Best fins for those new to diving?

[Pelagicsal]

Nicholasb83, for about $40, you can buy a new pair of Mares Avanti HP full-foot fins. They are light, just flexible enough, not a huge investment, and excellent fins, used by beginners and decade-experienced dive masters, alike.
If you are shore diving and need open heel, you can get in new Mares X3 for about $55. Same users, beginners to longtime dive masters...

No huge investment, but great fins that you may find you want to use forever.
Good luck with your shopping and welcome to the wonderful world of diving!

 

[Scuba.com]

I'd be interested in hearing more about how the Slingshot "gives you a more powerful kick" if you can expand on that. I was under the impression that the diver does the kicking, not the fin. What is the Slingshot's source of power?

This is off the Aqua Lung website, hope this clears things up for you: SlingshotPower Bands
- Pure silicone Power Bands are loaded with energy on the power stroke. They release their energy prior to the upstroke to provide an added boost of power

- Instead of wasting your energy, you accumulate it and reclaim it! Power bands lessen fatigue and add thrust


Gear Shift
- 3-speed Gear Shift customizes your speed to effort ratio to fit the specific conditions of your dive - Three different settings are available
- Easy to shift during the dive, even with gloves


Mid-foot Flex Joint
- The blade is attached to the foot pocket using two Mid-foot Flex Joint - This takes the strain off of the toes and the top of the ankle. The result is a dramatic improvement in comfort

- You can now use the entire foot to power the fin rather than just the front half of the foot

- Provides the blade a significantly larger range of motion, often up to 5 times that of a conventional fin

 

[SeaHawk12]

So in short, instead of giving you a constant amount of power throughout the stroke, it gives you less in the start and returns (most of) the rest at the end. Personally, it's a bit silly, and just something extra to break (which I have seen). I could see how it would give the feeling of less work, though.

 

[RJP]

This is off the Aqua Lung website, hope this clears things up for you: SlingshotPower Bands
- Pure silicone Power Bands are loaded with energy on the power stroke. They release their energy prior to the upstroke to provide an added boost of power

- Instead of wasting your energy, you accumulate it and reclaim it! Power bands lessen fatigue and add thrust


Gear Shift
- 3-speed Gear Shift customizes your speed to effort ratio to fit the specific conditions of your dive - Three different settings are available
- Easy to shift during the dive, even with gloves


Mid-foot Flex Joint
- The blade is attached to the foot pocket using two Mid-foot Flex Joint - This takes the strain off of the toes and the top of the ankle. The result is a dramatic improvement in comfort

- You can now use the entire foot to power the fin rather than just the front half of the foot

- Provides the blade a significantly larger range of motion, often up to 5 times that of a conventional fin

"Pure silicone Power Bands are loaded with energy on the power stroke. They release their energy prior to the upstroke to provide an added boost of power

Instead of wasting your energy, you accumulate it and reclaim it! Power bands lessen fatigue and add thrust."

Yeah, that clears it up plenty.

:d

As a guy that crafts marketing messages for Fortune 500 companies for a living, you'll forgive me if I'm not swayed by nonsensical copywriting. Read it again, and you'll see that what it says is essentially "blah, blah, blah."

Seriously... the guy from the Sham-Wow commercials laughs at this drivel.

 

[Six Feet Under]

I bought Mares Avanti Quattro fins last weekend. I haven't been able to use them on a dive yet, but snorkeling at the beach and swimming in the pool at the hotel were both enjoyable with them.

 

[fjpatrum]

Nicholasb83, if you PM me (and you have the right size foot) I have a bunch of fins I'll gladly let you try out. I have a pair of Mares Avanti Quattros (full blade) a pair of Tusa Xtreme 3 split fins a pair of cheap (read very nice) Saekodive full foot fins, and a couple of others. I think I have a couple of others I've never dived with too. I sold some though so I don't remember exactly what I have. I'm in the DC area and hoping to get out and dive sometime in the next few weeks at one of the lakes/quarries we have within a short driving distance. I'm always looking for dive buddies too...