Split fins vs full fins

[niu_roadkill]

That study was back in 2003. Here's a link to the Undercurrent review of that article.

Scientists Debunk Fin Claims - Undercurrent, January 2004

The University of Buffalo did the study (note the citation at the bottom), but there's no mention about the Force Fins being eliminated form consideration.

I own both the Mares Quatro Excels and the Subapro Twin Jets. Not terribly pleased with either and in the market for new fins. As noted earlier in the thread, fins are a personal choice (as is everything in life). I don't think anyone can be right or wrong here.

 

[djanni]

Can you provide a citation for this study, or the names of any of the key researchers? What department at the university undertook this study? Were their findings published? Where? What methods did they use to determine the relative effectiveness of different fins? And if their purpose was to elucidate the strengths and weaknesses of a variety of fins, why on Earth would they exclude data on a product that tested poorly?

I have no doubt that you have heard this from a number of people, but how can we accept that you know it "for a fact" when we don't know how credible those sources are? A lot of people know "for a fact" that Neiman Marcus sold a cookie recipe for $250 and there's a little dying boy named Craig who wants you to send him your business card and Buzz Aldrin said "Good luck Mr. Gorsky" upon setting foot on the moon. I'm not saying what you said didn't happen, I'm just saying I'd need something more concrete to go on before I would take it seriously. Any information that would make it possible to track down the study, or those who conducted it, would be very helpful.

Thanks very much

Looking for proof???

The cost of making Force Fins greatly exceeds that of other fins due to the type of materials used and the fact that they are manufactured in the US under strict controls. Even with the relatively high retail price, the profit margin on Force Fins is much less than what is typical in the industry.

Sorta like your statement above??!? I wondered how you knew so much about everyone's profit margins but not enough to challange you on it.

 

[weaserm99]

The University At Buffalo is huge on diving research,they have a whole department that basically does diving studies. They are always looking for divers for research. Ive had the pleasure of touring this facility, it is massive, they have their own hyperbaric chamber, the place where they tested the fins looks almost like a moat because it surrounds a platform. There is no report on the force fins being thrown out. MY two sources would be Frank Nawrocki and Joe Travale, both are NAUI and PADI instructors. I am going by what they told me. These tests showed how efficient a fin can be.

 

[Gale68]

I've just read the full text of the original journal article. I know, the fact that I went to the trouble makes me a serious but if anyone's interested, it's here:
http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/dspace/bitstream/123456789/3936/1/12841609.pdf

No mention of Force Fins. No mention of how the fins were selected for inclusion in the study except that they tested “commercially available fins, with different physical characteristics, that are widely used in diving.” It’s possible Force Fins aren’t widely used enough to meet their criteria. If the authors of the study reply to my email, I’ll post their response.

Don: When someone prefaces a statement with “I happen to know this for a fact” and proceeds to make a statement that a) maligns a product I believe in and b) makes no logical sense, of course I want more than rumor to substantiate it. If the whole purpose of the study was to test the marketing claims of various fin designs, why would they exclude results for a fin based on the fin’s performance? Seems like that’s the very information they’re looking for. Generally in scientific papers, if certain data are discarded, that fact is discussed in the text of the article, along with the reasons for having done so. Lack of any mention of FF suggests to me that they simply didn’t test them to begin with.

Edit: Just for the sake of bringing this post back on topic (split vs full fins) the study found that Apollo split fins actually performed better, by some measures, when they taped the split shut! Take that for whatever it's worth....

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

zen man, that is a pretty cool avatar. I would like to see the split fin open up and flap a little more when Split Smiley fin slaps Jet Smiley. I would still rate it a 10

I have both SP splits and SP jets. My jets have become my fin of choice.

 

[zen_man]

zen man, that is a pretty cool avatar. I would like to see the split fin open up and flap a little more when Split Smiley fin slaps Jet Smiley. I would still rate it a 10

I have both SP splits and SP jets. My jets have become my fin of choice.

Thanks! I have a pair of Twin Jets and OMS Slip Streams....I'll let you guess which pair I prefer

Oh wait, I think I already gave the answer earlier!

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

Thanks! I have a pair of Twin Jets and OMS Slip Streams....I'll let you guess which pair I prefer

Oh wait, I think I already gave the answer earlier!

The slips streams are very nice. I considered getting them, but the jets in the water are slightly negative. I have super floaty feet, so with the jets and the trim weights on my tank I am nice and level in the water.