looking to buy fins any suggestion?

[Zhomich]

hi there everyone, I am new and just getting into diving and I am looking to buy some fins but don't know which ones to even consider, I am going to do just basic open water rec diving for now. I have sort of looked at aqua lung sling shots, and scuba pro seawing nova gorillas, but haven't really decide about any thing I've looked at. what are your guys opinion on fin? and suggestions or pro and cons of any fin on the market that would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Zack

 

[buddhasummer]

The slingshots use "power bands" which do snap so personally I wouldn't buy them. The Seawing Novas are a good fin if you primarily use the flutter kick. I found them too floppy. I bought some Seawing Gorillas, basically the same fin but much stiffer, I liked them more as I could frog kick in them but eventually gave up on them as my local site has lots of discarded fishing line and I got caught up a couple of times. They were one of the most comfortable fins I'd ever owned. If possible going to a shop and trying out some fins in the pool is a good idea. Fin preference is very personal. Some like heavy stiff fins and some lighter softer fins. The Mares Avanti Quattro plus fin is a nice fin. I also quite like the DiveRite XT fin but it is quite stiff. The stiffer the fin the more leg muscle required. What ever fiin you end up with I'd recommend those with either spring straps or bungee straps. You'll get lots of recommendations so trying before you buy is of course the best way. Welcome to Scubaboard and good luck with your search, I've been diving for over 15 years and currently own about 9 sets of fins and I'm still looking for the "perfect" fin.

 

[decompression]

hi there everyone, I am new and just getting into diving and I am looking to buy some fins but don't know which ones to even consider, I am going to do just basic open water rec diving for now. I have sort of looked at aqua lung sling shots, and scuba pro seawing nova gorillas, but haven't really decide about any thing I've looked at. what are your guys opinion on fin? and suggestions or pro and cons of any fin on the market that would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Zack

Do a quick mental check of what you want in a fin and your price point. Travel, weight, ease of kick, thrust, kick styles. Talk to your LDS and see if you can trial several pairs. Then choose and accept that you'll probably buy a few more over the years.


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[tbone1004]

I'm a big believer in the Scubapro Jet Fins, and the OMS Slipstreams, though I am a recent convert to the Dive Rite XT fins and truly believe they are a superior design for most diving *I still wear Jet fins for drysuit doubles diving since the extra weight is nice*. No sense in buying expensive gimicky fins, you can usually find Jet Fins on Craigslist for pretty cheap, generally sub $50

 

[Jim Lapenta]

A good dive fin can be had for as little as $50 bucks brand new that will work just fine for the majority of recreational divers. You can also spend upwards of 200 bucks or more for a fin that in all reality will do no more for the average diver than the 50 dollar one. It's when you get into situations with current, confined spaces, the need to do precise kicks with a lot of control that you will see the difference. Even then an accomplished diver can do just about everything in the less expensive fin that they can in the higher end models. I dive mainly two different fins now.

For local diving and confined spaces, including the pool, I like my HOG tech fins. Short, precise, comfortable.

For long swims in open water I have two pairs of Hollis F-1's. The black and the black/yellow. Both are the prototype models. I was one of the original consumer testers and likes them so much I kept them. With permission of course.

For my snorkeling classes I wanted a light fin that still gave me the control I like. I use my original pair of OW fins. Aqualung Blades. Not the Blades II. Those are junk. The original blades that still come up on ebay every now and then for around 25 bucks. Good fin. I learned to back kick, do helicopter turns, and frog kick in them.

As has already been said don't plan on your first pair being your last. I do enough different types of diving that I prefer to have fins that in my opinion are best suited to them. I could use any one of them for all of them.

If you do decide that your first will also be your last, the 50 dollar ones are still going to do the same thing as the 200 dollar ones will. You'll just have more money left for other things.

 

[The Laconic]

I can almost comment on the two you've been considering. I started off with Seawing Novas and Aqualung Hotshots. I've ditched the former because I can't frog kick effectively in them, and I just decided to ditch the latter because they have no power.

So far I've been happiest with some Mares Quattro Excels that I bought off eBay at the recommendation of my cave instructor. They don't make them any more, but they still make similar ones. I can frog, they have good power, and they're not heavy (sometimes you want heavy though). And notice that, unlike the Novas or the Hotshots, they're quite basic. No fancy shapes or rubber bands.

 

[uncfnp]

Stay away from the sling shots but if you want them anyway I have a pair I will sell cheap.

Love the Mares Quattro.