The Fin Debate

[eelnoraa]

I will say just pick up a set of used fins from craigslist, you have time, so find one that you like used. Fins get a lot of beating, after a few dive, they look like crab anyway. By buying used, usually much lower price, you can switch later without losing too much money.

 

[lmorin]

Three important things: weight, stiffness and colour
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I have seen divers use white and bright yellow fins deep inside mines and paint their black rubber fins with silver paint, and these were adult men and skilled 'tehnical' divers. Nothing wrong with a dash of colour. Not all must be black.

Truth. Given that the vast, vast majority of divers have no need to go fast and do not want to go fast (in fact, many of us wish to go incredibly slowly while we peek under coral heads for blennies and gobies clinging upside down), the list supplied by Subcooled strikes the right balance re fin choice: weight, stiffness and color. Suit yourself, especially by re-ordering the priorities. Personally, I went with red, and thought I was buying a light weight pair (but weren't; my mistake) that were stiff. My wife has a pair that is very light, very flexible and blue, but color was not really an issue for her. Others may have different preferences. I will note that the one fin factor on which most (but not all) folks here seem agree about split fins is that it is more difficult to swim backward with them. For most divers, this may not be an issue, but if photography is going to be your thing, you may want to factor backward swimming into your decision because swimming in reverse can be very helpful when shooting photos in close to a reef.

 

[Splitlip]

I have no intentions of going fast unless there is a very good reason for me too. This should be a relaxing hobby and an escape from my real life above water and something my bf and I can do together. I will start shopping for my perfect fins for me next week.

Take note of what Dan. Speed is relative. If you are a photographer trying to keep positioned in a 2kt current, you might appreciate "fast" fins.
I am a fan of at least one split. But having said that, you don't want to blow a lot of money. I would even consider some the full foot snorkel fins out there. A lot less money. And if you decide you don't like scuba, at least you will use the fins.
Scuba lab has demonstrated snorkel fins can be pretty darn effective. I talked to one of there testers, and thought maybe because the pocket so effectively wraps the foot.

 

[ARDory]

I looked at some fins and then realized they were snorkel fins so didn't look any further. So, snorkel fins will work as well as scuba fins? I don't want to get 30 feet down and then my fins fall apart. I would prefer blue, but I won't buy fins, JUST because they are blue. My mask is blue, and of course I have to color coordinate.

 

[CT-Rich]

I looked at some fins and then realized they were snorkel fins so didn't look any further. So, snorkel fins will work as well as scuba fins? I don't want to get 30 feet down and then my fins fall apart. I would prefer blue, but I won't buy fins, JUST because they are blue. My mask is blue, and of course I have to color coordinate.

Full foot fins are only really good when you are not worried about insulation. Walking around with 60 lb (27 kg)of gear with bare feet might not be a practical choice. I do like the idea of picking up gear on Craig's List. I do see your BF's point about he doesn't think you'll like the splits in 6 months. Others may disagree about that, but he is your BF. Most any fin will move you around as a beginner. To a degree, you should really buy fins that you will want to use as general purpose (what will you need for 80% of the diving you are intending to do). Once you get the fins that will do what you want, you need to get used to them. You'll do better to get in shape for the fins you want, rather than getting fins for the shape you are in.

 

[Skittl1321]

I looked at some fins and then realized they were snorkel fins so didn't look any further. So, snorkel fins will work as well as scuba fins? I don't want to get 30 feet down and then my fins fall apart. I would prefer blue, but I won't buy fins, JUST because they are blue. My mask is blue, and of course I have to color coordinate.

Snorkel fins aren't going to fall apart at depth, but they also may not offer as much propulsion/power. Most snorkel fins are quite small (so the average vacationer can pack them).

 

[TSandM]

As a DM who often works with open water classes and beginning students, I have one particular issue with split fins. New divers are a lot like people learning to ride a bike, except the diver is the bike and the tank is the person on top of it. Keeping the balance of that diver/tank system is something all of us who dive eventually learn to do without even thinking about it, but for a new diver, it's a challenge. Every time the tank gets a little off center (and it often does in the all too frequently ill-fitting BCs that shops use for classes) it wants to roll the diver. You need some kind of horizontal stabilizer to stop that from happening, and splits just don't "bite" the water well enough to do that job. In my experience, open water students using splits are the absolute worst for hand-waving, because they are desperately looking for SOME method of attaining stability, and they can't do it with their feet.

To the OP: Scuba gear is interesting. There is a lot of very good equipment that isn't particularly attractive, and there is a lot of attractive equipment that isn't very good. Buying on aesthetics is rarely advisable, unless you know a good deal about the other qualities of the item you are purchasing. For example, I recently bought a pair of bright yellow Jet fins. I bought them because they were yellow . . . but I own three other pairs of Jets, so the characteristics of the fins were no surprise to me at all. When you buy on aesthetics, you also often pay a significant premium for the looks. Fins like the SeaWing Novas and the Mares XStreams are VERY, VERY expensive, and (in my opinion, anyway) have no qualities other than cool looks to justify the price.

If you have to have blue, I'd highly recommend finding a relatively inexpensive, plastic paddle fin to dive, something like the Deep See Pulses. They're perfectly functional fins at a low price point, and they will do you very nicely through your class, and any initial warm water diving you might do. If you decide this sport is something you love for yourself, you will eventually figure out what kind of diving you really like, and you'll end up with fins that work for you for that. Most avid divers have more than one set of fins, I think.

Oh, and confession time -- I bought split fins when I learned to dive. The first time I got to dive a good set of paddle fins, the splits went on the shelf until I eventually sold them.

 

[diverrex]

Fins like the SeaWing Novas and the Mares XStreams are VERY, VERY expensive, and (in my opinion, anyway) have no qualities other than cool looks to justify the price.

I use Jet fins for local California diving. But they are just too heavy to take on tropical trips. Before a trip to Fiji last November I picked up a pair of Seawing Novas at my LDS brand new for only $89. They are lightweight and despite their funky look fairly compact for packing. I've tried other light fins for travel but never liked them. The Seawing Novas worked fine and now will be my regular traveling fins.

 

[TSandM]

I totally understand not using Jets or other heavy fins! When I dive warm water, I generally use my Dive Rite EXPs, which are plastic and much lighter. I don't like the Novas because the tabs on the sides of them make frog kicking less efficient, and because they break.

 

[iluvtheocean]

As a DM who often works with open water classes and beginning students, I have one particular issue with split fins. New divers are a lot like people learning to ride a bike, except the diver is the bike and the tank is the person on top of it. Keeping the balance of that diver/tank system is something all of us who dive eventually learn to do without even thinking about it, but for a new diver, it's a challenge. Every time the tank gets a little off center (and it often does in the all too frequently ill-fitting BCs that shops use for classes) it wants to roll the diver. You need some kind of horizontal stabilizer to stop that from happening, and splits just don't "bite" the water well enough to do that job. In my experience, open water students using splits are the absolute worst for hand-waving, because they are desperately looking for SOME method of attaining stability, and they can't do it with their feet.

To the OP: Scuba gear is interesting. There is a lot of very good equipment that isn't particularly attractive, and there is a lot of attractive equipment that isn't very good. Buying on aesthetics is rarely advisable, unless you know a good deal about the other qualities of the item you are purchasing. For example, I recently bought a pair of bright yellow Jet fins. I bought them because they were yellow . . . but I own three other pairs of Jets, so the characteristics of the fins were no surprise to me at all. When you buy on aesthetics, you also often pay a significant premium for the looks. Fins like the SeaWing Novas and the Mares XStreams are VERY, VERY expensive, and (in my opinion, anyway) have no qualities other than cool looks to justify the price.

If you have to have blue, I'd highly recommend finding a relatively inexpensive, plastic paddle fin to dive, something like the Deep See Pulses. They're perfectly functional fins at a low price point, and they will do you very nicely through your class, and any initial warm water diving you might do. If you decide this sport is something you love for yourself, you will eventually figure out what kind of diving you really like, and you'll end up with fins that work for you for that. Most avid divers have more than one set of fins, I think.

Oh, and confession time -- I bought split fins when I learned to dive. The first time I got to dive a good set of paddle fins, the splits went on the shelf until I eventually sold them.

color isn't a big deal either --- some good spray paint and your golden or in this case, blue?

I've got a pair of Tusa Splits and my other fins are Hollis F1's. both are on the big & bulky side.