Good, durable and strong fins

[flots am]

If you like "hard" SCUBAPro Jet Fins are still being produced, and are as indestructible as anything you'll find anywhere in the world. You can get a pair on eBay really cheap.

If you like "soft", TwinJets actually work really well and are easy on the joints. Not so great for back-kicks but otherwise very nice fins and also pretty much indestructible.

Other than that, the only general recommendation I have is that whatever you get should be a single piece of whatever it's made from. Anything that's made from multiple parts will eventually disassemble itself

flots.

 

[danvolker]

I have tried dozens of fins....you could say that propulsion is a big deal to me...ties in with also being a competitive cyclist.

While my favorite fins for open water reef diving are the stiffest composite Freediving fin that DiveR makes, I don't imagine this is the direction you will investigate ( most scuba divers have a major fear of treading into this direction)
Among technical fins that compete with Scubapro Jets for precision, certainly the Hollis F1's should be demoed by you..they will still be heavier than you want....far more efficient for higher speed and also more precise, is the Force Fin Excellerators ( also are neutral buoyancy)..they are hard to find now, but not impossible...the Force Fin SD1's are easier to find, and almost as good.

Quatros are flimsy, imprecise, and lame. The nonsense Slingshot fins are fine if you have weak legs and never want to go fast, but for an athlete, this is the wrong fin.

Anything you are interested in, needs to be tried before you buy it. While some of us can adjust kick shape instantly for any fin--each will have an ideal kick shape for optimal efficiency, this is not the norm....so what happens, is that some people will have a certain style or type of kick shape, and some fins will be better for this than others....then there is also the anaerobic and aerobic power of each person, and how this is leveraged by each fin.

Tell me about your fitness and diving likes, and I will offer more
Also...where are you.....if the shops in your area fail to do the right thing...then maybe some divers near you will let you demo a pair they own... I do this in Palm Beach.

 

[Damselfish]

Here we go again on the fins.

Best advice would seem to be, try several different model fins, ask your friends for advice, and search here for multiple threads on the same topic.

You will get the usual suspects talking about their favs and how fit they are etc.

It is really up to you. Not everyone wants the same car. Try a few out before you buy.

I'd normally agree, but the OP wasn't asking a (useless) question like "what are the best fins?" He's specifically asking for ideas of available stiff light fins. I think that is something people can productively make suggestions on.

My suggestion FWIW, if you are a fan of ancient indestructable plastic paddles, and aren't attached to buying something new, watch eBay (or here for that matter.) Sooner or later someone will be selling some of your old favorites.

 

[marty14]

Hi I have been diving since 1985 now at Padi instructor level, but not taught for a couple of years also had a commercial diving ticket and did a lot of construction and inspection work, including try mix gases. So I have done a wide variety of diving. I hate soft fins, nor fins that are to heavy. Plus they have to be durable and not fall apart due to all their glued together parts. Best would be a good stiff pair of plastic fins like the good old Mares Power Plana graphite (I know they are really old). But I just can't seem to find a fin like that anymore. It seems that diving has gone very "comfortable" at the cost of durability and versatility.

 

[mdb]

Damselfish: I have SP Jets, AL Blades, Mares Plana's, Quattro's, Apollo Prestige blade fins-polyu.,
Apollo bio-fins, and bio-fin XT style.

I normally have at least two pairs of fins in my dive bag. Depends on the dive.

I do agree that watching E-bay is not such a a bad idea.

The new diver should take this boards advice and try several models before spending their money.

 

[marty14]

Thank you all for your very helpful answers.
It is great to get such a broad diversity of advice.
Just one more question, I might have found a good fin and that is the
Mares Plana SL.
It looks very similar to the original Power Plana and the pictures make it seem pretty light.
Plus they are new and a current product from Mares after having been reintroduced.
Has anybody had any experience with these ?
I would love to hear your input as information on the net is very scarce to put it mildly.
Marty

 

[victorzamora]

Stay away from the oceanic Viper blades. Not bad quality, just super soft and flexy. If you want a lighter jet fin, the dive rite exp's and the oms slipstream find fit that bill.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4 using Tapatalk

 

[marty14]

Stay away from the oceanic Viper blades. Not bad quality, just super soft and flexy. If you want a lighter jet fin, the dive rite exp's and the oms slipstream find fit that bill.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4 using Tapatalk

Thank you, I will consider those.
But lucky I was just abouut to order a pair of Vipers (found them cheap for $42).
I guess I would have really been unhappy.
Marty

 

[mdb]

marty14: You might want to check these out. Standard paddle fin style:
Mares Power Plana SL Excellent Scuba Diving Fins Regular Size Pre Owned | eBay

 

[marty14]

marty14: You might want to check these out. Standard paddle fin style:
Mares Power Plana SL Excellent Scuba Diving Fins Regular Size Pre Owned | eBay

Thanks, looks like a good buy and I might get those.
They are the older ones (series 1 if I can call it that)
So do you think the SLs are good fins and close to my old (but now deceased due to long use) Power Plana Graphite fins???
Marty