Apollo Bio-Fin, Atomic Smoke or TUSA Zooms, which one is the best Split Fin?

[Teamcasa]

But there split? There defective, maybe some good glue might fix them? I had some flip flops that were really comfortable but I could walk with them because the little toe thing was broke, but boy they were comfortable!

As we get older and wiser, most adults do not find it necessary to ridicule other people’s choices. Then again, some never make it out of Jr. High.

 

[Papa_Bear]

Funny I am explaining the design! Has nothing to do with ones choice! No ridicule of anyone, just an education! They once wrote a tail called "The Emperor had no clothes" but I learned that one before Junior high! If your friends won't tell you who will! I also tell divers about their snot hanging from their face after the dive!

 

[weaserm99]

Your money, your diving, just my opinion on a discussion board! It just amazes me how people can buy a defective design! Why not a split wet suit? easier to get into! Effective NO! but easier YES!

Just a question, have you ever used a pair of split fins, and by that design it makes them easier to move through the water, it is a common fact that you wont get the same amount of force with a split fin compared to a paddle fin. Now with all that being said some people do not have the same leg strength to generate enough force to move a paddle fin efficiently through the water, that is why they prefer split fins.

Back to the OP's questions i have only used the TUSA fins, i liked them for what little i tried them (borrowed one of my buddies to try in the pool, didnt like the fit) i have used the Oceanic V-12 and the V-16s, the V-12 imo is probably the same thing as the Bio Fin, an all rubber fin, there may be some differences, with the V-16s they are stiffer, kind of like the Tusa fins, to tell you the truth i actually liked the V-16 more because of it being a little stiffer. This is just my experience with the fins that i have tried, i dont think that you can go wrong with any of the fins because they all come highly regarded from what i hear.

 

[Papa_Bear]

I have fin companies sending me fins to try and I own a worthless pair of Oceanic Split fins! They are designed to sell fins and wear out! It is easier to use them because they collapse and offer less resistance on the power stroke! It is simple physics "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction"! The fin and leg is a lever and it is not efficient if you are allowing water to fold the fin inward. It is very basic, if your paddle fin needs to be smaller, or your legs stronger that can be fixed. I suggest a lighter smaller fin, force, Dive-Rite, or even Morfins..... The split fin industry has bought a lot of advertising in the same magazines that rate them!

 

[weaserm99]

Once again you said that the fin is not efficient, but it is efficient, when i did my divemaster snorkel i switched from a pair of blades to the V-12 fins, my time dropped a lot, last year i used the Aqualung Blade 2 Flexes for almost all of my diving, using the V-12s with my drysuit the most, also when i am working in a class of students i watch time and time again the people with the split fins finishing their snorkel before the people with paddle fins. The last story that i have is that one of my coworkers swore by his paddle fin, saying a split fin was just manufacturers hype, i then sent him to the pool with a pair of paddle fins and a pair of split fins, told him to time himself, he used the paddle fins first, then went right to the split fins, his time with the split fins was faster, he also said that his legs felt fresher and that he could easily maintain that pace with the splits. These are just some of the many examples that i have seen where a split fin is more efficient than a traditional paddle fin.

 

[Papa_Bear]

That is all anecdotal evidence and not fact! My story is at 55 years old I finished third on my SO qualifications with a par of Dive-Rites Blades, so? It is still physics and when a design works you see it in nature! Fish with split fins die! No fish or animal has split fins! Otters didn't develop split fins they developed webbing! Not split! When a fish dies its fins split! Case three: Cave and camera work are not done with split fins! Split fins destroy the silt on the bottom and do not provide control for shooting with a video or still camera! They provide you with less resistance and you probably, as many do, move your lags faster! That is not the same as efficiency! Every action has an opposite and EQUAL reaction! It's the law!

 

[cmburch]

I guess it depends on the person and the situation. For me, I have been using Rocket fins for over 30 years and Mares Plana Avanti for the the past 15 years. My favorite are my USD Rocket fins. They are fast and responsive, but I suck up a lot of air. The Mares are slow long kicking fins. I can not get up to speed as quickly and seems like less top speed, but very good on air. I just like going fast and sucking up air especially chasing down a fish. The new split fins give me the best for my needs - fast and responsive, I get to kick and go fast without sucking up as much air and less fatigue. I do not think that they are as fast from the start and do not have the "pure torque" that my Rocket fins do, but they are the best for me with my type of diving. I dive only in the ocean. 90% of my dives are in Kelp Forests and rocky sea grass areas. I have the Apollo Uni full foot biofins and the new Mares Raptor. I want to get the new white biofins with spring straps, but they are expensive. My fins do not stir up much sand or dirt unless I purposefully try to. I have had fish I spear stir up a lot though.

 

[RonFrank]

I have a pair of TUSA Zooms Split Fins. I like them alot, but I'm thinking about adding another pair to my stable. I hear alot of great reviews on the Atomic Smoke on the Water fins and alot of people swear by their Apollo Bio-Fins.
My question is, which fin has the best speed and power and overall performance of all 3?

Thanks!

The BioFins are hands down the most comfortable fins I've ever dove. I have been looking for the perfect fins for a while, and have decided there is no such thing.

I have settled into the BioFins for ocean diving, and I'm still looking for that perfect paddle fin, currently using Manta Rays.

If you want a great split fin, the BioFins are difficult to beat. Comfortable, and there is a reason they have topped ScubaLabs fin tests for a decade or so. They have literally been the number one rated fin for I think all but one year in the last decade, and I think this year they came in second.

I have some BioFin M's for sale, and the only reason I'm letting them go is because I also have a pair of ML's.

As for Papa Bears split fin evaluation, I would ask, what splits have you dove? I find for slow moving hovering, and silty bottoms, I like a good paddle fin for control. In the ocean, I generally like to either hover, or I'm kicking, and the flutter kick works best for me in current, and for those times I want to move a bit more quickly.

 

[Splitlip]

I own both Apollo spllits and the Atomic Smoke On the Water. The Apollos are more efficient, much more comfortable and a couple inches shorter than the Atomics. My only reason for going to the Smokes, their Buoyancy. Positive. The Apollos are negative.

And, Papa Bear. It is not anecdotal. Testing as well as my own experience has demonstrated that splits can and do perform more efficiently than paddles. Not to say all splits or all paddles are created equal.

Many people mistakenly believe the lack of resitance with splits means the fins are not working. Let's again consider the modern propeller driven boat versus and old paddle wheel steamers.

I used SP jets since the early 70's. In the 90's I swore by the original USD blades. On a drift dive a few years ago, several of us were huffing and puffing against the current to get back to where we hooked off our surface float. We big strong guys were struggling unsuccessfully when one of the ladies, seemingly without effort, swam past us with her Bio fins and unhooked the float.
Made a believer out of me. I bought the Apollos. Tested them in swimming pools and in the current in the ocean same day and same location against my other paddles. They are more efficient, particularly agains a current. I dive wet with a single steel tank. Have not tried dry with doubles or stage bottles.

 

[RJP]

I literally leave my dive buddy behind without much effort...

Hmmm...