Aqualung Slingshot

[jazrit1988]

Has anyone tryed out the new Aqualung slingshot fins? I read some reviews on it and everyone seems to like it. What about you?

 

[JMdiver]

I have a few friends that have that fin & they like them.

John

 

[ScottBuck]

I tried them and didnt like them very much i prefer my tusa split fins! But there is a guy i dive with every once and a while and he loves them!

 

[Jeff Toorish]

I have a pair of Slingshots and I like them, although they are not really my primary fins.

As background information, I use different fins for different types of diving. For general open water and some technical diving I use medium Diverite fins. For caves and other technical dives I use OMS Slipstream Fins. I also have jets and occasionally use some other fits as well.

I was curious about the Slingshots, mostly because I have become a fan of AquaLung/Apeks equipment. An opportunity came along to pick up a pair of the Slingshots and I grabbed them.

Here's my take on these fins; they are extremely comfortable and because they can be set to various resistance, there is a wide range of uses for them. In addition, they really do seem to have a "sling shot" effect --I will say I can swim faster in them than any other fins I have used.

Normally I set them for greatest resistance, which is a bit less than the fixed resistance on other fins I use. I would say the lower resistances would be good for snorkeling or freediving. I have reset the fins in the water at depth with no problem even using thick gloves. Another use for these fins would be to provide variable resistance for divers whith one injured or weaker leg.

Slingshots are comfortable, rugged and work well in the water. There is a good chance they will become my default fin for warm water diving, especially in the caribbean. I like their feel, they are convenient to get on and off and they give that little stap that I like.

In all honesty, I won't use the for any advanced technical diving where I am using doubles or a rebreather because because I would probably out-kick them. I need a stiffer fin in those situations to push my gear through the water --I am a photographer so in addition to the doubles or 'breather, I also have a big camera and lights that is like a parachute under water. I'd love it if these fins worked for that, but I know they won't.

They are not acceptable for caves because the hinges that support the "slingshot" feature are entanglement points, and just too risky. Also, while I can frog kick in these fins, they are a bit too "soft" for really efficient frog kicking. Again, stiffer fins are more practical for cave or or wreck diving.

On the subject of kicks, I have used all my kicks with these fins effectively --including the frog kick, although that was the weakest. if you use a regular scissor or modified scisson kick, these fins are absolutely excellent, seeming to add additional power with no additonal effort.

Oddly, I find the Slingshots a bit light and with a drysuit I added ankle weights, which I have not used in years. A couple of pounds on my ankles properly weighted the fins and I got to take four pounds off my belt, and my trim was great.

Overall, if you are looking for new fins, these should be on your list to consider. I don't use split fins anymore, although I did at one time. These fins seem to offer all the benefits of splits fins but they are harder to over-kick, making them superior to traditonal splits.

I like these fins.

Jeff

 

[jazrit1988]

I have a pair of Slingshots and I like them, although they are not really my primary fins.

As background information, I use different fins for different types of diving. For general open water and some technical diving I use medium Diverite fins. For caves and other technical dives I use OMS Slipstream Fins. I also have jets and occasionally use some other fits as well.

I was curious about the Slingshots, mostly because I have become a fan of AquaLung/Apeks equipment. An opportunity came along to pick up a pair of the Slingshots and I grabbed them.

Here's my take on these fins; they are extremely comfortable and because they can be set to various resistance, there is a wide range of uses for them. In addition, they really do seem to have a "sling shot" effect --I will say I can swim faster in them than any other fins I have used.

Normally I set them for greatest resistance, which is a bit less than the fixed resistance on other fins I use. I would say the lower resistances would be good for snorkeling or freediving. I have reset the fins in the water at depth with no problem even using thick gloves. Another use for these fins would be to provide variable resistance for divers whith one injured or weaker leg.

Slingshots are comfortable, rugged and work well in the water. There is a good chance they will become my default fin for warm water diving, especially in the caribbean. I like their feel, they are convenient to get on and off and they give that little stap that I like.

In all honesty, I won't use the for any advanced technical diving where I am using doubles or a rebreather because because I would probably out-kick them. I need a stiffer fin in those situations to push my gear through the water --I am a photographer so in addition to the doubles or 'breather, I also have a big camera and lights that is like a parachute under water. I'd love it if these fins worked for that, but I know they won't.

They are not acceptable for caves because the hinges that support the "slingshot" feature are entanglement points, and just too risky. Also, while I can frog kick in these fins, they are a bit too "soft" for really efficient frog kicking. Again, stiffer fins are more practical for cave or or wreck diving.

On the subject of kicks, I have used all my kicks with these fins effectively --including the frog kick, although that was the weakest. if you use a regular scissor or modified scisson kick, these fins are absolutely excellent, seeming to add additional power with no additonal effort.

Oddly, I find the Slingshots a bit light and with a drysuit I added ankle weights, which I have not used in years. A couple of pounds on my ankles properly weighted the fins and I got to take four pounds off my belt, and my trim was great.

Overall, if you are looking for new fins, these should be on your list to consider. I don't use split fins anymore, although I did at one time. These fins seem to offer all the benefits of splits fins but they are harder to over-kick, making them superior to traditonal splits.

I like these fins.

Jeff

Thank you, you have helped me decide on purchasing them. They have been at the top of my list for a while now. The sound like they will be great for me.

 

[k ellis]

I used to use the scubapro twin jet max and always had trouble keeping up with the group. I had asked my LDS about them but they always down talked them. When I went to Joplin I purchased a pair and fell in love instantly with them. I have used them on the stiffest setting and left the group and found that when doing fun dives in quarries and lakes where I dont move much the loosest settings allow for very very easy movements with little to no effort.

I usually use them on the mid settings as this puts me right in range with divers who have rented fins and less experienced divers I often am accompanied by on charter boats.

I would say they are very comfortable in the fit very light weight and only have one single draw back for me and that is they are just about too long to fit in normal dive bag pouches but thats something I can work with.

They tend to have a free flow feeling to them in which when you kick you will find the kicks very soft almost a feeling of swimming with out fins or at least for me anyway. All in all they are a good design and I rarely use my twin jets any more.