Obvious split fin question

[Teamcasa]

The question posed in this thread had nothing to do with likes and dislikes ... why drag that tired old horse into what otherwise could have been an informative response to the OP's question?

Seems like nothing more than an attempt to start another train wreck ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

You are right, and I apologize to the thread posters.

I gather the split fin question has been discussed to death. I won a pair last year. I'm sure they make me go faster. What is the safety problem with them?

There is no safety issue with split fins, in my humble opinon. Wreck and cave divers may have specific issues but that type of diving has a significantly higher risk factor than any specific splitfin safety issue.

 

[don Francisco]

In defense of split fins, they tend to disturb the sand less than standard fins when folks swim close to the bottom.

When finned hard, standard fins send a pressure wave down, and you can see small puffs of disturbed sand as much as 6 feet below a diver. Split fins direct the compression wave backwards and you can swim as close as 2 feet without disturbing the bottom.

Granted that skilled divers can swim close without creating disturbances, but split fins bring that benefit to the less skilled.

Like many things in life, split fins are neither better or worse, just different.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

I love this quote:
"They allow people who don't have proper kicking technique to move by moving their feet, but without kicking."

IMHO, finning is what we should be doing with fins! Soccer balls, footballs, ex's and buckets get kicked. For most of the world, when you say "kick", people bend their knee more than proper when useing fins.

I applaud the first split fin engineers, who evidently realized that most people not only don't have a clue about finning but are also lacking decent strength and flexibility. Isn't the split fin for non-athletes who move their legs like they are on a stationary bicycle?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Isn't the split fin for non-athletes who move their legs like they are on a stationary bicycle?

No ... those would be Force fins.

Bicycling in split fins produces an inefficiency not too different than in blade fins ...namely that you lose most of the thrust the fin was designed to deliver.

In my experience, the best way to get good power from split fins is to kick from the hip. Standard blade fins work better with less hip motion and more ankle motion ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Teamcasa]

Isn't the split fin for non-athletes who move their legs like they are on a stationary bicycle?

I doubt it.
About this bicycle kick, I've seen brand spankin' new divers kick like that but they quickly learn how to properly kick if they stay with diving for any lenght of time. I don't think I've ever seen and diver with more than 50 dives do the bicycle kick.

So, no, I don't think the fins were designed soley for them.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

In defense of split fins, they tend to disturb the sand less than standard fins when folks swim close to the bottom.

When finned hard, standard fins send a pressure wave down, and you can see small puffs of disturbed sand as much as 6 feet below a diver. Split fins direct the compression wave backwards and you can swim as close as 2 feet without disturbing the bottom.

Granted that skilled divers can swim close without creating disturbances, but split fins bring that benefit to the less skilled.

Like many things in life, split fins are neither better or worse, just different.

In my unscientific mental record of all things posted about splits, this is exactly the opposite of what nearly every other poster has said about splits with regards to silting.

I would be interested to see another post claiming splits help the less skilled silt less; so far this is the only one I've ever encountered.

This is a polite version of what I've seen posted 99% of the time.

There is an issue with full-leg flutter kicking, which is the most common way of kicking in splits, in that it is a very good way to disturb a silty bottom and reduce the viz for anyone who comes behind you.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

I don't think I've ever seen and diver with more than 50 dives do the bicycle kick.

AFAIS, the majority of purchases of ~$200 splits are made by divers with less than 50 dives.

Also, AFAIS, there are plenty of divers with more than 50 dives who bicycle kick; they just look like they have less than 50 dives.

 

[Teamcasa]

In my unscientific mental record of all things posted about splits, this is exactly the opposite of what nearly every other poster has said about splits with regards to silting..

I think, silting is caused more because the diver is to close to the bottom than from the whatever fin they are wearing.

I have seem many a diver, sporting a fine set of <insert favorite non-split> fins happily rototilling their way just a few feet above the bottom.

 

[JeffG]

I think, silting is caused more because the diver is to close to the bottom than from the whatever fin they are wearing.

Yep...to close and wrong stroke.

Two wrongs do not make a right.

 

[SparticleBrane]

I love this quote:
"They allow people who don't have proper kicking technique to move by moving their feet, but without kicking."

From Thread: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/3441906-post1.html