Puchikatt:
Hi Honkeye:
I recently bought the Atomics & they really are the best. You get maximum thrust with minimum effort & they fit oh so comfortably. They've actually reduced my air consumption by 300-500psi since I started diving with them.
If you're willing to spend the $$$$ then go for it. I love mine.
Granted that what works for one person may not work so well for others. I tried the Atomic split fins and really hated them after a day of diving. I'm using Tusa Zooms and am extremely happy with the zooms. It may be that the atomics were too large for me. Atomic not only changes the foot pocket size, but the fin size is proportional to the size, as well. The large atomic fins are a good deal larger than medium/small.
The amount of effort to move me through the water was much greater with the atomics and after a few dives my ankles were sore from the work. My wife was wearing tusa zooms and I couldn't keep up. When I tried the tusa zooms, I immediately noticed that it hardly feels like I have fins on and the propulsion is much greater with less effort. I even like the buckles better on the zooms and they are cheaper.
The negative for the zooms is also a positive. The fin is angled down, so while making it more difficult to walk on deck, it provides more forward thrust on the up kick. In this case, I think Tusa's marketing hype isn't hype at all. It really makes a difference. <http://www.tusa.com/index2.html> click on fins, sf-8 x-pert zoom
Bottom line: With the atomics, too much energy was being wasted moving the water up and down. The tusas were more efficient by moving more water away from me - thereby propelling me forward.
The final difference: The atomic foot pocket is poorly designed, tending to squeeze my foot up close to the ankle. The zoom foot pocket fits a lot better - it has room for my foot arch.
