Tri-split fins .. soon to appear?

[CT Sean]

2 splits, 3, 4...why stop there? I'm going to develop a split-fin that is essentially a bunch of rubber spaghetti dangling off the end of a foot pocket. People will love them! I can already hear the accolades: "These fins are awesome! They require no kicking effort whatsoever...and they're so effecient it felt like I wasn't even moving! In fact, it felt like I was sinking uncontrollably to the bottom and being rescued by a DM wearing paddle fins!"

hey - that design is patent pending

(for the record, this post is for comedic purposes only - I don't care what kind of fin you use)

 

[fire_diver]

hey - that design is patent pending

(for the record, this post is for comedic purposes only - I don't care what kind of fin you use)

I wish I lived by you. I would pay you to dive that so I could get video of it.

 

[Mopar]

hey - that design is patent pending

(for the record, this post is for comedic purposes only - I don't care what kind of fin you use)

:shocked2: I like it! It has something for all of us. It is the perfect compromise fin. You need to give it a name. People who like spits will like it and so will us Jetfin people.

 

[diveprof]

hey - that design is patent pending

(for the record, this post is for comedic purposes only - I don't care what kind of fin you use)

Glad to see you are using a fin with vents, otherwise it might not work:lol:

Geez I bring up the idea of spaghetti fins earlier in this thread and folks steal the idea. Corporate spies are everywherenpatrol:

 

[fire_diver]

Spaghetti jets?

 

[Scubagolf]

 

[Splitlip]

Ahh.. Jet Fins. Introduced in the late 60's. Bought my first pair in 1973. Used them for 30 years before I discovered there were so many better options out there. I'm talking better paddle options here guys, not just new technology. The Jets are very nice and precise. (do the vents really do anything?) They are very negative, great for floaty feet and drysuits I suppose. But they are also better and more efficient than 3 of their clones I have used. Rockets, OMS and another 70's fin I can't remember. (none the less. Still all about the strength of the leg to push. Should I tell the Saladin/Richard the Lion Heart story again, lol)

Many of you will agree with me about the Rockets and the OMS fins. So why is it so hard to accept that there are more efficient fins out there today that don't look like Jets, more than 40 years later.

The Jets have a cultist following. I was diving with a business associate not to long ago. (never mind, they'll blame the diver and not the gear)

I do admit, if you put duct tape on Jets, they work the same.

 

[Mopar]

I have a question for the people who use split fins. I use a pair in the local quarry and they do fine. When I used them in the ocean with a current they did not do well. This is why I dont like them. My Jetfins do good in the ocean. So how do I make my splits work in the ocean?

 

[Crush]

I just did my first split-fin dive at Epcot.

They performed as advertized - when I kicked my feet, I was propelled forward. Oddly enough they did not feel soft or squishy. In truth, they felt sort of like they were simply not there, although I moved through the water with greater speed than I would have if I had not had fins on. Please don't misconstrue this as a favourable review - in my uneducated opinion the same effect could have been achieved had I sawed off half of the blade on each of my regular Mares Avanti Quattros, thereby lessening the purchase of each motion and decreasing (apparently) effort but to lesser gain. Less effort, less propulsion. I can achieve the same saving in effort by kicking slowly. In split fins I found helicopter turns to be different, but doable. I personally found a backward kick was impossible to learn in the 40 minutes allotted to the dive, and the absolute lack of current made this more pronounced.

Shorter answer: I didn't hate them - they felt sort of "not there" (especially when doing a back-kick). I will also not be buying a pair as I personally don't see the advantage. I would recommend them to a snorkeler without hesitation.

Longer answer: My analogy is that, let's assume that you have a 12-speed bike. Kicking without fins is gear 1. Kicking with split fins is gear 2. Kicking with "normal" fins is speeds 3, 4, or 5. You still have speeds 6-12 untouched (unless you are one of those free-divers with crazy fins). Any of speeds 1-6 might get you up a steep hill. It is up to you: do you want to pedal faster but easier, or harder but will a decreased cadence? What is better for "handling?" What is your optimal "setting" for an "average" dive? I opt for a higher gear ratio and lower cadence, but you may not.

Dive what you want, folks. We all own bikes with different gear ratios. Just PLEASE stop with the pseudo-science. Real science is A-OK.

 

[fire_diver]

I have a question for the people who use split fins. I use a pair in the local quarry and they do fine. When I used them in the ocean with a current they did not do well. This is why I dont like them. My Jetfins do good in the ocean. So how do I make my splits work in the ocean?

Duct tape.