Here it comes...Split-fins or Full fins?

[beach89]

I tried both split fins and paddle fins, and I bought paddle fins. The split fins felt too floppy to me. I never get close to cramping, so the main advantage of split fins didn't matter for me. I've also tried jets, and they felt too weak. They also messed up my trim. I finally decided on Mares Plana Avanti Quattro fins, and they feel perfect for me. Lots of power and they don't feel like they're flopping everywhere.

 

[PerroneFord]

I was hoping I could try some out before commiting to buy them. Hopefully I can find some in black! LOL!

I get down to PC every so often so maybe I'll check them out next time I'm down there.

As for keeping an open mind, I think that's crucial. There's LOTS of ways to dive.


Plus, the last time I was at the spring, someone touched me with a split fin. I felt so dirty...

-P

PerroneFord: You keep an open mind.

In Florida Apollo stocking dealers are:
www.apollosportsusa.com/Dealers/Search_Results.php

Divers Den in Panama City, and Dixie Divers in Deerfield Beach, carry the most fin inventory. A lot of Divers Den orders are special military orders so they, sometimes ,do not always have a lot of stock. Dixie Divers stocks the whole range regularly.

Larry and Joe @ www.scubatoys.com in Dallas always stock and sell a full line of bio-fins.

Sorry we do not have someone in the Tallahassee area at this moment.

 

[bwerb]

Hey guys,

So we all know the story with me. I'm an aspiring scuba diver, and I've just started to buy my own equipment. Both of my LDS's praise Split-fins to no end, but my Scuba Instructors preach against using split-fins.

Are there any brands you could recommend to me? I go on my open water certification dives the weekend of October 20th. By the way, cost can be an issue, I don't want to spend more then $150 on a pair of fins. Thanks!

Les

Don't you think it's interesting that the party with the vested interest in having you part with as much money as possible is pushing the split-fin option whereas the parties most interested in your diving skill are suggesting paddles. Hmm...

 

[TxHockeyGuy]

TxHockeyGuy,

Do you remember what color his fins where? Different colors are different levels of hardness. The harder they are, the better for frog kicking. I can see how soft splits would not be ideal for the frog kick.

If I recall correctly they were grey. They looked very soft based on seeing him in the water.

 

[Jarrett]

In Cozumel a couple of weeks ago, my GF and our DM swapped fins for a dive. My GF has the Tusa X-Pert Zoom splits and the DM uses a 7 year old pair of Cressi-sub blade fins I believe. My GF has been diving for a couple of months now, the DM for 7 years in Cozumel. At the end of the dive, they both wanted their fins back.

I think it just boils down to you like what you started with and that doesn't change unless your needs as a diver change along the way. If for some unforseen reason I go Tek... Tec... Tech? Then I'll probably have to switch to whatever fin is prescribed by their dogma, ie. Jet fins.

But for now, I'm a new diver that started with splits. I'm a warm water newbie that flutters 90% of the time (without kicking up silt ) and I really like my yellow Apollo Bio-Fin Pros.

Try before you buy if you can. If not take a realistic look at your diving needs and go with suggestions of people you trust and respect.

 

[Puffer Fish]

I was hoping I could try some out before commiting to buy them. Hopefully I can find some in black! LOL!

I get down to PC every so often so maybe I'll check them out next time I'm down there.

As for keeping an open mind, I think that's crucial. There's LOTS of ways to dive.


Plus, the last time I was at the spring, someone touched me with a split fin. I felt so dirty...

-P

Perrone, I have appollo and if you are down at Morrison some time when I am there, you can try them. But you need to understand that you will need a different kick. Actually most people (me included), need a different kick. A flutter kick sprays thrust in every direction (up and down) and is not good for efficiency or silting conditions.

It turns out that there are a lot more methods of kicks than one would think, and some are much more efficient. With any fin, one should be able to have downward, level and upward thrust. And it has nothing to do with any of the standard kicks.

You can see this at a place like Morrison, where the bottom is very soft. I have found it really hard to break old habits, but I can now adjust thrust direction for efficiency or condition and would be happy to demonstrate. You should be able to be inches off the bottom and not stir anything up, both right side up and upside down.

I have to admit that I have had a terrible time understand this, even after all these years. I always believed that the only straight back thrust was the frog. I was wrong.

 

[PerroneFord]

Puffer,

In Fundies, we had to learn 3 other types of non-silting kicks. I've added a fourth, so I understand what you mean about there being a number of ways to obtain rearward thrust.

I'm somewhat afraid that your fins will be too small for me. This is what has stopped me from trying splits before now. I wear XL jets, and they fit great. I slipped drysuit on Saturday, and the Jets fit great. So yours might be too small.

Thanks for offering though. I'll be at Morrison this Saturday most likely, if you're going to be around.

 

[RonFrank]

I'm just not going to enter in this *debate* Again. I will however throw out THIS from the ScubaDiving tests done. People on the SB often poohpooh SD's testing, but read the testing process for yourself and make up your own mind as I think they do a rather good job.

I'll also add that there are a couple of kicks that Cavers use that are more difficult in Split fins. So if you are planning on diving in tight spaces, consider that.

http://dive.scubadiving.com/PDF/200510GR_fins.pdf

 

[Puffer Fish]

Puffer,

In Fundies, we had to learn 3 other types of non-silting kicks. I've added a fourth, so I understand what you mean about there being a number of ways to obtain rearward thrust.

I'm somewhat afraid that your fins will be too small for me. This is what has stopped me from trying splits before now. I wear XL jets, and they fit great. I slipped drysuit on Saturday, and the Jets fit great. So yours might be too small.

Thanks for offering though. I'll be at Morrison this Saturday most likely, if you're going to be around.

I wear large boots, so would doubt the size will be an issue. The foot cavity is larger than that of extra large jets (yes, I have a pair of jet fins) and have two sets of springs, one for standard dive boots and one for what I normally wear (right now that is the cold water Pinnacle's and my regular shoes are small compared to these guys)

Cannot make this weekend, but will be down there at least once a month.

But when you are there, try the following two kicks:

1. Make the force by using the top of your foot to move the fin. This means that all the rest of the stroke is to recover. This pushes water back and down and is close to the effect of just a flutter. If done correctly, you feel the pressure on the top of your foot.

2. Make the force by using just the bottom of your foot, by pushing down and pointing toes at the same time. Takes some timing to get right. This only pushes back and up. This takes a lot of hip and leg motion as compared to the other.

One is the opposite of the other. The second is the effient kick with any highly flexible fin, and harder to do with stiff fins.

My kick, during most of my diving, has been a flutter, mixed with 1 above, and then both types of frog. Two is tough to learn, but you can swim miles with it and hill climbing uses the same muscles.

I believe that because some fins feel better for some types of kicks, people tend to like that specific fin. It would be better to learn effecient kicking and then look at which fins work best.

Oh, and all the tests I have seen, the split does not do anything, it is the flex that is important. (Were not my tests, but would agreed)

 

[Puffer Fish]

I'm just not going to enter in this *debate* Again. I will however throw out THIS from the ScubaDiving tests done. People on the SB often poohpooh SD's testing, but read the testing process for yourself and make up your own mind as I think they do a rather good job.

I'll also add that there are a couple of kicks that Cavers use that are more difficult in Split fins. So if you are planning on diving in tight spaces, consider that.

http://dive.scubadiving.com/PDF/200510GR_fins.pdf

There is other, university testing that shows the same thing. But they had instruction in how to correctly use split fins, which most do not get. After changing kick, I would never go back to any regular fin, before, did not like.