need advice from force fin users

[glimmerel]

Thanks for the advice. I'll try the bicycle kick which I had not read about. When I looked at the website, it said to take quick, shallow flutter kicks rather than deep ones.

If the bicycle kick doesn't work, I'll walk in my fins to the doggie park and make doggie friends!

 

[donacheson]

That's how you ride a bike.

I don't think of riding a bike that way at all. Riding a bike is a push down while extending the leg. I'll certainly agree that the use of one muscle, the quadriceps, is similar; but the muscle use in the lower leg is completely different - quite the opposite of riding a bike, in fact.

 

[WreckWriter]

I don't think of riding a bike that way at all. Riding a bike is a push down while extending the leg. I'll certainly agree that the use of one muscle, the quadriceps, is similar; but the muscle use in the lower leg is completely different - quite the opposite of riding a bike, in fact.

Explain it how you will but the fact is that the "power" from a force fin comes from the bottom of the fin being pushed horizontally through the water. Anyone used to a standard kick will find them to be much like swimming with their shoes on.

Personally I still doubt the claims that even a person very used to them can generate enough power to get out of their own way but I know for certain from experience that if you kick them like a standard fin you're going nowhere.

WW

 

[Scott M]

Personally I still doubt the claims that even a person very used to them can generate enough power to get out of their own way but I know for certain from experience that if you kick them like a standard fin you're going nowhere.WW

I have no great love for the Force Fins but doubt as you may I can atest that they do indeed provide quite a bit of power. I have swam my 10' X 10' floating dock out to it's mooring against a pretty strong head wind and 1 to 2 waves a feat that was impossible with full foot Deep Sea blades. Standing still waist deep I had a heck of time just holding on to it so I know the power it took to do the job. OTOH I did not own jets at the time so I have yet to compare them, but the little bit I did do with the jets I sure it will be no problem at all.

 

[JRScuba]

HI, The split fin is the greatest thing since sliced bread. To be honest, I've never tried any other type. My instructor, out of all the fins in the shop recommended the Sherwood Trek ( a split fin ). They are very comfortable, efficient and all you use is the flutter kick. You'll motor boat through the water.

Go to this site, select gear and the split fin and they will give you the test results of various fins.

www.scubadiving.com

Email me if you have any questions..

You said you have pretty small feet. Is that Pretty feet and they are small size six?

 

[Boogie711]

HI, The split fin is the greatest thing since sliced bread. To be honest, I've never tried any other type.

How can you say splits are great when that's all you've tried? I have tried splits. Let's just say, um - you're wrong. Let's just leave it at that.

And for what it's worth - Again - Rodales has very little respect around here, for good reason.

 

[d33ps1x]

Saw that coming.

 

[donacheson]

Explain it how you will but the fact is that the "power" from a force fin comes from the bottom of the fin being pushed horizontally through the water. Anyone used to a standard kick will find them to be much like swimming with their shoes on.

Personally I still doubt the claims that even a person very used to them can generate enough power to get out of their own way but I know for certain from experience that if you kick them like a standard fin you're going nowhere.

WW

If by "bottom of the fin" you mean that surface of the fin on the deck when standing in the boat, then the power doesn't come from the bottom of the fin being pushed through the water - it comes from the top of the fin being driven back against the water as the leg unfolds from the knee. Why do you think Force Fins are curved upward?

As for your doubts, they're misplaced. I will agree that if you kick them like a standard fin - a flutter kick with lots of motion from the hips - they're not very effective, but you will go somewhere if the current isn't too strong.

FWIW, I took my first pair of Force Fins on a week-long dive trip to the Bahamas in the early 90's. I needed nearly a week of 3-a-days to modify my kick and realize they were keepers. Do I think they're the best fins in the whole wide world? No, but they're very good ones.

 

[Scott M]

If by "bottom of the fin" you mean that surface of the fin on the deck when standing in the boat, then the power doesn't come from the bottom of the fin being pushed through the water - it comes from the top of the fin being driven back against the water as the leg unfolds from the knee. Why do you think Force Fins are curved upward?

Actually now that I think about how I used them you are correct the power generated is from the knee (pivot point), calve muscle and ankle in a backward motion starting at behind and above the swimmer, with the fins curved on top it allows the fin to return (or snap if you will) back to the top of the starting point and since it is curved there is less resistance and counter productivity on the return kick. This is very clearly shown in the mini movies on the web site.

 

[Scubatooth]

HI, The split fin is the greatest thing since sliced bread. To be honest, I've never tried any other type. My instructor, out of all the fins in the shop recommended the Sherwood Trek ( a split fin ). They are very comfortable, efficient and all you use is the flutter kick. You'll motor boat through the water.

Go to this site, select gear and the split fin and they will give you the test results of various fins.

www.scubadiving.com


Email me if you have any questions..

You said you have pretty small feet. Is that Pretty feet and they are small size six?

jriderski -- i personally dont trust anything rodales has to say in its reviews because its the advertiser that gives them the most money gets the best review. additionally i have seen how they do there fin test and it was the most biased and un scientific test i had ever seen in my life, and talking to some of hte people involved in that test just confirmed how biased it was.

rodales isnt readable anymore its just another rag with 90% ads in it, with very little info

FWIW