Light Fins for Travel

[Skulmoski]

They look like they'd work a treat.

Funny thing is that when my daughter was 5, we went snorkling together for the first time in the Indian Ocean (Damiyat Islands, Oman) and she used fins very similar to these shorties. They worked very well for her.

Cheers

GJS

---------- Post added December 28th, 2015 at 04:54 PM ----------

A comparison by weight for those most fins nominated so far (size medium/regular):

1360 gm Aeris Accel
1550 gm APS Mantaray
1860 gm Hollis F1
1964 gm Apeks RK3

GJS

 

[Bison Ravi]

are the f1 really lighter than the apeks?? Never used the RK3 but the F1 are some of the heaviest fins I ever used...

 

[KenGordon]

No, the RK3s are considerably lighter than the F1. I have both, the F1s I use to aid balance when head heavy on a twinset, the RK3 for diving a rebreather which makes me foot heavy.

I tried some F2s too, those are lighter again than the RK3s. They seemed to have more fancy holes than necessary and so have less traction.

 

[buddhasummer]

I too own both, the F1s are significantly heavier than the RK3. The F1s sink like a stone, the RK3 s will float in salt water and sink slowly in fresh. The F2s are a little lighter than the RK3s but not by much.

---------- Post added December 28th, 2015 at 07:17 PM ----------

If you want small and light I think the RK3s are better than the F2s, although a fraction heavier, I find the foot pocket more comfortable on the RK3s with a little more power. Just my personal opinion, of course YMMV.

 

[adamp69]

i'm looking to purchase a small wetsuit boot, like 3mm, short cut. and a pair of fins for travel.. i love my old version jet fins., but unfortunately they are heavy as hell, and way too big when diving in anything but my drysuit boot. i was looking at the F2's because of their light weight. but i recently read about the oms slip stream. it looks identical to a jet fin. I also heard good things about the RK3's. does anyone use all 3? for me they will be 100% travel warm water fins. used with a size 11 light weight wetsuit boot. The sizing is a little confusing, and unfortunately i will have to order either pair sight unseen. so any info would be appreciated.

 

[kaerius]

i'm looking to purchase a small wetsuit boot, like 3mm, short cut. and a pair of fins for travel.. i love my old version jet fins., but unfortunately they are heavy as hell, and way too big when diving in anything but my drysuit boot. i was looking at the F2's because of their light weight. but i recently read about the oms slip stream. it looks identical to a jet fin. I also heard good things about the RK3's. does anyone use all 3? for me they will be 100% travel warm water fins. used with a size 11 light weight wetsuit boot. The sizing is a little confusing, and unfortunately i will have to order either pair sight unseen. so any info would be appreciated.

I never got around to using a slipstream, but from all accounts they are like jetfins, but the material is a little harder, making for a very stiff foot pocket, worse than jetfin. RK3s are more comfortable than either of them due to the softer material, but they're slightly less powerful as a result as well, from reduction in stiffness. I have many dives with original jetfin, and several with RK3s.

Jetfin:
Pro: comfortable and powerful
Con: heavy

Slipstream:
Pro: light and powerful
Con: hard pocket

RK3:
Pro: light and comfortable
Con: slight power loss

 

[CarcharodonCarcharias]

---------- Post added December 28th, 2015 at 07:17 PM ----------

If you want small and light I think the RK3s are better than the F2s, although a fraction heavier, I find the foot pocket more comfortable on the RK3s with a little more power. Just my personal opinion, of course YMMV.

How is the Accel compare to RK3? I love my Accel and thinking about ordering another pair. Might give RK3 a look at and interested to hear more opinions.

 

[buddhasummer]

How is the Accel compare to RK3? I love my Accel and thinking about ordering another pair. Might give RK3 a look at and interested to hear more opinions.

The Accel is of course lighter, same length as the Rockets, but with an overall smaller blade surface. I think, from memory, the Accel isn't quite as powerful as the Rocket but pretty close. The Rockets feel like a "fin" the Accels like a "toy" but I think in the main they are more similar in performance than not. I imagine the Rockets will outlast the Accels, a much more robust fin. The foot pocket on the Rocket is significantly more comfortable and more anatomically correct than the Accels which seem to suffer the same gargantuan foot pocket syndrome as with the F2s.

Someone needs to tell someone what a small or extra small actually is as some fin manufacturers appear to have a hard time understanding, not to mention that a travel fin is likely to be used with thin wetsuit boots and not Sasquatchien Drysuit boots (Accels in XS and in particular the small F2s). Rant over.

At this stage I prefer the Rockets and given their size and relative low weight I see no reason that they couldn't be considered for traveling.

 

[kaorugosh]

I'm hijacking this thread. I just got Aeris Accels in a size small-medium. I wear an 8 (women's) and needed bigger fins for my drysuit. Attached is a comparison of my size ML force fin pros and a small-medium aeris accels. I'm a little worried about the Accels being a tad small. The edge of my heels are 3 fingers from the fin. Width wise, they're fine and my feet aren't wiggling in the toe box area. Nemrod, do you think I should go one size up?

Also, to the OP: my force fin weighs 1.5lb and the accel is 1.2lb. They're both super light.
View attachment 213445View attachment 213446

I am planning to get the accel but so confusing with the size. I am wearing US7 men 5mm hard sole boots. Should I get Small as you did or XS? May I know which boots you are wearing. Thanks a lot!

 

[Nemrod]

Travel fins are often designed to fit into a carry on suit case. This means the fin and blade length is limited to around 20 inches overall.The Accels are such a fin. I normally use a XL Jet which has a much longer blade than the size large Jet. I also use Large Jets with a thin fin sock, the XL Jets with a standard 3mm or 5mm soft sole dive boot. I compare the thrust of the Accels to be equal to the size large Jet and noticeably less than that of the XL Jet.

My point, if you now dive with the size large or smaller Jet you will be at home with the Accels, if you normally dive with a XL Jet or something like a Mares Quattro, you will notice a 20 or 30 percent reduction in thrust. If you plan to use spring straps instead of the perfect fine (for me) Accel straps then do not get the Accels because you are defeating one of the benefits. What are the benefits of Accels, well, light weight and short length for a carry on suitcase.

N