1st stage regulator question???

[RJP]

I really want to get the HOG paddle fins since you get the spring and the whole enchilada for $79 bucks.

That beats Scubapro's price by half...

But a pair of SP Jets with springs are cheaper than what you paid for the Atomics PLUS the pair of HOGs.

Remember Ray's 1st Axiom of Diving: You'll spend a lot less money in the long run if you buy the right gear in the first place.

But you could so the OMS slipstreams mentioned above as well. They are several pounds lighter than a pair of Jets though, so watch for floaty feet in the drysuit.

PS: You continue to make artificial distinctions between warm water and cold water. Once you get the frog-kick down you'll use it regardless of water temperature.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I have tried various split fins over the years and all of them, atomics included, lacked the thrust needed to get you anywhere with authority in doubles and a dry suit.

Plus Jet fins and their clones are good with frog kicks and back kicks.

I own both OMS Slipstreams and Scubapro Jet Fins.

Size wise it runs from XL Jet fins to XL Slipstreams to XXL Slipstreams to XXL jet fins. The OMS foot pockets are a bit wider and the SP foot pockets are a bit taller.

Saying OMS slipstreams are "several pounds lighter" is an exaggeration. The difference is a bit less than a pound per fin.

OMS Slipstreams are much stiffer, but feel about the same in the water, whihc is not all that surprising given that the material is the only real difference in the fins. OMS Slipstreams do back kick slightly better than the softer Jet Fins.

Halcyon, XS Scuba and OMS all sell spring straps. They come in different lenghts so be sure to bring your boots and fins when selecting a set to get the optimum fit.

I prefer XL Slipstreams with my size 10 wet suit boots and XXL Jet Fins with my EVO3 boots.

I have owned a set of XL Jet Fins since 1985 and I have attempted to replace them several times and never actually managed to do it until the XL Slipstreams came along and that says a lot. (The slightly wider OMS foot pocket prevented cramps in my EEE width feet on long cold dives and made wet suit boot selection much less important.) I have a storage container littered with "newer" and "better" fins, so I tend to be skeptical of fin improvements.

 

[coldsmoke]

...Once you get the frog-kick down you'll use it regardless of water temperature.

I agree. While I have never tried split fins, I can't imagine I'd want to dive anything that doesn't preform a good frog kick.

Hunter

 

[beanojones]

I have owned a set of XL Jet Fins since 1985 and I have attempted to replace them several times and never actually managed to do it until the XL Slipstreams came along and that says a lot. (The slightly wider OMS foot pocket prevented cramps in my EEE width feet on long cold dives and made wet suit boot selection much less important.) I have a storage container littered with "newer" and "better" fins, so I tend to be skeptical of fin improvements.

Have you ever tried the USD softer Rocket Fins II? (the ones with the tiny hole in the toe?

These:
http://www.scubacenter.com/scubacenter_onlinestore/fins/AquaLung_Rocket_Fins.htm

 

[SparticleBrane]

Remember Ray's 1st Axiom of Diving: You'll spend a lot less money in the long run if you buy the right gear in the first place.

"Buy it nice, or buy it twice."

 

[HullBlister]

"Buy it nice, or buy it twice."

My wife will spend $10 15 times instead of $100 once...

Blister

 

[mikeguerrero]

I think the HOG fins are relatively new and yet to be broken in... Any users of this fin, I'd be very thankful for your input...

MG

 

[Ben_ca]

Get some jets from a garage sale or CL or Ebay. Do not pay more than 50 for them.

Done.

 

[lamont]

As RJP will tell you, I was a big fan of the snorkel for two reasons, 1st my SSI training insisted I use it, 2nd my Pro QDi3 would force my surface swims face down into water. This has made me complete almost all 40 dives that I have logged in Monterey with a snorkel as a surface swim.

What is a "Pro QDi3" and why does it make you swim face down?

Swimming face down because you want to look at the fishies is fine if you've got the viz, but your gear shouldn't dictate that you do that.

If going tech means later to the snorkel so be it. I don't have a problem with that. I would always try to conserve air for my tanks by breathing through the snorkel until time to descend.

You either need bigger tanks, or you need to get more realistic about the amount of gas you use on the surface.

If you are kicking fairly hard for 10 minutes at the surface with your face in the water you will use a bit of gas -- but drop down 30 feet and your gas consumption rate doubles just from the depth. Drop down to 100 feet and it quadruples and can run about 2.4 cu ft / min, which is a lot of gas to use even with some pretty strenuous surface swimming. You shouldn't be worried about conserving gas at the surface -- that is the kind of thinking which leads to divers doing stupid things like turning their tank valve off while they're floating on the water to "conserve gas".

And if it is cutting your dive short, get larger tanks. A 130 will have 52.6 cuft extra over an Al80, which should be 35 extra minutes of surface swimming at 1.5 cuft/min.

I'd also probably suggest putting a loop on your snorkel and using a double ender, rather than affixing a permanent boltsnap if you do got that route.

 

[rhlee]

I really want to get the HOG paddle fins since you get the spring and the whole enchilada for $79 bucks.

if i were in your shoes, I would get the jets (or turtles) for $50 or $60, a piece of bungee for $0.50 (Aloha Shore Divers), and hit the tacqueria for a burrito and margarita with the leftover $20-$30 (or put spring straps on layaway )