Paddle VS. Split: A Biased Review

[24940]

I started out diving Jet Fins in the 70's and switched to Twin Jets when I came back to diving a few years ago. I had heard great things from the LDS about the splits and what I heard sounded good. Faster with less effort, was the claim.

Speed/power is a nice feature, but I found it came at the expense of responsiveness and feedback. After a year of diving the splits, I bought a new pair of Jets and never looked back. The back kick came to me with relative ease after switching to Jets and I deemed the splits incapable of performing a back kick.

In the last three years, I've seen many claims that contradicted my belief that splits were not capable of performing the back kick. I doubted these claims, as I have yet to see it done, so I took my splits out of moth balls to give it a go.

The first test I did was on power. I did this test without SCUBA, to remove some of the variables. The weight belt on the bottom has 29 pounds on it. The XL Twin Jets are close to neutral, while the XL Jet Fins are negative, so there is a couple pound difference between the two.

While it was difficult to kick the belt up with both fins, it seemed the Twin Jets seemed slightly easier to kick up the weight. That slight difference may have been the difference in buoyancy between the two fins, but I would still give the win to the Twin Jets in this test.


When attempting the back kick in splits, the loading stroke is very difficult to avoid generating thrust and the result is forward motion during the loading stroke. With the Jets, the blade slices through the water and produces virtually no thrust during the loading stroke.

Helicopter turns are easy enough in the twins, but they provide virtually no feedback and kick for kick create less thrust than the Jets.





Now, I freely admit I don't dive splits, so I'm hoping someone will post a video showing how great they really are for utility kicks.
Anyone want to buy a set of Twin Jets?

 

[Randy43068]

Thanks for posting your results. I'm also not a fan of the split fin.

 

[Wiilldd1]

Thanks for the results.

I use my jets when diving dry and with a heavy equipment load.

I use my apollo splits when I am in warm water with nothing but trunks and rash guard.

 

[Teamcasa]

Ohh Man! That's a great video! I love the way you finally mastered back kicking the splits.

 

[TSandM]

I got a good laugh out of the head bonks . . .

Back kick is hard enough to master in paddle fins. I can do it in splits because I already know how to do the kick; I cannot imagine learning it in splits.

 

[b1gcountry]

I learned it in splits. Going to Jets the first time felt really funny. I had a tough time until I got the hang of it.

 

[JeffG]

I learned it in splits.

You learned how to back kick in your splits?

Got it on video?

 

[b1gcountry]

You learned how to back kick in your splits?

Got it on video?

I think we've been through this before.

 

[24940]

Does this mean you won't post video? It might help another split finner learn the kick. It has to be a different technique than using paddles, right?

 

[b1gcountry]

Yes it is a different technique, and I would be glad to post a video if I was capable, but I am not. Neither of filming it, nor posting it...

In Lieu of a video, I will say this:

Backfinning with Jets is a four part process:
1.Turn your ankles out so your heels are pointed towards each other.
2.Scull backwards with your feet (the power stroke).
3.Turn your ankles in so that your heels both point up.
4.Bring your feet back to the start (the loading).
((This places a little bit of strain on my knees, as I typically do this with knees bent at least slightly.))

Backfinning with my splits (the way I can most successfully do it) is only a two part process. I start with my legs straight out behind me and my toes pointed outward.
1. With your legs straight, powerfully spread your legs to form a wide 'V'. The fins scoop the water and propel you backwards. (The Power Stroke)
2. Slowly bring your legs back to the starting position, letting your fins follow in line with your feet. (The Loading)

What happens is the splits will flare out during the power stroke, but when you are loading, they will follow in the slipstream created by your heels and won't create as much drag.

The kick is much more tiring in split fins, and also doesn't work as well using my drysuit. I think that's because the legs of the drysuit increase resistance so much during the loading phase. I also think I kick up more silt using the split fins simply because your fins need to be straight out behind you, and therefore closer to the bottom.

Tom