DIR acceptable fins

[Ben_ca]

I am not familiar with the modified Frog kick, where might I find info on this one?

edit: I just found a link with a modified frog kick is refered to as the helicopter turn.

So yes I can do them all without uncomfortable actions and maintan a spped as seen in a video here .

The modified frog is not a helicopter... All the kicks JeffG posted are different.

You have to try the Jets and see how much more control you'll have.

How efficient are you with the backkick in those fins? Can you back up without changing depth?

 

[WaterDawg]

That word has been outlawed by GUE...you must now refer to its politically correct way....hunching

No Im not talking about the famous "humping the dog". I mean think about the dolphin kick...then think back to being a teenager and your first few times.

 

[RTodd]

There is no such thing as a DIR fin. BTW, there is no DIR agency, association or other governing body. DIR is a set of principles and there are no police (at least in the real world).

Straps that reduce the chance of entanglement and points of failure (ie. plastic buckles) are encouraged as part of the DIR philosophy. Any fin that allows you to perform the basic fin kicks that GUE teaches are adequate. Stiff fins usually facilitate frog kicks, etc best.

The above is not a DIR answer. Spring straps on Mares fins is simply lipstick on a pig. Listen to what the others have said. If you actually learn to use Jetfins you will see why the plastic open water style fins are really rather bad. While the stiffer ones get closer, they are still subpar. All of the Mares fins bend way too far making them extremely ineffecient for many kicks and next to useless when swimming against a flow. I still have at least a half dozen pair of Mares fins sitting in my garage, many of which are well used. I have not used any of them in the past 8-10 years.

 

[Green_Manelishi]

Andy the Dolphin kick is when you cross your legs and move about by humping the water, like a dolphin does.

All the times I used a dolphin kick while free-diving I never crossed my legs nor humped the water. Perhaps I was simply doing it "rong".

 

[Soggy]

A dolphin kick isn't exactly a useful kick for SCUBA, so I wouldn't use that as a criteria to judge a SCUBA fin.

 

[Spectre]

If you actually learn to use Jetfins you will see why the plastic open water style fins are really rather bad. While the stiffer ones get closer, they are still subpar.

While the discussion here has been focused on the stiffness needed for adequate execution of some of the anti-silting kicks; Specifically addressing the stiffness may lead to questions as to why a stiff non-jet fin [or turtle, or whatever] doesn't always suffice as well.

That has to do with the bouyancy of the actual fin. A jetfin is negative; 1 lb or so IIRC. With a heavier fin, you have much more control over your trim based on how far from your body you position your fins [e.g. how much your knees are bent]. Taking the weight of the fins away often times results in people 'fixing' it by going with ankle weights; which results in more work in swimming then a heavier fin does. Rather than repeat myself, here's a post from a while ago:

http://www.scubaboard.com/showpost.php?p=528650&postcount=14

 

[cornfed]

That has to do with the bouyancy of the actual fin. A jetfin is negative; 1 lb or so IIRC.

Jetfins are the DIR approved ankle weights.

 

[pants!]

So, duh, use light, stiff fins with ankle weights

 

[boomx5]

A dolphin kick isn't exactly a useful kick for SCUBA, so I wouldn't use that as a criteria to judge a SCUBA fin.

Besides, most men can't do the dolphin kick for more than 2 minutes without having to take a break....so I've heard.

 

[Wayward Son]

Besides, most men can't do the dolphin kick for more than 2 minutes without having to take a break....so I've heard.

That depends on where they're swimming