Split fins ?

[pollaccia]

Are the split fins worth the cost? I would like to hear from users of split fins, pros and cons Thank you

[g1138]

Try googling "site:scubaboard.com split fins"

This has been discussed to death and you've just reopened pandora's box of fury and opinions. Welcome to the scubaboard.
My opinion on split fins: *click link* -> A Fin Review 2.0: Split Fins VS all others
It's changed ever so slightly but the above link is the basic gist of it.

PS don't ask about Nitrox Spare Airs

[tursiops]

No, unless you only swim with a flutter kick, in a straight line, at a constant speed, in low currents, and don't take pictures.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[Lead_carrier]

Try borrowing a pair and test them for yourself. I have used and still use a number of different type fins. I prefer either ScubaPro Twin Jets or the trusty Jet fins. Everything tursiops says you can't do, you can do with a bit of practice. Everyone has their own preference and the only way to tell what you really like is to use them for a few dives. Take our opinions with a grain of salt and find what is best suited for you.

[Paladin]

If you dive with split fins, you will die!

[JamesK]

Welcome to SB!

You are brand new to the board, so please do not take this the wrong way, and please do not let what I say scare you away from the board. This is brought up and debated soooooo much, that many might think you are just trolling to stir the pot. This is a topic that has lobotomized minions on both sides. Many who just say something is the best because they have never used the other, or they were told the other was bad, or they simply have no clue period.

Just do as stated above and search for this topic. You will find more reading on it then you can probably handle, and your brain will probably explode.

Me personally, I do not like split fins. I have tried them, and don't like them. I tried them because I was told they were the most awesomest thing ever and the bestest fins I could ever buy. Luckily I did not buy them as I did not like them. I could name all the reasons I did not like them, but it is simply an opinion. Take it as you will.


PS awesomest and bestest are words. Maybe not in your dictionary, but get over it grammar police! :P

[tursiops]

Try borrowing a pair and test them for yourself. I have used and still use a number of different type fins. I prefer either ScubaPro Twin Jets or the trusty Jet fins. Everything tursiops says you can't do, you can do with a bit of practice. Everyone has their own preference and the only way to tell what you really like is to use them for a few dives. Take our opinions with a grain of salt and find what is best suited for you.

I've got three pair of different makes I'd be happy to sell to you.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[TSandM]

In my opinion, fins, masks and snorkels are the items on which the dive shop makes the highest margins. They do much better if they can talk you into some kind of brand-new ultra-modern super fantastic fin that costs $200 or more . . . they don't do well if you buy the low end paddle fin. So what do they recommend?

It's my personal opinion that some kind of paddle fin is better for beginners. Here's why: One of the biggest problems that new divers face is balancing the negative tank above them so that they don't try to turn turtle. Having a stiffer, paddle-type fin behind them allows them to create a kind of horizontal stabilizer that resists that rotation, and makes them feel much less insecure in the water.

I was sold my split fins on the argument that I'd be less likely to get cramps if I used them. In fact, I almost never got cramps using my split fins. Of course, I very, very rarely get cramps using my paddle fins, either . . . Splits give the diver the illusion of doing less work, because they create less resistance in the water. But they also transfer less energy to the water, which is why tech divers who are pushing a lot of mass and resistance use paddle fins.

Paddle fins make it much easier to do precise positioning, which is nice for photographers or models. Paddle fins also make it easier to control the backwash from your fins, if you are diving over a silty bottom sediment.

I can come up with a whole list of good qualities for paddle fins. The only good quality I can come up with for split fins is that they feel easier to kick.

[freewillie]

The real real question is what type of diving are you planning on doing. Are you diving tech, doubles, caves, are any other specialized diving? Or are you in the vast majority of diver's who dive recreationally or on vacations?

Here on SB there is a split between those who detest split fins and those who love them. You may even hear that the only fins to dive are free diving fins. Either way you need to decide for yourself what will suit your diving needs best.

I started diving with splits. I have a pair Atomics splits. They did cost fair amount, and I'm not about to go out and buy another pair. They do just fine for me. Almost all my friends in the dive club dive splits, and my instructor has several pairs of splits. For recreational diving they are just fine. I can do frog kick just fine, and have never even attempted a helicopter kick.

My daughter has standard paddle style fins. Mostly because she liked the color, ice blue Aeris fins. Compared to her rental full foot fins they fit much better, kick better, and she loves them.

If at all possible try demo a pair you are interested in buying then decide for yourself if you like them and are worth the cost. Just like everythingnelse, you can find relatively inexpensive splits to very expensive splits. But, just like wines, you don't have to spend a lot to find a nice pair. To quote the movie Sideways, "taste pretty good to me."

In the end, decide what is best for you.

[g1138]

I guess I must also mention. Those fancy fins, like splits, allow bicycle kickers to propel themselves forward.

Paddle fins can't and they also give bicycle kickers cramps. If you work on a solid kicking technique (ie. not bicycle kicking) then unless you have weak ankles/knees, any fin will work perfectly fine without cramping your legs.