Fins dilemma ...

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Messages
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Location
Ballwin, MO
# of dives
100 - 199
Help: female 5’5” 140 lbs- feet light
Looking to buy jet fins or Rk3 any advice for frog power and weight but I worry about cramps which the F1 do to me cave/wreck w/currents
 
I have the RK3s and love them, they're neutral. They have the HD version that are negative if you need the weight.
I also have jetfins, they're very negative and for me, are only good for drysuit.
 
The RK3's are floppy. I had to use them for work and they're trash. Total lack of power, they felt like they were folding in half on my feet and I was going nowhere, not good when you need to move fast underwater. The RK3 HD's are supposed to be stiffer, but I haven't tried them. If they're substantially stiffer than the regular RK3's, they'd be pretty viable fins, especially for travel.

You could check out the Hog Tech2/Poseidon Trident/UTD fins if you're looking for something shorter but stiff and negative. They're all rubber fins similar to Jet's. The UTD's come in neutral and negative.

If you just need stiff, but not heavy (to correct a trim issue), the F1 LT's, DiveRite XT's, OMS Slipstreams, or Deep6 Eddy's would be good choices.

Any stiff fin will cause cramps if you're trying to go full bore flutter in them. You can mitigate it some with leg strength, but these fins aren't really the best for long distance flutter kicking. Floppy fins in current are going to be even worse. Can't beat physics unfortunately.
 
I had to use them for work and they're trash. Total lack of power, they felt like they were folding in half on my feet and I was going nowhere, not good when you need to move fast underwater.
We don't all dive for work or in a hurry to get somewhere.
 
The RK3's are floppy. I had to use them for work and they're trash. Total lack of power, they felt like they were folding in half on my feet and I was going nowhere, not good when you need to move fast underwater. The RK3 HD's are supposed to be stiffer, but I haven't tried them. If they're substantially stiffer than the regular RK3's, they'd be pretty viable fins, especially for travel.

I have the HDs and they are VERY stiff......unless you have legs like schwarzenegger you aren’t going to bend them
 
The RK3's are floppy. I had to use them for work and they're trash. Total lack of power, they felt like they were folding in half on my feet and I was going nowhere, not good when you need to move fast underwater. The RK3 HD's are supposed to be stiffer, but I haven't tried them. If they're substantially stiffer than the regular RK3's, they'd be pretty viable fins, especially for travel.


For normal diving the RK's are okay, I like mine. However in serious current (Komodo) they did run out of steam. My fins for current are XT's but I'd taken an ankle injury so didn't want to take those and potentially inflame my weak ankle. I saw on video how much my RK's bent in current, requiring 2 or 3 good kick cycles to get moving

However I stress we were in silly current, that most people would happily avoid.

So for me, if I'm mooching teachign or in average current, RK3's are great

Serious current I prefer my XT's - if only DR made nicer more visible colours
 
On the Deep6 Eddy fins -

You didn’t give your foot size. The small/medium are a lighter weight material and pretty flexible. See my avatar pic.

If you would take the large, then you wouldn’t have to worry about the above.
 
I love my RK3's but am currently looking for force fins on ebay to try out.

Drinkin' the kool aid, I am.
 
My fave fins for current or when I just need to move fast are the Dive Rite XTs. I don't cramp at all with them.
 
XTs as well here, very happy with them and they are now available in blue...and seem to have a better method for attaching the spring straps.

I just wish they had higher foot pockets (i.e. for a higher arched foot...I have mutant feet). I've tried something like 9 types of fins at this point and so far they are the ones that have stuck around longest...
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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