Blade fins to help my DM swim time?

[Darcey]

Alrighty, so I'm getting ready to start my Divemaster training and was talking about the 800m. snorkel, maks and fin swim with my instructor. He advised me that I should invest in some stiff blade fins as my Scubapro Twin Jets won't help me in my time on the surface. They're great in every other aspect of diving as long as you're not in a race to get anywhere like I will be for this timed swim.

I don't want to put a major dent in my pocket for a pair of fins that I'll probably only use for my Divemaster swim and as a spare set later on. Afterall, the Divemaster certification cost plus all of the required materials are expensive enough!

Any reccomendations? I've been browsing Leisurepro as they have some easy on the pocket prices on some fins. I'm also not sure if I want full foot or open heel fins. Any pros and cons to either in this situation?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Scott]

Use what you're comfortable with. I've watch candidates use splits, blades and force fins and still score 4's and 5's as well as 2's and 3's. It's your fitness level and technique.

 

[ptyx]

Really stiff fins won't necessarily help you if you don't have the legs to go with them.

I reluctantly abandoned my Quattros (which are about as stiff as you can get) for Mantarays because I just couldn't follow buddies with softer fins on long surface swims without serious leg burns.

(And now I'm looking for something stiffer because I find I lost a tad too much maneuverability underwater...)

 

[meesier42]

I don't know who your instructor is but you need to find a different one. if they are honestly telling you to buy new fins to pass your swim then they are idiots. The test is intended to test your swimming skill, technique, and endurance with the equipment that you would actually use on the dive side. If you plan to use SP Twin Jets to dive with then those are the fins that you should test in. If you can't pass the test in those fins then the problem has absolutely NOTHING to do with the fins and an instructor that tells you that buying new fins will fix the problem is displaying a real lack of understanding in such a simple thing, which really leads me to believe they are probably lacking in other much more important areas.

 

[Darcey]

Use what you're comfortable with. I've watch candidates use splits, blades and force fins and still score 4's and 5's as well as 2's and 3's. It's your fitness level and technique.

See, that was my though too. My splits should do me just fine...I mean, I was on the swim team and have legs of iron. I guess the best way to find out is to just take my splits to the pool and haul booty down and back to see what my time is.