Force Fins

[glbirch]

My wife has been using Force Fins for 5 years now and she loves them. She's had them in tropical water and used them on her ice diving course.

 

[donacheson]

... They are light, and small, so it's feels like there's nothing on your feet with them on.
If you dive in silty environments, you will likely wreak havoc on the bottom with these fins. One of our occasional dive buddies was leaving craters with light kicking about 5-6' off the bottom.... it's like a focused punch of water off these things. Perhaps with time and practice, one could develop a decent frog kick, or keep the silting under control..... I couldn't say.
...
chris

A couple of comments - If you've got the kick they require down right, you feel them them pushing back when you want to go.

Again, if you've got the kick right, they don't stir up silt on the bottom.

What's the right kick? The thrust must come from bending one's knee up at about a 90 degree angle, then extending it using the quadricep. It's not a flutter kick which, in my view, comes from the hips with a mostly stiff leg.

As for the performance of Force Fins while frog kicking, I plead ignorance - I've never liked that kick. While snorkeling, forget them.

 

[nalfein]

"A couple of comments - If you've got the kick they require down right, you feel them them pushing back when you want to go."

.

Sure you feel them while kicking.... I just meant they don't have the heft that I find comforting in a heavier fin.

.[/QUOTE]

"Again, if you've got the kick right, they don't stir up silt on the bottom."

"What's the right kick? The thrust must come from bending one's knee up at about a 90 degree angle, then extending it using the quadricep. It's not a flutter kick which, in my view, comes from the hips with a mostly stiff leg."

.[/QUOTE]

I'm familiar with the modified flutter..... but some people don't change their technique to suit fin type and bottom composition.

 

[Jetwrench]

I have two pair of force fins, different sizes depending wether I'm diving with my dry suit or in warmer climates. Until last Feb I had never used anything else and love them for their comfort and ease. I had to use a pair of board fins on a vacation I took due to missing luggage, and found I needed to change my kick style to make them work.

Force Fins seem to need a different kick technique to work effectively. I think some of the longtime board users will find it difficult or uncomfortable to change over, but if you are easily adaptable to change you will find they work well in frog and flutter kick, light or heavy equipment. I personally prefer the frog kick.

I like them. I use them. Results may vary.

 

[Morg_NZ]

WOW, I thought that I wouldn't get many replys...little did I know.

Thanks for all the advice and pointers folks

 

[DennisW]

My understanding is that Force Fins work very well if you have a bicycle kick. Most divers try not to use a bicycle kick because it is not very inefficient. Assuming this is true, proper kicking techniques would make the Force Fins undesirable for most people. Me? I like my Jets. I've tried other types of fins, but never have tried the Force Fins so my recommendation is to borrow some and see for yourself.

 

[donacheson]

My understanding is that Force Fins work very well if you have a bicycle kick. Most divers try not to use a bicycle kick because it is not very inefficient. Assuming this is true, proper kicking techniques would make the Force Fins undesirable for most people. Me? I like my Jets. I've tried other types of fins, but never have tried the Force Fins so my recommendation is to borrow some and see for yourself.

I've asked this question before and never got a good answer: What is a bicycle kick?

 

[glbirch]

My understanding is that Force Fins work very well if you have a bicycle kick. Most divers try not to use a bicycle kick because it is not very inefficient. Assuming this is true, proper kicking techniques would make the Force Fins undesirable for most people. Me? I like my Jets. I've tried other types of fins, but never have tried the Force Fins so my recommendation is to borrow some and see for yourself.

Sounds trollish, but I'll respond. No fin that I've seen works "well" with a bicyle kick. IMO it just shows poor instruction if you're a qualifed diver and not kicking properly. My wife uses flutter and frog most often with her Force Fins and does quite well. She admits that they are less effective for her in a frog kick, but as it's a relaxed stroke it doesn't bother her.

donacheson : Bicycle kick is just what it sound like. You fin like you're riding a bike, pumping your knees up and down and 'pushing' at the water with your feet as if you are trying to climb stairs.

 

[BubbaFetta]

My understanding is that Force Fins work very well if you have a bicycle kick. Most divers try not to use a bicycle kick because it is not very inefficient. Assuming this is true, proper kicking techniques would make the Force Fins undesirable for most people. Me? I like my Jets. I've tried other types of fins, but never have tried the Force Fins so my recommendation is to borrow some and see for yourself.

That is not true.
I use the same kick with my Excellerating Force Fins (which is, admittedly, rather different from other models by Force Fins) as I did with my Scubapro Jet Fins.

Force Fins are most efficient with a modified flutter-kick, not a bicycle kick.

I never put on my Jet Fins again after I tried on the Excellerating Force Fins. They have as much thrust as the Jet Fins but provides a return "snap" which drastically increases efficiency overall.

-BubbaFetta

 

[donacheson]

...

donacheson : Bicycle kick is just what it sound like. You fin like you're riding a bike, pumping your knees up and down and 'pushing' at the water with your feet as if you are trying to climb stairs.

Thanks. I cannot imagine it being an effective kick, especially with Force Fins being convex on the bottom. Now if a diver put Force Fins on upside-down, maybe the bicycle kick would work better. <G>