Compact and flexible travel fins

[circusoflife]

No responses in the equipment section so I post it here.

Does anyone have any recommendations on what brand and model of fins provide the best size vs performance tradeoff for travelling? I understand full foot fins tend to be smaller though I'm not sure how much smaller. I'm trying to minimize pack size as much as possible.

Shorter length and thinner profile with less rigid plastic are all good attributes.

Do Split-fins tend to be smaller and less rigid than paddle fins?

I read that Force Fins are smaller, but I'm not sure I want to go that route at the moment. (Please don't make this a force fin pro/con discussion)

 

[teknitroxdiver]

Full-foot fins are a little bit smaller but not enough to base your decision on that, IMO. Split fins are usually wider than non-split fins, and some are a little longer. The rigidity won't really matter as far as packing, because you aren't going to want to fold them any when you pack them. Personally I prefer open-heel non-split fins that are fairly rigid. When they're stiffer they give you more power for your effort underwater, without having to have a huge split-fin. I'm not very knowledgable about Force Fins, so I can't speak about those on personal experience, but they look kind of...um...like a gimmick.

I would recommend something like the Mares Plana Avanti line of fins.

 

[Buoyant1]

I read a cool article in one of the mags about the Zeagle Teleoz fins...easy to pack, and purportedly very efficient and comfortable.

I looked at them when I was buying my first set (Mare's Plana Avanti's) but didn't knw much about them...then Iread the article and they sound like a great back up set if anything!

 

[circusoflife]

Thanks for the tip on Teleoz. That led me to a search on Scubadiving.com. Here is what I found. Lots of good ideas!

http://www.scubadiving.com/news/news_you_can_use/gear_to_go/

Apparently there are these fins called Sporasub Variant Comps that you can disassemble. This requires further investigation!

 

[StSomewhere]

I have the Cressi Pro Light fins. Full sized, but lighter and more flexible. I hate them. They are OK for a flutter-type kick, not so good for slower full kicks and absolutely awful for the frog kick. I wish I knew this before buying them for my OW cert course.

What I'm trying to say is flexible fins ain't all they are cracked up to be. YMMV.

 

[circusoflife]

I have the Cressi Pro Light fins. Full sized, but lighter and more flexible. I hate them. They are OK for a flutter-type kick, not so good for slower full kicks and absolutely awful for the frog kick. I wish I knew this before buying them for my OW cert course.

What I'm trying to say is flexible fins ain't all they are cracked up to be. YMMV.

For what it's worth - here's a review of the Sporasubs...still fairly long at 23" when disassembled but more flexibility when packing I suspect.

http://www.diveoz.com.au/gear_reviews/display_review.asp?rid=17

 

[teknitroxdiver]

While I agree with that statement, I would add that while floppy fins ain't all they're cracked up to be, all fins are flexible, it's just a matter of how flexible they are. Stiffer is definitley better unless you have VERY small leg muscles.

 

[theskull]

Would suggest buying the fins you like because of their value as fins, and then packing around them. Fins don't take up much space in a case, add stability to the bag, and are a big part of your comfort while diving.

If packing space is an issue for you, don't take fins at all and rent them at the resort.

theskull

 

[pt40fathoms]

Tusa makes a model called Reef Tourer. They are full foot fins that seem to work well. I use them in the pool, and they are marginally acceptable for frog kicks but they were designed for the flutter kick mainly. They should pack and travel well.