Is my thinking off or am I just a gear nut (fins)

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Yoda-X

Contributor
Messages
158
Reaction score
54
Location
Eugene, OR
# of dives
50 - 99
The wife and I bought all of our gear and are heading to Roatan in a couple of weeks. We live in Oregon and enjoy the NW diving (have dry suits), but also live for our warm water vacations.

I originally bought Atomic Split Fins and love how effortless they are. I have a few dives on the set and am happy with them. But my concern was in whether they would be good diving in current. So, when I bought some other gear the person I bought it from (5 dives and quit) had a pair of Atomic Blade Fins that I now own also. My thought process being they would be better for those days when I need more "power" in my kick.

So, for those of you who have both (not a brand question, but design, split vs blade) do you think my reasoning is valid?

I was out of the game (diving) for a while and just started again. My wife just got certified and in the last week we have bought wetsuits, drysuits, BC's, Reg set ups, masks, fins, snorkels, boots, gloves, a trip to Roatan, and the Nitrox course. Now my wife is talking about taking a couple of months and enrolling in a DM program in a tropical location. So much for a savings account, lol.
 
Will be interesting to see how much "blade vs split" conversation this generates. For what its worth, my dive buddy has both Atomic Blade and Atomic Splits; she travels with the blade fins only. I acquired Atomic split fins several years ago for the "more effortless" potential benefit; but went back to blade fins (another brand) a year or so ago and also went back to the pool regularly to try to make sure I have the legs, lungs and heart for whatever effort might be required.
 
Split fins are good for moving fast in zero current......not at all what I want when I dive.....I go slow and want to maneuver to see things and know that if I need power I have a paddle fun that I trust.

There are good reasons why I "prefer" paddle fins for all my students.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
There is a thread on SCUBA Extremism and you have tapped into one of the linchpin extremist topics and have gotten your first extremist response. The answer is neither becuase a full foot freedive fin is better than either in current.

N
 
Last edited:
don't know anyone who has both. They have tried the split fins, then realized blade fins are superior in literally every way, and got rid of the split fins....

I have both, and use both!
 
Despite the oft-repeated statement that splits are no good in current, physics says they’re the same there as in still water. Splits are fine for going fast while being easy on the ankles, but not so good for maneuverability. What should matter is which attributes are most important to you.
 
Although I dove splits there - here's why I'd take the blades to Roatan since you've got them.

Some of the better dives you're going to do from Turquoise Bay are twisty passages (Spooky, the Dolphin graveyard) or wrecks. Some with dead-ends. Splits are much less efficient (awful) for backing up or positioning yourself. And there's not really any dive sites with long swims where they'd be effective, you're not going to be doing any shore dives with long swims since there aren't any on that side and most sites have the mooring almost on top of the site - even the few where the mooring is more on top of the reef than near the edge, it's not much of a swim. The other dives you might do are the West End drifts and you could have cardboard boxes on your feet for how little you'll use your fins.

my .02

---------- Post added July 20th, 2015 at 10:36 AM ----------

Now my wife is talking about taking a couple of months and enrolling in a DM program in a tropical location.
Do a little scouting while there. Especially look at the West End. There's a lot of shops there offering the DM course and it's all done by walking around. Plus once you get out of the real touristy row there's quite a few nice properties a block or two inland - small villas, rental apts, condos etc. Both Coconut Tree and Barefoot Cay also have a DM house in the area - they rent rooms somewhat reasonably to their DM candidates. Almost all the better restaurants alos. Food is the only downside - there's a couple small markets but the big markets are in Coxen Hole or French Harbor on the south side. CH is not somewhere she'd want to live though. Plus being a DM candidate, if there was an incident, the chamber is at Anthony's Key, not the hospital.
 
<<Now my wife is talking about taking a couple of months and enrolling in a DM program in a tropical location. So much for a savings account, lol.>>

Look at the DM program at CocoView. If your wife is not yet Rescue certified, she can do that and follow up with the DM course as a 5 week program. Candidates stay on site, eat in the same dining area with the guests and receive great instruction. There's a front yard with a wreck and channel, swimming out to one of two walls. The boats are great, lead keel, very stable even in rough conditions (which we just had) and have a center ladder if it's really rough. The staff at CCV is excellent, and there is a nurse on site for those pesky things like tummy and ear troubles. :)
 
I have and dive both regularly. Depends on what the dive is and how I feel at the time. With my splits I can drive doubles in the cave with a proper and effective frog kick and go fast enough that I don't need to lead the dive. My buddies don't get away from me either. I have practiced with them and can frog kick, get as small or precise a movement as the overwhelming majority can with blade fins. The only thing I can't do in any fin is back kick, and that is due to a leg injury and some loss of range of motion in my leg. The splits don't cramp up my foot or leg (by- product of the surgery) as bad as the blades do. The blades foot pocket do fit a little better with my dry suit and colder water boots and give me a little more initial power in kicks which is quickly over come by the splits when trying to move a distance. (Think the difference between pick up truck and sports car.) As to what I recommend for my students ( as long as it is appropriate gear) is what works best for them. I encourage them to try various gear and decide about the type of diving they want to do, then get what they feel is right for them.
Just my opinion but I believe that it is more important to get what you like, works for you, keeps you diving, and then work with the gear and learn how to dive it.
 

Back
Top Bottom