HELP! wondering about type of fins..

[JeffG]

Well, it may just be a difference without a distinction, every diving subset has it's ways... I do know that there is a freeze-up concern with equipment with a high rubber content, ice diving is silicone and teflon intensive.

Too funny...Did you learn this gem in your PADI ice diver class .

 

[daniel f aleman]

Knock yourself out:

I learned from instructors that work here

 

[dherbman]

Haven't been under the ice in a loooong time, but do know that in the 2 dives I did, there were no problems with my or any of the other divers Jet Fins. I'd be interested in the physics (or meta physics) involved. Did your PADI class give any insight you can share?

 

[JeffG]

Knock yourself out:

I learned from instructors that work here

How long did it take to find this website in google?

 

[RonFrank]

Well, it may just be a difference without a distinction, every diving subset has it's ways... I do know that there is a freeze-up concern with equipment with a high rubber content, ice diving is silicone and teflon intensive.

Rubber is not going to freeze in 35F water.

 

[RonFrank]

<S>this is going to sound so lame and generic, so i apologize now..

I rented "into the blue" the other night, and i really liked the fins they used..
they were very long, with clear rubber for the most part of the fin.. i will try to find a picture.. but does anyone know the make of these fins just by the sound of them??

i am a girl, and i admit i want pretty things.. and i think these fins are really cool..</S>

i apologize. i didnt even look.
sorry about this.

Your right, it is lame. You certainly do NOT want to choose your fins based on how cool they look.

The fins I believe you are discussing are free diving fins. Hollywood DID likley choose the fin based on looks, however there were several sequences where the stunt doubles were doing some serious freediving, so I'm sure the fins they were using were very functional along with looking good.

I would strongly suggest trying out different types of fins before buying.

Fins are not like shoes, and they come in sizes that are really not standardized. If you are at the edge of one manufactures fit, you may want to look at a different make. So if a fin that is Medium may run 8-9, and if you wear a nine, you may discover that with booties that the 9 is akward because your foot does not extend into the foot pocket properly, and the Large (10-11) is too big. In that case you may want to choose a manufacture that sizes their fins a bit differently, or has large foot pockets. There is really no standard in fin sizing other than most give an approximate foot size range.

I'd go to the LDS, and try splits, paddle, and different makes, and THEN decide what fin is going to work well for you. You will find on this board however that there is a huge number of people who love jets. Nothing wrong with that, but IMO don't get caught in the trap of just assuming that jet users are right when they suggest everything else is not worth diving.

Here is a review from Scuba Diving magazine.

http://www.scubadiving.com/gear/fins/2005_fin_test/

 

[daniel f aleman]

From my manual:

Freezing usually damages rubber when:
a) sub-32 degrees F water penetrates it, then crystals form and grow, cracking or cutting the rubber substance around them.
b) the limber substance becomes stiffer when cold, then cracks instead of stretching when it is pushed around by anything.

You're welcome. And, feel free to take a class at the local community college...

 

[Jason Ooi]

Hi,
You mention that Long fin is for free diving not for recreational scuba dive, maybe you can consider try other fin before you purchase it or get some local dive shop advice.

Cheer
Jason

<S>this is going to sound so lame and generic, so i apologize now..

I rented "into the blue" the other night, and i really liked the fins they used..
they were very long, with clear rubber for the most part of the fin.. i will try to find a picture.. but does anyone know the make of these fins just by the sound of them??

i am a girl, and i admit i want pretty things.. and i think these fins are really cool..</S>

i apologize. i didnt even look.
sorry about this.

 

[Snowbear]

The DM's on the liveaboard boat in Palau were all using freediving fins for Scuba.... they did quite well with them.

As for Rubber fins in cold water.... both pairs of my trust Jetfins do just fine in cold ocean water or under the ice in fresh water. This time of year they somehow always manage to get subjected to sub-freezing temps before they get a chance to dry

While I likely will continue to tell anyone who asks why I won't go back to split fins, I also won't put anyone down for the style, brand or color of fins they choose to use.

 

[RonFrank]

Knock yourself out:

I learned from instructors that work here

The irony is that in the equipment section of this page (thanks for the link, BTW, good stuff) the guy pictured is clearly holding Jets, or Turtles. Another interesting point is that the gloves used are rubber. :11doh:

But this site never really discusses fin selection, but rather focuses on exposure protection (hmm go figure) and regulator mods.