5ata
Contributor
From what you describe, short fins may be the answer, I know that my friend Roger Yazbeck , President of Picasso America, sells a shorter type freedive fin, The Spuma, which would probably meet your criteria - they aren't cheap, but he has said they are great for tight quarters shallower type spearfishing - also suppose to work well with surface swimming which is typical for cold water type freediving.
But I can tell you that the majorty of freedivers are very attuned to their bodies - they count kick cycles - with freedive fins - 5 complete kick cycles and you are down to 10 meters no problems. I doubt that one can accomplish that with traditional scuba fins. Freediving is about efficiency of movement in the water - I have tried freediving with fins similar to what you describe as more efficient - all I can say is that my experience is quite the contrary. The newer designs of long blade fins are quite a bit better than the old days of stiff plastic long blade fins. They are utilizing CAD to design and manufacture them and they are some of the most wonderful things to swim with in the water. Only a few years back, you couldn't get a fin in various stiffnesses - now, it's expected and a necessity since not all freedivers are the same. Some need stiffer fins for deeper dives, others need more compliant fins - there is something for just about anyone. Unless one has actually tried them to see and feel the differences, one can only debate the issue ad nauseum - I've tried both types and made my choice based upon that.
Ask ANY serious freediver why he uses long blades - that is testemony enough.
But I can tell you that the majorty of freedivers are very attuned to their bodies - they count kick cycles - with freedive fins - 5 complete kick cycles and you are down to 10 meters no problems. I doubt that one can accomplish that with traditional scuba fins. Freediving is about efficiency of movement in the water - I have tried freediving with fins similar to what you describe as more efficient - all I can say is that my experience is quite the contrary. The newer designs of long blade fins are quite a bit better than the old days of stiff plastic long blade fins. They are utilizing CAD to design and manufacture them and they are some of the most wonderful things to swim with in the water. Only a few years back, you couldn't get a fin in various stiffnesses - now, it's expected and a necessity since not all freedivers are the same. Some need stiffer fins for deeper dives, others need more compliant fins - there is something for just about anyone. Unless one has actually tried them to see and feel the differences, one can only debate the issue ad nauseum - I've tried both types and made my choice based upon that.
Ask ANY serious freediver why he uses long blades - that is testemony enough.
