snorkel fins outperforming dive fins??

[JKist3]

I went to the lap pool in my condo and on a whim decided to bring my dive fins and compare them to some snorkel bob's basic rubber fins I have. I was shocked at the results. The 20 inch snorkel bob's fins smoked my cetatek warp 1s for swimming laps, and it's not even close. I can swim down and back again in around 45 seconds with the snorkel bob's while it takes 1:17 with the cetateks, and 1:55 barefoot. I did multiple trials and got the same results on all of them. I expected the dive fins to be better, but maybe other people would expect this result? A couple questions:

#1 How much of this performance difference is due to full foot vs open heel?

#2 Would I be crazy to think the snorkel bob's fins would be a better dive fin for me?

Interestingly enough I only have the cetatek fins because when I showed up for my open water class a year ago my local dive shop wouldn't let me in the water with them because they were "snorkel fins" and made me buy the cetateks from them even though the snorkel bob's website says their equipment is dive-able.

 

[vam]

I found the same thing with my old "Dolphin flippers" that I used for snorkelling. They were hella faster than my Seawing Novas or my Dive Rite fins. I think the difference is that fins for scuba are designed with your air consumption in mind. I may not be able to go as fast in them, but when I dive I'm not in a race - I'm enjoying a leisurely pace with a lower air consumption than I would suffer with the old flippers.

 

[kelemvor]

You have articulating dive fins. Similar to split fins, they provide less resistance and thrust. That's why. Try some regular dive fins, or just dive with the snorkel fins.

 

[seeker242]

but maybe other people would expect this result?

I would expect the one that has the most stiffness to be the fastest.

 

[ronscuba]

Full foot fins are faster than open heal fins when flutter kicking. They transfer energy better because they fit close to your feet vs. a boot and the slop of the boot fit in the fin pocket. Plus they have better water drag resistance.

If you dive warm water from a boat and flutter kick most of the time, buy a set of full foot dive fins. They are generally around 24" long and will be even faster than your 20" snorkel fins. I like my Mares superchannel full foots.

Sounds like your local dive shop would not let you use snorkel fins because they wanted you to buy fins from them.

 

[divad]

#2 Would I be crazy to think the snorkel bob's fins would be a better dive fin for me?
View attachment 409852

Which one stops faster?

 

[David Wilson]

Full foot fins are faster than open heal fins when flutter kicking. They transfer energy better because they fit close to your feet vs. a boot and the slop of the boot fit in the fin pocket. Plus they have better water drag resistance. (...) Sounds like your local dive shop would not let you use snorkel fins because they wanted you to buy fins from them.

Back in the old days, no clear distinction was made between "diving fins" and "snorkelling fins". Because the same fins were used for both activities, nobody had to spend hard-earned money buying two different pairs of fins. Underwater swimmers routinely used traditional all-rubber full-foot fins from the 1950s to at least the mid-1970s, when diving equipment manufacturers started experimenting with other materials. Some of us still choose to swim underwater with fins like Snorkel Bob's.

The image above shows Pete Atkinson, an Australian professional underwater photographer, who justifies his choice of fins thus in a 2009 Divernet article entitled My favourite kit - Pete Atkinson:

I currently use the best fins I have ever used, but no dive store in Cairns will stock them, as they aren't profitable enough. They are orange and blue, Malaysian rubber fins by Eyeline, available from a local sports shop for £20. From new, I could snorkel for a couple of hours without any hint of blisters. They are stiff enough that I can push a Seacam housing around all day. For the diving I do, such full-foot fins are by far the best. Manufacturers continue to dream up fancy expensive gimmicks to extract more money from us. I'll concede that a few of these might actually be useful but, offhand, I can't think of any.

I don't scuba dive, but I have snorkelled for over half a century using fins similar to Pete Atkinson's. They suit perfectly my gentle snorkelling style when I swim in the North Sea off the coast of North East England.

 

[ronscuba]

Many dive fins are designed and work best for frog kicking. The frog kick and flutter kick are totally different. There are fins that are adequate at both, but top performance requires a fin designed for one or the other.

Scuba is not a competitive speed sport, but the ability to go fast and sustain it is a nice thing to have.

Galapagos is a perfect example of a destination where you want the ability to go fast.

 

[boulderjohn]

If you are going to compare fins, do it while scuba diving with full gear, not while swimming on the surface.

I do agree, though, that for scuba diving, some snorkel fins will outperform some scuba fins.

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

We have many scuba customers who have stopped using their scuba fins and now ONLY use long, closed heel freedive fins. Elimination of a heel strap, clips and quick releases makes for a more streamlined fin and eliminates some areas which can snag fishing line etc.