Starting certification this weekend and need some advice.

[stanner]

Looking at these fins and would like any input. Hollis F1, Mares Superchannel or Wave, Atomic Split, and Apollo Bio Pros.

Are the Hollis F1 too much if I am not doing much tech diving yet, and can they be worn with 3mm boots? I have only read about people wearing them with dry suits or 7mm boots. Thanks!

 

[Sheri SGR]

It would be good if you had a change to use them since you have a paddle type fin and split fins - you could use both "types" and decide if you prefer the split fin which lends itself to flutter kicking whereas the paddle type fins you can flutter kick and frog kick. As long as your foot fits in the fin pocket any fin can be used with 3mm boots however some will be more comfortable depending on the stiffness of the pocket with different dive boots.

Ultimately put the booties on you'll be diving with, put a fin on and see how it feels - that's the best way to choose your fins.

 

[stanner]

Thanks for the advice!

 

[TSandM]

Where are you going to do the majority of your diving? If you are going to dive primarily in warm water, with minimal exposure protection and weight, you may find the F1s are simply too negative to be comfortable. The Mares fins look pretty floppy to me, but that may be preferable to being too heavy.

I have a strong personal dislike for split fins for OW students. One of the biggest challenges an OW student faces is trying to balance the tank above them and keep it centered. A student using paddle fins can spread them out behind them as a horizontal stabilizer; a student using splits can't do this, and ends up doing a bunch more hand-waving in a desperate attempt to stay upright.

If you are interested in a stiff but not unmanageably so, plastic paddle fin that comes with spring straps, look into the Dive Rite EXPs. It's what I'm using now, and I really like them. (I think ALL fins ought to come with spring straps!)

 

[k ellis]

Well for a beginner I have to agree paddle fins will provide better stablizing. but the problem is you wont be new for ever. You will eventually find that you have a desire to do other things like cave diving or deep diving or even tech diving. My suggestion is to try a variety on and perhaps just buy a cheap pair of paddle style fins for the certification then go out and dive for a while and get a feel of where you want to be in the diving world in a year or so.

Apollos have proved to be the cats meow for me (And its just an opinion) because they are the only fins I can actually back up in using only the fins (Odd since most people have better luck in the paddles) Also they provide such a wonderful pleasant dive experience simply because they are so easy to use and require so little effort.

 

[stanner]

To TSandM

I live in Dallas, TX and will be diving in local lakes, quarrys, and scuba parks mostly with a 3mm full suit or nothing depending on the temperature. Once I have some experience I would like to go to Gulf and dive the Water Gardens which I think would be a little cooler but not much from what I have read. I have heard that even in the winter you don't wear more than a 5mm to 7mm suit to be comfortable.

Now could I use the F1 fins to offset some of the weight I would have to use? My size 5' 11" about 180

I appreciate the advice and will check those fins out too.

---------- Post Merged at 04:17 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 04:15 PM ----------

Also, thanks to k ellis for your input as well.

 

[TSandM]

Well, really, the problem is that, if you are using an aluminum tank and minimal exposure protection, and then you hang those heavy fins off the ends of your legs, the fins have a very long lever to affect the position in which you are stable, when you are not moving (known as "trim"). Wearing heavy fins in that circumstance, especially if you are using a long-leg kick (rather than the knee-bent kicks that the cave divers use) is going to obligate you to be feet-down. Being feet down has several bad consequences . . . for one thing, you kick stuff, and you kick up the bottom, which is not at all nice in lakes or anyplace else that's silty. For another thing, if your feet are aimed down, each time you kick, you go -- UP! So you have to keep yourself negative, to avoid climbing in the water column, which means you're spending a lot of energy going nowhere, and worse, if you stop kicking, you sink.

You can ameliorate the effect with posture. Bending your knees shortens the lever, and putting your arms out in front of you gives you a bit of counterbalance. I can dive my size L Jets (which are similar to F1s, only smaller) in warm water without tilting feet-down, but I have a lot of experience in using my body as a balancer. AND my fins are smaller, and therefore less negative than F1s.

I think a similar fin would be a great choice, but I'd go with the OMS Slipstreams or the Dive Rites, which are much less negative. You'll still have a nice paddle fin that will let you move on to any kind of diving you want to do, but you won't have the diving equivalent of concrete overshoes

 

[Wreck Wench]

I agree on the OMS Slipstreams as they are very light and they are great for travel AND they will allow you to dive in ANY venue...lake, ocean, etc and will be the only fins you need even if you do more advanced diving. They are reasonable priced and should be fairly easy to find in Dallas. I can check to see who is a dealer and let you know as I used to live in Dallas and still spend a lot of time there.


Hope to see you diving some day! Kamala