Advise - "Solid" Blade Fin

[TSandM]

Well, so far, I own DR EXPs, which are my current fin of choice; M and L Jets, and Deep Sea Pulses, which are not very good for diving, but work perfectly for DMing classes in the pool. I have a pair of orange Novas coming, because I have to be able to outrun students, and they all seem to buy those things . . . And if I could get a pair of yellow Jet fins, I'd have those, too. Imelda Marcos in rubber, that's me.

 

[Deep South Divers]

Jets here. I wouldn't even consider a fin that wasn't 100% rubber. Plastic fins just don't hold up to diving every day, and I find that I overkick them badly in our local currents. I really like having a short (control of the fin tips, which aids in precision, helicopter kicks, frog kicks and backward kicks), wide (plenty of power output available in current), negative (allows for precise trim/attitude adjustments via a bend in the knee) fin. The F1s look interesting - I'd like to try them but haven't yet. I have been too happy with my Jets to bother. Are they solid rubber like a Jet?

I dive an XL Jet for my size 11 wetsuit bootie with a thin sole. I prefer Scubapro's "boat" bootie (great grip on docks and boat decks) but have used their "Delta" bootie in the past which is slippierier but cooler looking, IMHO. I believe that Scubapro's boots work best with the Jets, although Scubamax, Deep Sea and Akona all make nice knockoffs. If you have fin fit issues, then try different booties to solve the problem. My drysuit fin is a "new" XXL Scubapro Jet with DUI's turbo soles on a CLX450 and FLX Extreme. Both sets of fins are topped with Halcyon's spring heels, which I think are the nicest springs in the industry. With both sets of my spring heels I went to the factory in High Springs and had Cory replace the spring heel sleeve with black sleeves to get rid of the tacky little H's that drive me insane.

FWIW, I have actually worn out a set of Scubapro Jets before (the spars eventually crack after about 2000 dives - about 5x longer than any other fin has ever lasted me) and worn out the sleeves on spring heels. Spring heel tubing yellows and cracks and black fabric eventually turns brown and looks awful - but maintains integrity. They still last 5x longer than heel straps, though, and 10x longer than bungee (Can you believe that some companies use bungee as a heel strap? Not gonna mention names...)

I would like to try the F1's, but haven't had the opportunity. After spending the past 10 years in Jets - virtually every day - I can't imagine that I'd be happy with anything else. Every fin I've used (borrowing a buddy's or whatever) seems wishy-washy, less controllable, and completely negates the idea of using a fin to control your pitch in the water. It's like the manufacturers forgot what makes a good fin and just started marketing garbage. Don't even get me started on splits or some of the other questionable brands that flip their fins in the air as part of their marketing campaign. They're a sponsor here, so I will shut my mouth. Gurgle.

I'll do my best to keep an open mind about the F1's. I've been impressed with some of Hollis' stuff lately and would like to give them a try.

 

[Griffo]

Luv my F1's. Sooo easy to back kick on due to the wide sides. A bit more flexible than a Jet fin, and longer, but still heaps ahead of normal plastic fins. A mile ahead of the Slingshots I used before in power etc. I did my Fundies in them, and don't have a problem with them being too negative even in a shortie. Really easy to get on and off as the spring is not super tight and has a handy rubber pull strap on it.

 

[HenrikBP]

I own Jets, F1s and Power Fins. Of those the huge upside to the F1s, is that they are made to fit human feet ... not a 2x4 The foot pocket is a really nice fit - for me at least. That said, the Jets fits surprisingly well, considering the shape of the foot pocket. I dove a year in the F1s first, then a year in the Jets - so they're clearly ok. Just like the F1 foot pocket that bit better.

As for kicks, the Jets and F1s work about equally well for me. My back kick is fine (as good as it gets ) with either one, and my technique is more the determining factor than the fins themselves. I thought for awhile that the tip of the F1s might be a bit soft for a good "set" for back kick. But several days of back-to-back testing vs. the Jets was a toss.

The Power Fin is a bit smaller than my Jets, and the foot pocket a bit stiffer = less comfortable. So they're gathering dust now.

I still haven't decided between the Jets and F1s, although one thing the F1s do so much better than the Jets, is the scissor kick. I very rarely use that kick, but on a recent trip we were working hard against current on a couple of dives, and it was nice to switch back and forth between frog, flutter and scissor kick to allow muscle groups to rest.

But as others have said, there's no substitute for trying it out for yourself. And it's a good idea to check with your instructor.