Fins - what can you tell me?

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Location
S.E. Asia
# of dives
25 - 49
My wife and I are pretty new divers. We're only on dive number 20.


We bought our own masks last year (Mares X Vision) and love them. The difference over the cheap ones we used to borrow from the dive centres is amazing.

Is the same true of fins?

I haven't ever had a problem with the borrowed fins. My wife finds them quite uncomfortable though.

Is there a noticable difference when you spend a little money on them?

There seem to be soooo many different kinds at each price point that I don't even know where to start looking.

Thanks a lot


Mike
 
Thanks.

Do you mean these?

scubapro . com / europe / uk / scubapro - products / fins / blade - fins / jet - fins

I can't post links untill I've posted 5 times so had to put spaces in the url :(
 
Some people will say that you get what you pay for, but experience will show that the most expensive fins in the world are not necessarily going to be the best fins for each one of us. Fins, like shoes, are very personal items of gear. They have to match as closely as possible our feet's three dimensions: length, width and arch height whether we're planning to wear the extra bulk of socks/boots or not, so we're best off trying them on for size before purchase, wearing those extra socks/boots if that is going to be our normal use. It's a veritable odyssey finding fins that fit perfectly, not least because individual models are commonly labelled "Small", "Medium", "Large" and "Extra Large", each of which can mean anything. It's appalling that in this day and age fin makers don't provide exact measurements in millimetres (the Mondopoint system) of each fin pocket size's foot length and foot width, using the specifications of a National Standard such as DIN 7876.

Choosing fins isn't only about getting the right size for your feet but also about the right blade stiffness to suit not only your physical strength and stamina but also your priorities, whether it be power, manoeuvrability or endurance or any combination of these. There is no such thing as a "universal fin" in terms of sizing or performance. And you will find if you read some of the threads in this forum that there is a lack of consensus about the science of fins, which is hardly surprising as people often forget that the word "science" comes from the Latin word for "knowledge", i.e. what we currently know, not an absolute eternal fact or truth. We may understand how finning works better in ten or a hundred years' time. At the moment, there are just too many variables to control before we can reach a conclusion.

Note that I haven't so far made a recommendation of a make or model of fin that will be perfect for you and your wife. I don't intend to do so in this message because it's a distraction, but I will reveal that I use traditional all-rubber full-foot fins when I snorkel (I don't scuba-dive) in the North East of England and I'm very happy with the few fins of this type that I own because they fit my feet exactly, they suit the gentle style of snorkelling I enjoy now I'm in my sixties, and they're relatively cheap compared with the plastic-bladed fins I dislike (fin choice is partly rational (science) and partly irrational (fashion) :)). It took me quite a while, and plenty of experimentation, to locate what are my now favourite fins. The fact that my choice of fins suits me is totally irrelevant to you, however. You will have to make your own voyage of discovery when it comes to fins, and if you are in a position to borrow pairs of different types, then you can make up your own minds by testing the fins in the water and seeing whether they do what you want them to do without causing you fatigue or flopping about inefficiently. I recommend that you don't blindly follow anybody's advice which is limited to "Buy Brand X" or, even less helpfully, "Buy Model Y", because you will be on the receiving end of somebody else's choice of fins for themselves, not you. We live in a diverse world where everybody's dimensions, priorities and preferences are different. Don't rush to a solution, particularly somebody else's solution, focus on defining the problem of fin choice more precisely first, from your perspective, not excluding the criterion of cost, of course, but not letting yourself be over-influenced by it.
 
Thanks David.

I'm not really in a position to try other fins. Our diving friends are like us... new and tend to use the dive resort's equipment.

We can obviously measure comfort / fit in a shop.

Other than that though, I'm really clueless.

I guess that longer fins are more tiring, but you can go faster.*

Split fins offer more manoeuvrability.*

*generalisations, of course...
 
You're perhaps trying to arrive at your ultimate destination, your perfect pair of fins, too fast. It took me many years to find what suited me best. In the intervening time, it's a matter of finding the best approximations to what we're after. You've mentioned some of the benefits of fins, including speed and manoeuvrability, to which I would add endurance, i.e. you can wear the fins over an extended period without discomfort. You will have to decide what is the greatest priority for you in the kind of diving you do. No fin will fulfil every one of these criteria for you. Decide first which matters most, bearing in mind that speed isn't necessarily vital in anything other than competitive finswimming. In your own case, you sound pretty satisfied with the fins you have borrowed. Have you any reason to change them for something else, then? In your wife's case, she needs to determine why she dislikes the fins she is currently using. That's sometimes a good alternative starting point. List the negatives, then you can look round for something that eliminates those negatives, though often, in my experience, by putting other negatives in their place! :) To begin with, have you decided yet whether you prefer open-heel or full-foot fins? I know that many divers in the Far East, particularly Japanese divers, prefer full-foots to open-heels in the warmer water, but that's not a universal choice, of course. And before anybody tells you otherwise, you can wear full-foots with socks or boots, so long as you make sure they fit your fins before you buy them. I myself prefer full-foots, despite the fact that most British divers probably use open-heels, but none of this should influence you either way. Pick whatever fits you most comfortably.
 
Thanks.

Do you mean these?

scubapro . com / europe / uk / scubapro - products / fins / blade - fins / jet - fins

Dunno, even when I removed all the spaces the link went to the SP home page

But these: ScubaPro Jet Fins, Black

(oops they've gone up in price since I last bought a pair)

They're not for everyone but you'll be hard pressed to find someone who uses them and doesn't like them
 
you'll be hard pressed to find someone who uses them and doesn't like them

By definition, that's virtually true for anything/everything. (Few people use gear they don't like.)

:eyebrow:

That said, I do love my Jets.
 
Mike,

As you have seen here is a wide range of fin prices. What you get is a mix of quality, performance, hype and dogma.

We have used to fins so far in our household and both have served us well.

We started with the Aeris Velocity (not split) and really like them. For the newer/occasional diver they are easy on the legs, propel and maneuver nice and are not wicked heavy to pack for vacations. They have very high reviews when introduced (2003?) A successor version was introduced last year and it seems to build on the soft vented center design.

Last year when a fin finally cracked (600+ dives) I gave ScubaPro Jets a try. They swim very similar but being stouter I find them much more in tune with doing things like the frog kick. They are relatively heavy so they are a consideration when packing. That are also negative in the water and this will be reflected in how much weight you need and how you manage trim.

I think both can be had in the $100. per pair price range here in the U.S. spring straps enhance each.

Pete
 
Perhaps you go provide more detail on what your wife finds uncomfortable?

My darling bride had traditional open heal blade fins and would get severe calf cramps......now she dives very soft split fins (Yellow SP Twin Jets).....no more leg cramps......

One of my dive club buddies would get sore on the top of his feet after longer dives when he used SP Jets so he finally bought Hollis F1 fins.......because of the foot pocket design

I think the fin thing is all about foot/bootie/fin pocket/kick style/leg strength relationship....and it is not one size fits all.......

I can say that my darling bride was on the verge of giving up diving until she switched fins.......so addressing the issue is important

M
 
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