Fins for diving the springs

[asp9208]

I'm thinking of getting new fins just to use in the Florida springs. I've used Mares Quattros for several years but when I'm at ginnie springs for example I often feel like I'm hitting people or walls, though the problem could just all be in my head. Would I be better off with another fin to use in the springs while saving my Quattros for open water? Should I look for a shorter fin maybe? Thoughts, suggestions? Just for more info I am not a cave diver, I just enjoy visiting the OW areas of the springs.

Thanks

 

[boulderjohn]

I assume that you are not doing real penetrations without getting the proper training first.

You are still very much in the initial stages of diving. Do you see yourself getting the training needed to do the more serious springs diving? If so, then keep the fins you have--they aren't bad, and you could do much worse. Invest the money in training. The time you spend learning good buoyancy, trim, and propulsion skills will be well worth it, and you will probably find that the fins you have will start doing a better job for you than they are now. As you get that training, you may find yourself trading out some of your other gear before the fins.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Ginnie Springs is shallow and often full of people. In that sense, it can be challenging for us OW divers. The best way to avoid kicking anything other than water is to practice buoyancy and control techniques. Some precision finning wouldn't hurt, but if the ninja diver types can seem to avoid touching anything with their huge Jet fins, it seems to me that the size of one's fins is not the major consideration. That said, I do prefer a shorter fin for places where I don't need so much thrust, including the springs. I find a shorter fin preferable for a number of reasons.

 

[asp9208]

Boulderjohn I appreciate your concern but I clearly state in my post that I am not cave diving and only visiting springs where OW divers are allowed. I gave Ginnie Springs as an example because OW divers are allowed there and it is usually crowded and somewhat confined at least by OW standards. I may have only around 50 dives but I have had my fins for 6+ years, used initially for swimming/snorkeling and diving later on and I am really just looking for a change of pace. Everyone wants a piece of new gear every now and then. So, Lorenzoid, you mentioned preferring a shorter fin, could you make any suggestions?

 

[boulderjohn]

Boulderjohn I appreciate your concern but I clearly state in my post that I am not cave diving and only visiting springs where OW divers are allowed. I gave Ginnie Springs as an example because OW divers are allowed there and it is usually crowded and somewhat confined at least by OW standards. I may have only around 50 dives but I have had my fins for 6+ years, used initially for swimming/snorkeling and diving later on and I am really just looking for a change of pace. Everyone wants a piece of new gear every now and then.

I was just being cautious. I was once the first of a parade of about 8 cave divers who just happened to be exiting through the Devil's Eye at the same time. As I emerged into the room near the entrance where we store our oxygen bottles, I saw an OW diver standing in the center of the room, between me and my oxygen bottle. I tried to get around him, while he walked around, staying in my way for a while because he could not figure why I was trying to cross the room. As we did our little dance, another 5-6 OW divers came down into the room. So OW divers do go into the cavern zone there with some frequency, and sometimes they go a little beyond the cavern zone. I was just checking out where you stood in that regard.

As for divers wanting some new gear from time to time, I know that is true. As I said, though, you can do a lot worse than those fins. The cave diving professional with whom I dive when I go to Mexico uses them. I am just suggesting that you not get so dedicated to fin replacement that you do not consider other options.

 

[Lorenzoid]

. . .
So, Lorenzoid, you mentioned preferring a shorter fin, could you make any suggestions?

I was mainly attracted to the idea of a shorter fin because it would pack more easily for travel. I got a pair of Hollis F-2s, thinking they are nice stiff paddle fins of the kind that the DIR types seem to prefer (since I'm heading in that direction with my diving). They are great in every respect except that the fin pocket is very large--more suited for a sturdy drysuit boot than a tropical wetsuit booty. I've been reading fin threads with interest here, and I am now attracted to the Aeris Accel, which people seem to say is similarly compact but has a more form-fitting foot pocket that might suit us warm-water divers better.