Split fins ??

[Albion]

last year both myself and my GF decided to go for new fins, after a lot of research neither of us felt the split fins were worth the change. The main problem seems to be lack of manoevreability. The split fins seems to leave you floundering like a beached whale in this department. One of the earleir posts mentions it takes a few fin cycles to get moving with splits and this is probably the source of the problem.

She went for Mares Volos, kind of conventional but with the wierd hinge arrangement and also with nice quick release clips, i went with Force fin Pros. We have both experienced a definite saving of around 10 Bar per dive. Not excatly an easily measurable figure, but based upon similar dives we had been doing and also diving with the same people with both types of fins.

More speed don't know don't care, more efficient, definitely. going back to our original fins feels like you are dragging a sack behind you

 

[ivansie]

with my gauges its impossible to determine a savings of 10 bar..... how can you figure that out???unless you have air integrated computers.

I think as everything in life its a choice
bye
ivan

 

[Soggy]

Not all split fin divers stir up the bottom. In my opinion, when using a flutter kick, non-split blades stir up the bottom even more. Bottom line is, bad divers are bad divers...it doesn't matter what equipment they are using.

 

[Albion]

Ivansie
If you cant read 10 bar difference on your SPG either get a prescirption mask or a new SPG.

But seriously i just noted a trend, i always record my air out to within 5 bar, i am using the same SPG every time so it sould be fairly close. Also at that time i was entering my dives in a palm program (ANAL warning) which calculated my Surface air consumption rate. This could be viewed on a graph on the pc. it was interesting to me that on most trips my first one or two dives were always higher consumption then dropped to a lower level, obvious really. This was quite consistant and never varied much until I switched fins and the grpahs should a very obvious trend downwards.

I will now put my anorak back on and sit in the corner.

 

[ivansie]

Albion, sorry for some reason I was thinking PSI regarding the air... my bad.

I usually monitor my air consumption variances in multiples of hundred psi

bye
ivan

 

[The Chairman]

It's not the equipment that makes those divers look bad... its the divers that are making the equipment look bad!

I own both Jets and Twin Jets... and I like 'em both, but I usually wear the Twin Jets! As Ivansie pointed out... you kick differently than with a solid-bladed fin. If you have a current or other load, you don't kick stronger... you kick faster. This is something that most cardio-challenged divers just can't relate to. That's their problem... I move through currents with anybody... dive a wreck without a silt-out with the best of them... and I will probably do my cavern/cave in them just out of sheer cussedness. Helicopter turns and the modified frog kick have come pretty easily to me wearing these fins. Back up??? I don't even know where to start, but I am game! Horizontal??? Most of the time, unless I WANT to be vertical. Can you keep up with me??? I should hope so... I am the laziest diver I know. It's a big ocean and I ain't seein' it all on one dive.

Ask any of my students the most important criteria for selecting gear (including fins) and they will SHOUT out "Fit and Comfort, Fit and Comfort!!!" What works for you in this area is what YOU should use.

 

[ZoCrowes255]

I personally use Split Fins. I started out with Jets and used them for about five years but when we got a demo of the Twin Jets in I gave them a try. It took me a few trys to truly alter my kick but once I did I loved them. They are MUCH easier on my legs and calf muscles. I was recently diving with a guy in a 2-3 knot current and I had my Twin Jets and he had his Jets. He had to struggle to keep up with me. In all fairness to him he is middle aged and I am 19 years old and swam competitively in school so I am in much better shape. I had no problems with the current so that criticism is not really a valid one for me. It's all a matter of how you kick.

I work at a dive shop that sells split fins and I tell the same thing to everyone who shows any interest in them. If they buy it I encourage them to come to the pool with me (I am in it 2-3 times a week) or openwater (every weekend during late spring and summer) and I will show them how to kick with them. If they don't like them I will trade them out for a traditional fin and pay them back the difference in the cost of the fins. If they dont want to buy the fin but still want to try it I will be more than happy to loan them a pair to use and I still extend the offer to them in a lesson on how to use them.

One thing I have noticed is that most of the people who own them now are new divers. Their inwaters skills are not all that good to begin with so many problems that people see with them are more newbie problems than general problems with the fin.

just my observation and I really did not want it to sound like an ad

BTW: heres a pic of me with my Twin Jets. Notice that I have not kicked up the bottom. I left that to the guy taking the picture.

 

[raybo]

Since my first post on this thread, I bought a pair of jets. Used them under ice a couple of months ago, and been out just messing around with them since.

Today I backed up an instructor who didn't have any help. Since I'm a rescue diver, but not a DM, it's pretty much just hang out and watch for trouble. That's what I've done the last 10-12 logged dives. (Hey, like golfers for food. I'll dive for air!)
Makes for convenient opportunity to work on trim and bouyancy, and fine control.

Hey! In New Mexico you take what you can get close to home.

Anyway, today was the first time I had a chance to really go back and forth between the two ~ Jets & TUSA Zooms ~ on the same day. I've been diving with O/W & AOW students, and just lagging behind and following, and have developed a habit of frog kicking about 85-90% of the time. I seem to be able to keep up with all of them at a very leisurely exertion level. I know trim has a lot to do with it.

When I put the Zooms on, I couldn't wait to get out of the water and put the jets back on. But I just reread Genesis' post, and would concur with most of what he related about his experience. I'd probably take my splits on vacation to the Carribean where I was just going to cruise clear water reefs, but I think if I was doing anything even remotely "technical", it'd be the jets.

I still can't back up, either~yet! Today, I got about two inches of back on a kick, but must have looked really strange to those new OW students if they were looking when I did.

Really a matter of personal preference, and this is just my observation from today

HAPPPY EASTER, everyone!

 

[ivansie]

Netdoc, you got it right, I think on the long run, split finns might be not adequate for "cardio-challenged" divers ( and there are a lot of unfit people diving). I think it does require a lot more movement to cruise with the split finns. Actually I was out on a shore dive this weekend and had a couple of long surface swimms, specially on the way out and there was a little bit of current going on. I had no problem with my finns and was usually side by side or in front of my buddy.

bye
ivan

 

[raybo]

ivansie once bubbled...
Netdoc, you got it right, I think on the long run, split finns might be not adequate for "cardio-challenged" divers ( and there are a lot of unfit people diving). I think it does require a lot more movement to cruise with the split finns. Actually I was out on a shore dive this weekend and had a couple of long surface swimms, specially on the way out and there was a little bit of current going on. I had no problem with my finns and was usually side by side or in front of my buddy.

bye
ivan

I would think the other way around. I think my splits are a lot easier on the legs, and once I get going, can keep up with regular fins without a lot of effort. I think the depth of the kick is shallower, and the cycle a little quicker with the splits (for me anyway), but the effort doesn't seem as high as with the jets. But they are a little sluggish to start, and seem to be a little less efective than my jets to do helicopter & sustained frog kicks & sculling with. They still work, I just think the jets are better for that.

But for just stright line cruising with a flutter, I think the splits are better, and less effort. And on the surface, I find I prefer to roll over on my back with the splits (both, actually!) to swim. Just a personal preference.

Just my $.02.