Split fins for reef diving newbie?

[RJP]

But between the fins & straps, thats $270 retail!

Or you could buy two pairs of jet fins, spring straps, and half a dozen tank fills for that same money.

Probably have enough left over for a can of red spray paint!

I'm just saying...

 

[Garth]

Or you could buy two pairs of jet fins, spring straps, and half a dozen tank fills for that same money.

Probably have enough left over for a can of red spray paint!

I'm just saying...

Haha, that's hilarious. But what would he do with all of the extra propulsion from the jets and the silt free environment he would be diving in because he wasn't using splits..


On a more serious note. I was tailing a guy in splits silting the bottom of a quarry from at least six feet off the bottom... He seemed to be feathering along good with as much form the fins would provide. But if you were on reefs with little silt you may not be to bad...
Hmm, nevermind. My advice would be to get one pair of used jets and use the money saved on some further instruction.

 

[dingopauly]

As you are a newbie, I would reccomend split fins. easy to use, no real technique demands, and easy to kick and still get good speed. I have not had problems with them in currents, I recently bought scubapro wing nova. and i have gone back to the splits. easy to manouver with too. free dive fins are for....... Free diving.

 

[Garth]

As you are a newbie, I would reccomend split fins. easy to use, no real technique demands, and easy to kick and still get good speed. I have not had problems with them in currents, I recently bought scubapro wing nova. and i have gone back to the splits. easy to manouver with too. free dive fins are for....... Free diving.

"no real technique demands"? ... I would suggest learning the different techniques then buying fins after you have tried all the types. As you suggested the fins you are looking at are 270$. What a waste of money unless you don't wish to have any "technique"...ever. You can buy a tank and fins for that. I would suggest just taking a class or finding a mentor to help you learn the different finning techniques. At first it seems like a pain in the butt when all you want to do is dive but you will likely find that once you mastered the different techniques your dives will be much more enjoyable.

Good luck and safe diving.
I've seen some really experienced divers silt up the joint in some split fins. Sorry.

 

[DMDavid]

I've seen some really experienced divers silt up the joint in some split fins. Sorry.

I don't think that is because of the Split Fins , it's more to do with the diver than the fins.
I dive with split fins most of the time and have never silted the site, I think it's more to do with your personal control over bouyancy than anything else.

 

[danvolker]

As you are a newbie, I would reccomend split fins. easy to use, no real technique demands, and easy to kick and still get good speed. I have not had problems with them in currents, I recently bought scubapro wing nova. and i have gone back to the splits. easy to manouver with too. free dive fins are for....... Free diving.

Dingopauly..It would be hard for you to offer worse or less educated advice.
First, if a person uses fins which require no technique, they have no feedback from the fins on whether their neuromusculare coordination is correct or terribly incorrect. If you don't know you are making bad mistakes, you are not likely to get any better. Ever.
Freediving fins give you immediate feedback--if you kick wrong, it is painfully obvious...this allows you to figure out how to kick the right way.

There is no speed potential with splits -- if you think so, you are a slow diver or a weak diver, or have never dived with decent fins.

A good diver can maneuver well with splits, Force fins, Jets, Freediving fins.....this is the diver and coordination.

Freediving fins are spectacular for scuba. Non-educated opinions like yours are bad for novice divers to hear. Maybe you should start posting on the food channel.

DanV