Cressi Space Frog One vs Tusa Xpert Zoom

[Lonely Boy]

I know this two fins are totally different in design and nature, but I am considering either on of these two. Would anyone give me the performance or experience of these two in these areas?

- efficiency (speed/effort employed)
- weight (on land and underwater)
- swimming against current
- swimming on the back at the surface

Thanks a lot!

 

[Rich]

hey ..

well, i gotta tell ya...i have the tusa zooms and i am not the least bit happy with them....in fact i am searching for new fins as we speak.

the problem i have is a lack of propulsion and power. when all my other divers are moving forward in a current...i am doing good to hold steady.

nope dont like them...but that is me....

 

[TigerShark]

Rich once bubbled...
hey ..

well, i gotta tell ya...i have the tusa zooms and i am not the least bit happy with them....in fact i am searching for new fins as we speak.

the problem i have is a lack of propulsion and power. when all my other divers are moving forward in a current...i am doing good to hold steady.

nope dont like them...but that is me....

hey.....

cheese.....i thought of getting them.....i guess i need to re-consider then........

but i have a few other divers who cliams to have no problem with the Tusa Xpert Zoom.........except cant realli make tight turns.....

Which fins do you recommend man???

 

[Rich]

thats the problem....if i knew what to recommend...i would know what to buy myself!!! and that was meant in the friendliest jovial tone possible.

seriously....i usually deal with a dive shop that has a pool and lets you try dang near anything he sells first. but the problem is...if a shop handles brand "a"...it can not handle any other brand...very restrictive industry...and the one who gets the job done to them are you and I....the customer....

i am interested in a couple of fins...one is the force fin..but man i am not spending $200 plus ...only to find out they suck too....
i guess i will keep looking and trying my buddies fins until i find something i like....

i do know this...i dont try it first...i dont buy it...

 

[Bob]

Fellas,
I have to tell you that in a current the Zooms don't work nearly as well as my Mares Quattros. I just put in 18 dives in Bonaire with the Tusa's, they work well everywhere but in a current, even a slight current. They cost me some BT. Do I like them, yes and no. I like the decreased effort it takes to kick with them, but you give all that up in a current, you work harder and use more air. It's one of those good news bad news deals. The Quattros is a superior fin vs. the Tusa. That's my experience. :tree: Bob.

 

[dgangi]

I hate to sound like a preacher, but I just can't help myself when it comes to my Aeris Velocity fins. These fins are one of the best purchases I have made to date.

I used Mares Plana Avanti Quattro fins for a few years and never really liked them. I think they feel stiff and don't give much propulsion for the amount of work that goes into them. So I went fin shopping and, after LOTS of research, landed on the Aeris Velocity. In my opinion, these are the best damn things around. They have an interesting look to them: part split fin/part regular fin in construction. The engineering is interesting when you break it down. Regardless, I can say these things just work great in just about every condition I dove in, including the strong currents of Cozumel. They manuever very well too. And they work well with various kicks.

Best part...they're cheap. MSP on the open heel fin is around $90, and MSP on the closed foot fin is around $50 (USA). You can get them on-line for less.

Thx...Doug

 

[kitbuga]

cressi fins rely more on snap and flick than scooping. i use the space frog's first cousin, the master frog which is probably the longest and stiffest open heel around. i like to snap and flick and the frogs are good enough for me even in a strong current.

the frogs aren't for everyone, i admit. but if you have strong ankles and can keep the blades horizontal (the rails are very stiff and have a tendancy to shank or slice) these are great.

different design philosophies, i guess.

why don't you check out this excellent fin review in the respected brit mag

http://www.divernet.com/equipment/fins0902/finsintro.htm

they test 20 models of splits and non splits including cressis. still, finning is believing. i hope you get the opportunity to try the cressis. i hope they work for you as well as they have for me.

enjoy.

kitbuga
philippines

 

[Bobb]

Rich
why don't you just toss those crappy ol' zooms my way...


seriously, if you're going to dump them, tell me how much...

 

[tomcat]

i had a pair of xooms and they worked great under all conditions. while i flitted through currents (both on and below surface) over the course of roughly 18 dives as well, people had trouble keeping up with me.

the trick is in keeping the kicks small. if you widen your kick thinking that you'll be able to kick harder, BAM! the current hits you and all efforts are wasted. if you remain relaxed, consciously keep yourself streamlined, finning through currents is no sweat at all.

i sold the xooms to a friend because the stiff plastic backing (coloured part) made the fins feel more like paddles than true splits. wanted something where i can't feel that they are there so i got the apollo biofins in the end. other than the "feel" portion, i think they can out swim most paddles out there over 300 ft, possibly even the quattros.

 

[kitbuga]

Yo Bapak Tomcat, there ya go-lah! you hit it right on the head. Finning technique is more important, IMHO, than fin model. Small kicks are where it's at. Anything bigger than the "hole" or impression your body makes in the water creates drag.

Way to go. Cressi? TUSA? Nah, it's the man (or woman) wearing the fin that counts.

Terima kasih

Kitbuga
Philippines