Best Fins

[Rick Murchison]

I own or have owned...
Voit Viking
Several off-brand paddles & jets, full-foot and open heel
Scubapro Jet
Cressi Frog
AquaLung Blade 2
AquaLung Pulse (I think this mold has been sold to Deep Sea)
I've tried many others to see if I like 'em.
---
Of these, I rate the Blade 2 as the best for power. The only thing I dislike about this fin is its size - it's just bigger than I like. But I can go faster both forward or backward with this fin than with any other, and it is honest & easy to use for sculls & fine maneuvering.
The Frog's my favorite overall - best compromise between size and power.
I like the Jets' shortness and will use them when I want a little shorter fin - in some caves and in any wreck.
Those are the only three I use these days.
Rick

 

[Bob DBF]

The world's most powerful fin is (was) the Farralon FarraFin. Wear one of these and you'll push anyone out of the water in a direct comparison, anytime. Hands down. (No, you can't get them probably, they're no longer made. Mine are not for sale). The braces make the difference, not the blade.
HTH anyway.

The first FarraFin did not have the brace. It was the first fin to have the spring steel heel strap. You could break your leg before it ran out of power. I cried when mine bit the dust and I found out the best fin on earth was no longer being made.

I"ve tried some of the "new technology" fins but keep returning to my old trusty Jet Fins with the upgraded spring steel heel strap.

Bob

 

[danvolker]

The world's most powerful fin is (was) the Farralon FarraFin. Wear one of these and you'll push anyone out of the water in a direct comparison, anytime. Hands down. (No, you can't get them probably, they're no longer made. Mine are not for sale). The braces make the difference, not the blade.

My second best-loved pair are Jetfins with spring straps. They're easier to use for Frog kick, reverse etc. since the FarraFin doesn't tilt sideways in the ankle.

That's for my diving and my physique. Your diving and your physique are likely to be different enough to make the above meaningless for you.

HTH anyway.

I still have a pair of the original farra fins as well, though the rubber was beginning to tear on one of the big bolts that hold the leg brace into the fin. They were awesome for short sprints..which is usually the kind of effort a diver would need if really fast swimming needed to occur...but if you had to go very fast along time, they were too stiff for much more than a two minute sprint....when you kicked them at an easy pace, there was almost no bend, so the efficiency of the fin was poor.
I did like mine at the time I had them, but now I prefer C4 Falcon Freediving fins for scuba or freediving. I have never found a fin that could reurn more of the energy of kicking than the C4's, whether I am going fast or slow...If you want fast, they will allow me to keep up with most scootr divers on an entire dive....and with Gavin scooters on "some" dives
DanV

 

[MSilvia]

I love that Turtles will fit over my drysuit boots, but I've always preferred my Mares Avantis. I can only imagine the Quattros must be very nice.

I no longer use either fin... Hollis F1s are now my fin of choice. They have all the control of Jet Fins/Turtles, with all the power of Mares Avanti series fins. On top of that, they come with adjustable spring straps so I can use them with either wetsuit or drysuit boots, and they look super cool... like they were designed for Batman.

 

[DCBC]

I want to know your fins that you really love?

I guess it would depend on the purpose. These offer a fashion statement, don't you think?

 

[islandah]

Since I play underwater hockey, as well as scuba and free dive, I've found the Mares Quattro FULL FOOT fin to be an excellent fin for all 3. Fast and strong enough for hockey, light enough and full foot for free diving, and strong enough for the tropical scuba that I do. Not sure how they'd be for colder water dives with big full wetsuits or dry suits, but a good answer for my activities.

 

[kidspot]

I no longer use either fin... Hollis F1s are now my fin of choice. They have all the control of Jet Fins/Turtles, with all the power of Mares Avanti series fins. On top of that, they come with adjustable spring straps so I can use them with either wetsuit or drysuit boots, and they look super cool... like they were designed for Batman.

So are the Hollis fins negative in the water? and how does their largest size compare to the foot pocket on XXL Jets?

Always on the lookout for fins work and fit better than Jets

 

[MSilvia]

I've found the Mares Quattro FULL FOOT fin to be an excellent fin... Not sure how they'd be for colder water dives with big full wetsuits or dry suits, but a good answer for my activities.

Open heel tends to be a better choice when thick wetsuit boots are needed, but the fins work great for cold water.

So are the Hollis fins negative in the water?

Yes... I'm not sure exactly how negative, but I'd guess a pound each.

How does their largest size compare to the foot pocket on XXL Jets?

They're smaller than XXL Jets, but so is a Buick.
Size XL F1 foot pockets are comparable to Turtles (between XL and XXL JetFins), but without the "extra" width. I used to wear Turtles, and I find the Hollis fins to be more reasonably proportioned.

 

[phil8diver]

OMS Slipstream and Mares Avanti Quattro

 

[romaf]

Dear All!

I'm about to buy new fins. My current choice is a Hollis F1 which would be my first tech fin.
Some tech diving friends says that those tech fins wich aren't made of 100% rubber are likely to crackle in 1-2 years. So I'm afraid of buying Hollis F1 as long as it is mostly (seem to be) made of plastic. How does the Holis F1 fin cope with the drying out and cranckling?

Thank you,
Sandor