Force Fins

[Lukas]

Hey all,
Just wondering, what exactly are "force fins"? are they better than normal fins? I've heard them mentioned before, about how there are "regular" fins and there are "force" fins, but I have absolutely no clue what that means. Somebody please clear this up for me. Thanks.

 

[SteveAD]

I was raised to believe that if you have nothing nice to say, then don't say anything at all......

 

[Damselfish]

"regular" fins and there are "force" fins - sounds like a line out of a Force Fins ad?

There are various styles of fins, Force Fins are just a brand of fin of their own style. Some people swear by them, more seem to think they're useless and overpriced (including many people that probably never tried them.) I never tried them as they don't sound like something I'd like and I'd never pay that much for a pair of fins anyway.

Check out "Similar threads" at the bottom of this page to read lots...

 

[Scott M]

See if you can borrow a pair and try them. I had a set, actually I still own them but I have lent them to a buddy. I use Jets myself but there are down sides to them. For one they are very heavy for traveling especially when you have weight restrictions. The force are much lighter. As for power, they work as well as anything else I have used. I have a raft that I put out on a mooring every year. I usually try to do it on a calm day but that doesn't always work out. I have used the Jets to put it out and they work great but the mooring is way out and because of the weight of the fins I get tired. I got caught in a bad wind one time when I had the force fins on and even against the strong wind I was able to swing the dock out. They have plenty of bite. The do swim a bit different though.

With that said I dive with the Jets because I can frog and back fin better with them.

 

[MarkUK]

Horses for courses. As Damselfish said, you either like them or you don't, and many of the people who slag them off have never had a pair on their feet. Some love them – I wouldn't use anything else – but others cannot get on with them. It is all down to personal preference, really. They are expensive, but you can get good deals if you shop around – RRP on normal Force Fin Pros in the UK is £130, but I got mine brand-new from an LDS website for £80, which is the same as you'd pay for paddle or split fins, if not less. I have the webbing straps and have never had to do anything to them since I got them, whereas I went through three sets of straps on my old Idea 3s...

Mark

 

[dougaldiver]

I had (still have) a pair of Force Fin pros. Hated them when I first tried them and went back to the Mares fins (Plana Avanti - predecessor of the Quatro).

Then tried them again and did 30 + dives in them and loved them, although they did make the top of my foot a little sore after long dives.

Then I dived over a very silty bottom and found that I created great clouds of silt behind me, no matter how careful I was and what style of kick I used (even with a frog kick I seemed to create a downwash on the return). So rather than run the risk of this happening somewhere where it could be a problem I went back to the Mares fins.

I know that some people can use Force Fins without this problem but I couldn't seem to get the hang of it.

Personally I keep thinking about trying some Jets but the weight puts me off (for travelling) so I'm sticking with the Mares for now.

 

[ApexLongimanus]

It took me some 10 or more dives get used to them....now I love 'em. They have some disadvantages using the frog kick though.

 

[donacheson]

It took me some 10 or more dives get used to them....now I love 'em. They have some disadvantages using the frog kick though.

I've used them for years and love them, but IMHO they're not much for snorkelling.

The effective kick using Force Fins is from the knee, not the hip - thigh held fairly straight in the water, kick beginning with knee at 90-120 degree angle, and power applied while straightening the leg using the quadriceps. It's an odd stroke which takes a bit of getting used to after using conventional straight fins, but doesn't stir the bottom very much.

Of course, the relatively small size and light weight of Force Fins are attractive features when travelling by air.

 

[sambolino44]

Hey all,
Just wondering, what exactly are "force fins"? are they better than normal fins? I've heard them mentioned before, about how there are "regular" fins and there are "force" fins, but I have absolutely no clue what that means. Somebody please clear this up for me. Thanks.

I recently got a set of the Pro models. At first I was disappointed; they didn't seem to make much difference. Now, after a few dives, it seems like they work a lot better. It takes a while to get used to them, and I have changed the way I kick. Not sure exactly how, but the stroke is different. Next time I go out I plan to take my old fins (Tusa) and give 'em a decent A/B comparison. They make it easier to go backwards, and they pack easier. I just got back from a trip to Corsica, and all the Dive Masters on the boat used super-long fins. They said, "Get rid of those toys and come back with some real fins." It's not like they were trying to lose me, but I had no trouble keeping up. I also had a red spot on the top of my feet, but it never got sore. They are easier to put on, but harder to take off than my old fins when I use my new boots with the hard toe. For snorkeling, they seemed pretty bad at first, but as my kicking stroke evolved, that problem went away. Bottom line is: I like them more every time I use them, and I think they really do work better than my old fins, but I'll know for sure after I do a direct comparison.

 

[meesier42]

I have a couple pairs of them, and I love them. Extra Force Tan Deltas, Slim Fins, and probably going to buy the Excellerating Force Tan Deltas soon.

The LDS that I use sells alot of them, and most all of their instructors use them exclusively. I have found that most people don't like them for 2 reasons.
1) it feels like you aren't doing anything, so people think they aren't working
2) they SUCK on the surface

my response to this are
1) they don't feel like you are doing anything because of their design, but when you compare your speed to you buddy you'll probably find you are moving along faster.
2) well this is TRUE, they do suck on the surface. But then again most dive fins suck on the surface. I fix this my swimming on my back and everything all is good.

I would recommend not putting them on tightly, as you kick they will seat themselves on your foot just fine. The bungie cord ones are good, but not good if you do a bunch of shore dives, they can get yanked in the surf zone.