Flutter kick technique, ankle flexibility and fin stiffness

[ronscuba]

Mako Spearguns has awesome service and pricing.

They have a fixed blade fin and also a model which allows the blade to be removed. The removable blade model is nice because you can start with plastic blades and upgrade to fiberglass or carbon fiber later if you wish.

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

I, too, have heard freedive fins are much better than "scuba" fins. My buddy who freedives suggested plastic or fiberglass. He said he started freediving with force fins. For brands he recommended Hammerhead Kaudal fins, or if I wanted to splurge, the Cressi Gara plastic fins. He said fiberglass fins are better but typically more expensive. He mentioned carbon fiber, but wanted to see what you guys thought about the three types.

I swam competitively growing up and do masters swimming now, so kicking is second nature to me. Just want to get a fin that allows me to expend less energy, thus, less oxygen. From all the videos I've seen, the freedive fins look the most flexible and require minimal leg kick to propel yourself through the water. Certified diver for 16 years but haven't been in at least 5 years.

Any advice/suggestions are appreciated.

We offer a variety of "freedive" fins. Your buddy's opinion about the benefit of freedive fins is shared by a large majority of scuba spearos, many professional scuba guides and an overwhelming majority of freedivers and freedive hunters.

As to which fins to buy for scuba, a lot depends on your budget. Our most expensive fins are carbon fiber blades, then going to less expensive options: composite carbon/fiberglass then fiberglass then composite (plastic) blades then fixed blade plastic fins (meaning the blades are fixed in the pocket).

In all honesty, the benefit of the most expensive carbon fiber blades is not huge for scuba divers - because they are pushing so much gear around. In addition, those are expensive blades to have on the boat where people are dropping tanks and other heavy things.

Generally we see suba divers choose fiberglass or plastic blades. You mentions the Cressi gara plastic fins. We have a very similar fin:

Freedive Hunter Freediving Fins | MAKO Spearguns

However, because we sell direct to the consumer without the retail store mark up, these quality fins are much less than you will likely find the Cress 3000 fins. They are $68 on our website.

If you want replaceable blades then we recommend the competition freedive fins.

And if you want to spend around $200, we offer our fiberglass blades in both a soft and medium blade hardness. For people under 200 lbs we recommend the soft blades for extended swimming.

 

[RollingBlackOut]

If you want open heel, Imersion's the only freedive option I know of. Cressi has reaction and ara, they're slightly shorter and don't come with replaceable blades. You get more options if you don't need to wear booties and can use full foot ones.

I've had ARAs on my wish list for a while now but haven't yet found the need to replace/add to my Accels -- in a group of vacation divers you could probably keep up in zoomers and come up with the required 500 psi at the end. If you plan on e.g. spearfishing on your own, it'd be a very different story.

I like the ease of getting it on with the open heel fins, but since I don't plan on going to many places where I need booties, I'd probably go with closed heel fins, similar to what we use in swimming. I just need to make sure it's a comfortable fit.

 

[RollingBlackOut]

Where are you located ?

Ideally, go to a shop that carries many different models and try them all on to find a foot pocket that fits you best.

I live in San Francisco Bay Area.

I would love to check out some fins at a shop rather than buy online, unless they offer free returns. My feet run wide so a good fit is a must. Any shops here you know of/recommend?

 

[RollingBlackOut]

We offer a variety of "freedive" fins. Your buddy's opinion about the benefit of freedive fins is shared by a large majority of scuba spearos, many professional scuba guides and an overwhelming majority of freedivers and freedive hunters.

As to which fins to buy for scuba, a lot depends on your budget. Our most expensive fins are carbon fiber blades, then going to less expensive options: composite carbon/fiberglass then fiberglass then composite (plastic) blades then fixed blade plastic fins (meaning the blades are fixed in the pocket).

In all honesty, the benefit of the most expensive carbon fiber blades is not huge for scuba divers - because they are pushing so much gear around. In addition, those are expensive blades to have on the boat where people are dropping tanks and other heavy things.

Generally we see suba divers choose fiberglass or plastic blades. You mentions the Cressi gara plastic fins. We have a very similar fin:

View attachment 400033

Freedive Hunter Freediving Fins | MAKO Spearguns

However, because we sell direct to the consumer without the retail store mark up, these quality fins are much less than you will likely find the Cress 3000 fins. They are $68 on our website.

If you want replaceable blades then we recommend the competition freedive fins.

And if you want to spend around $200, we offer our fiberglass blades in both a soft and medium blade hardness. For people under 200 lbs we recommend the soft blades for extended swimming.

Those Mako freedive fins look nice, and at a good price point. I'm not looking to spend more than $100 since I do not dive too often around here, but want to make sure I get a good pair that will last. Do you guys have shops in the San Francisco Bay Area?

 

[dmaziuk]

I like the ease of getting it on with the open heel fins, but since I don't plan on going to many places where I need booties, I'd probably go with closed heel fins, similar to what we use in swimming. I just need to make sure it's a comfortable fit.

I think even adding extra return shipping, you still can't beat Mako price.
(I know the drill: I've narrow feet and sometimes one size smaller with inserts in the booties fits...)

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

No, we have no retail stores (other than our showroom/warehouse in Fredericksburg VA) - Elimination of the middleman and thus selling direct to consumer is what allows us to offer our products at such low prices.

 

[cmburch]

I live in San Francisco Bay Area.

I would love to check out some fins at a shop rather than buy online, unless they offer free returns. My feet run wide so a good fit is a must. Any shops here you know of/recommend?

The Freedive Shop Sacramento and Neptonics Santa Cruz Mountains. I am 12 EE if you want to try mine, I use 4mm Argos Stealth booties. Picasso and Mares have wider footpockets. The Freedive shop has an annual sale and this year I will get a new 7mm wetsuit. But it is not until Fall though I think. Dolphin may have Mares. There was also a shop near Burlingame, but it may have closed. Check out their sites for ideas.

I purchased online before Mako was in business. Gave away a set of ill fitting Captain Nemo footpockets and new plastic blades to a student. It was cheaper to buy the Picasso footpocket with plastic blades and then put in fiberglass blades. Later I got a complete carbon set at the Freedive Shop sale. They also have a tournament every year where everyone gets something. I have seen many wetsuits and fins as prizes.

 

[aquacat8]

Ohhh I really want freediving fins: for the ocean! But after I finally got to dive in some Florida springs I understood: you want a shorter fin for restricted spaces and swimming on a line with a buddy. There is just so much less room--Isn't that also one reason why tec divers like them? I also found when I borrowed the jet fins that the heaviness made a counterweight that could be used to adjust body position and also that one could kind of pry gear around against the inertia of the fin. Frog kicks work better with a fin like that too.

 

[RollingBlackOut]

The Freedive Shop Sacramento and Neptonics Santa Cruz Mountains. I am 12 EE if you want to try mine, I use 4mm Argos Stealth booties. Picasso and Mares have wider footpockets. The Freedive shop has an annual sale and this year I will get a new 7mm wetsuit. But it is not until Fall though I think. Dolphin may have Mares. There was also a shop near Burlingame, but it may have closed. Check out their sites for ideas.

I purchased online before Mako was in business. Gave away a set of ill fitting Captain Nemo footpockets and new plastic blades to a student. It was cheaper to buy the Picasso footpocket with plastic blades and then put in fiberglass blades. Later I got a complete carbon set at the Freedive Shop sale. They also have a tournament every year where everyone gets something. I have seen many wetsuits and fins as prizes.

I may have to order online and try them out. Don't know if I can get up to Sacramento, but may be able to check out Santa Cruz. Going this weekend to Monterey for a dive to accompany the GF who is doing her certification dive. Other than this, I don't plan on doing any more cold water dives, so I won't need a 7mm suit and don't need an open heel fin setup since I don't plan on having to wear booties ever again!