Freediving Fins

[freediver]

Hmmm, I would contact Omer directly with your shoe size and see what they have to tell you. You might be limited to "open heel" fins. Not a worse case situation, just a different kind of fin.
Lungfish

I wear a size 14W shoe so I am limited to open heel fins. I also wear a neoprene sleeve over my foot and fin keepers to give me that "transfer" of power that full foot fin advocates say you can't get from open heel fins. It has worked out well for me.

 

[Torgo]

I'll have a look see. Or staple long blades direct to my feet. who'd know the differance

 

[5ata]

I recently obtained a pair of #2 waterway bi-fins after my training time with Aharon Solomons at the Blue hole in New Mexico this past January. Plastic blades are a joke after trying these fins - they aren't cheap, but they are absotively a work of art and they provide a level of thrust without the lactic acid burn associated with stiff plastic blades..

 

[pescador775]

The Waterway fin blade may be similar to the Plana Avanti Tre. What is a "number 2" fin? Link? I've been using rubber long fins, then plastic, since 1982. Recently, I've been testing the Caribe and the Avante Tre which have channels formed in the blades by soft panels. These appear to be more efficient than conventional long fins.

 

[5ata]

The #2 is a designation for stiffness (#0-#4)

I believe your response is inaccurate with your preference in fins for freediving and that they are more efficicent - have a look here to see why - http://www.finswimworld.com/nemo_fin.htm

 

[xfive4x]

Has anybody used the Omer Millennium Ice? They can't be as stiff as some of the others, but I was just curious if anyone has tried and liked them.

 

[pescador775]

5ata, I looked at the link. "Composite" is another, fancier word, for plastic. Fiberglas, used in plastic boats, cars, etc, is a composite. Do you have any data comparing the actual thrust numbers or in water speed trials of any of these long fins? There was a one man test reported in the Australian website, Divernet, but I would think that, if the fins (any long fins) performed as claimed, that there would be something comparable to the Scubalab test which tested one new type of long fin against the Tre and others, and the long fin came in dead last. That compares favorably with my informal tests of the same fins. The swimmers who participated in that test were of impeccable reputation. There was even one Olympic athlete, if I recall correctly. I wish Dr Jim Greer would take up the cause. At least one could believe in the results and not have to rely on testimonials from factory sponsored divers and from other commercial interests.

 

[Amphibious]

I have dove Mares Avanti Quattros back to back with my freediving fins. (at the time Plasitic Cress Garas).

there was NO CONTEST. the Gara's were a better fin for deeper freediving. and my Omer bats, a fiberglass fin, are even better then that. I'll never go back to a plastic fin (although the omer Ice fins have me interested), and would never recomend a scuba fin for freediving (don;t care what overly biased scubalab says)

xfive4x - the ice are a softer fin. we have a few members currently using them on www.deeperblue.net. the original model had breaking issues, but this version seems to be keeping folks happy.

 

[5ata]

hmm.. Seems as though this is becoming a religious debate on the merits of scuba -vs- freediving fins.

Ask any serious freediver what they would use for freediving - they will always answer long blades or a monofin - plain and simple - this isn't marketing hype - this is a well known fact. Your position clearly indicates you feel otherwise - everyone has a right to their views - some just aren't fully informed. World records in freediving - no matter if CB or dynamic - are always done with long blades - not stubby scuba fins. There is a reason for that. Efficiency.

Amphibious hit the nail on the head. Long blades just work better for depths past 5-10 meters. Freediving isn't about speed - it's about efficiency of movement without build up of lactic acid.

Bottom line is this: If they didn't work, they wouldn't be used.

As officer Barbrady says in South Park "Nothing to see here, move along"

 

[pescador775]

>>If they didn't work, they wouldn't be used<<

Maybe. When I started with long fins in 1982 they did appear to be more efficient than my old duck fins. However, recent developments by Mares and others are leading to fin designs which are not long fins, and which have been outperforming on objective tests. Something fishy here. Last year, I tested Sporasub long fins with different blades against the Oceanic Caribe and Mares Avanti Tre. When spearfishing in tight quarters there is no contest. The Tre's were the bomb. It may be that long fins do outperform on deep, straight line dives. However, to say that these things save energy is very questionable. "Save" over what? The Quattro? Probably. The Apollo split wing? I doubt it. It may be that some manufacturer of long fins does have a magic "composite" architecture. However, the various testimonials and claims are all over the place. Just keeping an eye on it----for now.