scubabear47
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i was looking to get a new pair of split toes and i was wondering what people thought were the best type of fins
Best fins
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BDSC
Contributor
The best advice I can give you is to find fins that fit well and are comfortable on your feet. The rest will take care of itself. And trust me when I tell you that you don't have to spend a lot of money to get a good fin that will serve you well.
Split vs Paddle - I don't think it matters all that much for normal recreational diving. I'd dare say if you tried on the top 20 fins that are sold today and dove with all of them, the difference you would notice would be minimal.
Don't get caught up in the "one is faster" or "more powerful" than the other. Guess what. Diving is not about power and speed. You'll never find yourself in a race when you're doing a dive. As a matter of fact you want to do just the opposite. Take it nice and slow. Look around and see it all and you don't have to swim far or fast to do that.
Also, don't get caught up in all the great marketing hype you'll see about fins. Some will claim their fin most closely resembles the fin of a fish. Big deal! We ain't fish. Our body is nothing like that of a fish, whale, or dolphin. We don't and never will swim like them. (But they'll never walk around on land like us.) And there are so many cool names now for fins. Like:
Atomics: They have one called, "Smoke on the Water." (Wow. That's gotta be one heck of a fin to be called that.)
Mares: They have names like "Volo Power" & "Raptor" (Make sure some large bird doesn't carry you off with those.)
Scubapro: If you don't like the "Twin Jet" you can step up to the "Twin Jet Max". (Jets........gotta be really fast to be called Jets)
Aqua Lung: They have a new one called the "Slingshot" with "Power Bands". (All I can say is hold on to your reg and mask cause they may get ripped off when you are powered through the water with your first couple of kicks.)
Apollo: They have the "Bio-Fin Pro" and "Bio-Fin Pro XT" (I think you have to dive as a profession to have anything called Pro)
Force Fins: They have the "Tan Delta Force Fin" (If you get those and get in trouble Chuck Norris will save you) and use terms like "Vortex Generators" to describe their fins. (Sounds like something James Bond needs to blow up to save us all)
Now don't get me wrong, all of these are great fins. All would serve you well. But many of these are fairly expensive fins. I have dove all but the Apollo fins and guess what I like just as well, has performed just as well, and I bought them for less than $70. They are the Mares Avanti Superchannel Full Foot Fins. (Cool name also) I've used them in stiff currents in Cozumel and they did just fine. I've had them in no current conditions in the Caymans and Bonaire and they were flawless. And not once have I had to race anyone or power my way out of some dangerous condition.
The bottom line is don't worry too much which fin is best because no fin is best. While they may look a little different, they all have the same function and that is to move you through the water and they all do that about as equally as well. Save some money on your fins and put it toward a really great fitting BC or wetsuit. Now that will make a difference in your diving!
Split vs Paddle - I don't think it matters all that much for normal recreational diving. I'd dare say if you tried on the top 20 fins that are sold today and dove with all of them, the difference you would notice would be minimal.
Don't get caught up in the "one is faster" or "more powerful" than the other. Guess what. Diving is not about power and speed. You'll never find yourself in a race when you're doing a dive. As a matter of fact you want to do just the opposite. Take it nice and slow. Look around and see it all and you don't have to swim far or fast to do that.
Also, don't get caught up in all the great marketing hype you'll see about fins. Some will claim their fin most closely resembles the fin of a fish. Big deal! We ain't fish. Our body is nothing like that of a fish, whale, or dolphin. We don't and never will swim like them. (But they'll never walk around on land like us.) And there are so many cool names now for fins. Like:
Atomics: They have one called, "Smoke on the Water." (Wow. That's gotta be one heck of a fin to be called that.)
Mares: They have names like "Volo Power" & "Raptor" (Make sure some large bird doesn't carry you off with those.)
Scubapro: If you don't like the "Twin Jet" you can step up to the "Twin Jet Max". (Jets........gotta be really fast to be called Jets)
Aqua Lung: They have a new one called the "Slingshot" with "Power Bands". (All I can say is hold on to your reg and mask cause they may get ripped off when you are powered through the water with your first couple of kicks.)
Apollo: They have the "Bio-Fin Pro" and "Bio-Fin Pro XT" (I think you have to dive as a profession to have anything called Pro)
Force Fins: They have the "Tan Delta Force Fin" (If you get those and get in trouble Chuck Norris will save you) and use terms like "Vortex Generators" to describe their fins. (Sounds like something James Bond needs to blow up to save us all)
Now don't get me wrong, all of these are great fins. All would serve you well. But many of these are fairly expensive fins. I have dove all but the Apollo fins and guess what I like just as well, has performed just as well, and I bought them for less than $70. They are the Mares Avanti Superchannel Full Foot Fins. (Cool name also) I've used them in stiff currents in Cozumel and they did just fine. I've had them in no current conditions in the Caymans and Bonaire and they were flawless. And not once have I had to race anyone or power my way out of some dangerous condition.
The bottom line is don't worry too much which fin is best because no fin is best. While they may look a little different, they all have the same function and that is to move you through the water and they all do that about as equally as well. Save some money on your fins and put it toward a really great fitting BC or wetsuit. Now that will make a difference in your diving!
jswantek
Contributor
I use Atomics myself, and I love them. I went to split fins because I have some joint problems in my legs and I've found that the split fins ease a lot of the stress on my joints. For me, the Atomics have the best-fitting foot pocket and perform best with my kick style. Regardless, I still did have to modify my kick slightly to get the best performance out of them.
Definitely a try-before-you-buy situation. There's a LOT of personal preference involved with choosing fins. Everyone has a slightly different style of kicking, different requirements for comfort, weight, etc. Check with the dive shops in your area and see what they'll let you try/rent before dropping any coin. I tried four or five different ones before settling on the Atomics.
Definitely a try-before-you-buy situation. There's a LOT of personal preference involved with choosing fins. Everyone has a slightly different style of kicking, different requirements for comfort, weight, etc. Check with the dive shops in your area and see what they'll let you try/rent before dropping any coin. I tried four or five different ones before settling on the Atomics.
Underwater Ogre
Contributor
Buano
Registered
The best for what? Different fins are at the top of different lists. Free-divers tend to prefer very long fins. Tech divers don't use split fins because it's very difficult to go backwards or hover motionless with them. Divers with joint issues or weak legs are best with the best split fins because they are more efficient & easiest on a person's legs. Recreational divers do best with very good split fins (Apollos are the best.) or TOP-quality paddle-fins. Be wary of mid-priced or lower priced split fins as most of them are not very effective. Good paddle fins (like the Mares Avanti Superchannel) are cheaper than very-good split fins (like the Apollo fins.)
There are HUGE differences between fins and don't believe anyone who tells you otherwise. Definitely read some of the test reviews. If possible swim with several makes before you buy. If not, at least try them on in a shop.
Good luck!
Ron
There are HUGE differences between fins and don't believe anyone who tells you otherwise. Definitely read some of the test reviews. If possible swim with several makes before you buy. If not, at least try them on in a shop.
Good luck!
Ron
I've tried a few different split fins, they were all about the same, no power and no fine control.
Jorgy
Contributor
Lots of good comments..........
Personally, as a diver of both ScubaPro Twin Jets (the soft yellow ones) and Lighting Jets (old-school black paddles), if pushed to pick only one fin it would be the Twin Jets.........
I agree the Lighting Jets give more fine control...........at the price of an occasional leg cramp..........I prefer these when trying to take pictures or wreck diving with penetration..........
For reef cruising, long surface swims or night dives (the yellow ones practically glow underwater) I prefer the Twin Jets.........neither myself or anyone in my family has experienced any leg cramps with them (we own 3 pair, so when we all dive together I use the Lighting Jets).........
Also the Yellow Twin Jets are slightly positive, that was important when one was knocked off a dive boat in St. Thomas...........
Right now Leisure Pro has them for $125/pair.........that being said they also have Lighting Jets for $70..........
Hope this helps...........M
Personally, as a diver of both ScubaPro Twin Jets (the soft yellow ones) and Lighting Jets (old-school black paddles), if pushed to pick only one fin it would be the Twin Jets.........
I agree the Lighting Jets give more fine control...........at the price of an occasional leg cramp..........I prefer these when trying to take pictures or wreck diving with penetration..........
For reef cruising, long surface swims or night dives (the yellow ones practically glow underwater) I prefer the Twin Jets.........neither myself or anyone in my family has experienced any leg cramps with them (we own 3 pair, so when we all dive together I use the Lighting Jets).........
Also the Yellow Twin Jets are slightly positive, that was important when one was knocked off a dive boat in St. Thomas...........
Right now Leisure Pro has them for $125/pair.........that being said they also have Lighting Jets for $70..........
Hope this helps...........M
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