Best travel fins?

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"Just rent" ?? Try renting equipment in an undeveloped region of a third world country where it's a good idea to bring your own valve o rings and where it's difficult to buy anything: no restaurants, no supermarkets, no drug stores, no convenience stores, dirt roads and certainly no dive shops. No hotels, just small places to rent that may have, if you're lucky, a working refrigerator, when the electric power works. The equipment some of the individual small operators have is very limited and sometimes very worn. They may have wait for the jitney bus to bring refilled tanks every couple of days from a distant resort. Primitive, wonderfully primitive.

Granted these are very out of the way locations, and they are growing harder to find, disappearing, but some of us crave places where there are no computers, no email, no phones, not even the kind that connect to the wall with a wire. Screw civilization. It's great when no one in the world can contact you except your immediate neighbors. Sometimes I want to see the stars clearly at night, and hear only the buzzing of insects and the chirping of tiny frogs. A rare experience, but when I can make the connections I carry everything I need with me, and maybe a few extra mask and fin straps that are always greatly appreciated.
 
Looking for a set of travel fins

In order of importance

1) Supply enough thrust to use in currents (think drift diving Cozumel or similar)
2) Light weight
3) Small size
4) Simple to use
5) Durable, ride em hard, put em away wet


You have some self-contradictory requirements.

1-vs-3: Having thrust is basically a combination of size & stiffness, which generally doesn't mean small. And of course, for travel considerations, freediving fins can often be a challenge to transport.

2-vs-5: lightweight generally doesn't mean highly durable, particularly if cost is a factor. Of course, a lot can depend on just "how light" and "how durable": the big old heavy rubber Jets are nearly indestructable, which can probably be considered overkill for Cozumel-esque diving ... particuarly if you're not a reef crasher.

4-vs-5: not quite a contradiction for simplicity and durability, but I personally prefer to avoid the "simpler" warmwater foot pocket design and choose a strap fin. The strap provide a bit more fit/adjustability and when a strap breaks, it is a cheap/simple/easy/fast fix ... when a foot pocket tears, they're usually never the same afterwords...assuming that one was able to make a repair in the first place.


Are force fins the travel fin beyond all others?

Nope. Neither are the various Split Fins that the Apollo BioFin started the current fad with some years ago. In simplest terms, a split fin design is a means with which to offer a "soft" blade which makes a fin easier to push without cramping ... a particuarly desirable feature for out-of-shape divers. However, the same elements that make a fin soft also generally limit its maximum power output...it is just the same basic trade-off manifesting itself: if you want a fin that can put out tons of power, your legs have to be in shape to deliver power.

Been diving with these for 10 years.

mares-volo-power-fins-580-p.jpg


Looks like a Mares Volo Power? Seems to have been a reasonably popular & accepted fin that probably meets most of your requirements ... my guess is that its hinge arrangement (which is a similar 'softening' characteristic) is what is limiting its max power capability, which is what you're looking to resolve?


FWIW, what's interesting about this discussion is that fin stiffness is just as important as its size, but isn't usually recognized as such. And while no one has made an adjustable length fin to the best of my knowledge, there was the Wenoka Sea Style Reeflex fin which had adjustable stiffness. These had three removable battens that ran the length of the blad and provided four stiffness levels depending on how many battens were installed (0, 1, 2, 3). A diver could figure out what worked best for them and just leave it, or if they wanted to work at it a bit more, they could change the fin based on how much they were pushing through the water (freediving vs singles vs doubles), as well as to change the fin through the year ... ie, "stiffen up" the fin as you got your legs back into shape each dive season. Size-wise, I don't recall their exact dimensions, but they were probably modestly larger than the 'average' fin that one sees today, while still falling well short of a freediving fin, which made them travel-friendly. Perhaps someone ought to consider a Kickstarter project to bring them back .. I know that I'd buy a pair :)


-hh
 
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.

Good day Mike! Yes, I stopped using these fins because of their poor performance with the Frog kick. It was with some regret, because the foot pocket was sooooo comfortable with a bare foot. They fit like a favorite tennis shoe, and are so nice and small to pack...dang.

The Hot Shot does feel a bit different because of where the fin blade is mounted (at the middle of the foot). And, the adjustable bands make it feel like either a medium-sized paddle fin, or, like the clone of a split fin.

However it really is best if you use a flutter kick. If that describes your style, then for traveling, if I was in your shoes I would get them in a heartbeat.


All the best, James
 
Looks like a Mares Volo Power? Seems to have been a reasonably popular & accepted fin that probably meets most of your requirements ... my guess is that its hinge arrangement (which is a similar 'softening' characteristic) is what is limiting its max power capability, which is what you're looking to resolve?


-hh

They aren't small and they aren't light weight. Not sure why you're thinking I'm looking at max power capability. As I said -

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.

I'm looking toward a travel fin which the Mares Volos aren't.
 
They aren't small and they aren't light weight. Not sure why you're thinking I'm looking at max power capability. As I said -

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.

I'm looking toward a travel fin which the Mares Volos aren't.

At around 1.75kgs for a pair (small) the Volos are pretty light, certainly compared to many others.

---------- Post Merged on July 20th, 2012 at 04:20 AM ---------- Previous Post was on July 19th, 2012 at 08:47 PM ----------

I just bought some Hollis F2s very light and small. Have not had a chance to get them wet yet but will do so hopefully tomorrow.
 
I am also looking for a pair of travel fins and am looking for something that will fit in my carry-on. Buddhasummer, what is the size and length of your F2's?
 
I am also looking for a pair of travel fins and am looking for something that will fit in my carry-on. Buddhasummer, what is the size and length of your F2's?

I have the small they are 58.5cm long from heel to tip and 22.5cm at their widest. Be warned though if you have small feet i.e less than a US 6.5 you may have problems as they are quite large size wise, I bought the small and am now trying to locate shorter springs.
 
Consider the Zeagle Travel Fin: EZ Travel Finz - Masks-Fins-Snorkels - Zeagle Dive Systems

I have the previous model, with a 2 strap foot pocket. You can wear these barefoot, with sandals, water shoes or dive boots. They pack almost flat and are light weight. They are very comfortable, no jammed toes in a rigid foot pocket. If need to power along they let you sustain a rapid flutter kick. The only downside is that it is a little more involved getting them off. You can't just pop a latch or flip a spring.

Weight (L): 2 lb. 3 oz./ 1000 gr Size: 20" L x 9.5 " W / 50 cm L x 24 cm W

I keep seeing all sorts of comments about needing "power" in your fins. Frankly, I find heavier "power" fins to be much more tiring. Granted, their weight in the water is inconsequential. However, accelerating and decelerating that mass by kicking, is what consumes energy (and air). If you are "powering" around during a dive, IMHO that's swimming, not diving. Just how long do you sustain that level of power during a dive? If you are in a 2+ kt. current, you are pretty much going where the water is taking you.
 
2-vs-5: lightweight generally doesn't mean highly durable, particularly if cost is a factor. Of course, a lot can depend on just "how light" and "how durable": the big old heavy rubber Jets are nearly indestructable, which can probably be considered overkill for Cozumel-esque diving ... particuarly if you're not a reef crasher.

-hh

I forgot to mention that. Overkill yes. And I get a lot of funny looks in warmer waters when I pull these out of the bag.....
 
Mike, whatever you decide on, please let us know what you switched to (and how they performed).


All the best, James
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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