Ok, I know there was a recent discussion regarding neutrally buoyant tech fins. I've been on my own quest to find the ultimate fin, so I thought I would post my review of two very different fins here. My buddy and I received our new Eddy fins from @cerich a couple of weeks ago. Yesterday we went to our local quarry and gave them a whirl. In case it's helpful, I wear a size 10 men's shoe, dive wet, and use soft-soled wetsuit boots.
Hollis F1s: After many years of diving with the original ScubaPro jet fins, I decided to give the F1s a try. After a few dives, they became the best fin, I had ever put on my foot...or so I thought. Here's what I love: 1) the system for connecting the spring straps to the fin is solid, there are no moving parts, so nothing to snag or get pulled out of alignment. 2) they have enormous power and this is important to me. I like a stiff, powerful fin. 99% of the time, I never use that power, but I want it there when I need it. Otherwise, I can do slow frog kicks/sculling kicks with stiff fins and still not use much energy. 3) the foot pocket is deep and this brings the top edge of the fin all the way to my ankle. This feels secure and comfortable. 4) All kicks are easy, except back kicks, I can't seem to do these in the F1s. 5) They are built like a tank. I like bulletproof equipment.
As it turns out, this last point seems to be the rub. Being built like a tank means they also weigh as much, both in and out of the water! I often found myself sculling to keep my feet from sinking. Although this wasn't really a big deal, I just found it annoying after a while.
Having heard great things about Deep6, my buddy and I decided to give them a try.
Deep6 Eddy fins: 1) the system for connecting the spring strap is identical to that of the F1s. It's solid and awesome. I ordered the size large fin and found that I needed to adjust the strap one notch in, on one side, to get the fit right. 2) They do not seem to have quite as much power as the F1s. The fins seem to have slightly more flex, and to me, seemed to have less power. With that said, the thrust they provide is certainly adequate for moving me with a set of doubles. So even though they seem to generate less thrust than the F1s, I certainly wouldn't worry about them being "under powered." Again, my personal preference is for a really stiff fin, so I can imagine that the Eddy fins probably appeal to a broader range of divers. In addition, I can imagine that a few minutes of hard swimming would generate less fatigue compared to the F1s. 3) The foot pocket is comfortable, but it is not quite as deep as the F1s. The top edge of the Eddy fin stops maybe an inch short of where my foot meets my ankle. On my foot, they just didn't quite feel as "secure" or "connected to my foot" as the F1s. This is probably more of a perception relative to what I've been used to. The foot pocket actually fit my foot nicely, with no lateral movement. So the fins actually were comfortable and secure on my foot. I can imagine that many people might find a foot pocket that comes all the way up to the base of the ankle would rub, making them uncomfortable. So again, I suspect the foot pocket design would appeal to most divers. 4) All kick types were easy, and much to my surprise, I found I could do back kicks. I'm actually not sure why, but something about the design of these fins (maybe a tad shorter than the F1s) worked. I gave it a try and was totally jazzed to find I was going in reverse! 5) The Eddy fins are way lighter, both in and out of the water. And this was the liberating part! I instantly found myself feeling better trimmed from head-to-toe and didn't have to constantly scull to keep my feet from sinking.
Also, my buddy tried her new Eddy fins as well. She had previously used a set of plastic SP split fins and the Atomic blades. She hated both of those. They both lacked power and she had tremendous trouble keeping them on her feet. She came out of the water smiling saying the Eddy fins made for the first dives where she didn't have to think about her fins!
Obviously these are different fins and of course Hollis makes the LT version of their F1s, but given that both fins are suitable for tech dives, it's still worth a comparison. Oh yeah, did I mention the price? If you buy two pairs of Eddy fins, the price per pair is almost half what the F1s cost!
I suspect I will quickly get used to how the Eddy foot pocket feels and I think I've definitely found a winner!
Hollis F1s: After many years of diving with the original ScubaPro jet fins, I decided to give the F1s a try. After a few dives, they became the best fin, I had ever put on my foot...or so I thought. Here's what I love: 1) the system for connecting the spring straps to the fin is solid, there are no moving parts, so nothing to snag or get pulled out of alignment. 2) they have enormous power and this is important to me. I like a stiff, powerful fin. 99% of the time, I never use that power, but I want it there when I need it. Otherwise, I can do slow frog kicks/sculling kicks with stiff fins and still not use much energy. 3) the foot pocket is deep and this brings the top edge of the fin all the way to my ankle. This feels secure and comfortable. 4) All kicks are easy, except back kicks, I can't seem to do these in the F1s. 5) They are built like a tank. I like bulletproof equipment.
As it turns out, this last point seems to be the rub. Being built like a tank means they also weigh as much, both in and out of the water! I often found myself sculling to keep my feet from sinking. Although this wasn't really a big deal, I just found it annoying after a while.
Having heard great things about Deep6, my buddy and I decided to give them a try.
Deep6 Eddy fins: 1) the system for connecting the spring strap is identical to that of the F1s. It's solid and awesome. I ordered the size large fin and found that I needed to adjust the strap one notch in, on one side, to get the fit right. 2) They do not seem to have quite as much power as the F1s. The fins seem to have slightly more flex, and to me, seemed to have less power. With that said, the thrust they provide is certainly adequate for moving me with a set of doubles. So even though they seem to generate less thrust than the F1s, I certainly wouldn't worry about them being "under powered." Again, my personal preference is for a really stiff fin, so I can imagine that the Eddy fins probably appeal to a broader range of divers. In addition, I can imagine that a few minutes of hard swimming would generate less fatigue compared to the F1s. 3) The foot pocket is comfortable, but it is not quite as deep as the F1s. The top edge of the Eddy fin stops maybe an inch short of where my foot meets my ankle. On my foot, they just didn't quite feel as "secure" or "connected to my foot" as the F1s. This is probably more of a perception relative to what I've been used to. The foot pocket actually fit my foot nicely, with no lateral movement. So the fins actually were comfortable and secure on my foot. I can imagine that many people might find a foot pocket that comes all the way up to the base of the ankle would rub, making them uncomfortable. So again, I suspect the foot pocket design would appeal to most divers. 4) All kick types were easy, and much to my surprise, I found I could do back kicks. I'm actually not sure why, but something about the design of these fins (maybe a tad shorter than the F1s) worked. I gave it a try and was totally jazzed to find I was going in reverse! 5) The Eddy fins are way lighter, both in and out of the water. And this was the liberating part! I instantly found myself feeling better trimmed from head-to-toe and didn't have to constantly scull to keep my feet from sinking.
Also, my buddy tried her new Eddy fins as well. She had previously used a set of plastic SP split fins and the Atomic blades. She hated both of those. They both lacked power and she had tremendous trouble keeping them on her feet. She came out of the water smiling saying the Eddy fins made for the first dives where she didn't have to think about her fins!
Obviously these are different fins and of course Hollis makes the LT version of their F1s, but given that both fins are suitable for tech dives, it's still worth a comparison. Oh yeah, did I mention the price? If you buy two pairs of Eddy fins, the price per pair is almost half what the F1s cost!
I suspect I will quickly get used to how the Eddy foot pocket feels and I think I've definitely found a winner!
