Warm water fins: what's inexpensive, can take springs, and frog kick?

[Wayward Son]

FWIW, I'm a mens size 10. I can wear XL Jets with a light to medium boot.

XS Scuba 7mm boots won't fit. Between the sole & the neoprene, they're just too big for an XL.

But, if your boot fits an XL Jet, it will fit an XL Slipstream.

 

[NorthWoodsDiver]

I think hollis or HOG/edge (cant remember which off hand) makes a version of the jet fins which is lighter weight, you might try them.

 

[Matt S.]

Thanks everyone.

 

[Firefyter]

Slipstreams. I like my Avanti Quattros, but the Slipstreams are lighter.

 

[rongoodman]

The Dive Rites are on sale now, for $102 from Dive Rite Express. They also come in smaller sizes. They're nice and stiff, good for frog kicks, back kicks, and helicopter turns.

 

[oldschool]

Two suggestions if you are looking for non vented fins. Take a look at the Cressi Rondine A's and the TUSA Liberator X-10's. The Cressi's are longer (about 26" from heel to tip) and definitely heavier than the TUSA's. I have both. The spring straps work on both. I'll be taking the TUSA's to Bonaire in July to save on weight and they are easier to pack.

 

[John_B]

FWIW, I'm a mens size 10. I can wear XL Jets with a light to medium boot.

XS Scuba 7mm boots won't fit. Between the sole & the neoprene, they're just too big for an XL.

But, if your boot fits an XL Jet, it will fit an XL Slipstream.

I would agree that the footpockets on the XL Jets are a little shorter on the top-to-bottom measurement. For this reason, I'm always looking for a solution between a molded sole boot with a tall sole and a bootie.

The Slipstreams have a bit more generous footpocket, but are definitely make of a stiffer material (some sort of plastic) vs. the rubbery nature of a pair of true Jets.

The Hollis F1 fin foot pockets are larger, I have them in L where I have XL Jets and Slipstreams. The problem with the Hollis size L is that the overall fin profile on these are more of a flutter kick fin than a Jet knockoff. The one nice thing is that they have a pin-based system to hold the springstraps that is adjustable. That said, I don't think I'll keep my F1s.

 

[Matt S.]

Stumbled on my old thread here... wanted to post a followup for the benefit of future searchers. I chose the Dive Rite fins and was really happy with them. They are light, let me do all my favorite kicks, and are only $100 WITH spring straps. Great tropical fin, IMHO.

 

[TSandM]

Just to add something here . . . in the search for fins to use in the pool that weren't negative, I ended up with Deep See Pulse fins. Although I haven't taken them into salt water, I can do all the kicks, including the back kick, with no problem. LP sells them for $39.95, and you can put the commercial springs that fit into the plastic clips on them. It's a very inexpensive solution, and I'll report on how it works in the sea after we get home from the islands at the end of the month.

 

[JKSteger]

Just to add something here . . . in the search for fins to use in the pool that weren't negative, I ended up with Deep See Pulse fins. Although I haven't taken them into salt water, I can do all the kicks, including the back kick, with no problem. LP sells them for $39.95, and you can put the commercial springs that fit into the plastic clips on them. It's a very inexpensive solution, and I'll report on how it works in the sea after we get home from the islands at the end of the month.

Thanks, I too am searching for a good, lighter fin for wetsuit use. I was looking into the Dive Rites. I usually always use my XL Jets, which is perfect for drysuit diving but with a thin wetsuit, my feet feel too heavy. However, I wanted an expensive fin that would let me do frog kicks and back kicks. I'm going to order a pair of these Deep See and try them out!

J: