Back kick in splits - possible? Feasible?

[sports55]

Come on guys, its what you can work with. I love splits they are all I ever use anymore. So I learned how to back kick in them

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I can back kick with my Apollo's but to be honest, I don't really ever have a need to back kick. I sometimes do it on boring dives.

Other than a skill that tests technique, what are the practical uses of a back kick ? Seems like there are better, faster, more efficient ways to change direction.

I put over 650 dives on my Apollo Biofins and was never able to learn a back kick in them ... it's why I ultimately switched to a blade fin.

As for why ... I take pictures, and for the underwater photographer a back kick is invaluable for getting into position for the shot you want, for holding that position in moving water, and for leaving the subject intact and silt-free for the next person who might want to get a picture.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[eelnoraa]

In my experience, back kick is definitely possible in split. In DSD I did with my friends in Hawaii, the shop's gear is plit fin. The difference is mainly per kick power. In Jet type of fins, you make one kick, you glide for a short while, then you kick again. With split the per kick power isn't there at all. For front(flutter or frog) and turn, you can kick more frequent to compensate for lower efficiency, but for back kick, you really can't kick in a very frequenct. So in the end, back kick move much slower than with Jet.

As for use of back kick, one often use is precisely position myself, basically stop at the very precise moment or location, very useful.