fins which I use**

News to me. What is the change in the Volos.

I have a set of volos that I love, but you are right. No frog kick. I am getting some jets for wreck diving, and will keep the volos for reefs.

What is the "new design" you speak of. I know the Volo race fins are half the price.