Need new fins

[jwllorens]

My understanding is that heavy fins are great when you are in a drysuit, as your legs become rather buoyant. Right now, however, I want to dive with a simple rashguard and swim shorts as I am mostly diving in very warm water, but plan to do cold water diving in the future. Since wetsuit booties conked out on me in less than a year (big worn holes in the back) I have decided that I will dive with neoprene socks and Chuck Taylors, as this will be similar to what will be going on with my feet when I move to cold water diving, so I won't need two different pairs of fins.

However, I am not sure if it is possible to get away with using one type of fin for both warm and coldwater diving. With heavy fins and no exposure protection on my legs, I imagine I would have problems with trim. I really like the Hollis F1's, but I worry that I will have trim problems if I go this route. The F2's are supposedly light and small, and look like a good choice for travel and warm water diving, but I have heard mixed reviews about them and they honestly look a bit over-designed, almost like they are getting into the whole split fin with spring hinges realm.

Any recommendations? Should I go for a light fin like the turtles or F2's, and then fix my buoyancy with them when I start dry suit diving by using gaiters or something? Or should I go for heavier fins and try to do something like use trim weights on my BP/W when I am diving warm water? There just doesn't seem to be many options when it comes to lighter weight fins.

 

[decompression]

Heavy fins for drysuit aren't a requirement but a tool if you are feet light. There are other methods to overcome this as well. So, if you are looking for a robust fin that will work for warm/cold water....and I assume that you'll use the neo sock and chuck Taylor's for both, then a great choice is the OMS slipstreams, a solid but neutral fin. Can perform any kick style.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jwllorens]

It does seem like it would be harder to get weight up by my shoulders with heavy fins in warm water than it would be to get weight on my legs with nuetral or light fins in cold water.

OMS slipstreams, thats what I will go for.

I wear a size 10.5 shoe, and I am thinking with 3mm socks (which looks to approximate anything i might find that comes attached to a dry suit) I am guessing that will jump up to a size 11-12. When my socks arrive I will try on some shoes and get something slightly on the tighter side to account for compression.

What is the foot pocket like on the slipstreams?

 

[decompression]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

---------- Post added July 19th, 2015 at 04:05 PM ----------

I have about 12 different pairs of fins, the slipstreams are my favorites. Pretty standard foot pocket. I'd guess your either a large or XL fin.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tbone1004]

my list of fins in order of personal preference
Dive Rite XT
OMS Slipstream
Hollis F1
Scubapro Jetfins

I don't own F1's because I can't bring myself to pay the price for them, sold my slipstreams because the XT's are better, and still own jet fins. Whether I'm diving in cold/warm water is not the decision for me to choose the fins that I choose. I choose based on sidemount/backmount with the Jetfins being basically required for all backmount diving I do due to the extra weight. Unfortunately they just don't have the thrust of the XT's/Slipstreams/F1's. If you're in backmount and you have F1's just stay with those, no reason to change.

 

[Scott]

I used Mares Quattro's for all of my diving for a long time. To make them work in warm waters I purchased booties with a wider profile like the Deep Sea Caribbean.
With more "stuff" being taken with me on warm water trips I now have a lightweight travel fin.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[buddhasummer]

I really really like the Mares power Planas and really like the DiveRite XTs. If I had to choose only one DS fin it would be the Power Plana. I also really liked the F1s but due to fitting issues sold them.

---------- Post added July 20th, 2015 at 08:26 AM ----------

Sorry didnt read post properly. My fav wet suit fins are either Mares Turbo Planas (Malaysian not Taiwanese) or DiveRite XTs. I do like the Mares Quattro + in a current as they are quite a bit longer than my S size XTs and Turbo Planas.

---------- Post added July 20th, 2015 at 08:28 AM ----------

The Aeris Accel is a very nice light weight travel/warm water fin. As is the F2 providing you can get a good fit.

 

[jgttrey]

+1 on the Slipstreams. Love em. I have F2's and have used F1's. Both have their uses. Personally, I find the F2s nice for warm water diving and travel - size and weight are great for diving singles. But, they lack the horsepower for current or pushing around twins and stages. You can do it, but it's more work. I like the F1s a lot, but they are super heavy. Slipstreams are just awesome. 90% of the oomph of the F1s with a lot less weight.

 

[vinegarbiscuit]

I use large Jets for diving wet (BM single and warm water SM) and XL jets for diving dry (BM and SM) owing to different-sized booties and fin pockets. I adore my Jets, and I fortunately have no trim issues either wet or dry (although it has taken a bit of tweaking to get there). I played with a pair of Slipstreams for a lark in BM, and it was like wearing nothing at all. My buddy saw no difference in my trim, though. I would not say no to a pair if someone gifted me a set, but I have other priorities when it comes to buying gear. Damn nice fins, though.

I also played with a set of XL Batfins to see how they felt with my drysuit and BM doubles - just once, it is true - and loathed them. Too damn long and too damn floppy. It felt like I had wet noodles on my feet. Mind you, I am a stubborn old witch with a strong aversion to change. I adore stumpy paddle fins, and that's just that. Your mileage may vary, and that's just ducky.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mikeb21072]

I own the Mares Volo Power, Quattro Plus, and a pair of F2's. Volos were my first but wanted a light travel fin so I bought the F2's, they are great for the reef and making tight turns for photography or video but suffer in surge or current. I then bought the Quattro plus and really like the stiffer fin and that they work great for current and surge. I only dive warm water with an AL80 or steel 100, so I don't have experience with drysuit or doubles/sidemount. I sent the Quattro's back for replacement, one of the bungees was coming loose on the post and the fin popped off on me twice at depth. My volos had the spring strap like the F2's, which I prefer over the bungee. The fins are al size XL and I wear a warm water Aqua Lung Polynesian shoe (3 mm) and the foot pocket is fine for my foot. The Hollis may be slightly larger than the Mares, but not enough to feel sloppy when diving. I would do the Quattro's again with out any thought, but put the spring strap on them and ditch the bungee. Plus, I like the color selection, mine are white.