Have you ever heard of a Force Fin?

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castanagajt

Contributor
Messages
223
Reaction score
1
Location
Las Vegas, Nevada
# of dives
25 - 49
So here I am on my second confined water dive wearing my brother's yellow Force Fin Pros for the PADI program at my local SPORT CHALET here in Las Vegas, more specifically the Crossroads Commons location, and, well, the usual situation comes about.
I'll let you all take a second to think back a bit and guess what that is...
Time's UP!!!
You all must have guessed it! THAT'S RIGHT!!! The instructor, and his assistant, scolded me about my choice of fins, saying that these fins are only designed for use in fishing with waders. I don't get why they chose this confined dive to point that out to me, because the one prior they didn't even bother mentioning them. Along with this, they told me that during our Open Water dives they require that I wear a different pair of fins, and that, because of wearing those other fins on that dive, I'll notice a huge power difference in the way they work.
Sure, later on when we went down into the pool, they started noticing the different type of kick that I had to perform to make them work, pointing that out to me on the surface. But then again, they didn't even point out the difference in maneuverability that I had in comparison to everyone else's fins, this being that I had more of a free range of movement and ease of directional changes compared to them.
I guess it's just the instilled ignorance that they have towards these fins through certain magazines and other such material. I still don't get why they just don't accept that these fins can hang, even surpass, others in many aspects in the water. I hope in time that this problem does not come up with others who choose to use Force Fins in the future.
 
castanagajt, this group of stores and instructors have been spreading bad will about my Dive fins for years. I have heard it all and personally it makes me sick. Their instructional agency has not stopped and other agencies keep the same drum beat going year after year. 17 years ago we put our advertising personal thur one of these stores since I felt they covered the mass market of diving. After most of the class saw Harold swimming with easy and not cramping up, some smart student asked the instructor why they did not sell Force Fins for divers. The instructor in front of the entire class and our marketing person stated "They" did not carry Force Fin since some one had drown in them. Well, this happening has never happened and for the fin cramps he told the class to eat a banana. These stores are like British Petroleum, they will never tell the truth about my products and will spread their darkness like oil upon the uneducated minds.
 
Tell them that Force Fin Test Diver #1 is PADI IDCS Instructor 163994 and they are full of #2 in a male Bovine Formula. I have dived them in more places then most folks and they are my favorite fin. If they were not, I would use another type of fin.
 
Most people in this world are afraid of what they don't know. I was afraid of sharks before I learned about them. Never liked sushi until I tried it. A Force Fin is such a smart product and so different from the fins on the market that they always have been and will be scrutinized. Stick to your guns as there is no certifying SCUBA agency that requires or prohibits the use of one pair of fins over the other and if you want to talk about safety listen to what Dr. Harvey Barnett has to say about his studies with Force Fins.
 
What a bunch of boneheads
Its terrible that as an instructor you will "teach" people the wrong thing.

If you tried the fins and did not like them, that is one thing.
But just to say they are ineffective!?!?!?

Its so sad.

Just remember to smoke them in the open water test while wearing your Force fins!
 
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If force fins are so dangerous to use, I wonder why John Chatterton took his blue tan delta extra force fins down 400ft to the HMS Britannic... Those instructors clearly don't know what they are talking about. A lot of people have an opinion about force fins - even those who have never tried them.
 
Uncleavi, drink up...I don't think we can pick on one store or diving agency. From what I have seen about 90 percent of both say something negative. Yes, we have a few great diving shops and Instructors who have sold our products since day one. I can always remember Mr. Jim Joiner, a Force Finner, a founder of The College of Oceaneering, and owner of Best Publishing telling me he was amazed on what he would hear when asking a store why they did not carry Force Fins. True today as back in the early 1980's. Ask your local dive shop and listen. I like to hear a new twist to the lies.
 
Oh HO!
AGAIN!!! it happened!
GAH!!!
Last night, again, I went to my PADI Open Water Diver course at Sport Chalet (same location as before), and this time I decided to use a fin that looked somewhat like the "normal blade"-type out of the Force Fin line, the Excellerating Force Fins!
And...
Just like the night before, towards the middle of class they pointed out that they were Force Fins!
Seriously?! What's the deal with that?!
Just because I'm using some fins that aren't regularly carried at most Dive Shops (yeah, sadly Sport Chalet goes under this monaker as well, though I dislike saying that XD) what gives them the right to make me use a "normal" fin?
They say it deals with safety, but, when my instructor handed me his own fins to use, a respectable gesture indeed, I felt nothing superior about them. Actually, I felt that they reduced the amount of freedom of movement that I had with the Excellerators. Personally, I prefer the Pros, but I thought I could "fool" them into thinking that they were fins of the "normal" "acceptable" type.

Can someone PLEASE tell me why it seems to be that EVERYONE is against this great product?!?!?!
 
Castanagajt, well not everyone is against my American Made fins, Seal Team one is purchasing a fair amount this week. We just finished a shipment to the Australian department of Defense. Dr. Sylvia Earle also purchased several pairs for personal friends. But this news about "BAD MOUTHING" is the Last Straw for me. Those of you who are on the fence about what my fins do, I would suggest you run to find a pair as soon as you can. That's all I will say for now.
 
It would rock if some of the ST 1 guys showed up to sport challet and gave them their opinion....

BOB, hang in there. WE know what fins are the BEST.
And they all have your name on them.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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