Knee ACL need good fins for straight leg kick

Hello All,
I recently had ACL surgery for my knee (I shredded my ACL skiing). My Physical Therapist recommends that I use a straight leg kick from now on into eternity to limit the strain on the ACL. I looked it up on DAN and Scubalab reviews and can't find this info. So what pair of fins would be best for a straight leg kick?

My friends love thier split fins. They've told me for roughly half the amount of exertion they get about the same amount of thrust.

APS Mantaray fins: APS Mantaray Home Page

These fins are powerful but have almost no drag. They are very easy on the knees but seem to have more thrust than splits. I absolutely believe they are the best fins I have used. They are light, perfect for travel and still retain all the power of a regular jet fin, without the strain. Since I started using them, I've found my SAC rate has even improved.

Jeff

Force Fins

The best fins for those with joint issues. They remove the strain, and put the work in you thighs.

to maintain a straight leg kick you'll need something that is flexible enough to:
1) attain the required angle of attack to forward propulsion
2) minimize strain on your knee

some splits will be ok, but you would need to stay with the softer ones, if you like splits, I have found the Apollo Bio-Fin is a very good choice, made from a one piece material that won't fail like the Atomics will. Also, I think the Atomics are stiffer than the base model Bio-fin and may induce more knee flex and therefore pain. I just dove the Foil Force Fin again yesterday and it easily matches the Apollo in performance but is more comfortable yet with essentially no joint pain (I am diving on a sprained ankle right now)

The other recommendation is the Original Force Fin. The performance of this fin is great. This fin is made in 3 materials, the Original is the softest but still has fantastic performance, and although I recommend the Pro Force Fin (next step up in material stiffness/performance) to most scuba divers, I have found that the Original material is better suited for people with joint/muscle injures that should not be aggravated further

Weird. I had ACL surgery last summer and I was told NOT to kick with a straight leg as it puts downward and upward pressure on the knee (after surgery). In fact, I was diving both pre-and post-surgery and the only kick that didn't hurt was the frog kick as it uses the hip and ankle joint, and outer thigh muscle, but the knee is isolated. When I would forget and scissor kick, my knee let me know in a hurry that I was kicking wrong! It's a year later and I don't use a straight leg kick at any time and have absolutely no strain on my knee while diving. I never switched my fins at any time (OMS Slipstreams) but did find that having the spring straps helped a great deal when having to bend your knee to put on the fins.
Just something to think about. Explain to your PT the mechanics of a frog kick and see if he agrees once he understands about the joint movement. It may not be that you need a different fin but rather a different kick.
Also, whenever possible, try gearing up in the water to lessen the weight and ask for help with your tanks. Hang in there. The first couple of months after surgery are tough but it gets much better if you stay with physical therapy as long as possible and push yourself to improve.
One last point: Not sure how long it's been since you had the surgery but you MAY have a slight increased risk of getting a DCS hit, especially if you're going deep. You may want to check with DAN about diving after surgery. There is a LOT of info about the risks involved.
Stay safe and have fun!

Chocoholic:

Hello All,
I recently had ACL surgery for my knee (I shredded my ACL skiing). My Physical Therapist recommends that I use a straight leg kick from now on into eternity to limit the strain on the ACL. I looked it up on DAN and Scubalab reviews and can't find this info. So what pair of fins would be best for a straight leg kick?

Click to expand...

Any of the colored SCUBAPro Twin Jets should work nicely. (avoid black because it's a lot stiffer, and I beleive gray, but I'm not sure about that one)

The fin bends instead of the diver's knee and although it feels quite soft actually works beautifully. Also, there is no rotational force with it that I've noticed. The rigid fins seem to try to twist my knee from side to side.

Whatever you get, try it in the pool first.

They work best if you keep your leg and ankle pretty much straight and kick from the hip.

Terry

Oh, and if you haven't already been told about this, there are waterproof "sleeve" supports to wear while you dive. It's sort of like someone cut off the arm off a wetsuit and decided to charge the insurance company $300, but it works to keep your knee stable.

The yellow SP twin Jets are really easy the osteo in my left knee.

Chocoholic,
If you haven't already done so, try doing a search here on Scubaboard for ACL injuries and knee surgery. You'll find that many divers have had all sorts of knee injuries and offered valuable information about the recovery process, especially when it comes to diving.
Just out of curiosity, what type of reconstruction did you opt for? Mine was a cadaver ligament reconstruction (I wanted less pain, less recovery time).
I can definitely empathize with your situation. I was begging by surgeon and my PT to hurry up and release me so I could get back in the water. Work hard in physical therapy. Don't skip session!!!
Good luck with your recovery. YOu can feel free to PM me if you have any further questions about the surgery, recovery, and diving.