Not-too-heavy fins for cold water, variety of kicks, and long surface swims?

[anchochile]

I'm a new diver and now own pretty much all my own gear except for fins. I've been using rental fins from my LDS, but they only rent one type of fins, so without having had the chance to try various styles of fins I'm not sure how to decide what to buy.

Most of my diving is local cold-water shore diving (Monterey), so that's what I want to optimize for.

I definitely want fins that will allow me to learn a wide variety of kicks. I tend to frog kick more than I flutter.

I want something that will work well for the long surface swims that I do on most dives.

Several local divers have recommended JetFins due to the wide range of kicks they can be used for, and their negative buoyancy which is helpful in cold water with lots of neoprene on the legs.

However, I've had some tendinitis problems in my quad muscle in the past, and it tends to be re-triggered by overuse, so I'm worried that a very heavy fin would put too much strain on my quads.

So, can anyone recommend fins that are good for a variety of kicks, work decently for surface swims, and are not excessively heavy/straining to the quads?

Thanks!

 

[divad]

I'm a new diver and now own pretty much all my own gear except for fins. I've been using rental fins from my LDS, but they only rent one type of fins, so without having had the chance to try various styles of fins I'm not sure how to decide what to buy.

Most of my diving is local cold-water shore diving (Monterey), so that's what I want to optimize for.

I definitely want fins that will allow me to learn a wide variety of kicks. I tend to frog kick more than I flutter.

I want something that will work well for the long surface swims that I do on most dives.

Several local divers have recommended JetFins due to the wide range of kicks they can be used for, and their negative buoyancy which is helpful in cold water with lots of neoprene on the legs.

However, I've had some tendinitis problems in my quad muscle in the past, and it tends to be re-triggered by overuse, so I'm worried that a very heavy fin would put too much strain on my quads.

So, can anyone recommend fins that are good for a variety of kicks, work decently for surface swims, and are not excessively heavy/straining to the quads?

Thanks!

Hollis F1s.....and I'm not a Hollis fan.

 

[divad]

............

 

[Lorenzoid]

Slipstreams and Turtles have long been considered the lighter-weight cousins of Jet fins. Same stiff old-school "paddle" style, but lighter. A newcomer in this category is the Deep6 Eddy fin. But are you sure you want a lighter fin? It may be less taxing on your quads, but your local friends are correct that heavier fins are useful for counteracting buoyant legs, which can be especially problematic with drysuits if you start using one of those. I have Deep6 Eddys for wetsuit diving and Jets for drysuit diving.

 

[runsongas]

i use hollis f1s for drysuit and dive rite xt for wetsuit but you may want to try quattros instead of the dive rite if you don't want stiff fins.

 

[divad]

I am now recommending SPACE-FORCE..(echo-echo-echo)..... fins.

 

[Landau]

Hi @anchochile if you tell us what fins you are currently renting and what you like and dislike about them that will help us give better suggestions.

There is lots or personal preference and kicking style involved in fin choice. I favor a smaller fin.

My one recommendation is get fins with bungee or spring straps (or add them to fins without) makes getting them on and off so much easier, especially in a cold water shore dive where your flexibility is hampered by a thick wetsuit or drysuit.

 

[scubadada]

Try Dive Rite XTs

 

[Valyngar]

Dive Rite xt world with drysuit and wetsuit and are much better than jet fins and look alike (f1). You get much better propulsion per frog kick tahn jet fins. Also light for their size so you can travel wit them. Only in inside wrecks their long size makes you think more about leg positions. I have converted my buddy from jet fins to dive rite after 1 dive.

 

[anchochile]

Hi @anchochile if you tell us what fins you are currently renting and what you like and dislike about them that will help us give better suggestions.

Hmm, they are Tusa fins, not sure of the model. They're plastic with a flexible rubber strip down the middle of the fin, I think.

They're the only fins I've used for diving (a whopping total of 7 dives), so I don't have much basis for comparison. They feel fine underwater. Surface swims are a bit fatiguing and a little tough on my bad quad, but I assume that would be the case with any fins. I guess there's nothing in particular I dislike about them, I just wonder if I would like other fins better. Sorry - that's probably not too helpful.