Force fins vs xs turtle fins

I have recently purchased a dry suit and in the market for a new fins to fit the drysuit boots. all my local instructors dive either a force fin or turtle fin. the instructors that are cave divers all have the turtles they are said to be the best for drysuit frog kicking that is for the most part the only kick I use. I am heavily considering force fins cause you can get an instert and wear them with both drysuit and wetsuit boots thus elimiating fin choices. I really not sure how to go at with point, I have not dove the turtle fins yet but I do plan on trying them on my next dive weekend. As a DM for the store I have to pick from this selection cause we dive a uniform and these are the two to pick from or you can use sherwood spinta not really thrilled by those.
any thoughts on the different fins. the instructors say the force fins frog kick fine but the turtles were made for it plus they help keep you trimmed out in the dry suit a little easier if you get a little to much air in your feet. I love the force fins when I ever so often flutter kick but for the most part i have ditched the flutter kick.

I use a frog kick with Force Fins...no problems there.
I did own a set of Sherwood Spintas and they worked until the blade/hinge broke on one of them.
A few of my buddies have Turtles and love em. I think you should give them a go and see how it works out.

Good luck,
U\O

Underwater Ogre:

I use a frog kick with Force Fins...no problems there.

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same here

I did not feel the Force fins have nearly as much power, while frog kicking, as most any paddle fin provides. Nor were the Force fins as easy to back up in.

The Hollis F1 is a worth a close inspection. Many of my friends use them and really like them. I personally use Scubapro Jet fins in an XL size, but will get a pair of Hollis when they come out with Yum Yum Yellow.

I have used The same Force Fins in Alaska, Bora Bora, Belize, Lake Michigan and Florida.
I like the SD-1 Military Fin. They have a Foot Pocket that you can adjust between a 3mm bootie and a Drysuit. The Foot Pocket is laced on with 550lb Parachute cord and a Patch of felt(like on a pair of waders) which is good on a wetdeck.
I have never had a problem frog kicking with them as well.

I'm a Force Fin Pro user, and when I used a drysuit I had a larger pair just for the drysuit boots, but the insert idea may work as well.

I recommend changing over to their bungee strap which is much easier to get into and out of.

Adam

Seems to me that the best thing you could do is demo each of your three fin choices. Try out the kicks that are important to you - frog, flutter, modified flutter, back, etc. Pay attention to fit and maneuverability. Then make your choice based on your experiences.

FWIW, I wear Turtle fins with my drysuit boots. They work fine. I can do all the kicks in them. The fins are negatively buoyant, more so with springstraps installed. The foot pocket on the fins is enormous. I wish the foot pockets were a little smaller. The Turtle fins feel a little floppier than Scubapro Jetfins and OMS Slipstreams.

Good luck. I hope the shop gave you a substantial discount on your scuba gear. As a DM helping out with classes, what you wear/use is a powerful form of advertising.

I have a pair of Force Fins Original and the Hollis F1. I love my FF. They fit well, are comfortable, and don't hurt the leg. I got around the drysuit boot issue by getting a pair of converse to wear instead of the drysuit boot. The problem I found is that when trying to frog kick in them when wearing doubles I was going nowhere. I don't mean I was going slow, I mean I didn't move at all. This isn't surprising as the FF isn't designed for the frog and in fact you are using the weaker side of the fin. So for doubles I got the Hollis. I noticed I need far less leg movement to move forward. But the Hollis aren't nearly as comfortable as the FF. For single tank diving the FFs did just fine with all kicks.

As far as back kicking goes I haven't noticed much difference between the fins. Though I suspect I could back kick in bare feet.

Peter_C:

I did not feel the Force fins have nearly as much power, while frog kicking, as most any paddle fin provides. Nor were the Force fins as easy to back up in.

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Sorry cant agree...I have a ton of power with my Force Fins and backing up rocks, compared to other fins.

I think everyone here knows that I vote for the Force Fins. The Pro is an awesome choice for any style of kick. If you primarily frog kick though, the Pro IMO isn't the best thing about. The SD-1 Military, the Excellerator, and by far and away the Hockey Force are all better. In my testing, frog kicking a length in the pool, Hollis F-1 performed very well at 17-18 kicks, although the Hockey Force was 14-15. I did my best to match the times for each length, btw-I am not normally a frog kicker so a more proficient frog kicker may do better.

If you really want a more traditional paddle the Hollis F-1, IMHO is the single best Jet clone on the market.