Hippopotamus
Registered
Hi all,
I'm looking for an alternative to my Seawing Novas.
I'm a "vacation diver" doing maybe 10 to 20 dives in a good year. Mostly tropical and warm water, nothing that can't be done in a thin wetsuit. I also do quite a bit of snorkeling.
I've had my Seawings for about ten years now and they served me well all this time. I used to cover impressive distances snorkeling (doing 3hrs+ trips along the coast with little fatigue). In other words I'm pretty happy with the propulsion and the ergonomics of these fins.
During diving I was always able to keep up with my partners, even when they were much younger and athletic. The Seawings have very good propulsion, especially for the effort they require. On top of everything I abused them quite a bit an they're almost like new.
However, they have two drawbacks that determined me to look for a replacement. First, they have positive buoyancy (just enough to make them float, which for snorkeling is excellent). But during dives I find it hard to keep an upright position without too many adjustments. Second, they're not much good when it comes to maneuvering and fine control - at least in my experience.
I bought a pair of TUSA Hyflex Switch to replace them. Those are very good fins and their quality is just superb. Maneuvering improved significantly with them; also the buoyancy issue (mostly). However, the Tusas return for me maybe 2/3 of the propulsion of the Seawings for the same amount of effort. One time while using the Tusas the divemaster asked me to meet him at the shot line on the other side of the boat. There was a little bit of current. I would have paid no mind to it with the Seawings. With the Tusas I had to struggle - and arrived at the buoy a bit out of breath before starting the dive. This I can't afford. So I need an alternative.
What other fins could compete with the Scuba Pros in terms of power while also providing better control? My shortlist would be Avanti Quattro+, X-Stream, RK3 and - why not - the new version of the Seawings, the Supernova. But it's a bunch of quite different animals and I have no way to test them all. It will have to be an educated guess.
So, again, what fin is comparable (or better?) to the Seawing Novas in terms of power, but have also improved control? A lighter weight would be a bonus (not exactly the same as buoyancy).
Any advice is appreciated.
I'm looking for an alternative to my Seawing Novas.
I'm a "vacation diver" doing maybe 10 to 20 dives in a good year. Mostly tropical and warm water, nothing that can't be done in a thin wetsuit. I also do quite a bit of snorkeling.
I've had my Seawings for about ten years now and they served me well all this time. I used to cover impressive distances snorkeling (doing 3hrs+ trips along the coast with little fatigue). In other words I'm pretty happy with the propulsion and the ergonomics of these fins.
During diving I was always able to keep up with my partners, even when they were much younger and athletic. The Seawings have very good propulsion, especially for the effort they require. On top of everything I abused them quite a bit an they're almost like new.
However, they have two drawbacks that determined me to look for a replacement. First, they have positive buoyancy (just enough to make them float, which for snorkeling is excellent). But during dives I find it hard to keep an upright position without too many adjustments. Second, they're not much good when it comes to maneuvering and fine control - at least in my experience.
I bought a pair of TUSA Hyflex Switch to replace them. Those are very good fins and their quality is just superb. Maneuvering improved significantly with them; also the buoyancy issue (mostly). However, the Tusas return for me maybe 2/3 of the propulsion of the Seawings for the same amount of effort. One time while using the Tusas the divemaster asked me to meet him at the shot line on the other side of the boat. There was a little bit of current. I would have paid no mind to it with the Seawings. With the Tusas I had to struggle - and arrived at the buoy a bit out of breath before starting the dive. This I can't afford. So I need an alternative.
What other fins could compete with the Scuba Pros in terms of power while also providing better control? My shortlist would be Avanti Quattro+, X-Stream, RK3 and - why not - the new version of the Seawings, the Supernova. But it's a bunch of quite different animals and I have no way to test them all. It will have to be an educated guess.
So, again, what fin is comparable (or better?) to the Seawing Novas in terms of power, but have also improved control? A lighter weight would be a bonus (not exactly the same as buoyancy).
Any advice is appreciated.
. They are also modular so you can break them apart for travel if you like. I did not have a problem changing a position while diving with neither fin I have dove (That includes my Atomic splits 
)
