Scuba Pro fins and ankle fatigue
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PerroneFord
Contributor
Different fins can require different techniques to be effective. If you are used to a fin that is quite soft ankle flexion would have been preferable to make them propel you effectively. Stiffer fins don't work this way. Try not to "flick" the fins with your ankles and use the larger muscles of your legs and hips to oscillate the fins. The Jet Fins move a LOT of water. I think you will find them very effective if you slow your pace down, move your leg more as a unit (assuming you are doing a flutter) and get the bigger muscles involved.
It might be worthwhile to have an instructor or an experienced diver watch you swim with these fins and make corrections as necessary.
One other thing. How's your trim? If you are swimming in the common "feet down" position and fighting your weights to stay buoyant, stiff fins will wear you out. My USD Blades are probably the stiffest fins known to man. Like having a 1x6 strapped to my feet. And if your trim is bad, you'll be tired in NO TIME fighting these things. The volume of water they displace is incredible, and that is borne on your legs and ankles.
Best of luck.
It might be worthwhile to have an instructor or an experienced diver watch you swim with these fins and make corrections as necessary.
One other thing. How's your trim? If you are swimming in the common "feet down" position and fighting your weights to stay buoyant, stiff fins will wear you out. My USD Blades are probably the stiffest fins known to man. Like having a 1x6 strapped to my feet. And if your trim is bad, you'll be tired in NO TIME fighting these things. The volume of water they displace is incredible, and that is borne on your legs and ankles.
Best of luck.
Canadian_Diver
Contributor
rboyer:
Each persons body and kicking styles are different than another. Some people rave and swear by one type of fin, and it just doesn't work for other folks.
Give it some more time, you've hardly dove with them. If you're still not happy, maybe start trying on some different fins. You might actually prefer the (make sure they're the black ones as they're stiffer) ScubaPro Twin Jets over the Jet Fins.
fishoutawater
Contributor
Rboyer, I have a pair or IDI Power Fins. Just like your Scuba Pros. Real stiff and way heavy. They're not really meant for all out continuous swimming with. Way too stiff for that. It takes a while to develop the muscles and tendons to get efficient use out of them.
One way to approach the ankle issue is to use either shorter, or more flexible fins during workout swims.
I do my swimming workouts with Zoomer fins: http://store.yahoo.com/trioutfitter/zotrfi.html
They're shorter and let me get a good burn going in my hypoxic drills, but at the same time, they work your ankles pretty good without fatiguing them too much.
But when actually scuba diving, where the name of the game is air conservation, I rarely kick hard enough to fatigue my ankles. About the only time that would happen is if I somehow overshot the boat on a drift dive. Other than that, I just cruise around with a slow gentle frog kick.
Yeah, with just ten dives in, you're just finding new muscles and tendons you didn't know you had. They'll get better.
One way to approach the ankle issue is to use either shorter, or more flexible fins during workout swims.
I do my swimming workouts with Zoomer fins: http://store.yahoo.com/trioutfitter/zotrfi.html
They're shorter and let me get a good burn going in my hypoxic drills, but at the same time, they work your ankles pretty good without fatiguing them too much.
But when actually scuba diving, where the name of the game is air conservation, I rarely kick hard enough to fatigue my ankles. About the only time that would happen is if I somehow overshot the boat on a drift dive. Other than that, I just cruise around with a slow gentle frog kick.
Yeah, with just ten dives in, you're just finding new muscles and tendons you didn't know you had. They'll get better.
DennisW
Contributor
All ScubaPro Jets are black. Like Mr. Ford said, use your legs to kick, not your ankles. Use your entire leg and don't bicycle kick by rotating your feet like you would when riding a bicycle. The flutter kick starts with the thigh. I use the frog kick more than anything, but you will get more used to these fins. I love mine.
Canadian_Diver
Contributor
rboyer:
I was referring to the ScubaPro TWIN JETS, not the ScubaPro JETFINS. I think the Jet Fins only come in one colour, black.
Just a reminder to everyone, if they come across an old pink pair - Don't throw them out! Just private message me and I'll get rid those pesky fins...Canadian_Diver:I was referring to the ScubaPro TWIN JETS, not the ScubaPro JETFINS. I think the Jet Fins only come in one colour, black.
I have found over the years, that they are best suited to the frog kick more than the fin kick, and work superbly when doing so. they seem, otherwise,, quite willing to kill you if you try to over power them, and will cause no end of misery to leg, and foot muscles. Strictly a finesse fin, and I love them!rboyer:
dbg40:
very true, but how well they live up to the "Jet" part when you need to get moving quickly.
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