Split fins?

[BarrelRoll]

Looking forward to you providing scientific data.

What part of "I don't care about the fin debate" did you not understand?

 

[iztok]

What part of "I don't care about the fin debate" did you not understand?

Considering you got involved in the thread you do. Otherwise you would have skipped the thread that is clearly discussing fins.

Scuba Lab Fin Review - Scuba Lab - Scuba.com

Scuba Lab has performed over 3,000 such test. Here's what the data says:

* The propeller fins tested for this article performed, on average, 27 percent more efficiently than the best paddle fin.
* The performance of the best propeller fin we've ever tested is 142 percent more efficient than the worst paddle fin.
* The performance of the best paddle fin we've ever tested is 64 percent more efficient than the worst paddle fin.

 

[Carlos Danger]

In my experience, the difference between the two basic varieties is not really the issue. There are good and not-so-good designs in each category, and what works for one person may not be to some else’s taste. Allowing yourself to get caught-up in the whole “split vs paddle” debate only serves to highlight the power of marketing over personal examination.

Perhaps a better methodology might be to research the ratings/reviews/opinions for individual products that target the type of diving you intend on doing, then shortlist some stuff to examine in more detail. Unfortunately, the reality in some cases is that there may be no substitute for real world testing, if your goal is to arrive at an equipment profile that you are truely comfortable with.

 

[BarrelRoll]

But, but, the little bald kid at The Oracle's house told me there is no spoon!

If I mad more cuts in that spoon, I'd have an an increasingly less effective spoon. I have seen a spork before, they don't make a very good spoon. You can't use them as a fork at all.
I cut a slot in that spoon awhile ago as a joke, and to illustrate the pointlessness of having a slot (in the spoon).

Canoe and kayak paddles don't have slots cut in them either, for obvious reasons.

There is no doubt that a slot will make the effort easier. I will never argue that point.

Split fins HAVE to be easier to use for the person wearing them.

The split spoon in my picture will also make it easier to lift soup from the bowl as well......it would probably force you to adopt a faster cadence if you wanted to move the same volume of soup to your mouth in the same amount of time as us solid spoon users.

All you modern forward thinkers out there can keep using your new and improved split spoons.....I'll stay in the 14 century with my old solid spoon. Thank you.

Split fins seem like one of those midnight infomercial offerings. The Sham Wow guy could probably lift his sales pitch directly from Scubaboard. He could use a Vulcan/Spock hand gesture to illustrate.

Live long and prosper.

Mitch

 

[merxlin]

Try them. If you like them, buy em and use em. If not, buy blades. Or join the ranks of us who have both. They work and feel differently for everyone that uses them, and all the debate is just personal opinion. The only one that counts is yours.



I forgot option 2- read and argue about them ad naseum here on Scubaboard, then go to the above.

Thanks to all who have contributed to option 2 so far-

now back to

 

[RJP]

I am quite sure the Scubalab test was conducted utilizing a single tank configuration...

And fins submitted by advertisers...

:shocked2:

Hey, I'm just sayin...

 

[scubadada]

The main way to sum up the "which fin is best" conundrum is to accept the fact that the most important factor impacting the performance any fin is the DIVER to who's feet they are strapped.

:blinking:

Absolutely correct

 

[mdb]

RJP: You, usually, have good comments and accurate quotes.

Re: the Scubalab tests Apollo never spent any money with the ScubaDiving magazine. We did provide a size run of Apollo bio-fins but no ad bucks.

The tests were done by individual divers, and they provided good info that we used to develop a much stiffer version of the original bio-fin-the XT-developed for divers who wanted more tactile feedback, wider scissor kicks, frog kicks,etc.

So we did send some fins for testing, but no money for advertising.

 

[mike_s]

Thanks to all who have contributed to option 2 so far-

now back to

didn't you really mean this smiley?

 

[Scott L]

In my experience, the difference between the two basic varieties is not really the issue. There are good and not-so-good designs in each category, and what works for one person may not be to some else’s taste. Allowing yourself to get caught-up in the whole “split vs paddle” debate only serves to highlight the power of marketing over personal examination.

Perhaps a better methodology might be to research the ratings/reviews/opinions for individual products that target the type of diving you intend on doing, then shortlist some stuff to examine in more detail. Unfortunately, the reality in some cases is that there may be no substitute for real world testing, if your goal is to arrive at an equipment profile that you are truely comfortable with.

There is a very simple method for determing the best fins for technical diving applications. Simply research the fins worn by the best divers in the world such as Jarrod Jablonski, Casey McKinley, John Chatterton, etc. They would not be caught dead with split fins in their immediate vicinity. Recreational divers? Different story...