What are the best fins and why

[danvolker]

What brand and type fins do you recomend???

• Best for big currents OR maintaining high speed cruising pace over long durations... DiveR Australia: Equipment
• Best for precision control with great power/speed potential for bursts when needed----Scubapro Jetfins or Hollis F1
• Great mix of efficiency and speed, extremely good control for reverse kick or helicopters kicks, easy to learn for most divers --does utilize cycling muscles( does not waste all the land training you do) Force Fin Hockey Force ( Bob Evans calls this a hockey fin, but the name is not relevant to the primary function of the fin---this fin is more efficient than a Jet fin for most divers, with comparable power/speed, but NOT as effective for staying dead still in water collumn in exploration penetration, where absolute best control surface is critical). Jetfins have IMO the best control surface for Exploration level penetration non-movement control...there is a huge loss in this kind of control when the fin gets too big, as is seen with the big DiveR fins or other freedive blades....and when the blade gets smaller than the Jetfins, the control surface appears to lose critical movement control. The stiffness and control shape of the Jetfins appears to be the optimum for this type of exploration level precision.
• Quatrro type fins are too soft for optimal control, and allow non-fit muscles to be less likely to be overworked than with Jet fins, if used improperly.....this goes to the optimal coordination, where even with the stiffer Jet fin, a well trained diver will VARY the kick turnover and kick shape, and optimize efficiency for their leg fitness--those with none of this skill may kick improperly, and tire themselves out--quatrros require less skill in this, for weaker divers.
• Splits....created for weak divers with limited or no kicking skills whatsoever. Can be used and are used by many good divers, typically because they drank the Koolaid of the massive Ad Campaigns. These fins are so floppy the diver can make terrible mistakes in the shape of the kicks, and this thrashing still will function to move them forward with little stress to muscles....However, the ability to handle currents or needs for higher speeds is severely limited...see what these are made for--- Diver with skills that split fins were created for...If you swim like this, GET HELP! - YouTube

Few divers really understand what optimal kicking coordination is, or have done anything to pursue this,..It would be an awesome specialty for agencies to teach, though probably half or more of all instructors are not kicking optimally either. Those that really have optimal kicking coordination, can even use split fins and manage to accomplish alot with them....but not if compared to their evil twin wearing the OPTIMAL FINS

 

[DavidInNH]

Best fins? The ones that are wet!

 

[danvolker]

One thing that could be cool for the "fin wars" brand of discussions.....[thanks to Sutton for creating yet another ] The Ultimate Diver challenge is coming to Palm Beach this July, and there will be many CHALLENGE COURSES which will simulate the technical control issues an exploration diver could face.....but without the danger and without any real depth( mostly in less than 15 feet of water). When the public is allowed to get in to some of the courses, this could be hige for seeing the lack of control potential with some fins like splits!

 

[krawlings]

I would have to throw in the OMS splitstream fins . they have good power /speed for the sort burst and gives a good kick glide with not much muscles efert. has good control frog kick ,helicopter, flutter. modified flutter. And they are relatively neutral as compared to the jets and the hollis f1s they are a negative weighted fins

 

[NewbaScuba]

people keep mentioning the Hollis F1, I have seen another brand that make s a (visually) similar design... IST F1, and the IST F4 for about 1/2 the price of a Hollis. Any thoughts on this brand?

 

[nimoh]

I really like my jet fins, mostly because when doing photography, they go backwards quite well, whereas my atomic split fins don't seem to do much in that respect. However, the atomics move me through the water much faster in a straight line flutter kick, but I just don't seem to need this feature very often.

 

[bryce1993]

Make sure you have either metal spring straps or bungee straps, whichever fins you get.

 

[large_diver]

I definitely have too many pairs of fins.....here is my own personal fin journey and observations

- Started with Mares Quattros. Solid fins, but never liked the plastic buckles. Was using them in the pool several years ago and had one of the buckles break apart....

- Switched to XL Scubapro jetfins around 2000 (back in my wetsuit days) with spring straps. Definitely liked the added control that comes with the wider and stiffer blade

- Finally bought a drysuit for local diving in 2004 (DUI with rockboots). love the rockboots (except for the silly laces)....but with size 13 rockboots, had to upgrade to the garage-sized XXL Scubapro Jetfins (again with spring straps). No problems in 8 years of diving.

- When I was living in Europe, my old wetsuit booties fell apart and had to buy some new ones for a warm water trip. Unfortunately the new booties wouldn't fit in the XL Jets...and my original Mares fins were in storage in the US...so bought another pair of Mares Quattros for warm trips. You can certainly still maneuver well enough (back kick, turns, etc.)...although I would say not as effectively as the Jets. Not a big deal...but I prefer the Jets. New Mares buckles with squeeze tab for releasing seem to be an improvement.

- Took the Mares to Roatan March 2012 and bought a pair of the Mares spring straps to try out. The springs conveniently popped off twice while I was taking the fins off in wavy water behind the dive boat.....put the original straps back on....but always find the straps slightly harder to get off than springs (particularly if holding a camera and the granny line behind a boat in wavy conditions.....

- Went and bought a pair of the Hollis F1 fins this past weekend for future warm trips (big thanks to Boston Scuba, who have lots of them in stock in multiple sizes! - never been to this shop before). They fit my wetsuit boots really well and love the integrated spring straps. About the same size as the jets; foot pocket is just a little wider and definitely taller than the XL Jets. Tried the XXL F1s for comparison = these appeared smaller than the XXL Jets but were definitely too big for my wetsuit booties. Tried the F1s in the pool while swimming laps Sunday morning - feel very similar to the Jets in terms of stiffness and performance (although not easy to fully assess until I take them diving). Plan to use these on a T&C Aggressor trip in July. Will report back on performance. They are heavy like the Jets......so not optimal for travel but performance trumps travel weight for me.

Link to Boston Scuba -
http://www.bostonscuba.com/

Chris

 

[mathauck0814]

The "best" fin is a rigid, solid, heavy fin that allows for effective finning (forward, backward and helicopter) and creates ample propulsion to move a laden diver through the water efficiently.

That said, there are several models that fit the bill. Scubapro Jets, Hollis F1, OMS Slipstreams, Turtles, etc.

Just one guy's opinion.

 

[dfx]

what is the best type of bike?

One with two wheels!

What did I win?