Solid fins vs flexible fins and air usage

[DazedAndConfuzed]

you should use these instead

And use only your fingers instead of your hand or arm for propulsion. This way, you use the smallest muscle group possible.

Also, before you enter the water, put a tourniquet on your waist to limit bloodflow to those large muscles which would do nothing except use up your air.

 

[Texasguy]

Problem with common divers is that most come with weak leg muscles. Even the divers are sporty (walking, playing sports, etc), chances are that a different muscle group was developed, not one used in finning. Such divers put on "hard" fins and get muscle cramps, dive becomes not fun, they start looking for a softer fin, one that does less propulsion, one that bends rather than loads the muscle. In a way it is cheating, the diver does more work for less propulsion. Yes, the muscles don't cease, but it is less efficient with softer fins.

Example: I think I have rather well developed leg muscles, I go to the gym to train, I dive often. However, if I put on ice skates, I get cramps in 15 mins. Ice skating is using different muscles than used in finning. I rarely ice skate (my own fault), and each time I am back on, it is painful after a while.

Getting hard fins, like Dive Rite XTs, is not for every diver. They are hard, work like a paddle, if your legs are not accustomed to loads, you'll get your cramps in 5 mins. Again, not the fins' fault, more like user inability to use a product due to poor physical development.

 

[dmaziuk]

If air consumption is the problem, putting a tourniquet at or below the diaphragm does little to nothing to solve it. Obviously, the tourniquet should go on the neck.

 

[scubadada]

Problem with common divers is that most come with weak leg muscles. Even the divers are sporty (walking, playing sports, etc), chances are that a different muscle group was developed, not one used in finning. Such divers put on "hard" fins and get muscle cramps, dive becomes not fun, they start looking for a softer fin, one that does less propulsion, one that bends rather than loads the muscle. In a way it is cheating, the diver does more work for less propulsion. Yes, the muscles don't cease, but it is less efficient with softer fins.

Example: I think I have rather well developed leg muscles, I go to the gym to train, I dive often. However, if I put on ice skates, I get cramps in 15 mins. Ice skating is using different muscles than used in finning. I rarely ice skate (my own fault), and each time I am back on, it is painful after a while.

Getting hard fins, like Dive Rite XTs, is not for every diver. They are hard, work like a paddle, if your legs are not accustomed to loads, you'll get your cramps in 5 mins. Again, not the fins' fault, more like user inability to use a product due to poor physical development.

Diving XTs for the last 5-6 years plus. Perfect for me, mostly frog kick, sometimes flutter kick. Great for helicopter, back kick. I agree with @Texasguy not the best fin for everybody, perfect for me

 

[ronscuba]

I think people of different size, strength, fitness and type of diving can have different preferences for fin type and fin stiffness.

I like the bicycle analogy. Chose 1 bike and 1 gear for all your bike riding. If everyone had to choose 1 gear and 1 bike type to use for all their bike riding, the gear and bike type would vary from person to person.