Aaron528
Contributor
I am bumping into what seems to be a repetitive subject on this site, but after searching for advice on previous posts I feel more confused than ever. I've been diving about 3 years, 150+ dives. I've experimented with a variety of gear, both rental and purchased including different BCs, suits, regs and fins. It's been the same philosophy I had learning about backpacking: gear makes a difference and not all gear is made the same or responds in the same way to a given individual. I've enjoyed playing.
I started out using Tusa X-Pert Zoom split fins and they worked ok, until I started experimenting with kicks other than flutter and found they didn't work at all for frog. I tried using Rocket Fins for about 10 dives but they never did stop generating cramps in spite of other's assurances that would subside. Since then, I've used Force Fins and really like them for their light weight and tremendous push doing flutter kicks, but of course they don't frog kick either. I dive wet in warm climates and when the water gets warm enough around PA; in dry suit to extend my season locally. I use a back inflate SQ Balance BC.
Recently I've tried out Scuba Pro Jets, Hollis F1s, Hollis F2s, and OMS slipstreams. I tend to be foot heavy even in a dry suit and I found the Jets and F1s made that problem worse. They weigh a TON! The slipstreams were neutral and a bit lighter, but they are stiff as boards and killed my feet. Also, even though the slipstreams are 2lbs lighter than the F1s, they still weigh a lot compared to the Force Fins. The F2s just didn't seem to move me; they were too floppy to do good frog kicks. I'm a short guy 5'5", in good shape but I found moving around that much mass causes my legs to cramp, pretty consistently.
I'm a rec diver, not an aspiring tech diver. I have back issues and will never be able to dive in doubles. I've done some wreck diving down to 110 ft, but I have no plans to do penetration dives on a regular basis. I have dived in places where I've needed to fight current, like off the Jersey Shore (Atlantic Ocean).
I'm open to suggestions trying out lightweight paddle style fins that I can frog kick with, don't tend to cause lots of cramps, neutrally buoyant, that will work OK with 7mm wet boots and rock boots. I also want to find (maybe by the same manufacturer) full foot fins I can take to warm climes. All the fins I described above except for the Force Fins, are still prohibitively heavy for travel.
I started out using Tusa X-Pert Zoom split fins and they worked ok, until I started experimenting with kicks other than flutter and found they didn't work at all for frog. I tried using Rocket Fins for about 10 dives but they never did stop generating cramps in spite of other's assurances that would subside. Since then, I've used Force Fins and really like them for their light weight and tremendous push doing flutter kicks, but of course they don't frog kick either. I dive wet in warm climates and when the water gets warm enough around PA; in dry suit to extend my season locally. I use a back inflate SQ Balance BC.
Recently I've tried out Scuba Pro Jets, Hollis F1s, Hollis F2s, and OMS slipstreams. I tend to be foot heavy even in a dry suit and I found the Jets and F1s made that problem worse. They weigh a TON! The slipstreams were neutral and a bit lighter, but they are stiff as boards and killed my feet. Also, even though the slipstreams are 2lbs lighter than the F1s, they still weigh a lot compared to the Force Fins. The F2s just didn't seem to move me; they were too floppy to do good frog kicks. I'm a short guy 5'5", in good shape but I found moving around that much mass causes my legs to cramp, pretty consistently.
I'm a rec diver, not an aspiring tech diver. I have back issues and will never be able to dive in doubles. I've done some wreck diving down to 110 ft, but I have no plans to do penetration dives on a regular basis. I have dived in places where I've needed to fight current, like off the Jersey Shore (Atlantic Ocean).
I'm open to suggestions trying out lightweight paddle style fins that I can frog kick with, don't tend to cause lots of cramps, neutrally buoyant, that will work OK with 7mm wet boots and rock boots. I also want to find (maybe by the same manufacturer) full foot fins I can take to warm climes. All the fins I described above except for the Force Fins, are still prohibitively heavy for travel.
