Question First pair of fins

[Bloemeke]

After a 100 dives, all while travelling, I'm finally buying my own equipment. I've decided and mostly bought the big ticket items (wetsuit, bpw, regulator), but I find it hard to make a final decision on the fins and maybe the people here can help me. So far I've only dived on vacation, trips varying from several mediterranean sites, Canary islands, Indonesia and Mexico. And these dives varied from shore and boat dives with no currents to quite a bit of finning in Komodo. There I actually had a hard time keeping up, even though I'm a pretty decent swimmer. At the moment, I'm in the process of starting to dive locally in the Netherlands, but waiting for the water temperatures to become acceptable for wetsuit diving .

As I like to travel, I prefer to keep my fins light, but they should be good enough with current and ideally I could also use them locally. So far, I found the following fins that are interesting to me:

• ScubaPro Go Sport
• ScubaPro Seawing SuperNova
• Tusa Hyflex Switch

The Go Sport are light and cheap, but I'm worrying that they are too small for good propulsion. The other two are however heavier and a good 100 euros more expensive. I've read a bit about the seawings being floaty, which may actually help me with my sinking feet. Since I've only dove with rented gear I've no experience with such exotic fins and so I'm a but unsure about it.

 

[-JD-]

After much debate on my next fins and finding some serious EBay bargains, I recently purchased a set of SuperNovas (SN) and a set of Hyflex Switch Pros (HSP). Go Sports (GS) and Go Sport Gorrillas (GSG) were also on my maybe list, but the SuperNova deal was far too good to pass up.

I have not yet had the opportunity to dive the HSPs, but in December, I dove the SNs for 8 dives doing Intro to Tech and Solo training in Cozumel. Definitely warm water 3mm suit w/ 5mm soft boots. I was incredibly pleased with the SuperNovas. My comments here:

My experience with the "L" SuperNovas was very good with my 5mm size 9 DeepSea Safe-Sole Ergo boots diving wet with a BM Steel LP85 and up to 2 AL80 Stages. 8 long training dives and a required surface swim in fairly strong swells.

They were comfortable, efficient, and effective with my kicks - Flutter, Frog, Helicopter, Sculling. Back Kick TBD - this is a "ME" work in progress so I cant really evaluate. I was gravely concerned about the bend angle (I've had incompatibilities with the "bent" DR XTs for example) but it was simply a non-issue.

There was an unexpected benefit to this design that I now find seriously compelling. The ability to grab the fin, firmly and securely, around the arm for removal (and hand-up) was HUGE! With back-injuries before and during my trip, my flexibility was limited. Between the bungee straps and the ability to positively control the fin, removal while holding onto a (sometimes) heaving dive platform or ladder was simple and easy.

I think they would be a good stiffness/power match for me even up to BM Steel Doubles and a stage in a dry-suit. Downsides: I estimate that they project (when on my foot) longer than my Eddys (2") and SlipStreams (3"), so will have some close-quarters limitations and I would need to find a way to weight them for Dry use.

I keep pretty detailed info on fins. Of particular note is that in my size "L" the SNs are about 0.1kg positive in FW and the L-XL HSPs are about 0.1kg negative for the pair with 2.1kg and 2.0kg respective dry weights (pair).

Per the ScubaPro official info, GSs and GSGs have 1.65kg dry weights.

My database is here with info about overall and footpocket dimensions too.

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

Look at a pair of Mares Avanti Quattro fins. They are the best all around fins made and no gimmicks. I have had a pair for about 20 years and use them on vacation and up here at home. They are good in current. They are lighter than 2 of the fins you mentioned and about the same as the other one. Avanti Quattro + diving fins - open heel| Mares

 

[RobPNW]

Go Sports aren't too short.

 

[Bloemeke]

Look at a pair of Mares Avanti Quattro fins. They are the best all around fins made and no gimmicks. I have had a pair for about 20 years and use them on vacation and up here at home. They are good in current. They are lighter than 2 of the fins you mentioned and about the same as the other one. Avanti Quattro + diving fins - open heel| Mares

They were also on my list. But from what I can find the quatro fins are much longer and won't fit in any of the bags I'm considering for travel and that's why I scrapped them.

 

[Bloemeke]

After much debate on my next fins and finding some serious EBay bargains, I recently purchased a set of SuperNovas (SN) and a set of Hyflex Switch Pros (HSP). Go Sports (GS) and Go Sport Gorrillas (GSG) were also on my maybe list, but the SuperNova deal was far too good to pass up.

I have not yet had the opportunity to dive the HSPs, but in December, I dove the SNs for 8 dives doing Intro to Tech and Solo training in Cozumel. Definitely warm water 3mm suit w/ 5mm soft boots. I was incredibly pleased with the SuperNovas. My comments here:


I keep pretty detailed info on fins. Of particular note is that in my size "L" the SNs are about 0.1kg positive in FW and the L-XL HSPs are about 0.1kg negative for the pair with 2.1kg and 2.0kg respective dry weights (pair).

Per the ScubaPro official info, GSs and GSGs have 1.65kg dry weights.

My database is here with info about overall and footpocket dimensions too.

Wow, that's a lot of information. Thanks!

 

[lexvil]

Go Sport are very nice, super nova is nicer and are very easy to take apart for travel, expensive but worth it.

 

[arkstorm]

I have resolved myself to the fact that I need three different pairs of fins:

1. Full foot fin for tropical warm water boat diving;
2. Open heel fin for temperate to warm water shore diving; and
3. Tech fins for drysuit diving.

My full foot fins are Mares Volo Race which might be my favorite fins of all time regardless of category.

My tech fins are Hollis F1 which the jury is still out on for me.

As far as temperate water open heel fins (which I would use with 3-5 mm booties), I am gravitating toward the Scubapro Go Sport fins. They are light and compact. They provide plenty of power and can be had in the "Gorilla" version for even more power. Not the cheapest, but also not ridiculously expensive. Checks off all the boxes for me.

 

[TrimixToo]

This is sports equipment. It's like finding the right running shoe, bicycle, or tennis racket.

Unless you can find a cooperative dive shop that lets you try everything they have in a pool (I got lucky that way and they had a lot of different ones) it is very unlikely that you will buy the perfect fin for *you* on the first or second try. Everyone's legs are different. Skeletal geometry, muscle development, and so on all differ.

So take your best guess. Go diving. Define what you like and don't like, and if you don't get lucky the first time, try again. I went through 4-6 different fins before finding the right ones for *me*. They are not the same ones that seemed right when I was a teenager. The ones I use might or might not be the right ones for you.

I have one or two sets cluttering the garage that aren't right for me at least one is popular. I'm trying to declutter. If they're your size you can have 'em for shipping...I think they're all XL (I've got big feet). PM me if interested.

 

[Bloemeke]

This is sports equipment. It's like finding the right running shoe, bicycle, or tennis racket.

Unless you can find a cooperative dive shop that lets you try everything they have in a pool (I got lucky that way and they had a lot of different ones) it is very unlikely that you will buy the perfect fin for *you* on the first or second try. Everyone's legs are different. Skeletal geometry, muscle development, and so on all differ.

Yeah, that's what makes this so hard. The only way to really figure this out is trying, but I haven't found any place where I can try before buy. But I'm trying to limit the amount of 'bad' fins I'm buying by doing some propper research. Although anything better than rentals, and without spring-like straps, is already a win .

Based on what I'm reading here and my further research I'm leaning towards the go sport now. While they may not give the power of the supernovas. This becayse they seem to be better for manouvering (I'd love to learn swimming backwards); they are less different from the rental fins I've used so far and they are a significant but more expensive.

I have one or two sets cluttering the garage that aren't right for me at least one is popular. I'm trying to declutter. If they're your size you can have 'em for shipping...I think they're all XL (I've got big feet). PM me if interested.

Thanks for the offer; but my feet are a bit smaller.