otter-cat
Guest
...as they should be. I'm not terribly weak, either, but leg strength is definitely an issue for me when I use stiffer fins. Ideally, I should go the the gym and pool to make them stronger (and I do plan to) but in the meantime, here are a couple of alternatives that work well and probably won't cramp your legs as much as the stiff fins might:
For a relatively inexpensive, very good mid-grade fin, I HIGHLY recommend Aeris Velocities. They are vented in the middle, which gives them some of the ease of motion found with split-fins, but are a little better for turning, and cost MUCH less. They usually run about $90 in the U.S. No baby blue, but they do come in blue, bright yellow, and bright green. I have a pair which I use whenever I dive in a wetsuit, and I like them a lot.
For split fins, which give more speed for less effort, I recommend Apollo Bio fins. They come in a nice bright blue and in black. I use these fins when I dive with a drysuit (I needed a bigger size fin when I got my drysuit because the boot on it was too big to fit into the pair of Velocities that I already had), and I like them as much, if not more than my Velocities. They are much more expensive than the Velocities, because they are split fins, and all split fins have to pay royalties to the patent-holder for the original split-fin design. The Apollo Bio fins run about $195.
As far as split fins go, I really like my Apollo's because the material is so flexible. It feels almost like kicking air, and yet my speed in them is far greater than in other fins. I have never had a leg cramp while using Apollo's. Some people don't like the split fins in general because they are less maneuverable, although I don't think the difference is great enough to be important to most recreational divers. I've never had a problem with them, and I use them frequently. If you're interested, there are lots of threads on the pros and cons of split-fins vs. regular fins in the fin section of scubaboard.
Another popular type of split-fins which I DON'T recommend for someone who may not have strong legs is the Atomic Aquatics Split fin. The blades on the Atomics are larger and stiffer than on most other split fins, which makes them perform a little more like standard fins in terms of turning and kick style. When I used them, I found them overly stiff and I got leg cramps using them, presumeably because my leg muscles were not well-developed (strong) enough, although maybe my kicking style was not well suited to them. Most men I know, and some women who are pretty fit do like the Atomics, though. There are other split fins that are soft like the Apollo Bios. One is the V-Tec, which is made by Aqualung, I think. I haven't tried them, but I've heard that their performance is similar to the Apollo Bios, and are almost as expensive.
As stated earlier, the best thing to do is to get your legs into better shape. However, if leg strength is currently a problem with some fins, I think the Aeris Velocities ot the Apollo Bios (or similar SOFT split-fin) are great options!
I hope this is helpful!
otter-cat
For a relatively inexpensive, very good mid-grade fin, I HIGHLY recommend Aeris Velocities. They are vented in the middle, which gives them some of the ease of motion found with split-fins, but are a little better for turning, and cost MUCH less. They usually run about $90 in the U.S. No baby blue, but they do come in blue, bright yellow, and bright green. I have a pair which I use whenever I dive in a wetsuit, and I like them a lot.
For split fins, which give more speed for less effort, I recommend Apollo Bio fins. They come in a nice bright blue and in black. I use these fins when I dive with a drysuit (I needed a bigger size fin when I got my drysuit because the boot on it was too big to fit into the pair of Velocities that I already had), and I like them as much, if not more than my Velocities. They are much more expensive than the Velocities, because they are split fins, and all split fins have to pay royalties to the patent-holder for the original split-fin design. The Apollo Bio fins run about $195.
As far as split fins go, I really like my Apollo's because the material is so flexible. It feels almost like kicking air, and yet my speed in them is far greater than in other fins. I have never had a leg cramp while using Apollo's. Some people don't like the split fins in general because they are less maneuverable, although I don't think the difference is great enough to be important to most recreational divers. I've never had a problem with them, and I use them frequently. If you're interested, there are lots of threads on the pros and cons of split-fins vs. regular fins in the fin section of scubaboard.
Another popular type of split-fins which I DON'T recommend for someone who may not have strong legs is the Atomic Aquatics Split fin. The blades on the Atomics are larger and stiffer than on most other split fins, which makes them perform a little more like standard fins in terms of turning and kick style. When I used them, I found them overly stiff and I got leg cramps using them, presumeably because my leg muscles were not well-developed (strong) enough, although maybe my kicking style was not well suited to them. Most men I know, and some women who are pretty fit do like the Atomics, though. There are other split fins that are soft like the Apollo Bios. One is the V-Tec, which is made by Aqualung, I think. I haven't tried them, but I've heard that their performance is similar to the Apollo Bios, and are almost as expensive.
As stated earlier, the best thing to do is to get your legs into better shape. However, if leg strength is currently a problem with some fins, I think the Aeris Velocities ot the Apollo Bios (or similar SOFT split-fin) are great options!
I hope this is helpful!
otter-cat
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