Cave diving fins

[Lobzilla]

???. I don't know about improvements to bcds over the years because they were not available in 1965, but I would sure rather dive with a bcd than without one. Also, my SP regs purchased in 2010, when I got back into diving, breathe a hell of a lot better than my 1965 Voit Avalon regulator, and the addition of the octo sure beats buddy breathing coming out of a cave. Wetsuits today are definitely better. They may not keep you any warmer, but are a lot more comfortable and easy to doff/don (no more borrowing your mom's worn out panty hose). The "good old days" are a usually a figment of peoples' defective memories.

I don't think the posters citing a lack of progress went back to the Cousteau days on their timeline.

How many new fins were introduced in the whole scuba market since the day when the first backplate was crafted - supposedly from a traffic sign? Many, many dozens.

How many of the new fin designs (not the re-runs from classic molds) are useful for cave diving let alone offer significant advantages? A handful maybe - in an ever growing sea of junk.

The laws of fluid dynamics have not changed during the last 40 years. Neither have biomechanics. What has changed dramatically though are the perceived needs of novice divers as a result of clever marketing. And then proven, timeless designs are rejected on an emotional level because they appear "old". The result is not progress but regress. People buy a new product that is functionally inferior to the "old stuff".

The OP was smart enough to ask before falling in that trap. But even then it took some effort to keep him/her out of the newer=better trap.

Going beyond the topic of new vs. "old" fins:

External, non-biological BCDs became necessary as it became possible and popular to dive deeper, longer, and colder in tec, cave, and cold-water diving.

For the tropical vacation diver, wearing an AL80 and minimal compressible insulation, an external BCD is not a necessity. The buoancy compensator in our chest can easily deal with the 6-ish pounds an AL80 sheds during the dive.

Don't believe me? Go monkey diving without a DPV. Yes, it's more fun with a scooter but it works just as well without one.

What you see today in every vacation video are really "Half of my propulsion points upwards and besides that I have no clue how to weigh myself correctly anyway" compensators.

And subsequently buoyancy control becomes an even bigger drama for a new diver because A) new diver did not learn and internalize from the beginning how to change buoyancy without having to fiddle around with gear and B) by inflating the puffer fish vest new diver just added more compressible volume which is the last thing he/she should do if vertical stability is the goal.

Another example of marketing pushing stuff on people that makes their experience worse. Regress instead of progress lately. (The early horse shoe collars were safety devices, which made more sense IMO)

 

[Emann]

for sidemount, you're going to want a neutral fin vs. a heavy one. The RK3's aren't stiff enough to deal with the high flow caves in Florida properly.
The two most common fins I'm seeing down there now are Dive Rite XT's and Deep6 Eddy's. I have both. The Dive Rite's don't come out very often....

Two best fins out there

 

[Scuba_Aaron]

Not a cave diver but I am a side mounter. I have the Hollis F1's and can't back kick worth a damn in them, they feel too heavy and my legs are not the strongest. Would the Apeks RK3's or any other fins help in back kicking? Sorry for the slight high jack.

 

[Johanan]

Not a cave diver but I am a side mounter. I have the Hollis F1's and can't back kick worth a damn in them, they feel too heavy and my legs are not the strongest. Would the Apeks RK3's or any other fins help in back kicking? Sorry for the slight high jack.

I switched from F-1 to RK3. I know that "thereafter" does not mean "that's why", but now I can back kick with ease and generally am satisfied with that change. F-1 generate more power though. But then, you need really strong legs. With F-1's I got cramps in my feet much more often.

 

[Preach]

In Europe most tech/cave divers use SP jet fins, i use them myself also. The hollis f1 containers are a much better fit, and they dive great. But i tend to be butt light with a dry suit and back mounted doubles. That's the only reason why i pick the heavy SP jet fins over the hollis f1s.

 

[taimen]

xDeep fins are close to jetfins, with somewhat better foot pocket. Medium is like SP jet fin. Hard is stiffer. They are nice fins, but not revolutionary.

 

[kensuf]

ScubaPro Jet's or Dive Rite XT's. If you feel like some weight at your feet would be beneficial, the ScubaPro's are the fin to use. If you're foot heavy, the Dive Rite's.

I find myself diving my Jet's when I'm in my drysuit, if I'm in a wetsuit I'll use the XT's. My "travel fins" are the XT's.

 

[Johanan]

In Europe most tech/cave divers use SP jet fins.

Really? Nearly all European cave divers whom I have met dive RK3s.

 

[aquacat8]

Have you actually tried Jet Fins or just read about them? I was intimidated reading about them being heavy for years, but they are beyond awesome! Turns out underwater heavy=leverage and power and momentum. You can pry yourself around in fancy maneuvers. Pair them and dolphin kick and they act like a monofin. Take the time to lap swim in them so they break in like a good pair of boots, then they are yours and your best friend underwater.

I dive them wet, they totally solved my foot light trim issues (guess what, a lot of females are butt light wet), and in the “medium” size, which matches a ladies size 8 or European 38 when booties are on, the fin is small, agile, and as fun as a sports car. Last time I was diving with my cavern certified, pre-cave buddy who owns several of the mentioned tech fins I noticed she’d gone back to jet fins. So had her buddy.

 

[EireDiver606]

However the RK3 HD are negatively buoyant, which isn't great for trim when not using drysuit

I have RK3 HD and they are only barely negatively buoyant - barely. It takes a few seconds for them to submerge completely. The RK3s are quite soft which is annoying, I like hard fins like Hollis F1s LT to kick you further with fewer kicks even I don’t have them.

Pocket on RK3 is generous but for with my body composition and equipment set up, I prefer heavier fins.