Force fins

[Scubatooth]

jhspb once bubbled...
Any opinions about tan deltas vs. pro's.

Is the price difference worth it?!

well the difference is the material the delta material is alot stiffer (MUCH stiffer) as opposed to the pro's

have dove with both you its better to get the pros first to get used to the kicks used for the FF, after that you can get the deltas if you want more power to move through the water.


if you have anymore questions please feel to ask

 

[raviepoo]

My Pro's are getting a little bit squished out of shape after repeated abuse. It might be worth it to me to get tan deltas if they are solid enough to hold their shape.

 

[Aquanaut713]

Jeez guys, this seems to be a really sore spot for some. Never would have thought that this topic would have sparked such a debate. I'm new to the board, but thought I'd check out what was being said about the various fins. For what it's worth, I've had several pair of Force Fins and are completely sold on them!! The only issue I have with them is that I went through 2 pairs of Tan Delta's that broke right behind the foot pocket. If anyone has had the same problem, I'd love to hear from you. It really was a shame, 'cause other than that I truly loved the performance I got out of them. I have now switched to the Adjustable Force Fins though and have been very pleased with them. I also have a pair of Tusa X-pert Zoom split fins that I have also been very pleased with. It really depends on the type of diving as to which one seems to do the best. Of course, that might just be the answer to the whole debate issue. Different fins for different dives. I must agree with one comment I read though................I've never had a leg cramp while using the Force Fins.

 

[Scubatooth]

on your broken tan deltas you need to contact force fins to let them know about that, and they probably will replace them, because they will want to examine them to see what happened to them.


but i will agree with you the forces are great and dont cause leg cramps.

 

[Zerogravity]

I'm a little late on this thread, but I have just been comparing Scuba Pro Jets with spring heels to my old Force Fin Pros. I tried all the kicks I usually use (flutter, frog, mostly), and found that while the FFP's aren't the best fins for frog kicking, they still work well enough. For flutter kicking they are, in my opinion, better than the Jets, I could definitely feel the difference in effort between the two, and I like the shortness of the FFP's compared to the Jets. I also tried Avanti Quattros extensively. Great fins. I guess it really is just a matter of personal preference and what you like. If it works, and you dive safely and efficiently,and with care, then who cares what you use? I do a lot of drift diving here in FLA, and ocassionally have to cross some pretty stiff currents. Initially, I was concerned that the FFP's wouldn't cut it in these conditions, but they worked fine. Just my 2 cents. ZG

 

[John C. Ratliff]

I tested a pair of Force Fins in the 1980's, when Mr. Evans gave me a pair, and have these observations (about the original Force Fins):

--For those used to regular fins, they take some getting used to. The Force Fins have power only on the down stroke; they use the up stroke (when swimming face down) as a recovery, and don't provide propulsion.

--The best way to use them is to do a powerful down kick, and really emphasize it. This gets the most out of the fin's elasticity. It is also very comfortable because of the foot pocket design.

--On the surface, people used to regular fins will tend to break the surface and splash a lot with Force Fins.

--Cinch up the strap fairly tight, because it can come off in surf (my son lost one in the small surf at Hawaii).

--They are the easiest fin to walk in so far designed.

--If you use it for a "frog" kick, modify the kick so that you don't use the bottom of the foot (or fin), but the top. The harder the kick, the better.

--Short dolphin kicks work well.

Having said that, they don't work as well for propulsion as a monofin (I was Fin Swimming Director for the Underwater Society of America when I evaluated them), but then again, no regular fin does (with perhaps one exception, but it's not commercially available).

SeaRat

PS--Does anyone have a use for one, regular, black Force Fin from the 1980's?