I'll have to remember to do this soon, just to settle these stupid claims once and forever.
Just back kick? I can also film some nice lateral (sideways) kick.
Just in Force Fins? I could show you some effective back kick barefoot (just to make a complete mockery of the concept that X, Y or Z fins "cannot" be used for this or that...)
The capacity to maneuver and propel oneself underwater is really ALL about personal ability....and familiarity with the specific dynamics of the equipment used.
I believe that the negative claims about FF stem entirely from divers who've used one type of fins (i.e. Jets) for a long time... and then 'try' FF for a very short time. FF require an adapted technique and those divers aren't skilled to quickly understand and adapt to the technique needed.... so they can explain away their failure by blaming the equipment...
This is just silly.
1) I said frog kick, not back, and Benno explained well why I wouldn't assume that FF wouldn't work at back kick. As soon as I start using back kick as my primary mode of getting around a cave we can talk.
2) bare feet can indeed work for swimming, that's not news. Fins aren't to make swimming possible, but more effecient.
3) Extending your logic in the above post leads to your list of best fins for sidemount speaking only to your ability, not to the quality of the fin...which then makes your list (more) meaningless.
4) I could be wrong on this one, but I think I've seen a video you posted where you were (failing at) frog kicking with FF. If I'm right that it was your video, I hope you'll post it here so that everyone can see that they are useless for frog kicking.
5) FF-haters just didn't try them for long enough?? how do you expect anyone to try equipment for an extended period if they don't work well? Again, please show us what a pro can do!
6) don't assume critics are all zealots. I don't have jets, and I was very excited about the potential of a bio-inspired fin when I first say FFs. For the price I needed to see them in action, and that meant a lot of videos (including on the FF product site and YouTube channel where, one could assume, the swimmer has in fact been using them a while). I have seen them do an ok job at flutter, and perform miserably at frog (maybe about as well as without fins, an option you suggest). I am not hating on them for no reason, I WANT to be convinced that they aren't terrible. Convince me! Please! But if you show me a video of you frog kicking with no appreciable advance with each kick, then I'll have no choice but to stick to my position and fly by you with I any cheapo set of fins I've ever used.