Flippers?!..lol

[Bedros A]

I dropped by a dive club the other day to go on a dive with my buddy, when a group of newly certified divers entered. As they started chatting, they started discussing the difference between fins and flippers.

Now that struck me as weird..cos to my knowledge, both fins and flippers are supposed to be synonymous, and I have seen experienced divers make fun of nondivers and newly certified divers when they unknowingly start looking for "flippers" instead of fins!

So my question is why do we divers call it fins...and not flippers...and is there really a difference?

Every time i hear the word flippers it reminds me of dolphins...lol..For me the word is too "dolphiny"

Its almost the same situation as when nondivers mistakingly call air tanks..."oxygen tanks" . In this case, its obvious why the divers make fun of the beginners who make this mistake. but its not so clear cut when it comes to fins and flippers

Any input?

BA

 

[jmasin]

Well, in all fairness I do use the tank for it's oxygen

I've always used fins. Flippers sounds funny but I have no issue with it either way. I think it's a distinction we make up to identify newbies. If you are part of "the club" you know to call them fins LOL

 

[tddfleming]

Flippers is what I/we use in the pool. I don't understand the real difference and I have thought of this myself. I kind of look at this like a regional thing, something like pop vs soda. But it would be divers vs land dwellers.

 

[nolatom]

'cause we're fish? And flippers are on a pinball machine?

Same deal with calling a mask, "goggles".

It's the diving equivalent of wearing your road race number on your back....

 

[fire_diver]

No, Goggles only cover the eyes and are useless for diving. A mask covers eyes, nose, and part of the face. It can be cleared and equalized while diving.

I know plenty of experienced divers who call them flippers either for fun or because thats what they WERE called back when they learned to dive.

 

[fnfalman]

Flipper is a dolphin.

 

[sagibson]

As my first dive instructor put it ... "Flipper is a dolphin. Those are dive fins on your feet."

 

[RonMurray]

Flippers just sounds funnier - that's why I like it!

 

[tddfleming]

As my first dive instructor put it ... "Flipper is a dolphin. Those are dive fins on your feet."

He/she sounds like a diving nazi

 

[Bedros A]

As my first dive instructor put it ... "Flipper is a dolphin. Those are dive fins on your feet."

LOL..I'm definitely using this line in the future