SEALs don’t like split fins either.

[undrwater]

Those are not Apollo's they are ScubaPro TwinJet Gorilla fins...

The images of the TwinJet Gorillas I found have a gap near the foot pocket. The ones in the OP do not. I have a high level of confidence they are BioFins.

Doesn't matter much, these folks have what they feel they need to get their job done. I do find it strange they choose yellow zip ties. Perhaps that's all they had at the moment. Looks cool, but it it risky?

 

[CT-Rich]

My 2 PSI, these guys are not looking for elegant, they need to get a lot gear on a beach chosen by circumstance, not choice. They are playing beat the clock most of the time. The zip ties are giving them a speed advantage. If they end up having to swim home, cutting the zip ties would improve their endurance performance. Using colored zip ties might improve their visibility to one another in the water and let them tell each other apart. These are all just guesses.

 

[AfterDark]

My 2 PSI, these guys are not looking for elegant, they need to get a lot gear on a beach chosen by circumstance, not choice. They are playing beat the clock most of the time. The zip ties are giving them a speed advantage. If they end up having to swim home, cutting the zip ties would improve their endurance performance. Using colored zip ties might improve their visibility to one another in the water and let them tell each other apart. These are all just guesses.

Good guesses IMO. The ties could be like the "cat eyes" on the back of helmets.

 

[Lostdiver71]

The images of the TwinJet Gorillas I found have a gap near the foot pocket. The ones in the OP do not. I have a high level of confidence they are BioFins.

Doesn't matter much, these folks have what they feel they need to get their job done. I do find it strange they choose yellow zip ties. Perhaps that's all they had at the moment. Looks cool, but it it risky?

Actually you are right, I took a second look and those appear to be BioFins. I think that I thought the poster was talking about the picture of the para rescue divers not the original picture, I was seriously sleep deprived when I made that comment, I apologize.

 

[AfterDark]

They may not like split fins but they wear their masks on their foreheads!

 

[Neilwood]

They may not like split fins but they wear their masks on their foreheads!
View attachment 559953

Someone get a rescue organised - they must be in distress!!!!

On a more serious note - professional divers will wear whatever works for the particular task. If they find splits, flat blades, scoops or jet fins work best for the task then all good to them.

I would imagine that military divers on task really couldn't care about coral damage/ non silting cave diving technique. I would imagine their main task regarding diving is get in quick lugging all their gear, do the job and get out asap. That does not suggest a need for high manoeuvrability with back kick/helicopter turns. My Mares X-streams behave in a similar way to the scoop design that @John C. Ratliff trialled and are very good at converting kicks into forward motion (as I guess the zip tied splits would be). I wouldn't pick them for precise movement though.

 

[Joneill]

Someone get a rescue organised - they must be in distress!!!!

On a more serious note - professional divers will wear whatever works for the particular task. If they find splits, flat blades, scoops or jet fins work best for the task then all good to them.

I would imagine that military divers on task really couldn't care about coral damage/ non silting cave diving technique. I would imagine their main task regarding diving is get in quick lugging all their gear, do the job and get out asap. That does not suggest a need for high manoeuvrability with back kick/helicopter turns. My Mares X-streams behave in a similar way to the scoop design that @John C. Ratliff trialled and are very good at converting kicks into forward motion (as I guess the zip tied splits would be). I wouldn't pick them for precise movement though.

Not sure why one would zip-tie a split fin as it defeats the whole way/benefit of the way they work. It becomes a paddle with a thin slot that I'd imaging will be less efficient than a similar size paddle without the "hole". My splits are definitely faster with less effort than my paddles - so, if one is in a hurry over a long distance, why would they zip-tie them? There must be another reason why they do this...

 

[Altamira]

Not sure why one would zip-tie a split fin as it defeats the whole way/benefit of the way they work. It becomes a paddle with a thin slot that I'd imaging will be less efficient than a similar size paddle without the "hole". My splits are definitely faster with less effort than my paddles - so, if one is in a hurry over a long distance, why would they zip-tie them? There must be another reason why they do this...

I am not a SEAL, but I do have a lot of experience planning Air Force fighter combat missions, and the considerations that go into a combat plan and execution are similar between the services. Here is a possible scenario based on real world situations. You plan your ingress and egress at Point A, flying a relatively short route at low altitude (100 feet above the ground), and at a very high speed (600+ knots). This profile gets you there quickly, but uses a lot of fuel (think energy expended using SP Jets or zip tied Apollo Bio fins in a diving/swimming situation). However, during mission execution, something goes sideways, and you can no longer use Point A for egress, and now have to egress at Point B, which requires a much longer route to get back to base. If you continue at your ingress altitude and speed, you might not have enough fuel (stamina and air in diver speak) for the longer route so you will have to make on the spot adjustments. A fighter pilot might have to slow down and/or climb to a higher altitude to conserve fuel, much like a SEAL might choose to snip the zip ties on split fins. Of course, I am not saying the SEALs zip tied the split fins for this reason, but it make sense for the flexibility required in combat planning.

 

[Clayton122]

My husband was a SEAL in Vietnam, two tours. He also was an MSDT and wore split fins. They worked for him, they work for me.

I have never understood the split fin hatred.

 

[dmaziuk]

:shrug: Or maybe it was the director's idea so the halves stay together during the photoshoot and/or provide accents. Someone tell them about colour inserts and straps for Accels quick.