Travel Fins?

[drbill]

I dive near home with my Apollo BioFins, but they are too heavy to carry with me since I travel as a backpacker. When traveling internationally, I usually take my old Aqualung Blades as they are much lighter and give plenty of power.

 

[Damselfish]

it would be cool to see actual weights on the various fins people recommend as lightweight - all anyone ever says is "they're light." I've thought about the Mantaray or Teleoz fins (looks like Teleoz have been renamed "Travel Finz?") but I'm not sure how much lighter they would be than what I have (also old AL Blades) or if worth the possible tradeoff.

I'll start-
original Aqualung Blades per pair
(small) 3lb 13oz 24"
(medium) 4lb 24.5"

For the APS Mantaray their site says "The small size fin comes in an overall length of about 19” with the medium-large and extra large coming in at about 19.75” and with an overall weight of 1.5 to 1.7 pounds depending on size." I'm unclear if that's per fin or per pair.

 

[Teamcasa]

My choice for (air) travel fins are Cressi Reactions. Light weight and fin great.

DIVING » Open heel fins » Reaction

 

[hokie_diver]

it would be cool to see actual weights on the various fins people recommend as lightweight - all anyone ever says is "they're light." I've thought about the Mantaray or Teleoz fins (looks like Teleoz have been renamed "Travel Finz?") but I'm not sure how much lighter they would be than what I have (also old AL Blades) or if worth the possible tradeoff.

I'll start-
original Aqualung Blades per pair
(small) 3lb 13oz 24"
(medium) 4lb 24.5"

For the APS Mantaray their site says "The small size fin comes in an overall length of about 19” with the medium-large and extra large coming in at about 19.75” and with an overall weight of 1.5 to 1.7 pounds depending on size." I'm unclear if that's per fin or per pair.

I'll play.

My APS Mantarays are size XL and are about 19.75" as the site says. My (admittedly probably not too accurate) bathroom scale says 3.2 lb for the pair.

My XL Jets are about 22" and about 6.4 lb including spring straps.

 

[Kamchatka]

Hi.

Any recommendations for a good travel fin? Light-weight, short, but with good thrust as well? I will mostly use these fins in the tropics. Mahjong

Oceanic Caribes, per Rodale's. Got my first pair from Leisure Pro, <$20 delivered. Paid $40 for the second pair. Light, relatively small, FAASSTT!, flexible and comfortable. (My drysuit/heavy wetsuit fins are Blades.) YMMV.

 

[xose]

Take a look at the Mares Avanti Fullfoot Superchannel. They were the #1 rated fin last year among 18 that were tested. They even beat out the more expensive fins that were 3 times their price.

here it is : 18 New Fins - Scuba Diving Magazine

http://www.atomicaquatics.com/reviews/Nov07Fintest.pdf


regards,

 

[gert7to3]

I am seconding the Zeagle Teleoz fins. Shall weigh mine at home and report back. Also noticed that Zeagle has redesigned and renamed them EZ Travel fins:

Zeagle Express - EZ Travel Finz -

The difference is the foot strap assembley. The Teleoz fin has a single large velcro arch strap with a heel band. The EZ Travel fins have a two foot straps and a heel strap. They look goofy, but pack flat. Their flex is soft, but I don't get foot cramps with them at all.

Also here's a Rodales Scuba page with their recent fin reviews:

Fins - Scuba Diving Magazine


My other fins are Cressi Pro Lights.

 

[gert7to3]

Fin weights per pair:

Zeagle TeleOz: 2 lb 4 oz/1.04 Kg
Cressi Pro Lights: 4 lb 0 oz/1.82 Kg
Dacor Omersub: 4 lb 4 oz/1.94 Kg

 

[lmorin]

If you go to the Scuba Diving fin review link posted above and repeated HERE, find the blue box containing 3 weblinks. Click on the third to download a PDF of the overall test results. The table contains the weights of every fin tested. Note that there is some abiguity as to whether the weight measure applies to 1 fin or both. I checked with the editors of those results and was told that "ALL weights in the chart are per fin." Thus, the weight/pair ranges from 6 lb 12 oz for Apollo Sports Bio-Fin Pro (an open heel fin) to 2 lb 6 oz for Oceanic Caribe X full-foot fins. The Mares Avanti Superchannel full-foots weigh 2 lb 14 oz per pair; the same fin in open-heel version weighs 4 lb 6 oz.

 

[highdesert]

If I don't need an open heel fin/bootie combination, I travel with Oceanic Vortex V6 spllit fins. I'm 6'3" and 225 lbs, and these fins move me quickly with little effort. I've had others ask me how I can swim so fast, if there's and occasion to do so. And I really don't exert too much to do it. I can flutter, frog, dolphin, etc. And they're lightweight. Under $60 at LP.