58 years old, looking for fins to help with efficiency?

[Marty Bess]

@Marty Bess

Good ole Marty & Bess from snow bound Utah the dive capital of the world, responded

"Hmmm, so if I downhill ski in the winter and run in the summer now that I quit cycling after a bad, bad crash makes my legs weak? It could be, it coild be"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yes sir it could be !
I suspect an exercise professional would inform you of muscle groups

"'Swimming utilizes distinctive muscle groups "

Different from skiing at Park city : Different from bike riding along the great Salt Lake

KMAG YOYO

Agree

 

[Marty Bess]

It might simply be the muscles you use while diving are not the same muscles you use while doing your other sports.

I swim with a swim club and there will be long distance runners and cyclists who join because they want to get into triathlons. They show up really buff looking and you’d think they’d beat everyone else, but they struggle! Sure, technique is one thing, and breathing, but they complain how their muscles ache because they’ve never used those particular muscles in that way before. They also tend to cramp up a lot!

Same story with a regular swimmer I know. She tried hiking one day and couldn’t believe what a tough time she had hiking, considering her fitness level with swimming.

I’m going to suggest that your running and skiing fitness does not necessarily translate into finning fitness. Try swimming laps in a pool with fins.

I agree

 

[shoredivr]

This response may not be what you are looking for, but....

I was in your position when I was a few years younger than you. It was not just my age--I had severe osteoarthritis in my right knee, cause by a series of athletic injuries during my youth. I bought a pair of fins that were supposed to do what you want--Mares Volo Power. They worked as advertised. they were easy kicking fins that propelled me along nicely

Then two things happened at about the same time. I began working on technical diving, and I got the knee replaced. The Mares Volos were a problem for the tech diving, because they are designed for flutter kicking only, and technical diving requires a lot of different kicking techniques that are best performed by stiff blade fins. I bought the fins I needed for the tech diving and kept the Mares fins for open water recreational diving. Before long, I decided that I liked the fins I was using for technical diving better for all diving, and I sold the Mares fins.

I am now a decade older than you, and I own and use several pair of stiff blade fins. Because I have to carry around heavy gear for tech diving, I make sure my exercise routine keeps my legs strong. As a result, I have no trouble with that kind of fin, despite my age, and I plan to keep it that way for as long as I can.

So my advice is don't give in to age until you absolutely have to. If you decide that for the diving you will do both now and the future the easy kicking fins are just what you need, then that is what you want. But please make your choice based on the kind of fin you need for the kind of diving you will do, not because of an assumption that you are going to be losing leg strength soon. You are far too young to give in to old age! You want your legs to be as strong as you can make them for as long as you can, because you need leg strength to continue a suitable quality of life, whether that includes scuba or not.

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

--Dylan Thomas​

This.

 

[EireDiver606]

This is a massive exaggeration! I rarely see Jet Fins on recreational dive boats....for good reason, as far as I'm concerned.

When I say Jet fin, I am not limiting this to the Scubapro jet fin. Any jet fin style or rocket stiff blade is what I’m talking about. There no good reasons to not use the jet fins. What are your reasons?

They are no longer the most dominant fin among the tech divers I see.

I think you think I’m talking about the Scubapro one. The jet fin style is the most prominent by far. There are many different jet fin style brands.

 

[tursiops]

When I say Jet fin, I am not limiting this to the Scubapro jet fin. Any jet fin style or rocket stiff blade is what I’m talking about. There no good reasons to not use the jet fins. What are your reasons?


I think you think I’m talking about the Scubapro one. The jet fin style is the most prominent by far. There are many different jet fin style brands.

Yes, of course, when you say jet fin I do assume you mean jet fin, which is made by scubapro. Do you call the Deep6 Eddy fin a jet fin? It is not; thr material is different, the foot pocket is different, the weight and buoyancy are different, the flexibility is different, the straps are different...

And, even if I allow you to say "jet fin style" I disagree they are common on recreational dive boats. Split fins are definitely popular, lots of simple blades of various brands, but not jet fins or even those that look vaguely like them.

 

[EireDiver606]

Yes, of course, when you say jet fin I do assume you mean jet fin, which is made by scubapro. Do you call the Deep6 Eddy fin a jet fin? It is not; thr material is different, the foot pocket is different, the weight and buoyancy are different, the flexibility is different, the straps are different...

And, even if I allow you to say "jet fin style" I disagree they are common on recreational dive boats. Split fins are definitely popular, lots of simple blades of various brands, but not jet fins or even those that look vaguely like them.

Maybe from where you dive. I think most can agree jet fin style are still very popular. Don’t get into silly minor details it’s still a jet fin of sorts

 

[JackD342]

Integrated weights. I have the travel aqualung Zuma. No way to add weight higher up other than on the top of the tank.
Yes, mostly I do feel like I'm sinking when I'm not kicking. I only have around 50 dives so I'm not that good yet but I think that my Oceanic Vipers are not stiff enough and a bit heavy with my 3mil boots. Thanks for the input.

Marty- You say you do feel like you are sinking when you are not kicking. This should be addressed. Go ahead and get some better fins regardless, if that is what you want to do. We should all treat ourselves as we can. But I very strongly suspect/suggest your tendency towards a vertical position is not primarily fin related.
First and foremost is to be sure you are not diving over weighted. There are thousands of posts on how to do that, so I won't go into detail here. Just think about what your options are for reviewing and adjusting as needed on your next dive.
Yes, with the Zuma there is no built in option to trim your weights away from your waist. You can add trim pockets to the cylinder band, which may help a little, but they are still on a plane with the weight pockets and not moved away from your center of gravity.
Assuming you ARE diving with the correct amount of weight, the only suggestion then is to get a 1 or 2 pound ankle weight to wrap around the cylinder valve. I had problems staying horizontal when at rest when I first started diving, and traveling with a pair of 1lb weights took care of that in short order. That first BCD of mine is long gone, so I don't know if I would find the same thing true today as a much more experienced diver, but it is a pretty effective quick fix.

 

[dmaziuk]

I think most can agree jet fin style are still very popular.

Wanna run a poll?

 

[JackD342]

Wanna run a poll?

Would have to define jet fin style, would have to define popular, would have to anticipate a bunch of other qualifiers to learn anything.

I think this little diversion started with the statement "everyone uses Jet fins"
Which became "everyone uses fins similar to jet fins"
Which may have become "everyone diving tech uses fins similar to jet fins"
Which may have needed to become "everyone diving tech in my neck of the woods uses fins similar to jet fins"
Which might actually need to be "everyone on the boat(s) I use for tech diving use fins similar to jet fins"

So, popular with who? Tech? Military? Public Safety? EVERYONE!?

One anecdote to indicate relative popularity of that style. A few years ago, the Aqualung Rocket Fins (basic stiff military style, not softer Rocket II) were out of production for several months, or longer. I was told at the time that the issue was that the ancient mold for the fins had worn out, and the cost of replacing the mold made them think long and hard about whether or not it was worth continuing to produce them.

 

[Hank49]

Of all the posters voting jet fins or similar designs, as an efficient fin, how many of you have tried long blade fins? Plastic, fiberglass or carbon fiber?
I have used many types over the first 25 years diving, body surfing, free diving. But once I tried long blades, there was no going back. No comparison.
Not talking cave diving or wrecks. Just efficiency. More distance, less energy spent.
My buddy here was using old Jets free diving. It took a couple years but he finally tried them. “Holy shet....they are better”. Yep