I went through this a few months ago. I really wanted to love the Jets but the foot pockets were sheer torture. Tried the Hollis, OMS and the HOG fins. The HOGs felt like a discount Jet clone with free springs. Hollis and OMS were both excellent. I wound up buying the Hollis to support the LDS.
Replacing my beloved fins
- Thread starter mikemill
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kanonfodr
Contributor
I dive the Hollis F1s and love them, they were great in my Essentials class, as well as in my current diving. I also got to try the Slipstreams and I am still debating replacing (or augmenting) my F1's with them. I used a pair of XL Slipstreams and while they were a bit too big for me, they were noticeably better for a back kick and helicopter kick (for me, YMMV) than my F1s, but for frog kicks and mod flutters the F1s are about the same, IMO.
I talked to a local tech diver a few weekends ago who now dives F1s vs Jets before then and he voiced the same opinion of the F1s, your back kick will suffer a bit but he managed a technique change with them for that particular kick and does just fine.
Ultimately I feel that, like anything else that personal, you should go out and taste the rainbow. There are plenty of divers in your area that I'm sure would let you borrow a set and go diving with you, as I met plenty of nice divers who shared equipment with me for my trip.
Peace,
Greg
I talked to a local tech diver a few weekends ago who now dives F1s vs Jets before then and he voiced the same opinion of the F1s, your back kick will suffer a bit but he managed a technique change with them for that particular kick and does just fine.
Ultimately I feel that, like anything else that personal, you should go out and taste the rainbow. There are plenty of divers in your area that I'm sure would let you borrow a set and go diving with you, as I met plenty of nice divers who shared equipment with me for my trip.
Peace,
Greg
OP
mikemill
Contributor
Re: Back kick
Considering that people are amazed (and sometimes refuse to believe until they see it) that I can back kick in my current fins I'm not too worried about that
Considering that people are amazed (and sometimes refuse to believe until they see it) that I can back kick in my current fins I'm not too worried about that
kanonfodr
Contributor
mikeguerrero
Guest
If you can back kick decently in force fins, you may just fly backwards in any of the others, then.
Dude,
I've been trying to tell him that since I saw him in those Force fins doing some kick ass back finning.
I was speechless when I saw him doing what I thought would be impossible with those force fins, I was wrong.
But I thought, damn this dude is a big guy, Mike M is not small by my standards, and he moves his battle ram (gear), have you seen this guy back kick with double HP119 Worthington's, while under a pair of force fins?
Well, I have seen him since he was in my Mini's double class and Essentials class. It is a sight to see when those force fins start moving him backward.
I almost wish I had that sound that huge garbage trucks make when they start to back up, you know that beep, beep, beep sound.
Would be cool to place that on the video I have of him going backwards with his Force Fins.
Can't wait to see this dude with a pair of non force fins doing a back kick to his monster gear, will be a sight to see.
HenrikBP
Contributor
I started with a pair of Slipstreams and they work well for frog and back kicks. But the foot pocket was still a bit to rectangular for my feet. So I bought a set of F1s and love them. Good fit - the foot pocket is actually shaped for human feet, not 2x4s. I can frog and back kick in them - I'd been wondering about the back kick since they seemed a bit softer at the tip of the fins than the Slipstreams - but no problem. And I can actually do a decent flutter kick in the F1s as well.
Henrik
Henrik
supersand
Contributor
I own the oms slipstreams, jets and the f1's in differing sizes.
The oms fins are really stiff and its my perception is that I didn't feel that little extra snap during the kicks. In addition they aren't as negative as the other two which may work against your trim in doubles.
I like the jets but due to my gunboat foot size I fall between their two sizes, so I just use these when I'm on vacation. Hard to explain but they have a little extra snap in them which is noticable especially during frog kicks. No proof but I feel these are the most negative and most flexible of the three.
I regularly dive the f1's and really like the way they fit no slop but still easy to get into but, your experience may vary. In addtion they already come with nice adjustable spring straps.
Erik
The oms fins are really stiff and its my perception is that I didn't feel that little extra snap during the kicks. In addition they aren't as negative as the other two which may work against your trim in doubles.
I like the jets but due to my gunboat foot size I fall between their two sizes, so I just use these when I'm on vacation. Hard to explain but they have a little extra snap in them which is noticable especially during frog kicks. No proof but I feel these are the most negative and most flexible of the three.
I regularly dive the f1's and really like the way they fit no slop but still easy to get into but, your experience may vary. In addtion they already come with nice adjustable spring straps.
Erik
Scott L
Contributor
Oddly, Scubapro had the new Jet fin size listed on their web-site last week but now it no longer appears. Prehaps a problem ensued in manufacture or transport....:depressed:
Guy Alcala
Contributor
Not a particularly difficult task. To quote HenrikBP,
I own two pair of Jets, L and XL. The Ls fit very snugly on a 3mm boot, although I have to pry it off. Given the lack of warm water locally, they get little use. But for my drysuit with turbosoles, the XL Jet foot pocket shape combined with the hard rubber is the worst one I've encountered. I have one foot that's size 10.5, the other is size 10. The larger foot fits okay in the XL jet (I wouldn't describe it as particularly comfortable, but at least it holds my foot fairly rigid), but the fin on the smaller foot wobbles around despite any number of socks I put on it, wasting energy, causing cramps and screwing up my kicks. I've got spring straps on both. I wish I'd kept the inserts from the only pair of fins I've ever bought new, because they might work as shims if I cemented them in place.
Anyway, I know lots of you find the XL jets too small with rockboots and the XXLs too big, but how about other paddle fins with turbosoles in my size range, i.e. right in between L and XL Jets)?
I also find the lack of drain holes to be a pain (the Bio-fins which I use for long swims have open toes), but a friend of mine solved that problem on his Jets with a hot nail - he came up from the underside of the fin into the pocket, whereas I've been considering putting them in the front of the toe. Does anyone have any experience with longevity problems if you do this? AFAIK he hasn't had a problem yet.
Guy
mikeguerrero
Guest
Guy,
The secret to removing the XL Jets from a Rockboot is simple, one blast of Mcnett's spray in the foot pocket pre-dive.
No need to alter the Jet's from their original state. I like getting out of BW and carrying out some salt water in each pocket for a quick sand off my boots.
I also like that once the foot is in, it's suctioned in tight, not comming off accidently. Just a squirt of the Mcnett's and your fins don/doff effortlessly.
The secret to removing the XL Jets from a Rockboot is simple, one blast of Mcnett's spray in the foot pocket pre-dive.
No need to alter the Jet's from their original state. I like getting out of BW and carrying out some salt water in each pocket for a quick sand off my boots.
I also like that once the foot is in, it's suctioned in tight, not comming off accidently. Just a squirt of the Mcnett's and your fins don/doff effortlessly.
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