Apollo Bio-Fin vs Force Fin

[BidAndDive.com]

I've heard the Apollo Bio fins are easy on the joints...

 

[RonFrank]

I'm a size 8 as well and wear a 5mm bootie. I found that I was right between sizes. The medium was too large (there was too much room in the foot pocket for my liking). The small fit a bit snugly, but is nearly perfect. I think that if you're wearing 3mm, the small would be the way to go. The bio-fins are a great choice. I just switched to them (I got the yellow ones) and am absolutely in love with them. Hope that helps, cheers. I

I'm a size 8~9 depending on the shoe. Generally 8.5 works for most shoes. I use a M BioFin. In fact I have both M and ML, and I'm selling my Mediums because I have found I can use the ML for both wet and dry diving.

IMO if you are a size 8, get the M fins. You can always get booties with more sole, or add some Neo socks to the mix to fill out a slightly too large fin. You can not however do anything to fix an issue with a fin that is too small.

If a ML works for me with a soft sole bootie at a size 8.5, than a M should work for anyone in a size 8. I should point out, this is MALE sizing.

 

[Divedoggie]

You can always get booties with more sole

Thats why all I listen to is funk

 

[meesier42]

I have a feeling it went something like this – Bob Evans came up with the split-fin concept as one of his many weird and wonderful designs, and that was one patent that he let slip. It was subsequently picked up, developed and successfully marketed under the Nature's Wing name to virtually all of the big players who have done split fins. Or something along those lines. Allegedly. I know Bob gets, understandably, very hot under the collar whenever it comes up in conversation...

Mark

Well when it comes down to it Bob didn't patent it because it was based on a expired Italian patent. I have no idea how Apollo got the patent on the "nature wing" design which they riped off of a prototype that Bob made and they applied for a patent. I guess since it was never patented in the US they had no history on the expired patent and approved it. Just goes to show that you can patent anything. Too bad too, since Bob's split which is 20 years old is still better than the best split from Apollo or Atomic. Doubly bad, since Bob never profited from it.

Although when it comes down to it, I think the real problem is China doesn't give a rats @ about a US patent and since they can produce a fin for $3 and sell it $150 the profit margin is just too much to resist.

 

[SparticleBrane]

Both are a complete waste of money. Go grab yourself a pair of Jets from LeisurePro for $65 and learn how to do a proper frog kick. You'll be happier in the end.

 

[Susanne]

Well when it comes down to it Bob didn't patent it because it was based on a expired Italian patent....

Thank you for jumping in on this issue, but Bob Evans does have patents on split fins that issued in the United States and in many countries of Europe and Australia. Our technology is distinct from the prior Italian patents that were issued to a fellow by the name Mann. Force Fin has also received accolades and industry awards for his split fin, as well as other technologies.

 

[Rockhound76]

Both are a complete waste of money. Go grab yourself a pair of Jets from LeisurePro for $65 and learn how to do a proper frog kick. You'll be happier in the end.

Boy, I knew that would come in here somewhere. The poster had already stated he was down to two choices. Unfortunately, Jetfins weren't one of them. As for one choice he mentioned: Force Fins, I'm almost in the dark. I once did a single dive on a borrowed pair. I rate them as "okay" but not great. But one dive ain't a test, so no depth of knowledge, hence no depth to my opinion.

However, I own both Jetfins and Biofins. They are both great, well designed natural rubber fins. For most types of rec-diving, the Biofins win hands-down. They are simply more efficient and more comfortable than any fin I've tried. Big current or river dive? They do great-the kick feels weak, but you move just as fast as anyone else while burning less energy (gas). Dolphin kicks? No problem. Frog kicks? Ugly, and they move a tad less efficiently, but you CAN do them. Backing up? Well, they suck. You can do it, but you look like you're having a seizure.

My jetfins are good for backing up, they are better when frog kicking and better for those long power strokes that FEEL so good when you get in the rhythm. Jetfinners know the feeling. You feel powerful, but that doesn't mean that power is efficiently translated to motion.

If it's silty, Jets are more "precise" for lack of a better term, as I feel I have more control of them. I think they're much better in tight places, in tight crowds and in hazards.

But, they aren't a bit more efficient in any straight ahead or general dive-touring circumstance I've encountered, and they're darn big and darn heavy for travel, even when compared to the admittedly big and heavy BF's.

I'll admit that myy jets are 30yrs old, that I'm not a TECH diver and don't use them in the places where such divers roam. So maybe the new JF's are better than my old ones. Maybe (probably) Jets are perfect for caves and wrecks and BF's are BAD in those places (my old time buddy hates them, but she's crazy). My BioFins are pretty new and only have about 30 dives on them, so the data is a bit skewed. But, it's enough data to come to a reasonable conclusion. Eventually I'll find more to criticize with the BioFin Pros', but I doubt I'll every conclude they're a waste of money. If Biofins were junk, if splits were a poor design in general, these things would have have been a passing fad. I think they're here to stay.

 

[SanFranDiver]

Both are a complete waste of money. Go grab yourself a pair of Jets from LeisurePro for $65 and learn how to do a proper frog kick. You'll be happier in the end.

If you're trying to move thru the water why would you want to emulate a frog rather than a shark or a dolphin?