Please help us to select the most suitable Force Fins for us. Thanks

[andy2667]

Dear Force Fins users,

I and my wife are new divers. We finished our OW course 5 years ago but stop diving until recently. We determined to re-start diving and have just finished our refresher course, then AOW course. Just returned from a 8 days diving trip. I consider that a pair of good and suitable fins is really useful and decided to buy our own fins.

Start considering Bio fins, other splits, SeaWing Nova....searched the force fins information and now seriously considering a pair for each of us.

We will primarily use the fins for traveling for tropical warm water diving . Therefore, weight and size are consideration factors in addition to performance. Force Fins are the ideal choice for us.

As a new divers, we quite concerned about current. We want the fins can help us coping with current when necessary. Precision control is also a nice thing. This is important when we grow in skills and may do underwater photography later. Even now, I think good control is essential.

Firstly, the pair for my wife.

She is not a good swimmer using mainly bicycle type flutter kick. She get tired easily and is not strong. Basing on these, I am considering either a pair of Original Force Fins or a pair of foil force fins for her. I am leaning toward the Original Force Fins but don't know the main differences between them.

As for size, she wear no 5 ScubaPro Medium/light Sole boot. I think Medium size should be suitable. With this size, she can use Hard Sole boot without insert, medium sole boot with one comfy insert, barefoot with 2 comfy insert.

Then, the pair for me.

I am a reasonably good swimmer but not the competitive type. Did some competitions in high school time but not the strong candidate. Not very strong in Kicking. May use fog kick later when I learn how to frog kick.

I am considering the Pro or the Hockey of the Excellerating (Non Tan Delta type as it is cheaper). I want an general all rounder and it will not stress my leg too much. I am leaning toward the Hockey. Don't know which model is more suitable for me.

As for size, I wear no.9 light sole boot. May use Hard sole boot later. Thus, XL size may be suitable for me. Use Hard sole without insert, medium/light sole with one comfy insert, barefoot with 2 comfy insert.

I would be most grateful if you would share your experiences or advise your opinions.

Thanks

Andy

[Bob Evans]

Andy, Let me give this some thought...Hockey fin is out for me ..to stiff, you need to be 18 teen. The Pro with bungee is the one Richard Marcinko used. And your wife would do well with the original Force Fin. Hope so other's will pipe in. Best, Bob

[meesier42]

Pros. The Hockey is a massively powerful fin that does take a good amount of leg power to. Start with the Pros and once you realize the beauty of ForceFins you can upgrade later, but I doubt you'll need to. I will warn you, with a bicycle kick Force Fins are terrible, they only work when you use proper form with only a mild bend to you knee in a reasonably tight flutter kick. Too much bend in the knee or worse yet a bicycle kick will NOT work and you will go nowhere. Best thing to do is take them to the pool and kick with them for at least 20minutes 2-3 times without switching back to a different fin, you can take them off and kick without fins, but not other fins. After a couple of days you'll start moving with an amazing ease.

[xeon_intel]

My recommendation would be Pros for u and original for ur wife. While hockey is packed with power, Pros are easier on the leg. Both Pros and original are great for travelling,..small & lightweight without compromising power,thrust, and maneuverability..overall a great fins!

[andy2667]

Dear Bob and others,

Thank you for your advices. It seems that the Original for my wife and the Pro for myself is the most suitable choice.

By the way, is the suitable kicking technique for the Force Fins similar to the kicking technique of free style swimming?

Got to have a look at my LDS.

Thanks

Andy

[sambolino44]

Yeah, I was going to recommend Pros for you and Original for your wife, too.

As for the kick, when I was new to Force Fins, I thought (and posted) about it a lot. I thought there was some technique I needed to learn to get the most out of them. I was probably influenced by all the stuff I read from other divers. However, the more I dove with them, the less I thought about it, until these days I don't think about my fins, or my kick, at all. I just go. I use a frog kick a lot, and you read all the time how Force Fins won't work for a frog kick. Hogwash. When I do a flutter- or flutter-type-kick, it occurred to me several months ago that it's like when you have no fins at all, like swimming (like you mentioned above). The point is, they feel funny at first, but it doesn't take long to get used to them, and before long, they just "disappear". To me, that's the sign of really good gear: it works so well you don't even think about it anymore. I love 'em, and I'll never go back!

[andy2667]

Hi sambolino44,

Thank you for your valuable information. Your experience assure me that the force fins are the way to go.

As for the sizing and fitting, is it necessary for the fins to be tight fitted? I intend to size them to suit hard sole boot which I seldom use. Then add a comfort insert for med/lght sole boot which I normally use.

Thanks

[xeon_intel]

Andy,

You dont have to worry about kicking style with Force Fins (FF),..in my experience, just kick normally like you are swimming with no fins..i cant even feel my FF but i am actually moving underwater. Some people is expecting a kick-back 'feeling' when kicking fins, thats what makes them feel 'funny' when they tried FF, they cant feel anything...thats the beauty of FF, IMHO.

As for the sizing, i use no.9 med sole boots(aqualung) and i wear size XL. If you want to wear it with heavy sole, you might want to go 1 size higher.(need to confirm with TN/Blair/meesier for more accurate sizing).

Hope this help.

Sam

[meesier42]

mens hard sole size 9, 90% will fit the XXL get a pair (or 2) of insteps to size down as needed. if you went soft sole XL would be a better fit

[Hatul]

Not to be repetitive, but one way to deal with the sizing issue, if Bob Evans agrees, is to mail in your boot to Force Fin and they could send both the boot and the correct size fins to you. Otherwise is a shot in the dark as every boot is different.

Adam