Which fins for me? Help me narrow it down

[abitton]

If this has been mentioned, I missed it. But how about trying to rent and compare different models? LDSs tend to have some selection in their rental stock...

Good luck!!

FWIW, I switched to JetFins...

 

[Freds@Aquanauts]

Mares Volo power or Quattro Excel

Freds

 

[Splitlip]

I class fins in three catagories.
Jet Type (sp jets, turtles rockets etc)
Traditional paddles (hinged fins excluded)
splits
I have SP Jets, USD original Blades and Apollo original split.

I find the splits to be REAL FAST. They require a different kick than the others and seem to work best if I fin through the hole in the water my body makes. They also require a couple extra kicks it seems to break from a dead stop and get me moving. does not frog as well for me as the other two. By far the easiest on my legs. Heavy, but feel nuetral in the water. I find I have to "think about" them though to make them work right.

The Jets I find I need to work harder to go as fast, but they feel "nimble" and are the easiest for me to frog kick. They have a good all around control and feel "precise". They are as heavy as the Apollo's but feel more negative in the water.

The USD Blades feel just right and for me, seem to be a good compromise. More effort than the splits in a straight line, but less than the Jets. Less precise than the jets but more so than the splits. Lighter than the others.

My opinion, the Jets will be the best for me eventually with a little more conditioning.
I am swimming laps with them as often as I can.
The Jets were my fin of choice my first 10 years of diving. When I started my second life in the pond after long break, I jumped in with the splits and the hinged fins. Stepped back to the USD blades (no longer made unfortunately) and find now that it is all said and done, I wil be back to the Jets.
my $.02.

 

[tangfish]

There's some good advice here. I'll toss in my 2 psi. I just wrote a review of several fins: Apollo Bio-Fin and Bio-Fin XT, ScubaPro Twin Speed and Twin Jets, Mares Avanti Quattro and Atomic SplitFins.

Here's the Review. I hope you find the right fins for you!

 

[CrazyScuba]

There are lots of great fins out there, it depends on what YOU want in a fin. Avoid the all or none law or that one fin is "the best" because it depends upon a lot of factors. The most important is fitting the boot to the fin.

Aeris Velocity and the new Mako are great fins for under $100. Aeris Velocity are rated Tester's Choice and Best Buy from Scubalab. For a lot more money the Atomic Aquatics is a fantastic fin if you're looking for a split fin, and they're highly rated. Check out the features of the different fins and read some reviews, try some out if you can.
http://www.crazyscuba.com/cat_adjustable.cfm

Here's the 2005 Scubalab review, if their site is working, they've been having problems:
http://dive.scubadiving.com/PDF/200510GR_fins.pdf

Here's the 2003 Review with the Atomics and Aeris Velocity results:
http://www.scubadiving.com/gear/fins...003:_fins/1/

Good luck,

Britt :fish:
:fish:

 

[Biodiversity_guy]

Nice link Funkyspelunker. Thank you for taking the time to write-up and post your fin reviews. Your logic makes good sense to me.

 

[bradshsi]

If you do try the Apollo Bio Fin's you should also be aware that the colored fins (blue and yellow) are slightly stiffer than the black. The XT is the stiffest of all as was mentioned in Funkyspelunker's review.

Personally I have a pair of yellow Bio Fins, which I like very much. The color was chosen partly for the stiffness and partly for ease of being seen in the crystal clear waters of the PNW

If you want an unbiased scientific review of fins check out this web site.

http://www.ndsu.edu/instruct/grier/fins.html

Whatever choice you make try before you buy.

Good luck

 

[ProfessorAronnax]

I've been diving these all summer and it's a terrific fin-and the price can't be beat
Here's our store link: http://subseasports.com/store/product102.html

 

[Fotoz4FX]

Webbed Feet are the Best. I like size 16.

 

[Biodiversity_guy]

Has anyone tried Force Fins. They look funky but their website is persuasive.