Split Fins

[shugar]

i use apollo bio-pro split fins... AND i've recently gone against a pretty strong current AND i had forward thrust - w/c means i got to where i was going

i love the way i'm able to get relatively more forward thrust vs. very little angkle movements when i'm hovering a reef sightseeing

so 1 vote for splits...

Jag

 

[RonFrank]

The only kick that I am not able to do with my Apollo BioFins is the reverse kick. I'm not sure I could do it wearing Jets either!

As for everything else, no issues. Split fins do tend to flop around a bit more than stiffer paddle fins, but one can control this by using more subtle movements.

One diver (who wears black) indicated that splits tend to create more water movement, i.e., they may silt the bottom easier without actually hitting the bottom vs. paddles. I have no idea if this is true. Again subtle movement is the key.

If you dive with die-hard GUE or DIR divers, you start to realize a few things. First, most are great divers. Second, they work hard at it. I have come to the conclusion that while equipment choice is important, the better divers I have been with just work at it more. I'm not sure THEY realize this, but I sure do see a trend. Put these guys in Pink Jacket BC's (boy would I love THAT), and splits, overweighted with green snorkels, and orange tanks, and they would still be good divers!

 

[jdvaughn]

split fins are the best

 

[Charlie99]

I have heard a lot of praises about using split fins. My question is how they perform in areas of high current? Do they still give you the same amount of thrust, or does the split increase the difficultly of swimming through strong current even more?

The split fins consistently outperform other fins in speed swim tests. The fin doesn't know if you are doing 3mph over the ground, or just barely making headway against a 3mph current. It's the same.

Split fins do NOT work very well if you don't use the right kick. If your response to a current is to start kicking in big, powerful, wide kicks, then you will get lousy performance. You need to keep the same kick style, but just speed it up. That's simple to say, but if you are used to flat paddle fins, your natural tendency is to kick harder and wider when you want to go faster, and that just doesn't work.

 

[300bar]

If you dive with die-hard GUE or DIR divers, you start to realize a few things. First, most are great divers. Second, they work hard at it. I have come to the conclusion that while equipment choice is important, the better divers I have been with just work at it more. I'm not sure THEY realize this, but I sure do see a trend. Put these guys in Pink Jacket BC's (boy would I love THAT), and splits, overweighted with green snorkels, and orange tanks, and they would still be good divers!

Anyone to make a new topic on this in the DIR forum

 

[JessSu]

Thanks a lot! I was considering getting some....now I'm pretty sure i'm getting them!

 

[bgi]

Hated the Atomic splits - so stiff and huge they made my ankles hurt. Tusa zooms are my faves by far. Agreed with Tom on the thrust thing. There was a lot of noise and claims that splits don't work in current. Baloney. Thrust is thrust. Use the proper short kicks per directions and they do fine. Never get a cramp with them and can really move out in a hurry with a flurry of quick short kicks. Having said that, forget the advanced kicks (frog, etc.)

 

[kidspot]

Larry from Scubatoys wrote up a good article on split fins in currents ... http://scubatoys.com/store/joelarry/splitcurrent.asp

 

[adza]

Do split fins create more of a wake / turbulence than normal fins? (I've heard some say that they may kick up more silt than normal fins in wrecks / caves, etc - but don't know if it was just someone mouthing off or not)

 

[Quarrior]

Do split fins create more of a wake / turbulence than normal fins? (I've heard some say that they may kick up more silt than normal fins in wrecks / caves, etc - but don't know if it was just someone mouthing off or not)

If you are finning correctly for the environment you are diving, the answer is no. A propper frog kick is a propper frog kick, doesn't matter what fin you are using.