Split fin kick style?

[fnfalman]

Time will tell, eh? Perhaps there is room for both. Or perhaps different strokes for different folks? Perhaps one really is horrible. I suspect that the paddles will be more in tune with my current kick style, but again, the question was not which is better - but how to use the tool at hand. Whether it is the correct tool is irrelevent and already a very dead horse of a subject.

Indeed that time will tell. Once upon a time, SPGs were thought as useless as well. As were BCs. Technology and improvements will march on, and there will always be Luddites.

And you're right. It's how you use the tool that matters. You can buy the bestest solid fins in the world but if you've never been taught or bothered to learn how to kick with solid fins, then it's a waste. There are plenty of rototillers and coral killers whose weapons of choice are the paddle fins.

 

[redacted]

I use my spit fins with the same kicking styles as I use with my Jets. And I prefer the splits over the Jets. I normally travel with a frog kick. I will use a flutter kick if I need a bit of a burst like with current or some other resistance. I can do helicopter turns with either. Backing up is possible but ugly and the same with both. My split fins are a good bit stiffer than most as I made them by shortening and splitting a pair of UDS Blades that tended to cause cramps. I was not sure how splitting the blades might effect durability but 10 year and about 700 dives later - so far, so good.

 

[fnfalman]

but 10 year and about 700 dives later - so far, so good.

WHAT?!! You mean you're not dead yet for using split fins?:shocked2:

 

[shiva]

but how to use the tool at hand.

I have a pair of alpine skis and I'm going to use them for cave diving. I know some people believe they are not meant to be used for diving at all but c'mon I don't want to start this discussion here, the question is how to use the tool in hand

But of course yes, the technics is what really matters. With good technics one will be more efficient in paddle fins than in splits, with poor technics you'll probably find it easier to dive in splitfins but unfortunately easier would also mean "less efficient"

And yes, to dive you definitely don't need to be able to do backfrog (I have yet to find a person who can do decent backfrog in splits), helicopter, frog and modified kicks well, if at all. You also absolutely can dive without any buoyancy control, awareness, trim, good air consumption etc. But I find it more enjoyable, confident and comfortable to have all those

 

[jstamets]

I have a pair of alpine skis and I'm going to use them for cave diving. I know some people believe they are not meant to be used for diving at all but c'mon I don't want to start this discussion here, the question is how to use the tool in hand

But of course yes, the technics is what really matters. With good technics one will be more efficient in paddle fins than in splits, with poor technics you'll probably find it easier to dive in splitfins but unfortunately easier would also mean "less efficient"

And yes, to dive you definitely don't need to be able to do backfrog (I have yet to find a person who can do decent backfrog in splits), helicopter, frog and modified kicks well, if at all. You also absolutely can dive without any buoyancy control, awareness, trim, good air consumption etc. But I find it more enjoyable, confident and comfortable to have all those

Hmmm. Although I am anxious to use my new SlipStreams for a comparison and to learn all of those kicks, I have to admit that you are correct and I should stick to my original question. So I need to ask the forum for the best way to fin using alpine skis. Anyone have experience with that? How about doing a decent backfrog in skis? Snowboards? Perhaps a snowboard would be similar to a monofin... I really don't know.

 

[shiva]

Snowboard isn't DIR

 

[scjoe]

I wonder if the difference with the Jets between men and women in the study had more to do with the fact that the women tested were diving far less than the men?

I believe the authors concluded that it was due to general differences in leg strength between men and women rather than time spent diving. Of course time spent diving does effect leg strength in finning.

 

[fnfalman]

You also absolutely can dive without any buoyancy control, awareness, trim, good air consumption etc. But I find it more enjoyable, confident and comfortable to have all those

And of course, one can't have buoyancy control, awareness, trim and good air consumption because of those infernal split fins...

Damn them all!!! I'm gonna get me a pair of black paddle fins and everything will be just fine.

 

[fnfalman]

Snowboard isn't DIR

If it's black, it should be DIR. Besides, isn't a snowboard kind of like a big paddle fin?

 

[diver_doug]

I had the Mares Raptors, and my preferred kicking style was to throw them in the garbage can and kick the lid closed.