I wonder if Force fins and frog kicks go well together? Does anyone have any experience with this? Also, I'm interested in hearing some opinions - anyone likes/dislikes them and why?
Force fins, frog kicks and opinions
- Thread starter mislav
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After about 40 or so dives with my Force Fins I can say they have become my favorites. They are very light but no less functional than the Rockets I had been using for many years before. I like the feeling of freedom they give my feet, especially in the toe area. In terms of kicking I can honestly say that I have yet to discover any kick style not possible with the Force Fins.
Frog fins are nothing short of fantastic. I used them in the military and loved them. You can kick in any position and it will amaze you at how little effort it takes to propel you through the water.
The only thing I don't care for is the price. If they had a lower price they would put other fins out of business.
YMMV
$.02
The only thing I don't care for is the price. If they had a lower price they would put other fins out of business.
YMMV
$.02
You will get all sorts of opinions and comments on Force Fins on here. Some, like me, use them all the time and love them, others hate them with a passion. Like most things in scuba, it is down to personal preference.
What I will say, from my point of view, is that I can frogkick in my Force Fin Pros and my Excellerating Force Fins just as well as I can in any paddle fin, and I can also back up, helicopter turn, etc. I find they are ideal for wreck diving and any enclosed spaces because of their short length, they are great for travelling with, they are excellent for RIB diving, and you can walk about/climb ladders in them.
If you do decide to give them a try, allow several dives, as most people who try them once can't get used to the feel of them. Not having your toes enclosed in a foot pocket is slightly bizarre.
Mark
What I will say, from my point of view, is that I can frogkick in my Force Fin Pros and my Excellerating Force Fins just as well as I can in any paddle fin, and I can also back up, helicopter turn, etc. I find they are ideal for wreck diving and any enclosed spaces because of their short length, they are great for travelling with, they are excellent for RIB diving, and you can walk about/climb ladders in them.
If you do decide to give them a try, allow several dives, as most people who try them once can't get used to the feel of them. Not having your toes enclosed in a foot pocket is slightly bizarre.
Mark
Yes you can make any kick you want in Force Fins..however IMHO the frog kick is not the ideal fin kick for this fin as compared to a Jet fin...now don't get me wrong I have been diving Force Fins for 10 years and will continue to do so but no fin does it all equal...Take the Jet it's good for frog kicks and thats about it...free-diving fins are good for straight line and the Force fin is not good on the surface but with practice any of these fins can get you by in their weak areas...I will say that Force fins are more far ranging than any of the others...but most people never learn to dive them properly.
I am in the same boat as many of the above divers. I have been diving Force Fins since '98 when I got certified. I have actually used many other fins on the market and I firmly believe that FF are the right fin for every application. Now you may want to have more than one pair, but you will find the ones that you like the best. But the orignal and the pro's are a great starting point.
As for the Frog Kick, I say yes they frog kick very well. However with a little practice you'll find that a sculling kick is much more beneficial and productive.
On a recent trip while I was testing the Military SD-1 fin, I decided to test their manueverability. I picked a spot on the wreck (a nudibrach on the edge of a wreck) with my face about 5 inches away. I then manuevered myself from a horizontal, to an inverted vertical over it, rotated 180 degrees, and then dropped my feet below me to be heads up vertical on the other side. Never removed my hands from my cumberbun, never did my mask move more than an inch or 2 in any direction from my focal point. I doubt that any other fins can do that.
As for the Frog Kick, I say yes they frog kick very well. However with a little practice you'll find that a sculling kick is much more beneficial and productive.
On a recent trip while I was testing the Military SD-1 fin, I decided to test their manueverability. I picked a spot on the wreck (a nudibrach on the edge of a wreck) with my face about 5 inches away. I then manuevered myself from a horizontal, to an inverted vertical over it, rotated 180 degrees, and then dropped my feet below me to be heads up vertical on the other side. Never removed my hands from my cumberbun, never did my mask move more than an inch or 2 in any direction from my focal point. I doubt that any other fins can do that.
OP
Thanks everyone. The reason why I ask about the frog kicks is because I want to know if with Force Fins I could still have an option of not stirring up the silt from the bottom or hurting the reef with a fin wash. Do you guys use a different kick for that? Sculling kick? Hey, it amazes me one can also do a back kick in FF's - with them being bent the 'wrong way'! 
I'll try FF's once my current fins will be ready for retirement.
@tstonedvr: What do you mean by "they're not good on the surface"?
I'll try FF's once my current fins will be ready for retirement.@tstonedvr: What do you mean by "they're not good on the surface"?
KCIREVAM
Contributor
I'm new 2 diving and handicapped, I tried split fins, and a couple of other different styles. I'm looking 2 purchase a back up pair of Force Fins. Little eez 4 my get up and go. With my hip replacement no problem in the water.
mislav:Thanks everyone. The reason why I ask about the frog kicks is because I want to know if with Force Fins I could still have an option of not stirring up the silt from the bottom or hurting the reef with a fin wash. Do you guys use a different kick for that? Sculling kick? Hey, it amazes me one can also do a back kick in FF's - with them being bent the 'wrong way'!
@tstonedvr: What do you mean by "they're not good on the surface"?
I forgot to say that in my original post, as tstonedvr said, they are crap on the surface. If you do have to go any distance on the surface, if you turn on your back, you can go like stink with no real effort, but the design of the fin - all the power on the downstroke - means your leg would be out of the water when on the surface. You can cover short distances easily by doing a bit of a sculling/frogkick.
On the subject of fin wash, when I am close to the reef or silt in a wreck/cave, I use a sculling kick or a frogkick and have no problems.
As for the back kick, think about it - FFs aren't really bent the wrong way for reversing. I can back up using a kind of reverse frogkick, and the turned-up tips of the FF Pros really scoop the water, which means I reverse quickly and easily.
Mark
MarkUK is correct....your fins have to be under the water fully to make headway on the surface...as to backing up I dare say the FF is by far the easiest to reverse in, beats my Jets by a mile...as I said before no fin does it all but the FF comes the closest of any....
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