ultravinnie
Guest
i use Atomics split fins.
I have had the stiff beuchats for years , tried several mares and then discovered the atomics. all my other fins ended up in the dumpster out back.
what i like : the footpocket is oversized allowing the fin to grip the instep of your foot instead of your toes ( prevents chafing and blisters )
it is WIDE ( i have wide feet and most fins HURT ) i can only use soft booties. booties with a hard sole pinch me and i get cramps in my feet after 5 minutes. i tried mares volo's the very first dive with them gave me foot cramps after 5 minutes and legcramps after 10 minutes...
- the quick connect buckle. has not come loose once ( over 400 dives on these fins )
yet taking em off is easy. ( the mares buckle for instance is a nightmare )
- much easier to swim with. especially in current and against it. there is no drag
- neutral underwater ( your feet neither float nor sink )
- i can turn on the spot. most of the time i am frogkicking , using a modified cave kick ( knees bent so feet are above me ), or some weird kick that has no name but works for me ( some people ask me after the dive what the hell i was doing. but it works for me )
i do foto and videowork. my maneuverability is incredible with these fins. i can turn on the spot,flip over and do a backwards roll all in one ( effectively putting me into a head down position ( feet pointed to the surface ) looking forward. I frequently swim upside down , especially when along a ledge with undercuts. that way only my head touches the sand ( almost ) and i can take photo and video from a different angle. plus it doesn't scare the fish as much as seeing a full body. heckj with the splitfins i can even swim sideways.
I don't know about all fins. i have only used the stiff beuchats , the mares plana avanti and the volo and the atomic splitfin. right now i stick with the atomic splitfin
but i guess it all comes down to the kind of diving you want to do . splitfins in a cave might be a big nono ( snag hazard )
I have had the stiff beuchats for years , tried several mares and then discovered the atomics. all my other fins ended up in the dumpster out back.
what i like : the footpocket is oversized allowing the fin to grip the instep of your foot instead of your toes ( prevents chafing and blisters )
it is WIDE ( i have wide feet and most fins HURT ) i can only use soft booties. booties with a hard sole pinch me and i get cramps in my feet after 5 minutes. i tried mares volo's the very first dive with them gave me foot cramps after 5 minutes and legcramps after 10 minutes...
- the quick connect buckle. has not come loose once ( over 400 dives on these fins )
yet taking em off is easy. ( the mares buckle for instance is a nightmare )
- much easier to swim with. especially in current and against it. there is no drag
- neutral underwater ( your feet neither float nor sink )
- i can turn on the spot. most of the time i am frogkicking , using a modified cave kick ( knees bent so feet are above me ), or some weird kick that has no name but works for me ( some people ask me after the dive what the hell i was doing. but it works for me )
i do foto and videowork. my maneuverability is incredible with these fins. i can turn on the spot,flip over and do a backwards roll all in one ( effectively putting me into a head down position ( feet pointed to the surface ) looking forward. I frequently swim upside down , especially when along a ledge with undercuts. that way only my head touches the sand ( almost ) and i can take photo and video from a different angle. plus it doesn't scare the fish as much as seeing a full body. heckj with the splitfins i can even swim sideways.
I don't know about all fins. i have only used the stiff beuchats , the mares plana avanti and the volo and the atomic splitfin. right now i stick with the atomic splitfin
but i guess it all comes down to the kind of diving you want to do . splitfins in a cave might be a big nono ( snag hazard )
