Finless diving.

[northernone]

Couple months back I did a dive with two others, enjoying the pretty fish and colourful coral in the shallows in Cozumel. Gentle drift. Mimimal SM bcd. No fins.

Using a frog kick I stayed with the group and has the maneuverability and comfort to enjoy the dive without ever noticing discomfort or feeling "slow" after I adjusted my stroke. I don't think I set the pace of the dive practically slow. Relaxed dive enjoying the sea life. Even darted ahead a few times to scout for critters.

My backfinning was satisfying, roughly comparable to some fins I've tried.

I won't be trying it with a half dozen cylinders against a strong current but I was surprised how little propulsion is needed for a "typical" dive when streamlined.

Is reducing drag a consideration for you when choosing gear?

Well that's my story.
Cameron

 

[АлександрД]

as I told my story about minimizing way of equipment Minimal diving harness - major reson is minimal weight, BUT! I was amazed about floatability of propulsionability
Just one kick, and you can move twice far, than with backmount tank.

But I prefer NEWER dive without fins. Just for safety reasons.

One of my instructors (Valery Mukhin) sometimes teaching backkick without fins
it is his very old video, where his demonstrated breathing from tank without reg, but no-fins-back-kick

here is my video of him no speed changed
He shows here trim technique

 

[Blasto]

In my experience backfinning is almost easier without fins. Actually easier at first, but gets a bit faster with short stiff fins than without fins with practice.

Reducing drag is always a consideration, and I can easily out-swim typical students without using fins. But with better divers, there's no way to keep up finless - and it's way more tiring to try. Fins are the one piece of kit I can't see myself ditching in open ocean diving. Not so much a safety thing as comfort; in a pinch, I can swim almost as fast with both arms and legs as with just fins, but the former uses more air and interferes with control.

 

[TMHeimer]

I walked to the water in CT once but forgot my fins back in the trailer. Thought "what, I'm gunna walk this dive". Fortunately, the lifeguards had a spare pair.

 

[Akimbo]

Both of the two diving extremes don't always use fins:

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and

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I would be a happy diver if I could combine the freedom of the first with the capabilities of the second.

 

[northernone]

Watching the sunset through coral heads this evening on deco I did another 45 minutes finless. Heavy loaded with a scooter in tow it was slower but still kept myself entertaining within a half mile section of shore line regardless.

Buoyancy is very significant, can't waste propulsion on vertical motion.