Best/ Good Free Diving Fins(spearfisher here)

[SNERT89]

I am in the market for new free-diving fins. Currently I use a pair of Mares Power-Plana fins approximately 10 plus yrs old. I would like some opinions. I've been doing alot of free-diving(spearfishing) the last couple of years and would like to know a good/best fins available for the Northeast waters(RI). Length? Style?...I also SCUBA as well. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I am willing to spend top dollar for quality merchandise. Feel free to share first hand experiences and/or thoughts.
Thanks Ahead Of Time.....

 

[rcohn]

They're all good but they are different. Soft, medium, and stiff blades. Wide and narrow, soft and stiff foot pockets. You need to find what works for you. I like soft blades, many others prefer stiff. You need to try different fins out. Try to meet other RI freedivers and see if you can try their fins.

Ralph

 

[SNERT89]

Thanks Ralph...will do in regards to your suggestion. I was interested in knowing if there was a preferred fin for such activity(ie: least effort/best kick type of fin) . I'll try the variety as you suggest..thanks again...Carl

 

[rjchandler]

try

http://www.freediver.net
http://www.deeperblue.net

Someone recommended them to me as scuba fins and I have been trying to find out more about them. There is some discussion at these sites and links to manufacturers, stores, etc.

 

[bluebanded goby]

I see that the most recent message in this thread is a couple of months old now, but for the heck of it I'll throw in my two cents.

This summer I got interested in freediving after having spent about a year doing scuba. Freediving fins are much longer than typical scuba fins. Also, within a given brand there are often choices of stiffness. Stiff fins are preferred by advanced freedivers who need a lot of power to get deep very quickly. Medium fins are easier for most of us who spend a fair amount of the day on or near the surface.

There are a number of different brands of freediving fins out there. The two that seem to come up most often are Cressi's Gara and fins by Esclapez.

A local freediver pointed me to a diving shop that caters to both scuba and freedivers, where the owner said that he has become a big fan of a new freediving fin marketed by Riffe, a company that primarily makes spearguns. The foot pocket I believe is made by Omer. They have a stiff version marketed under one name and a more pliable fin sold by the name Silent Hunter. I ended up buying a pair of these. On the minus side, these (like a lot of fin pockets made in Europe) seem to be made for a narrow foot, and I had to stretch mine slightly (using wooden splints while leaving the fins out in the sun) to get a perfect fit for my feet. But I have to say that they really cook. After being used to scuba-style fins such as Scubapro Jetfins and a different model of Cressis, I can really haul through the water with these freediving fins. Of course, it helps not to be slowed down by a tank and BC! ;-)