Question New Fins- recommendations?

[halocline]

Fins can absolutely make a difference in trim. SP jets are the most negative that I know of. It’s not that common to see recreational divers in thin wetsuits using them because they end up feet-heavy. Dry suit divers love them. Mares avantis are terrific fins, and you can get full foot versions of them which will allow you to ditch the booties in warm water. It helps keep your feet a little less floaty too. That’s what I used for years in Cozumel.

There might be other things causing you to go head down, especially at the end of dives when your tank is butt light. So don’t assume it’s only the fins, but it is a legit thing to try negative fins.

 

[Bikecop136]

Mares Avanti Quattro +

 

[34109411]

Hi everyone! I’m a new diver. I bought my 1st pair of fins last year: Scubapro GoSports. I am very positively buoyant, and find that with the GoSports my legs are too floaty. They put me head down when descending (from shore or boat) and sometimes at safety stop. I’m looking for fins that would be less positive.
My LDS recommended Hollis F2s but, researching them, I found that many folks said that they lack power in current. This concerns me because we dive in Cozumel a lot. I always just drift with the current, but want something that would be strong enough to fight a current, if necessary.
I dive wet- 3mm full in Cozumel (w/16-18 lbs lead), and 7mm full (w/23 lbs, including stainless plate) on local Massachusetts shore dives. I may want to switch to drysuit diving in the next couple of years, in order to be able to do more local cold water diving.
Does anyone have any recommendations for me? F2s good enough? Better options?
Thanks so much for any advice you can give me!

rk3 !

 

[nanches]

Fins can absolutely make a difference in trim. SP jets are the most negative that I know of. It’s not that common to see recreational divers in thin wetsuits using them because they end up feet-heavy. Dry suit divers love them. Mares avantis are terrific fins, and you can get full foot versions of them which will allow you to ditch the booties in warm water. It helps keep your feet a little less floaty too. That’s what I used for years in Cozumel.

There might be other things causing you to go head down, especially at the end of dives when your tank is butt light. So don’t assume it’s only the fins, but it is a legit thing to try negative fins.

Thank you for this response. I used full foot fins when I was certified and had no issues with floaty feet. My guide switched fins with me last summer in Cozumel. His fins were Aqua Lung and I used lighter booties. That definitely solved the floaty feet issue for me. So I’m definitely struggling with the buoyancy of the fins. But that doesn’t mean I don’t I have other buoyancy issues especially at the end of the dive… but that’s another issue to work out later.
Thanks again!

 

[nanches]

I am willing to bet that you are not going head down and that you may be in good trim. The human body in the water, kitted out is dynamic, always moving. I do not think you need new fins, you want to be horizontal, your legs bent and feet up slightly, like this for your neutral trim position:



Both my wife and I had (and still do) Mares Quattro fins and both of us now have Go-Sports. The Go-Sports are by far the better fin, comfort, maneuverability, backing, frog kicks. The Mares fins are collecting dust.

If you are truly being pulled head down by your Go-Sports

Definitely turning feet up/head down. I’ve dived with other fins that don’t do this to me.
That picture is nothing like what I look like when my feet get all floaty

For reference, this is what I looked like AFTER I switched fins with my guide in Cozumel:


Ditching the Go Sports and boots did wonders for my trim.

 

[-JD-]

You might consider OMS Slipstreams. They are slightly negative in fresh water, reasonably light out of the water, and have a nice balance of power and stiffness.

I attached a spreadsheet with my measured data (including fresh-water buoyancy) for all of my fins in this post: Question - First pair of fins

 

[Nemrod]

Definitely turning feet up/head down. I’ve dived with other fins that don’t do this to me.
That picture is nothing like what I look like when my feet get all floaty

For reference, this is what I looked like AFTER I switched fins with my guide in Cozumel:
View attachment 848748View attachment 848750

Ditching the Go Sports and boots did wonders for my trim.

Another fin then that you might consider that I like better than the Slipstream (which is a consideration for you) is the Eddy Flipper. I think you might really like the Eddy Flipper. Very high quality, shares similar characteristics to the Go but a little more negative due to the spring straps and just a very high quality fin. Definitely a tech and expedition oriented fin.

But for your heavy exposure gear/dry suit, again, Scubapro Jet Fin, the one and only.

 

[nanches]

Another fin then that you might consider that I like better than the Slipstream (which is a consideration for you) is the Eddy Flipper. I think you might really like the Eddy Flipper. Very high quality, shares similar characteristics to the Go but a little more negative due to the spring straps and just a very high quality fin. Definitely a tech and expedition oriented fin.

But for your heavy exposure gear/dry suit, again, Scubapro Jet Fin, the one and only.

Thank you!

 

[Endler's]

...AFTER I switched fins with my guide...

So why not get the same Aqualung fins and the boots as your guide?

 

[nanches]

So why not get the same Aqualung fins and the boots as your guide?

I don’t know what kind they were…