Best travel fins?

[mala]

why swop fins when you go on hols.

If your" at home" fins are good then take them with you.

I would want to optimise my dive hols- not dive with second best fins because they match my luggage.

 

[agilis]

why swop fins when you go on hols.

If your" at home" fins are good then take them with you.

I would want to optimise my dive hols- not dive with second best fins because they match my luggage.

I take all my needed dive equipment as carry on, especially when I fly on various little airlines that go to out of the way places, or when flight changes are involved. My destinations are always tropical, so it's skins, mask, fins, 2mm boots, regulator, computer, trusty indispensable snorkel and a few small odds and ends. Matching has nothing to do with it. Size and weight are critical, and I do sacrifice some fin performance when traveling. I put nothing in check through that I can't easily replace wherever it is I'm going, or to which I am emotionally attached. I've seen what can happen too many times.

 

[tripntx]

Lightweight and small, ScubaPro Seawing Nova

 

[herbdb]

Sorry, but I am with Mala. Saving a few ounces or pounds with special "travel" gear seems like a waste of effort to me. I like my normal gear and it goes with me when I travel. Reg, computer and camera are in carry ons, the rest in checked luggage.

I am sure the manufacturers like the idea of everyone getting an extra set of travel gear.

 

[danvolker]

Lightweight and small, ScubaPro Seawing Nova

Might as well use hand fins. They are made too look cool, but have no thrust potential at all...


If you were going on a dream cycling vacation in Italy, would you rent a junk 10 speed when you got there, or bring your $8000 race bike you have trained on for years, and that works as an extension if you?
Fins are the same. If the destination has any challenge and fun, then I would want my best fins on. If you can't figure out a way to bring decent fins, you don't deserve a good dive destination

 

[Wolfie]

That's right. The best travel fins are the ones you use.
FWIW, for several years I traveled with my jets and force fin pro. After getting fed up with the force fin I only travel with my jets now. That lightened it up a bit.

 

[rlynch]

Id give the slipstreams a try. But then again I pack jets regardless and can still fit my cold water doubles rig in a single bag under 50lbs, drysuit and all
Sent from my SGH-i917 using Board Express

 

[rlynch]

I check my bag, and have it all insured. Loosing it would suck but for tropical dives, just rent and go diving, then buy new stuff at home. Its a 2 beer problem at best. I do carry on my mask, and regs though.
Sent from my SGH-i917 using Board Express

 

[TSandM]

I like my Dive Rite EXPs. They're lighter than Jets (but with springs, not that much lighter) and they have a longer blade for the same size foot pocket, so I get more power out of them. They've turned out to be the fins in my collection that I seem to dive all the time.

I would really disagree with someone who says the SeaWing Novas have no power. Those things are amazing, if you flutter kick. I can't keep up with students who use them (and in fact, I have a set on order to use only for DMing, so they can't outrun me). I cut two full minutes off my DM snorkel/fin swim by switching from Jets to Novas -- nothing else changed. I don't LIKE the fins particularly, for the kind of swimming I generally do, but they ARE fast.

 

[Mike]

US Divers Hot Shots, I had high hopes for these.. They're very lightweight (only 5 ounces heavier than the Force Fins), and suited my eye - short, stiff, stubby. After trying a pair I sadly passed on them too (inefficient in the frog kick), but I heartily recommend them for people who primarily flutter kick and travel a lot. This fin has possibly the very best foot pocket in the industry that has to be tried to be believed..

Hi James, I found your review of the Hot Shots on dive matrix, do you still feel the same way about them, I notice the review is a few years old now. Are you still using these fins? I've looked at these at the LDS and they looked like they might be a good solution. In your review you said you were comfortable without booties in these fins, that would be nice to leave them at home and save the space and weight as a bonus. Do you still think the same way in regard to their comfort with a bare foot?

I didn't mean to miss-lead anybody in my criteria, I'm not looking for a super powerful fin like free diving fins, I just don't want a pair of fins that gives up all of their performance for size and weight, if they meet all the size and weight requirements but suck in regard to propulsion then I'd not be happy with them. I'm expecting some compromise on performance due to seeking lighter and smaller fins, but not something so drastic that I regret using them.

The Hollis F2s I can't find any details about size or weight, they seem to be brand new?

I'm just a vacation diver, all my diving is on vacations, my dive gear sits dry at home unless we travel. Not a cave diver or technical diver, just need some new fins since the old ones are starting to break up on me.