The Best Fins to Learn Frog Kick, Back Kick, etc.

[Macan]

I saw some threads asking for Fin recommendations. I thought I'd give a response with a different twist. Here are my thoughts.

Almost any fin will allow you to do the Frog Kick and even complex kicks like the Back/Reverse Kick. The key is technique. Equipment is not the solution to a form/skill problem. See the videos below. The fins in the videos that my student is using are el cheapo Taiwan made rental fins.



In my experience, it is actually a good thing to first put students in cheap/rental (“suboptimal” haha ) fins to learn the advanced propulsion techniques (eg frog, back, helicopter, etc). Yes, it’s a lot harder this way as in the case of doing the reverse kick with thin sidewall rental fins. But, students learn to focus on what they’ve got (eg thin sidewalls) and make the most out of it in real world conditions. More importantly, they learn the proper kicking form, moves and techniques, the right way, without having to deal with the added complexity of a stiff, wide and heavy fins. When they eventually move to a Tec fin like Jets or Slipstreams, the transition is almost seamless and they’re able to fully maximize the power of the fins with the right form and technique. All that's left is learning to compensate for the stiffness and weight of the new fin.

I’ve carefully observe students who go out immediately and get Jets or variants. And students who uses cheap rental fins. Guess who learned the propulsion techniques faster and better? The rental fin user . Those who tried to learn in Jets and variants have a much longer learning curve and build up bad form habits brought about by having to compensate for the stiffness and weight of the fins at the expense of proper form.

A simple analogy is learning how to lift weights in a gym. Proper form and technique is important for safety and effectiveness. A guy who starts out with big heavy weights will not learn the proper form/technique as compared to a guy who starts out with light weights.

When you have mastered the proper propulsion form and technique, my recommendation is Jets for Dry or when using Doubles. And Slipstreams for Wet.

 

[HantsDiver]

Right I'm only going to make a few points.

1. You'd be better off teaching people with no fins on at all. It's actually easier.

2. JetFins are actually very crap - they were popular when there was nothing comparable on the market. F1's have a much nicer foot pocket and are superior in nearly every way.

3. I kind of agree that the equipment really isn't important. But the stiffness you mention actually make it's marginally easier than floppy junk.

EDIT - finally the technique in the second video isn't actually that good. You'd be much more efficient if you brought the find back together when bringing them back. You'd move further for less work.

 

[Macan]

2. JetFins are actually very crap - they were popular when there was nothing comparable on the market. F1's have a much nicer foot pocket and are superior in nearly every way.

SP Jets are the tried and tested fins for heavy duty diving. If you’re loaded up with heavy doubles and multiple deco bottles or diving dry, Jets won’t fail you. They’re big, heavy, stiff and powerful. Their weight alone will help trim you out from being too head heavy. But you need to know how to use them and “Fit” them. The most common complaint I hear is the foot pocket. The Slipstreams have similar brick shaped foot pocket. Actually, the real issue is not the foot pocket. It’s the Spring Strap. The solution is simple. Change it to the next larger size spring strap. The difference is night and day.

However, if you’re diving wet, Jets is an overkill and with singles and a 3mm, it can throw off your trim if you’re not used to them. Slipstream works better when diving singles and wet.

 

[stepfen]

I have a question on frog kicks but I don't want to hijack this thread so I opened a new one. Any help welcome. Thanks