Swim fins for scuba?

[aquacat8]

Hey vintage guys... all these cool old fin posts are making me wonder: why do people say you can’t push a scuba rig with swim fins when that’s what they used to do? I never cramp in my swim fins, unlike my scuba paddles, and I have jet fin envy due to trim, but jet fins are to much for my little girlish ankles. I was thinking if there was something in between a jet fin and a swim fin, negatively buoyant for trim, but maybe full foot or good foot pocket, available in America, can you think of anything? Also, what’s it feel like to scuba in vintage fins?

 

[jvanostrand]

What's changed is the amount of drag on a diver. Back then there wasn't a BCD with it's buckles, straps, pockets and d-rings. There wasn't a myriad of hoses and the scuba tank was mounted closer to the body and lower on the back. It all results in less drag. One of the things new vintage divers feel is how streamlined they are in the water. It's possible to get close in current gear but you have to be really picky with everything.

I think just about everyone gets cramps when diving a large stiff fin for the first few times. If you dive enough you'll grow some muscles and it won't be a problem.

It can also be your kick style. A flutter kick (scissor kick) is great for a powerful fast swim but it's very inefficient because it kicks water downward and stirs up silt. Downward thrust is wasted, it doesn't move you forward. A frog kick is far more efficient. It's the kick used by cave divers because of its efficiency and because it's very hard to kick up silt using it.

Floppy fins are easy to kick but easy means little thrust. Stiff fins are needed for a good frog kick and they're also good for back finning and turning. Those are very useful skills for photographers or anyone who wants to look like a pro. When you know how to back kick and turn using your fins your hands are free to work a camera.

Usually people want lighter fins either because they are foot heavy in the water or because the lighter the fin the easier the kick, there's less inertia to overcome on each kick and on long swimming dives lighter fins are less tiring. Some dry suit divers that dive over weighted like heavy fins because they fear floaty feet. The real solution is to weight properly or use a combination of wing and dry suit for buoyancy.

Ideally a fin is only slightly negative because it's easier to locate and retrieve a sinking fin than one that floating toward the surface.

Fins really are a personal choice and since I like stiff fins my opinion on floppy fins won't be very useful.

 

[JamesBon92007]

Jet Fins came out just before I got certified and I remember drooling over the ads in Skin Diver Magazine. I pretty much hated the full-foot fins of the time for many reasons. Duck Feet were the only fins that I considered to be good enough for scuba or free-diving. The full-foot fins came off easily in the surf, ripped along the foot pocket if you made a false step, and had little power which was misdirected. Unfortunately I made the mistake of buying SportsWays 707 fins (my dive shop was pushing them) and suffered for years before finally getting some real Jet Fins. In the 70s they came out with "Lightning" Jet Fins which are made of softer rubber. That is what I use now. They have a lightning bolt through the insignia. To me they are very close to perfect. While in Hawai'i two years ago I found a pair of Size Medium Lightning Jet Fins for my 5'2" girlfriend and she loves them. She had tried other fins and after using the Jet Fins she has no interest in looking at other fins. I use my Jet Fins for scuba, snorkeling, free-diving and they are good for all three. Besides that they fit in my carry-on luggage. The straps wear out but with normal care they have proven to last for many decades.

 

[aquacat8]

Guess I’ll have to look for the lightning jets, thanks!

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

You could always get a cheap pair of plastic blade freediving fins and cut them back?
Cut a little at a time until you reach the perfect leg stress to thrust ratio.
A lot of people do this to make lighweight full foot travel fins.

 

[george_austin]

Sure, if you want a full pocket, you can just cut down freediving fins but the lady size Lightning Jets are quite a bit smaller than the man size Lightning Jets. They look like baby Jets

 

[aquacat8]

Haha I want both. Right now have crappy plastic Tisa fins and feet are too light.

 

[Bigtank1958]

I like Apollo splits Award Winning Bio Fin Pro | Apollo USA Scuba

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

Hey vintage guys... all these cool old fin posts are making me wonder: why do people say you can’t push a scuba rig with swim fins when that’s what they used to do? I never cramp in my swim fins, unlike my scuba paddles, and I have jet fin envy due to trim, but jet fins are to much for my little girlish ankles. I was thinking if there was something in between a jet fin and a swim fin, negatively buoyant for trim, but maybe full foot or good foot pocket, available in America, can you think of anything? Also, what’s it feel like to scuba in vintage fins?

You may want to consider a freedive type fin. You should realize EXCELLENT performance from a MAKO fiberglass blade with a full footpocket. I would strongly recommend the SOFT fiberglass blade. This should be relatively easy to kick and will hopefully address the ankle issues you reference. These fins are also (slightly) negatively buoyant and will deliver all the power and control you will want when scuba diving.

We offer other less expensive fins, but if you are really looking for excellent performance and a very easy to kick blade, this would be my recommendation. If you wear 3 or 5 mm neoprene socks, I think you will find the MAKO pockets to be significantly more ergonomic (and comfortable) compared to any jet fin (unless of course your feet are rectangular blocks).

If you have very small feet, you might try the Los Ninos fins (very small foot pockets) and less than $50.

Edit: Something else to consider with respect to fins. The jet fin is designed to cover the front 2/3 of the foot. A good portion of the sole, and your heel area is completely unsupported. This concentrates the force on the portion of the foot in the pocket.

If you examine a good pair of freedive foootpockets, you will find that the hardness of the pocket varies.

The top is somewhat soft and flexible, but the sole of the fin is stiff. The entire heel is supported by a repetitively stiff portion. Cheap footpockets are floppy and bend when held by the heel. MAKO (and other quality pockets) are relatively rigid and this (along with the full foot/ closed heel) design helps to improve the transfer of energy from your foot to the water. This results in a more comfortable fin that will allow sustained kicking with less fatigue.

Competition Fiberglass Fins for Women | MAKO Spearguns

 

[JamesBon92007]

The original Jet Fins were marketed as being the same density as salt water (I guess that would be the average density?). I'm not sure about the Lightning fins but I never even notice them when I'm diving so I'd say the are not too heavy or too buoyant. I didn't know they now made specific "lady" Jet Fins. I know they make pink ones but I don't know how the rubber characteristics compare to the old, original fins. We've been places where our fins got a lot of attention, especially because they were made in USA and supposedly the ones from Malaysia or wherever are not quite the same. Back in the early 80s my ex bought some SeaSport fins (from Laguna SeaSports, Ca) that are comparable to the Size Medium Lightning fins. They were made in Mexico. They are hard to find and not quite as durable and had two "jets" instead of three but still pretty good fins. One of the best things about my Lightnings is that I feel the force of the fin against my ankle area whereas with other fins I could feel it on my instep. I get a lot more power when needed and less fatigue.