Split fins

[devilfish]

I tried the split fins. Although I did not see much differance while just swimming with no resistance, slight kick and glide I tried also while I was training a rescue class and demo a tired diver tow, with towing the same diver same conditions I switched from my jet fins and tried the split fin. I felt like I have two wet noodles on my feet.

 

[Shadow]

Actually, I find that surface swimming on my back with my split fins is like wearing wet noodles, too! Good analogy - I actually feel pidgeon-toed, and fins flop all over the place, and I get pretty tired. They only seem to work well when swimming horizontally on your stomach - then they are quite effortlessand work really well. So people who only do boat dives and don't have to swim on the surface much, or in much of a current, would probably like splits. They came out really poorly in the strenuous cave diving test done at Dive Rite.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Originally posted by Shadow
Actually, I find that surface swimming on my back with my split fins is like wearing wet noodles, too!

They came out really poorly in the strenuous cave diving test done at Dive Rite.

Like you said Shadow, it's not the fins, it's the diver operating them...:tease:


Sorry.... couldn't resist....

BTW did you read about my birthday dive? I was serious when I said I'm glad I didn't get them for my birthday... that was a situation that they absolutely would have been deadly in.

 

[Shadow]

Where is the post about your birthday dive??

Also, the operator of my split fins has been reported to have "chicken legs", but hopefully also has "duck feet" to make up for the "pigeon-toes." (Thankfully, no "bird brain!")

Besides, I have to say good things on occasion about my split fins - I paid for them!

 

[Uncle Pug]

Originally posted by Shadow
Where is the post about your birthday dive??

http://www.scubaboard.com/t7551/s.html

 

[Divesherpa]

Tried a return from about 1500' back in Devil's Ear wearing a set of split fins my "buddy" was using. He used my Quattro's and I used his splits. I couldn't even tell I had fins on at first.
My poor understanding of propulsion techniques wearing split fins was only emphasized the more I dove with them. They suck for cave diving. They suck really bad. Frog kicks are useless, modified flutter was a little better, but still sucked. Tight places are unheard of.

The main thing I disliked about the split fins is that I totally lacked explosive power to correct my buoyancy, trim, direction, basically I couldn't move efficiently at all.

The fins are probably excellent if you do the standard wide sweeping flutter kick, but I don't even teach the flutter kick any more.


Cheers

 

[erichK]

Alright, Pug, you made me do it. I dug out my Biofin, full instructional video. I played it on a 36" TV screen, ran it, stopped frames, reran it, the works. I examined the bottom, the flora, the detritus, the background coral, the lighting, the perceived depth, the divers distance from the bottom, and speed. In my opinion, the two scenes, one depicting a splitfin diver, and the other a paddle diver, were shot in the same area but not the exact same spot. In both cases, the divers swam at the same height over bottom. In each case the bottom was soft and had various debris including small, bottom drifting clusters of vegetation or similar.

The biofin diver did not even cause the small debris to move, much less the bottom sediment. The paddle diver just blew everything around, a puff of sand and debris with each stroke.

If they're faking this, I can't find it.

I don't have the instructional video, but even the low res clips do seem to be dishonest. The two divers are *sometimes* at the same *mean* distance from what may similar bottoms. However, their legs, especially their lower legs at different angles, and the are doing rather different kicks. In the intital shots from the rear, the split fin diver seems to be tilted head low and close to the bottom, with his legs angled upward. Then, seen from the side, he is more horizontal, but his knees are slightly flexed up, and he is kicking upward. The jet fin diver's whole body is, on the other hand, tilted slightly upward, especially through arching his back. He also seems to be deliberately "roto-tiling" by flicking his fins down toward the muck at the end of every kick.

I do use a pair of twin-jets, which I enjoy the comfort of, but find too soft. (BTW, it *is* possible to frog kick and scull with them, but takes practice!). I will likely be getting a pair of Apollo Biofins Pro XT's, because I do think that *stiffer* split fins can be made to work well, and I know that they are easier on my aging knees than my old jets are/were. However, it will be despite this clip, rather than because of it. I hate manipulative advertising; it has no place in our sport!