Apollo Bio Pro- talk about controversy!

[susan6868]

Yikes! I always check the boards before I travel or buy equipment. I was thinking about replacing my full foot fins to an open heel and had seem some discussion about split fins. I thought although opinions vary, I would find a consensus here.
Well, after reading everything I could find I'm more confused than ever. It seems when it comes to the Apollo's, it's love em' or hate em'!
Now, lots of discussion about speed with the Bio Pros, which doesn't make a difference to me. I go slow and take it all in. I just thought they might be nice because every fin seems to bother my feet and these were touted as being compfortable beyond belief.
I don't frog kick very much and I'm not shooting video footage so ultra precise maneuverability isn't a concern either. Although I wouldn't mind having to work a little less in my kicking, I do drift dives in Cozumel where the current can be quite strong at times. Every once in a while, one of my kids gets side tracked and I've gotta go "upstream" to drag then back into the group. Then I would love to have the power to get there without wearing myself out!
I think I'm going to go ahead and buy them, but sooooo much has been written on the boards both pro and con that my head is spinning. I don't know anyone who has actually used them, but I did call a bunch of dive shops and polled them. Suspiciously the shops that carried them LOVED them, the shops that didn't said I would be a fool to buy them and they're just a fad designed to pull money out of folks who have to have the "newest" thing.
Scubalab did rate them very high, but then, how reliable is Scubalab? Are they motivated at all by money they get from the manufacturer? Are they independant?
Well, having this conversation is a lot like reinventing the wheel, but before I put my money down I thought I'd give the boards one last chance to weigh in!
Love em' or hate em'?

 

[apneacomplex]

Hate em! If you want a nice soft fin that will feel as though it isnt there then they are great. If you want to dive in a current and try and make some headway then horrible. In calm no surge, no current water you can move at an okay clip, they just dont have the power to fight against any current.

 

[JackConnick]

Ditto the above.

I had a pair for some time and liked them, but found them too soft and they tend to fold up in current, or when kicking hard.

I like the SP version (power Jets?), in black, which is stiffer rubber.

Jack

 

[susan6868]

Jack- thanks for the tip. I'm looking for SP "power jets" but I'm coming up with "Twin Jets" as their split adjustable. I'll assume you meant the splits, which means you like the split, just not the Apollo. How's the weight and foot comfprt on the Twin Jets?
Thanks
Susan

 

[mdb]

susan6868: It might be a good idea to try several versions of the split fin technology.

Apollo produces several different versions. The bio-fin pro version has the least resistance and the best speeds. The blue and yellow bio-fins are a bit stiffer with more "feel". The bio-fin XT's are quite stiff and have very good low end torque and work well with the "harder" kick that some divers think they need in current.

Many divers, particularly newer divers, "overkick' when they are in current. A nice small flutter kick always works best with most quality split fins.

The bio-fins are the only split fin made with 100% natural rubber. The rest are manufactured using thermoplastics and other compounds.

For over seven years the bio-fins have been rated # 1. We have spent no money in SCUBADIVING mag. The facts are the facts.

Of course some folks do like the other brands. Other high quality brands, IMHO, are: Atomic, Scuba-Pro, Tusa.

If you know how to kick it, the bio-fin pro is still the best.

www.apollosportsusa.com/Products/Fins/index.htm

Whatever fin you choose, hope you have lots of safe diving.

 

[Nay]

Just to balance the "hate 'em" opinion. I dive in CA where we have plenty of current and surge and I've never had a problem. I love them.

 

[JackConnick]

Jack- thanks for the tip. I'm looking for SP "power jets" but I'm coming up with "Twin Jets" as their split adjustable. I'll assume you meant the splits, which means you like the split, just not the Apollo. How's the weight and foot comfprt on the Twin Jets?
Thanks
Susan

Yeah, Twin Jets, couldn't remember the name off-hand.

They are heavy and I had to go up in size when I bought a new drysuit that is now a bit bigger than I'd like. My toe sticks through and hurts occasionally. I use the same fin in a smaller size in the tropics without any issues.

To be fair to the Apollos, I had the original version and now it sounds like they offer a stiffer one. Many in my club like them, but I noticed a big difference with the Twin Jets.

Jack

 

[RonFrank]

Biofins Fold up in current!

Larry at ScubaToys wrote up a nice summary of these fins.

Scuba Diving has done about 4 years worth of independant tests with a new group of divers evaluating the fins every year, they top the charts EVERY year.

I dive not just one, but two pars of these, dry and wet. Ironically most people dissing them do NOT dive them and do not own them. They are expensive, and I doubt most that express opinions have ever had them on their feet during a dive.

These are the most comfortable fins I've used. I've tried a LOT of splits, and a few paddles.

If you are looking to do tech diving and doing some kicks that involve backing up, than thest may not work as well as Jets, Rockets, Turtles. Then again, If I could get the KoolAid crowd to really work these it may turn out they work fin, but it just takes a LOT of skill as backing up even in Jets is not something most can do in a couple dives.

Overall for most divers they are likely the best fin on the market. But fins are a subjective choice, and I can respect the choice of others.

 

[RonFrank]

Hate em! If you want a nice soft fin that will feel as though it isnt there then they are great. If you want to dive in a current and try and make some headway then horrible. In calm no surge, no current water you can move at an okay clip, they just dont have the power to fight against any current.

Yeah, funny, my car does 200mph with no headwind, but if there is headwind a car that tops out at 160mph without headwind beats it every time! I guess the laws of physics just don't apply to cars, or BioFins..... What a joke..

I can say I've dove them in current that was a bit absurd to attempt to dive in.. they did as well or better than anything else out there, and I've had more than a couple buddies tell me that they could not keep up when I was follwing something interesting for a short distance.

I don't make a practice of racing around UW, but apparently I left my Cuz in the dust last year chasing down a shark heading out across a shallow reef... I assumed she would follow, but she was unable to keep up.....And she is in better shape than I am.

 

[ScubaJW]

I love my Apollo biofins, much much better than scubapro twin jets that I used to own. I noticed that twin jets just hurt my feet, too stiff... Apollo rocks!