stretchthepenn
Contributor
My usual fins -- OMS Slipstreams -- are still my favorites, but they're a tad heavy when I dive in a wetsuit. Thus, I picked up a set of HOG Blade Fins last week and gave them a try. My kit included a 5mm wetsuit, 6.5mm booties, 3/5mm hood, tiny doubles (2 x LP50 steel), on an aluminum plate, 45-lb. wing, 11 lbs. of v-weights, and a Choptima rebreather, and I used the fins on two dives of 111 minutes and 75 minutes, respectively.
To summarize, the Blade Fins worked quite well.
The good stuff: The tech design is obviously inspired by JetFins, but the HOGs are thermoplastic and close to featherweight; the HOG/Edge website claims they're 1.8 lbs. The website also claims the fins are slightly negatively buoyant, but they felt neutral or even slightly positively buoyant. The fins catch the water well, with a noticeable "bite." When I frog-kicked hard, I was able to follow a group of single-tank OC divers who seemed to be in a hurry, and relaxed frog-kicking still pushed me and all my gear forward at a decent speed. I tried flutter-kicking and didn't feel any strain. Back-kicking worked well and felt easy. The spring straps felt sturdy, and both the heel strap and finger pull are generously sized. The foot pocket's drain holes are very large and efficient. The price point is also eminently reasonable.
The so-so stuff: Because they're plastic, the fins tend to slide around; stacking them always resulted in one going whoosh off to somewhere inconvenient. They need to be stashed firmly while topside. Also, the sizing is a little funky. My feet are 13/14, depending on the brand, but HOG seems to think that's size L.
The not-great stuff: My only real gripe is that the plastic isn't very flexible, so the foot pocket's top edge started to rub on my right instep during the first dive. I didn't feel any pressure on the second dive, though; I might've adjusted the heel strap to a better spot, or perhaps the second dive wasn't long enough for me to notice any pressure.
All in all, the Blade Fins impressed me on this first go-around. I'll try them again next weekend and see if I still like them then.
To summarize, the Blade Fins worked quite well.
The good stuff: The tech design is obviously inspired by JetFins, but the HOGs are thermoplastic and close to featherweight; the HOG/Edge website claims they're 1.8 lbs. The website also claims the fins are slightly negatively buoyant, but they felt neutral or even slightly positively buoyant. The fins catch the water well, with a noticeable "bite." When I frog-kicked hard, I was able to follow a group of single-tank OC divers who seemed to be in a hurry, and relaxed frog-kicking still pushed me and all my gear forward at a decent speed. I tried flutter-kicking and didn't feel any strain. Back-kicking worked well and felt easy. The spring straps felt sturdy, and both the heel strap and finger pull are generously sized. The foot pocket's drain holes are very large and efficient. The price point is also eminently reasonable.
The so-so stuff: Because they're plastic, the fins tend to slide around; stacking them always resulted in one going whoosh off to somewhere inconvenient. They need to be stashed firmly while topside. Also, the sizing is a little funky. My feet are 13/14, depending on the brand, but HOG seems to think that's size L.
The not-great stuff: My only real gripe is that the plastic isn't very flexible, so the foot pocket's top edge started to rub on my right instep during the first dive. I didn't feel any pressure on the second dive, though; I might've adjusted the heel strap to a better spot, or perhaps the second dive wasn't long enough for me to notice any pressure.
All in all, the Blade Fins impressed me on this first go-around. I'll try them again next weekend and see if I still like them then.
