Split vs. Regular

[CRDiver]

"It seems to be the concensus that 'splits' are more efficient then non-splits. Next questions, What brand/model would you recommend and WHY?"

The only split fin I ever owned was a pair of black SP Twin Jets. Loved them, but eventually switched to Aqualung Blades. Now that I'm diving dry, my size 15 dogs won't fit into anything but Turtle Fins and Force Fins... All split fins are pretty much the same, they just vary in stiffness. Most people I've spoke with say the stiffer, the better. Find one that fits and your knees will thank you.

 

[CALI68]

I spent 30+ years in jet fins. I tried several splits and love some, hate others.

The appollos are too soft for me. I find them too mushy and difficult to use fine movements.

SP twin jets are better. They are stiffer than the appolos but I think that the venting is unneccessary to the design. They are still not stiff enough for me. I like precise movement (from years of caves) and require a pretty stiff fin.

SP now makes the twin speed fins. I love them. They are very stiff and they give me the precision and power I want. If they have a drawback, it is that they are very long. For beach entries, they can be harder. Luckily, I very rarely enter a dive that way.
I just barely flick these fins and get instant movement front back and sideways. See if you can borrow some to try.

Allison, Just out of curiousity why not just use Regular Jets? I've tried those Twin Speeds and The Atomics (very similar) and those fins are every bit as stiff as Jets (in fact the Atomics are a bit stiffer) With all due respect to your expreience, why did you switch? I just don't get the Twin Speeds or The Atomics...I mean why not just use Jets or Quattros if you want that kind of stiffness?

 

[OE2X]

Frog kicks are for confined areas, silty areas that must be enters slowly and carefully. Flutter kicks are not. Recreational divers don't enter confined, silty overhead environments. Hence, frog kicks are not the best choice for most rec divers.

Got to call troll here. Chris you are stirring it up like an OW newbie will in 30' of water here in Puget Sound.

If you are not trolling then you must only dive in areas with thick heavy sand or walls with no bottoms. Around here if you are rec. diving and want to see something you are likely to be very close to the bottom. In Puget Sound that means a silty bottom. I hate having to follow someone who is flutter kicking their way to I-Beams in Cove 2. They may have 15'-20' of vis, but I'm left with 5'. So, IMHO rec divers should use a frog kick in any location where they stand a chance to churn up the bottom. If you are wall diving and don't give a rat about effeciency then by all means flutter away...

 

[TX101]

The frog kick was around long before there was a cave diving community. I used to frog kick in the pool as a kid with my mask and fins on. You were maybe 2 then.

Yeah, but I bet you didnt do it with knees bent at 90 degrees like the scuba "frog kick"- otherwise your feet would be out of the water, lol

The way I was taught to swim breast stroke, the kick was pretty much exactly the same as a frog on the surface of the water - you bend, then extend your legs so they are almost straight (take a look at http://www.breaststroke.info/santos-part2.htm)

The scuba "frog kick", you don't straighten your legs at all, they stay bent (see http://www.northerntechdiver.com/gallery/train2002/train2002-2.php for a pic) and you just move your ankles and therefore, fins.


lets face it.. frog kick isn't really a "frog kick" - in the sense of swimming, it's more like a scull/flick of the ankle. Saying you did a scuba frog kick in the pool while snorkling and therefore it's completely straightforward and natural is a bit of a stretch.

 

[CRDiver]

"If you are not trolling then you must only dive in areas with thick heavy sand or walls with no bottoms."

I dive in the midwest. That means poor viz (5 feet is good, right now it's 1-3ft), lots of silt, cold, and sometimes deep. And I enjoy it. And I've seen the frog kick done by cavers, and frogs done by rec divers who wanna be cavers, and there's no comparison. One makes it work beautifully, the other makes me laugh - lots kicks and twitches, little movement. The whole issue is what would be easier for typical rec divers to learn correctly.

 

[Jason B]

The scuba "frog kick", you don't straighten your legs at all, they stay bent (see http://www.northerntechdiver.com/ga...train2002-2.php for a pic) and you just move your ankles and therefore, fins.

sounds like the modified frog kick to me. Here's a link to GUE's site with a video clip of the frog kick. Please note the action of the divers knees when watching, note how they do not stay at a 90 degree angle. In fact they get real close to 180 degrees.
On a side note, frog kick was in the 1913 webster dictionary...hardly anything new. Bent knee modified frog kick maybe.

 

[Quarrior]

The whole issue is what would be easier for typical rec divers to learn correctly.

Bingo. Give that man a prize from the top shelf.

There is an assumption that rec divers are so busy learning how to breath underwater that the agencies only teach them the basic flutter kick because it is a natural movement. It is similar to walking.

That said, most rec divers only dive in gin clear carribean water once or twice a year. Not all rec divers mind, but the majority. Consequently, something that needs to be learned and practiced like the frog kick and other finning techniques are only taught to those that are "hard core" divers who dive frequently and this teaching is usually done by mentors/more experienced buddies.

 

[Allison Finch]

Allison, Just out of curiousity why not just use Regular Jets? I've tried those Twin Speeds and The Atomics (very similar) and those fins are every bit as stiff as Jets (in fact the Atomics are a bit stiffer) With all due respect to your expreience, why did you switch? I just don't get the Twin Speeds or The Atomics...I mean why not just use Jets or Quattros if you want that kind of stiffness?

I guess you haven't read my posts. I've spent 30+ years diving in jet fins. I loved them. I tried the splits and liked them better. I liked the ease with which I could propel myself and use less energy. The twin speeds are split fins, just very stiff ones. The difference from the jet fin is the split, not the stiffness by itself.

 

[cloud9]

A strong flutter kick will disturb the bottom 5, even 10 ft below a diver.

Also, it is a very relaxing kick to switch to if you're legs are tiring from the flutter kick, especially in an OW environment, swimming against a current, trying to cover some distance. Sorry to say CRDiver, but you are sounding like a know it all ... and from Iowa of all places!

 

[RonFrank]

I have been using Mares Avanti Quattro fins for a while and I find that by the end of a second dive, my legs are done for the day and my left knee swells quite a bit. I had arthroscopic knee surgery on that knee 4 yrs ago.

My LDS (which is going out of business) is telling me that split fins would be less aggravating to my knee and they recommend splits for people with bad knees.

Is this a true statement? Would I be better off with split fins, especially now that they are having a fire sale? Thanks for your input.

If you knee is swelling after diving, you are likey doing some damage.

Given that a pair of split fins *MIGHT* help your problem, and potentially reduce or eliminate the damage, isn't it worth the sub $200 (and most likely MUCH less) to just try these and find out for yourself?

As to WHAT to try or buy, I've been doing research and here is what basically EVERY review indicates:

Apollo Bio-Fin
Atomic Aquatics
TUSA X-PERT Zoom

No always in this order, but MOST reviews like all three. A fourth option is the SP Twin Jets but they tend to get lower marks possibly because they are larger than all the rest, i.e., a bit more effort vs. gain it appears.

IF you dive warm, you can get a pair of the X-PERT zooms in the full foot version for all of $35 just to see if you like them.

IMO if you can NOT try these out, read the reviews, pick on, purchase them, and put them on EBay if you decide they don't help.

I am fortunate in that I have found a LDS were I can try most fins...... so I'm going to do exactly that. Unfortunately, it's just pool diving, so not quite the real thing.

Ron