The Fin Debate

[Nuno A]

look for apollo fins even if very used, its like a small miracle on movement in the water and at the surface and reduces drastically air consumption.

 

[Locus]

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.

My attitude as well. I've gotten started on a pair of atomic splits I got off craigslist for $60. They work well enough and are easy on the legs (also they're fairly heavy and help keep my feet down in my drysuit), but I am somewhat control-obsessed and I feel like I could develop good technique more quickly with paddles, especially in regards to the kind of horizontal stability that TSandM mentioned.

To that end, I'm switching to a heavy paddle fin (hollis f1's), but my legs are used to the much more flexible splits, so I've been hitting the pool with snorkel fins to strengthen up my ankles, etc.

Bonus: I'll hang onto the splits for use if I'm still diving when my knees start to go...

Get what ever fins you want because you will never really know what you like until you have some dives under your belt. Besides it is probably going to take quite some time before you can even appreciate or notice the differences in a fin anyways. So after some time and and bunch of dives you will finally know what you expect out of a fins performance and by then you will probably want a new set of fin anyways. Get what ever makes you happy at this moment.

To an extent this is true, but I can tell you from experience that it is also a great way to accumulate a pile of gear you don't use. I have less than thirty dives under my belt, and I notice a big difference between splits, paddles, and blades.

 

[CT-Rich]

Getting what ever you want and makes you happy right now makes you a good customer, but not a good diver. I have two sets of fins. A pair of Rockets I bought in 1980, a good set of vented fins, maneuverable but not super on power. I bought a big pair of Plana Avanti at a swap meet around 1990, longer blade, more flex and power. I have the rockets for my daughter and as loaners. Haven't touched them in ages (although both fins have gone threw a few straps).

I see a lot of new gear show up, but the pieces that are demonstrably better after 3 or 4 years is pretty small. When you start talking decades, you do see real improvements (BCDs and Dive Computers for examples) or the addition of safety gear (SMBs & ponies or octopus regs). But a good, successful fin can be on the market for 20 years pretty much unchanged. While gear does evolve, you can pretty much take the best from 1980 and compare it to todays mid-range gear and you will see they are almost the same.

You'll never go wrong investing in time tested gear and you won't need to have a dive locker filled with assortment of fins that look like an ex-gf shoe closet. Generally speaking, a few quality pieces thoughtfully purchased will out last a ton of junk purchased because it was the dive industry flavor of the month....

 

[hroark2112]

Mares Plana Avanti Quattro

I dive the yellow ones. Get the blue ones

easy to to kick and move around in. I put spring straps on mine. I think they're great starter fins.