New Diver - Fins & Boots

[Adrian-]

Hi I know there are a ton of threads asking for fin recommendations and I have been reading through them but I am still a bit lost.

I've just certified out in Egypt and in the short term I plan on mainly diving over there, on a couple of dives I encountered some what felt like strong currents that I was struggling on making headway into; I'm pretty heavy on my air so basically anything that will assist in making things easier through the water will help. I was finding after some of the more arduous dives that I would get some discomfort in my shins in a similar way that ski boots can do. Some of the diving that I will do will be shore dives so I would prefer a boot and fin option. I am aware that experience and technique will make a much bigger difference than gear.

I plan on going to a dive centre to take a look at what they have but it would be great to get some suggestions beforehand so that I can check that they stock them, even if the suggestions aren't brand based but just tell me what to look for in physical characteristics.

Shoe size Uk 12 US 13 EU 47

Finally, I see that split fins get a bashing on these forums could someone enlighten me why?

Many Thanks.

 

[tbone1004]

split fins don't allow you to go backwards easily, they don't allow proper modified breast stroke/frog kick techniques with any efficiency, and in current they don't have the power needed to move a diver through. Look at a whale/dolphin/tuna/shark, they all have stiff fins, maybe not the most efficient in the world, but they move a boat load of water and can propel them through anything. Stiff fins might be easy to kick through the water, but you can't build up any speed or thrust with them *this is why all of the military divers use stiff blade fins, including rescue swimmers*

I am a fan of Dive Rite's XT fin, lots of thrust, great maneuverability, good for flutter kicking through currents, lightweight albeit a bit long for some air travel, and relatively inexpensive. Boots are a very personal thing, I'm a fan of neoprene socks with drysuit overboots personally, but there are many high quality boots out there, just need to try them.

If you were experiencing discomfort in your shins it's your body telling you that you need to work out more. Once you decide on fins, take your mask, fins, and snorkel to a pool and kick laps, flutter kicking with fins is a very different motion than what your body is used to and requires practice and exercise to strengthen those muscles.

While you enjoyed Egypt, you live in a place where some of the best local diving is available, albeit a little cold and somewhat less than ideal visibility, but I'd highly recommend you get with some local divers around you and see if one or a bunch will mentor you based on your long term diving goals.

 

[Adrian-]

Thanks for the reply, that's just what I was looking for a recommendation and some advice

Cheers

 

[lemke]

I encounter a lot of current where I dive... two brands I use are Mares Quattro's, and DiveRite EXP's.

 

[tbone1004]

Adrian, Mares Avanti Quattro's are VERY similar to the Dive Rite fins, but a bit lighter and a bit easier on your legs, the EXP's have been discontinued and replaced by the XT, they are identical with the exception of the XT's having a metal buckle instead of plastic, nice thing with the Dive Rites are they do have a lifetime warranty on them so if you do manage to break one they tend to replace them quite easily, not sure how Mares works, I use them for my pool fins but they were give to me. Can't go wrong with Mares, or Dive Rite, but do expect your legs to be a bit sore if you are kicking hard, so if you have access to an olympic pool I really recommend trying to get in and kick laps. It's one helluva cardio workout as well and nice thing with the snorkel is you can ease into rhythmic breathing with it.

 

[ams511]

This article is a bit old but fins really don't change that much. 28 FINS ON TEST - Divernet

SOME SAY SPLIT FINS are no good in a current. The first to reach the market, Apollo Biofins, worked well and were very effective in the water. However, some other major manufacturers used the split-fin concept to take the effort out of finning instead of increasing efficiency. It was what the buying public wanted, they said. These models sold well in dive stores but eventually gave split fins a bad press, because there is no such thing as a free lunch. These rather soft and floppy versions of split fins proved poor when the chips were down, and you had to work hard swimming into an oncoming current.

 

[Adrian-]

Cheers again folks the recommendations and link has given me something to go on, once I have bought some I will have a chat with my local pool see if they let people in with fins.

 

[RJP]

Finally, I see that split fins get a bashing on these forums could someone enlighten me why?

When my buddy and I were diving the U-869 on air with John Chatterton and Richie Kohler a few years ago, my buddy's split fins silted the place up so bad that I couldn't find my Spare-Air. I got so nervous I mistakenly hit the "up elevator" lever on my SeaQuest i-3 BCD. Ordinarily, this would have sent me shooting to the surface, but fortunately some monofilament got tangled around my Air-2. When I cut the line with the 11" knife strapped to my calf, I mistakenly poked the purge valve in my HydrOptix mask. I tried to use my tank banger to get my buddy's attention, but by that time he had gotten one of his suicide clips tangled up in the retractor I use to attach my dry snorkle to the transmitter of my air-integrated wireless compass, which I bought on-line instead of at the LDS that I stopped supporting ever since I signed up for e-learning. I believe that was right about the time I had the regs I bought at Leisure Pro serviced at the local Jiffy-Lube but didn’t actually test them myself before going on a special “Storm Tracker” live-aboard trip that I signed up for because they were offering a special "Take Fish ID, Get Your IDC Free" promotion. Unfortunately I missed that trip because of the systemic fungal infection I contracted when the Halcyon p-valve I installed myself in my cave-cut trilam dry suit failed while I was solo-diving for golf balls on a rebreather. Which I only did for the money, ever since the captain of the boat I crew on started making me tip the passengers $10/tank on every charter that I work. Of course, if I had done my OW training with an instructor that has daguerrotype YMCA or LA County c-cards in his wallet none of this would have happened.

I'm writing a book about the whole saga...

Shallow Divers:The true story of two Americans who risked everything to solve the mystery of every "you're gonna die" cliche on ScubaBoard

Ironically, it seems that Gary Gentile is now claiming that I actually did not experience every cliche myself, based on a series of interviews he did with the girlfriend of the brother of a guy I shared a room with on Spring Break in 1987 and is now threatening to expose the REAL story of how all the trouble actually began when NetDoc started radioing the Coast Guard to ask whether he could log pool dives as "real dives".

I will happily refute Gary's assertions in an on-line interview on ScubaBoard, wherein I will respond to any and all questions with "get a BP/W" while wearing my mask on my forehead.

PS - it's not the agency, it's the instructor!

 

[David Wilson]

Cheers again folks the recommendations and link has given me something to go on, once I have bought some I will have a chat with my local pool see if they let people in with fins.

Do let us know what your experience is when enquiring about fin use in public pools. One of the reasons why I now do outdoor swimming in the UK is the reluctance of pool staff to permit fin use, citing "health and safety" concerns. In the 1950s and 1960s there was no problem about using fins and masks in public pools. Even the harmless childhood game of "conkers" here in the UK has generated H & S overzealousness:

Pupils ordered to wear goggles to play conkers at school in 'nanny state' ruling
Pupils who want to play conkers in the playground have been ordered to wear safety goggles - because of health and safety fears. Headteacher Polly Broadhurst has insisted that children playing the traditional game at her school should wear goggles to protect their eyes. But parents have condemned the 'nanny state' ruling and even health and safety bosses say the school has gone too far.

'Nanny state ruling': Pupils at Adlington Primary School in the safety goggles they must wear before playing conkers in the playground

Read more: Pupils ordered to wear goggles to play conkers at school in 'nanny state' ruling | Daily Mail Online
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