Split Fins VS. Mor-Fins

[stanw]

I want to buy some fins for primarily recreational diving within 50-ft. At this time I have what I would consider skinny and weak legs. I am just getting started so I have not yet developed a kicking style so I am open to anything that will make my dives easier.

Can anyone give suggestions that would help me decide to go one way or the other?

Thanks.

 

[Shaka Doug]

Taking into consideration your comments about your legs, I strongly support the idea of getting you into a pair of Mor-Fins. I've never kicked an easier or lighter fin and I've tried most of the fins out there. Not noodly, they perform well and are reasonably priced in the fin market. Easy to adjust straps, nearly indestructible material, very clean and stylish too, the coefficient of drag must be ridiculously low on these things. Check them out. I bet if you contacted their head office they would work with you to get you a pair that you could try for yourself. I've been very pleased with mine and I sold a pair today to a diver that has now made four dives on them. He couldn't believe how good they worked until he did a dive or two then put his old fins back on. There are many choices in fins today and only you will know what you like best. At least try the Mor-Fins though. They are not toys, they are not a gimmick, they get a lot of attention on the boat and they work great.

 

[Straegen]

If you don't have any joint issues, I would suggest snorkeling in a heavier fin such as the Jet or using small leg weights while snorkeling. Building strong leg muscles is, at least to me, a good idea. Leg strength should not be a limiting factor in fin selection unless their is a medical reason for it. It doesn't take long to build up those muscles either.

As for which one to choose, I would try out as many as you can. Many LDSes will let you give them a whirl before you buy if they have their own pool. Oddly enough, I actually think a full boot traditional style handily beats out open back fins as full foots tend to be lighter but full foot fins have other drawbacks. My lap times are consistently 10-20% faster in a full foot and I fatigue far less using them.

 

[stanw]

Being completely new to all of this,
what are some examples of times that I might need to use advanced kicking methods and may not be able to do them due to the split fins or Mor-Fins? OR examples of other things that I will be prevented from being able to do with these types of fins?

Thank you for your patience!

 

[Shaka Doug]

You can do pretty much every kind of kick, including backing up, with Mor-Fins. I don't know about times...diving for me is mostly about going slow and taking it easy and leaving plenty of energy for reserve only if you need it.

 

[Straegen]

You really aren't prevented from doing anything regardless of which fin you choose. Some are better at swimming in heavy current, some have buoyancy characteristics that might work for you better, some will allow you to maintain position better, some better at backing up, etc. In the end, a cheap Caribe X $40 isn't that much different performance wise than a $200 Force Fin. You will find people who will say XYZ is better than ZYX but in relative terms I think you will find pretty much any quality brand will work. Technique in this case is likely more important than fin design.

If you want to stay with a proven fin, look at the Scubapro Jet. The Jet is relatively inexpensive and has a lot of supporters. I think the Mor Fin is an interesting design but haven't used it myself so can't really vouch for it.

 

[Nemrod]

Just get you some Mares Avanti X3 fins. Usually well under 100 dollars, in fact, closer to under 60 dollars. They are a plain old paddle fin and will swim circles around some of the weirder fins oft promoted these days. They are light weight so they will not hurt your "skinny" legs and yet they are stiff enough to develop muscle and power and improve your technique. Once you are ready to go, Jet Fins rule, the fin I love to hate and hate to love.

When my fins split, that is usually an indication I need a new pair.

N

 

[Nemrod]

Here ya go, 39.95:

Mares Avanti X3 Open Heel Fins

And a bit stronger fin that is highly regarded:

http://www.leisurepro.com/Prod/Cate...ock/DescSort_0/Filter_1=325/MRSFAQ.html?Hit=1

N

 

[calwolf]

I'd suggest looking at Force Fins (especially the original or pro models). They kind of look like the mor-fins without the "cutout" (I have no idea if they work the same way or not, having never tried mor-fins). Force Fins are great for people without "strong" legs, as they use slightly different muscles than the traditional paddle fin with a flutter kick, which leads to (in my experience) less cramping when using the Force Fin. They're not the cheapest thing out there, but they last a long time, and you can pick up a used pair on ebay rather inexpensively.

Alternatively, if on a tight budget, I often recommend new divers pick up a pair of Aqualung "Blades" used on ebay. They're not made anymore (there's a newer version that's not as good), but you can pick them up for under $30 shipped on ebay just about anytime, and they're one of the nicest paddle-type fins ever made (softer than something like jet fins, which require a lot more leg strength to use effectively with a standard flutter kick).

There are plenty of other good fins out there. If you find a cooperative dive shop, they'll often let you try out different types in their pool until you find something that works for you.

 

[cburdick1]

I dove with Doug last week in Maui and I will be purchasing 2 pairs of Morfins (for me and my wife). We will be buying them for two reasons: performance (equal to our current fins) and size (advantage in maneuverability and packing). We currently have Caribe-x fins which work great, though they are closed heel and therefore cannot be used with boots. I didn't think we would need to go the open heel route, wish I had known better at the beginning. The Caribe-x's are the only dive fin that I ahve used, so I cannot compare the Morfins to anything else.

Anyway, we tried the Morfins while diving with Doug, then went back to our own fins fo 2 dives. In my opinion, the Morfins work as well as our Caribe-X fins. The Morfins worked best for me with a longer, slower kick. They can really get you moving with a log powerful kick. I found that they didn't work all that well with short, fast kicks.

The second reason I (well, my wife likes them too, but I'm writing this post) like them is that I believe that they have advantages due to their size. Since they are shorter than usual, they are more maneuverable. Also, they have less of a side-profile so they seem to slip sideways through the water more easily. This was helpful when exploring small caves and when maneuvering to capture critters on my camera. The size also comes into play in that they will pack more easily than our longer fins.

Overall, I would not say that they are dramatically better than our current fins in terms of how fast they can go, however dive fin performance shouldn't be based solely on speed. Maneuverability is very important as well and the size sealed the deal for us as we dive while on vacation and smaller fins are easier to pack.