Split fin haters... please explain:

[scubafanatic]

You'd be a perfect person to include in my Fin Testing article ..in the South Florida Dive Journal....I will need some known scubaboard regulars that really love split fins, and think they are good in currents.. I will also be needing some good Force fin divers, and some freedive fin divers other than me, and some of my GUE buddies wearing jetfins.
PALM BEACH IS CALLING YOU !!!

.....OK, I'm anxiously awaiting receipt of some free plane tickets....

 

[djcheburashka]

You'd be a perfect person to include in my Fin Testing article ..in the South Florida Dive Journal....I will need some known scubaboard regulars that really love split fins, and think they are good in currents.. I will also be needing some good Force fin divers, and some freedive fin divers other than me, and some of my GUE buddies wearing jetfins.
PALM BEACH IS CALLING YOU !!!

I'll show up to represent the turtle fin contingent. It's a short drive from Miami. Pm me when you're arranging this.

 

[elan]

You can backfin and do a helicopter in splits but they are not any close as efficient. Especially if you wear a dry suit, a set of doubles and stages it is very difficult.

With a single tank and tropical outfit you can backfin even with bare feet.

 

[LowDrag]

This was definitely the question for me when I bought my Seawing Nova's last week to get set for my OW class coming up. I have snorkeled in U.S. Divers Rocket fins but never with splits so as you can probably guess I am following these types of threads with great interest. I have not used my Nova's yet so I would be willing to bet that my LDS would swap me out if I wanted to.

 

[Jorgy]

Novas are awesome fins.....

M

 

[kwinter]

Split fins suck at frog kicking and back kicking. It can be done, but much less efficient. Split fins excel at flutter kicking and a good pair will wipe the floor with non-splits in a flutter kick race. And splits are an entanglement hazard in wrecks and caves.

Like anything else, different tools for different jobs.

 

[boulderjohn]

You'd be a perfect person to include in my Fin Testing article ..in the South Florida Dive Journal....I will need some known scubaboard regulars that really love split fins, and think they are good in currents.. I will also be needing some good Force fin divers, and some freedive fin divers other than me, and some of my GUE buddies wearing jetfins.
PALM BEACH IS CALLING YOU !!!

When are you doing this?

 

[Brewone0to]

Split fins suck at frog kicking and back kicking. It can be done, but much less efficient. Split fins excel at flutter kicking and a good pair will wipe the floor with non-splits in a flutter kick race. And splits are an entanglement hazard in wrecks and caves.

Like anything else, different tools for different jobs.

Enough can't be said about how cool they are in a heavily silted environment.
Also, you left out how great they are for helicopter rotation kicks. LOL

 

[danvolker]

Enough can't be said about how cool they are in a heavily silted environment.
Also, you left out how great they are for helicopter rotation kicks. LOL

Exactly....see the video that shows what split fins are famous for Diver with skills that split fins were created for...If you swim like this, GET HELP! - YouTube

 

[hypnodiver]

I've been using split fins over the last 10 years, and right now I'm seriously thinking about moving back to paddles.

Why? My needs and equipment have changed, and the splits aren't giving me the level of control that I want in the water.

I started out with a pair of TUSA Xpert Zooms which I really liked, good at moving quickly in a straight line, and they are stiff enough that you can frog kick (more of an inverted frog kick, you bring the front of your feet together rather than the back) reasonably successfully, though back-kicks and helicopter turns are a bit beyond them.

A year or so ago I swapped these for a pair of IST Talaria's because I needed a bigger foot pocket, and they fitted my budget better, and to be honest, they've annoyed me ever since. Even though the shape, size and angle of the fin is almost identical to the Xpert Zoom's, the fin itself is a lot softer and more floppy in the water, and I end up feeling that I'm finning like crazy for not a lot of propulsion.