Fins split or paddles??

[Vayu]

Jet fins! Paddles. Take your instructors advice. You won't regret it. Theres a reason almost all of the cave divers down here use them. Old and trusted design. Virtually impossible to destroy. Great control. Negatively buoyant. Give you the power when you need it. Black.

If I didn't wear jet fins I wouldn't have much luck with the ladies. Ever since I put them on my feet I have become popular. It will also make your calves look like that of an olympic runner.

They are alot cheaper than the split counterparts as well.

-V

 

[Gary D.]

Since when was diving all about "speed" and going fast? I don't get all the hype about being able to swim around like a race car.........I thought diving was about being relaxed, taking your time having fun.

Just my 2 cents.

Some groups need the speed and raw power that a Split Fin just doesn’t deliver.

Some areas like Coz have surprise currents pop up and the Splits can be a disadvantage there.

The bottom line is try as many kinds you can, Splits or otherwise. No one type of fin will work for everyone under every situation. Take a set of twins (siblings), what works well for one might not work well for the other. So take all the advice you want but the best advice is to try them.

Gary D.

 

[Mambo Dave]

Re: the speed issue (and, I guess, the efficiency issue). The reason I'm considering buying a second set of fins is due to the shore dives we've been doing. Sure, my Rocket II fins are great at handling and control, but they are a bear to really go places with. Padding from the shore requires us to kick out, on our backs, about the length of a football field. Once there, it takes a good amount more kicking to get over the reef we choose to dive and explore. Using the Bio fins for 1/2 of a dive left no doubt as to their ease on the legs/knees, speed and efficiency - even though they felt like they weren't working (like noodles strapped onto my feet, if that), and though I had to really change my kicking style (from a frog or power-fluttering to short, fast flutters). Low-load, high-rep is a proven efficient method with cycling, and I found it t be the same with finning.

For those deeper boat dives I'll keep my stiff paddles though. The problem, as I see it, is that if I'm already kicking fast with whatever split fin I choose, if a current comes up I probably won't be able to apply much more speed - and power strokes with the splits I've tried didn't seem to work at all.

Picking the right equipment for a dive is the proper Hogarthian method, and while Bill Main probably doesn't do too many shore dives, I think he'd agree that using a fin that efficiently gets one to where they are going is the right tool for the distance job. Finer work (lobstering or recovery), or more challenging work (strong currents present, deeper dives), will be left to the paddles.

 

[pasley]

I have used both paddle (Aqualung) and Split (sherwood). Hands down the best fin is the one you like.

I have noticed with my paddle fins during the surface swim out (beach dive) I often got left behind by my split fin buddies.

I now dive splits and love them. Recently went out of town and rented fins, paddle type. Felt like boards on my feet and muscle cramp city.

With splits I can do helicopter turns and manuver. I do give up out of the starting block aceleration and they do not turn as sharp as paddle fins. But diving is not about speed anyway and I do not need to do sharp turns either. With split fins you do a small slow flutter kick. I actually do most of my finning with just my ankles flicking my fins a tad bit. That moves me as fast as I want to go underwater.

Try both and see what you like.

 

[tjmills]

I have been on the Mares Quattros from day one until last week when I took the Apollo Bio Fins to Bonaire. I have always been skeptical of the splits from the beginning and the more they market them the more skeptical I became.

What I can tell you is that the Bio Fins are absolutely the best for general diving and recreational use. The ease of kicking, combined with speed of your choosing and the complete lack of any leg fatigue was wonderful diving 3-5 times a day. If they only would have carried me up and down 1000 Steps I would have started my own campaign.

What I didn't like about them was the precision control that I had with my Quattros. Maybe this will come with time but while taking pictures I struggled a little. In current and just swimming around though, there is no comparison to the Bio Fins. Hands down the most comfortable diving I have ever done.

Yes, I know the Jets are popular with the technical group and they are nice fins for some environments but for the general purpose recreational diver they are not the best choice in my opinion. They are short, they are built like a tank but they are not the end all for 90% of the divers out there.

 

[ThatsSomeBadHatHarry]

i have the twin speed fins by scubapro and lemme tell ya, they are the cat's *ss. Very quick and sort of stiff combined with the stiff footpad for ultimate leverage. I wore them to school and drove to the post office in them today. On the contrary to Vaya, I got two hot chicks' numbers because they said that "split was it". now they are splitting me between them. lets face it, split fins get results.

 

[hedonist222]

So whats the bottom line everybody? You're confusin as noob divers here

What can you all conclude in regards to each type of fin? (disregard which you prefer)

 

[Gary D.]

So whats the bottom line everybody? You're confusin as noob divers here

What can you all conclude in regards to each type of fin? (disregard which you prefer)

It doesn’t matter what I prefer. What matters is what YOU prefer.

All the tech data in the world is useless if they don’t fit your needs and comfort levels.

The Space Shuttle has some fantastic tech data where an Ultralight doesn’t. But the Shuttle is useless when it comes to an open-air flight around the neighborhood. Likewise an Ultralight is useless for space exploration.

Get what works for you and makes YOU happy.

Gary D.

 

[bradshsi]

Also, splits don't work very well in currents. They're just not designed for it.

Paddle:
Control and precision (for a variety of kicks)
"torque" (better in currents)

Some areas like Coz have surprise currents pop up and the Splits can be a disadvantage there.

For those deeper boat dives I'll keep my stiff paddles though. The problem, as I see it, is that if I'm already kicking fast with whatever split fin I choose, if a current comes up I probably won't be able to apply much more speed - and power strokes with the splits I've tried didn't seem to work at all.

For those people who have posted that split fins don't work in a current, pehaps you can explain to everyone else the engineering & fluid theories why this would be the case ?

I'm willing to bet my CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) parallel computer cluster that you can't....

Simple fact is that if you are in the water a current has no practical significance to how the fins perform. If a fin has a top speed of 2.5 mph then you can hold stationary (relative to the bottom) in a current going that quickly. Alternatively in a 1 mph current you could move forward at 1.5 mph.

It all comes down to what the top speed of a particular fin is. In that respect, the only scientific testing I've seen, confirms that split fins are generally the best performers in terms of top speed and reducing your air consumption.

The link to the testing is below:
http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/instruct/grier/fins.html


If you are still mired in the illogical argument about split fins and current, this link might help you:
http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/instruct/grier/fins-myths.html


The final link is a discussion on finning backwards with split fins which apparently is possible (although I am still learning this skill):
http://dive.scubadiving.com/members/gearreviews.php?s=503

As others have said, try before you buy. Fins are a very personal choice and you need to pick the fin that best suits your requirements.

 

[tjmills]

So whats the bottom line everybody? You're confusin as noob divers here

What can you all conclude in regards to each type of fin? (disregard which you prefer)

I thought I did