New and looking at Split Fins

I have not been diving too long but i would like to upgrade my gear. I am currently using Tusa Blade fins that are awesome but I find my legs soar. I have been recommended to look at Split fins but what are the better kinds? What should I look for and are sizes about the same?

Most people find that split fins are easier to kick, but require a higher frequency (i.e. you aren't kicking as hard, but you are kicking faster).

In addition to equipment solutions that may or may not help, maybe supplement your diving with some leg exercise?

I went to the Aeries Velocity Duo a couple years ago(just for the heck of getting away from blades AND getting older now---) & my wife loved mine so much she made me order her a pr last year, & she loves hers(remember she to is getting older, now--)...they are starting to DC some of them----but WHO cares, lol.....here's a link to some for sale.....

Aeris Velocity Xp Split Fin @ Divers-Supply.com

You may want to surf over to Scuba Diving Magazine's website and look up their Scuba Lab reports. SDM rates fins every two or three years and gives lots of good tips on what to look for.

Splits versus blades often sparks heated discussions on this board, in case you don't know. People tend to swear by whatever equipment they use and for some reason many take umbrage when others swear by something else.

I had a pair of each until my son got certified and "inherited" some of my gear. Now I'm using Atomic Smoke On The Water split fins (great fins, clumsy name) exclusively. What I like about them the most is the spring straps, which isn't necessarily a function of the fins themselves. I'll probably pick up another pair of blades sooner or later, probably later frankly, but spring straps will be mandatory.

The biggest difference between splits and blades as far as I'm concerned is the kicking style, which is relatively easy to adapt.

As far as sizes, I recommend that you try them on before you buy and be sure to take your boots with you.

And Blackwood's advice about leg exercises is spot on.

rort:

I have not been diving too long but i would like to upgrade my gear. I am currently using Tusa Blade fins that are awesome but I find my legs soar. I have been recommended to look at Split fins but what are the better kinds? What should I look for and are sizes about the same?

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Before buying new split fins, I'd try doing a frog kick in your old blades. You might find that they perform better with the frog kick than with a flutter kick. At the very least, try out someone's split fins for a dive or two before purchasing anything. Split fins work quite well with a high frequency, low "amplitude" flutter kick, whereas the same type of kicking motion can be tiring and not as effective when using stiff blade fins.

You may also want to consider changing your dive style. Hover more, kick less, and see more. Novice divers would do well to focus more on buoyancy control and relaxing than zipping around under water.

Doing leg exercises to become better conditioned is also a good thing. Understand that the soreness you're experiencing could be caused by infrequent work-outs/dives.

Good luck...

rort:

I am currently using Tusa Blade fins that are awesome but I find my legs soar

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that soreness that you feel is the definition of gear that is not awesome. gear that fits you well will not make you sore, you should be able to stay relaxed and comfortable at all times.

meesier42:

that soreness that you feel is the definition of gear that is not awesome. gear that fits you well will not make you sore, you should be able to stay relaxed and comfortable at all times.

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It could also be that he's using muscles he hasn't used in a long time....

...that's like saying, "It's not the 5 years I spent on the couch making me sore, it's that I didn't spend enough money on my running shoes."

No offense to the OP. Just pointing that out...

My darling bride would get severe calf cramps with blade fins.....this happened on almost all dives......

I bought her yellow ScubaPro Twin Jets....cramps are gone.....

Now she would not dive with another fin.......

She is an avid walker and jogger.......so very active......varsity swimmer in High School......

I her case, the fins made all the difference.........

M

I dove with blades for more than 10 years but switched over to atomics around 8 years ago and love them. Am thinking about getting either apollo or twin jets now only because they are negatively bouyant though.

I agree with Skim, if your legs are sore you need to become stronger. Swimming and diving are sports where your survival is based on YOU helping yourself. I sympathize with sore muscles but they will go away!

As for split fins, I shudder to see them on reef most of the time. If you watch divers swimming closely to a reef you will see that there is almost always a silt trail following split fin wearing divers kicked up by the way those fins vector water.

If you already have blades then learn alternate kick styles or even buy a little digital camera, slow down and take pictures of what you see, its not a race.