Advice???

[GlennL]

so I am what I consider a hybrid-ish diver. I like the dir principles but am not a full convert. I dive doubles with a bpw. Keep things mostly dir. But I currently wear drumroll....,atomic split fins. Blasphemy to you tech divers I know. I recently did my rescue and wore some f1's my instructor let me borrow. He felt I couldn't kick up high enough for the rescue breath in my splits. Anyway the f1's were nice. But for general diving I still found myself doing something like a pigeon toed frog kick if that makes sense. I don't know if I have adapted to some muscle memory retarded kick or what. But it is way more "natural feeling" than forcing myself to do a traditional frog kick. Do any of you guys get what I am saying? Any advice? I'm currently trying to find some dive rite xt's in my size and forcing myself to "conform" to the traditional kicks. First off yeah some of you are going to say ditch the splits. But secondly, I'm more interested in people who know what I'm talking about in regards to the pigeon toe versus heels together approach.

 

[Marie13]

Your post made me laugh as I ended up with virtually all tech-leaning gear unintentionally...and also dive Atomic Splits. Purple, no less. . I get some razzing for them, but they're kind to my knees. And they have enough oomph to push my fat arse in a drysuit.

Did you ever have issues getting enough propulsion from your splits with diving doubles? Just curious.

 

[KevinNM]

If you can effectively back kick in split fins than go for it. If you can't, well then you probably shouldn't. I had to give up my evo3 boots as I couldn't do a modified frog kick with them.

 

[GlennL]

Never really had propulsion issues, even in current. I just have a retarded pigeon toed kick. I don't know if it was learned due to the splits or not. Just trying to see if anyone else is like me. Lol. Trying to conform to a heel together approach rather than some lame pigeon toed kick.
As far as back finning.......... I am still a young padiwan. Still clamboring for the day I can say these are not the droids you are looking for.

 

[decompression]

duct tape for the fins......video for the diver

 

[rongoodman]

Never really had propulsion issues

So you can back kick with them?

 

[GlennL]

Not easily, efficiently, or without looking like a smashed bag of @$$. I think my pigeon toed approach may have something to do with even remotely having mild success.
Still trying to see if anyone knows what I'm referring to in regards to my pigeon toed kick and how to basically overcome what it think was a learned movement because of the splits.

 

[geoff w]

Are you worried the DIR Scuba Police are going to write you a ticket for frog kicking in split fins?! Seriously, unless you're doing technical diving, or trying to pass a tech class, you should dive what works for you, but be open minded to try potentially better tools for the job. I took an advanced wreck class and for fins was told to dive what works for me. I dived my Apollo split fins the first day, then switched to a pair of Atomic blades I also brought. Both worked fine. I still dive my split fins, but occasionally look over my shoulder to make sure the scuba police aren't watching

 

[GlennL]

Not worried about the scuba popo lol. But I am thinking of doing a cavern class. And my kick style was commented on by the guy who would give me the class. Same guy who let me try his f1's. But they were too heavy for my liking.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I think I get what you are saying. When you frog kick you have your feet spread apart and the tips of your fins close. Does this sound about right?