Force Fins - my experience

[dmorus]

My husband has been diving with them for 10 years. He tried them after a problem with his Achilles tendon threatened to keep him on shore and hasn't looked back. 300 dives on a pair of the original Force Fins. He has used 2 replacement bungies and they fins are nearly faded to grey from blue but he swears by them.

 

[peterbj7]

Can you/he analyse why it is that Force fins have helped him so much compared with normal fins? He'd get the same benefits from using some of the floppy split fins that so many people use nowadays, wouldn't he?

 

[Bob Evans]

Why do you want to flop when you can snap? Less stress vs. no stress. Force Fins snap on the recovery or back stroke of your kick.

Fin Doctor

 

[meesier42]

I will try to analyze them for you. First I will direct to an earlier post regarding the basic shape and materials.

To say that you will get the same advantage using a "floppy split fin" I would answer no. In the case of Dmorus, the advantage exist not because the fins are floppy, but from the extreme difference between the power stroke and the recovery phase of the fin.

I will first address your language- floppy, ForceFins are not floppy, nor are they rigid, the material and shape of the fin allows the fin to FLEX while not deforming an otherwise useless shape, then rebound/snap at the end of the power stroke returning the potential energy that you stored in the flex with additional propulsion. This is unique to the ForceFin line, using the Cast Urethanes (at a premium in price) that allows this to occur, as cheaper natural rubber and TPU urethanes used by other fins do not have the required rebound/snap to return that energy to you.

As for the advantages that this person is seeing. With an achilles problem, the foot/ankle will not be able to maintain any rigidity during the recovery phase and any resistance will cause a problem. With the 3dimensional shape of the FF Original/Pro/TanDelta the fin effectively reduces its surface area to minimize the drag/resistance during this part of the stroke which will relieve the strain on the ankle while not reducing the potiential thrust on the power/down stroke and providing the required propulsion.

Physiologically- this is a further advantage, as it has been shown multiple times that the human leg can provide significant power while contracting the quadriceps (down/power stroke) while the hamstrings, which power the recovery, are comparitively very weak and will cause significant fatigue, cramping, air consumption when used extensively.

This in comparision to the Apollo Bio-Fin or Atomic Splits, which have more drag than thrust on the recovery (as stated in a 2003 paper published by University of Buffalo, Department of Physiology) will still cause a large deflection (movement) of the ankle that will prevent a diver with bad achilles from using comfortably.

I hope my analysis isn't overly technical and that it is useful, please feel free to ask follow on questions and I, and I am sure Blair will do our best to answer you.

 

[peterbj7]

That actually makes sense. I think I'm going to have to give these things another go - I tried them years ago when (I presume) they had just come out, and I wasn't especially impressed.

But I have no idea what model to go for. There is an enormous range, and while none are cheap some are incredibly expensive. I own a dive center and gear shop and don't pay retail for anything, so the Mares fins I use (and love) cost me just over $50. Hard to justify paying up to 15 times that for any pair of fins. If I like them I might be persuaded to add them to my shop, but getting a pair in the first place seems a lot of money.

 

[meesier42]

I would highly recommend that you start with the basic fins, either the Original or the Pros, the TanDelta is a really great fin, but the price is getting up there.

Long term, the TanDelta is probably the best all around scuba fin, not to say that they others aren't good, just that the higher grade urethanes really make the fins perform.

my basic advice to everyone trying ForceFins for the first time (or second time in your case), is to wear them and only them for at least 4-5 dives, 10 dives is even better. As paddle fins divers generally will form bad habits of kicking from your knees with feet high, which really doesn't work with FF, so you'll probably feel like your not going anywhere for the first dive or so, then you'll start to figure it out, then after a couple of dives you'll be properly streamlined and kicking efficently. Then you try out your Quattros (or whatever Mares you use) and you'll hate them with a passion. I admit coming to the "Dark Side" takes some patience but once you are assimilated you'll never take them off.

 

[peterbj7]

How well do they work near a silty bottom, or in a confined space like a cave? I can use my Mares (not the Quattro but the similar one with just two slots - no idea of the name) so as not to kick up any sediment at all. In a cave that can make the difference between survival and .....

 

[meesier42]

like all fins it all depends on your kick style, in high silt environments frog kicking is best, the standard shape are not the best in the line for frog kicking. I personnally will do a half kick outward to activate the flex in the blade and then do a frog kick to recover, this works quite well, but the technique takes times to master. You certainly can master learning not to silt out with the normal shapes though.

The fin that frog kicks the best is the Excellerating Force, either in standard or TanDelta, but this is a fin that the TanDelta is incredible, so you would be looking at the most expensive fins in the line. This is the fin that is very popular with the wreck divers of the UK, and I am pretty sure this is also the choice fin of John Chatterton.

 

[dittrimd]

Peter,

Another reason I like the force fins so much is that they are a shorter fin while still keeping a good force when kicking. As a public safety diver if I am given the rare opportunity to have some visibility my force fins help me to prevent silting. Previous posters are correct kick style is important but the shorter more flexible fins do help to keep you from kicking up silt. I have seen guys with the longer stiffer fins stir up the bottom to blackout conditions with just one kick.

Mark D.

 

[jimorus]

From dmorus's husband

I have original Force Fins

I had the trip paid for and the doctor gave me a soft cast and specific instrucyions. I friend offered me his Force Fins so I would have a choice shpould my US Diver's Blades didn't work out. I looked at them and laughed, but tossed them in the bag anyway. They saved the trip and I oredered a pair as soon as we got home.

Since then, no more cramped calves, better air consumption and have I been able to swim into any current the divemasters have been able to swim into for just as long as they have and some that much stronger divers cannot swim into. No one ever gets their fins confused with mine and my wife can find me whenever we get separated.

I took 10 minutes to realize that the kick is a bit different and you don't need the same force as a paddle fin and if you over kick you will feel them break away from your foot. After that it was all downhill. Back then they were 89 dollars at Leisure Pro and no one in town carried them so I didn't even feel bad buying on line.

I canot frog kick with them, but if the silty bottom is the problem try just kicking by moving your calves and not your thighs. The fins still work and the thrust is back and not down at all. This may not work in confined spaces but in the open water it is the way to go.

I am told the Excellerating Force fin was designed for frog kicking but I don't do caves or wrecks so it isn't an issue for me.

I can fin backward with small ankle only kicks. With my feet pointed out like a duck these kicks don't disturb the bottom either.

I have tried the split fins, several varieties, and the Mares Volo fins that I think everyone from the our preferred local dive shop wears, including my wife, and haven't been impressed.

I also can't get anyone to even try my fins. Their loss.

When our dive grear was ripped off in Bonaire they left the Force Fins and my backplate and harness and took everything else, another advantage, not popular with sticky fingered folks.

No, Force Fin doesn't pay me and they haven't given me anything, but I did convince one local shop to add them to their inventory and they do sell a bunch of them.