Fins - what can you tell me?

[Lindzi258]

i have bio fins and I love them with my spring strap! I have a very small foot.... size 5 and these always feel like they are in place.

 

[David Wilson]

based on this photo, I'm not 100% sure I want gear tips from a dude who dives a 'butt mounted tank'......that's the mark of an ultra-newbie diver.

But he's not giving gear tips. He's simply describing how he made up his mind when he came to choose his fins. It's his problem-solving process, including the definition of his criteria and priorities, that is worthy of consideration.

 

[David Wilson]

Yeah, and try to find those or anything like them.

Eyeline Fins

Eyeline is based in Australia, Nem, but you can buy their fins in the United States at the online store of WBH Swimwear and Accessories, based in Dresher, Pennsylvania:
ALLSWIM.COM - Training Aids - Leggs & Feet
These are exactly the same fins as the underwater photographer is holding in the picture I posted. I once ordered a pair from WBH and I can assure you that these all-rubber full-foot fins have much stiffer, powerful blades than most. They certainly compare favourably in terms of propulsion to Spirotechnique's and US Divers' vintage Otaries: I've tried both of these.

The Otarie, Voit Super Vikings and so many simple, rubber, full foot fins have disappeared under the onslaught of technology that largely does nothing but justify a higher price (read as more profitable for dive retailers).

I agree that the great all-rubber full-foots of the past, including the Cressi Rondine, have vanished from the scene, but there are still some comparable quality all-rubber full-foot fins around to maintain the legacy, for example Japanese-made Gull Hard Mews, which are now available in the USA too:

Gull Mew Hard Fin | CanAm Underwater Hockey Gear

People are sold a line of BS and they gobble it up hook, line and sinker.

Scuba fins today are too big and too complicated and too expensive.

Your average, usual, overweight, obese, out of shape, jelly butt, big gut scuba diver, take it however one likes, simply has no muscle power or aerobic capacity to push the gigantic sling shots, turbo vented, super duper triple stiff split finned super scooper wonder flipper they just bought for 250 dollars US and would be better off with a simple, smaller bladed fin of moderate stiffness and then spending the leftover towards a treadmill. N

No argument there, Nem.

 

[Nemrod]

If you wanted a full foot fin like the one in the above picture, you can go to any swim store and buy a pair for about $20. These are great for swimming laps and practicing strokes. I like the stiffer open heal (that can be used with boots) for diving with gear.

See what you can find used. No use paying gobs of money for something too fancy. Best of luck.

No, I have tried those, they may be like the ones in the picture but they are not at all like an Otarie or Viking.

The Viking was actually a very smooth fin, frog kicked well, not too big and not too stiff but could move a scuba diver with authority, simple blade, nothing fancy.

N

 

[Nemrod]

David, those Eyeline fins in your post, not so good in my opinion, too stiff and not sized fro scuba, pool toy quality. The Gull, not available in the USA but look like a good fin, look a bit too long but that is just a matter of taste, 90 dollars, ouch. But we have had this discussion before.

Stiff does not equal good.

N

 

[Jorgy]

SP Lighting Jets are great fins.......as are many others.......

I still say that fins depend on the diver.........

OP said his spouse did not like her fins......for whatever reason.......

Try a bunch and find the ones she likes.......as N said fins are cheap in the grand scheme of diving........:shocked2:

Here is darling bride and daughter descending on a Superior Producer wreck in St Thomas.......priceless......

Note the Yellow SP Twin Jets.........

M

 

[scubafanatic]

SP Lighting Jets are great fins.......as are many others.......

I still say that fins depend on the diver.........

OP said his spouse did not like her fins......for whatever reason.......

Try a bunch and find the ones she likes.......as N said fins are cheap in the grand scheme of diving........:shocked2:

Here is darling bride and daughter descending on a Superior Producer wreck in St Thomas.......priceless......

Note the Yellow SP Twin Jets.........

M

nice photo!

 

[David Wilson]

David, those Eyeline fins in your post, not so good in my opinion, too stiff and not sized fro scuba, pool toy quality. The Gull, not available in the USA but look like a good fin, look a bit too long but that is just a matter of taste, 90 dollars, ouch. But we have had this discussion before.

Stiff does not equal good.

N

I somehow knew you were going to say that, Nem, and I respect your opionion, so we'll just have to agree to disagree . At least let me say that the professional photographer below is satisfied with his Eyeline fins, not only because of the bargain price, but also because they perform to his specifications, and not necessarily anybody else's:

As for the Gull Hard Mews, the underwater hockey equipment distributor and Gull Hard Mew retailer CanAm is based in the USA, Rapid River, MI to be precise.

Meanwhile, one model of all-rubber full-foot fin is experiencing something of a renaissance in Europe. The Najade, the standard fin of the East German military for several decades, is again in production in Hungary, using the original moulds:

They're now popular with competitive finswimmers as well.

My own philosophy with fins, as in so many other things, is that it's "chacun à son goût", each to his own. One person's choice of fin is bound to be incomprehensible to another person. I for one have never understood what anybody else sees in plastic-bladed fins, because when I started snorkelling in the late 1950s, the few plastic-bladed fins around were solely designed for people who couldn't afford all-rubber fins and didn't mind their feet being cut and mangled by the hard plastic foot pockets.

In deference to the original poster, I would simply say: fin discussions on Scubaboard always generate a lot of heat, but they do generate some light as well. The diversity of responses simply shows that there isn't just one answer to the question "what is the best fin?", no matter what fin manufacturers and retailers try to tell us. The way forward is to rephrase the question as "what is the best fin for me?" and that's a question that only the individual can answer, after listing what (s)he wants, and doesn't want, the fin to be and do. Good luck with your quest.

 

[BillH53]

David

You are so correct in "to each his own". I used the USD Otarie fins for "freediving" foryears and absolutelu loved them. I used USD Rockets for Scuba. The only drawback for the Otarie's was the Floatability. ( I think back then the Blue were Floaters the Black versions were not). When teaching Ditch & dons one had to weigh down the fins.

Now as I am trying to get back into snorkeling I miss the Otaries. The Eyelines in the picture of the Photagrapher sure look like Otaries. And the comments I've seen here make me want to try them. On the WBH Swimwear and Accessories site they say to order larger size for men. I've emailed them as to why. Hope to hear from them and be able to order them soon. Thanks for your informative postings

 

[NAUIwowee]

I'm an assistant instructor at my LDS which carries ScubaPro, Oceanic, and TUSA gear. For new students who are not sure what they need and are just looking for a good starting point, I usually recommend the following:

TUSA Liberator X-ten
Tabata USA, Inc. - NEW : SF-50/5500 LIBERATOR X-TEN [SF-50/5500]

or the ScubaPro Jet Sport
JET SPORT - SCUBAPRO-UWATEC

Both are relatively inexpensive, light-weight fins with good performance (I used the X-tens myself for years). I tell them that after they are certified and get a little more experience, then they can start experimenting with the more expensive, specialized fins until they find what suits them best.