What's wrong with Split Fins??

[SkullDeformity]

Question:

To all of those who say that split fins suck... have you ever even tried them, or do you just regurgitate the rhetoric you hear elsewhere?

This discussion is so tired and repeated, most of us are sick and tired of it. Besides, trolling is fun?

 

[DIR-Atlanta]

One consideration that I haven't seen mentioned yet is the increased possibility of entanglement with the splits. The center opening makes it much easier for line to to get trapped in there.

I tried a pair of Apollo Bio-Fins in the pool when they first came out and did not care for them, but then I use the frog kick probably 95+% of the time. The Apollos were too floppy and did not give the same amount of "snap" as a good paddle fin. In addition, I found that the stiffer side rails create more resistance when loading the fins "flat" (as you would for a frog or back kick). I found this characteristic to be particularly annoying.

My advice is that if you have poor technique, then the thing to do is work on making that better, rather than spending more money on a piece of gear that makes it easier for you to continue to "get by". Like any other activity, diving requires a certain amount of time, dedication, and practice to get good at, and if you put the extra effort into it, then you will get much more enjoyment out of it. And that won't cost you any extra money at all.

 

[robertarak]

I have both, atomic splits and turtles(and oms slipstreams wich are pretty much the same thing...) splits are easier on the calf muscles, and I equate them to a car with no 1st gear but a real nice overdrive. You can swim real fast but it might take you a little while getting up to speed. Paddle fins have a lot of torque, imagine an work truck that can haul a lot of gear and will smoke the tires a block long but max out at fairly low speed. If you only plan on tropical vacation style diving (chasing the pretty fishies) with color coordinated gear, you would PROBABLY be happier with splits. If you get into tech diving or possibly photo(better fine control), you will want paddles.

I love my Bio splits. Where can I get pretty ones to match my color coordinated gear???

 

[DiverBeth]

I recently bought splits and I love them but no way am I tossing out my blades. They both have their advantages and depending on where I'm diving I'll use what I think is the better fin for the dive. Hey maybe I'll even try one of each.

 

[aowdan]

entanglements, yes maybe.
i love my velocity duo's
flutter kick
frog kick
just fine for me

dano

 

[3-Ring Octopus]

I like my Atomic Splits...the only thing I can't do is back-kick in them. (Frog, Heli turn, Modified Flutter..all good) And I find they work exceedingly well in a current.

And as far as silting goes...that's the diver, not the fin. Good bouyancy control prevents silting.

Cheers,
Austin

 

[ladycute1]

I have a pair of Apollo Bio Fins... Splits. I have over 500 dives on them. And I love them... I've used them in current.... the boat captain estimated the current at 6 knots -- I had no problem.... I used them for my Dive Master time trials... no problem... I scored very strong.... I used them for snorkeling with whale sharks... my buddys on the boat didn't believe it was me swimming so fast... I've used them in wrecks... my wreck skills are still very novice... but I didn't have any trouble.... no problem with frog kicking.


Both my ex-husband and I found that splits resulted in less fatigue and less leg cramping.

It's a matter of choice / preference.

Liz

 

[RiverRat]

Question:
To all of those who say that split fins suck... have you ever even tried them, or do you just regurgitate the rhetoric you hear elsewhere?

No rhetoric. I threw up (regurgitated) in the pool I tried them in. Just not for me. I've got kinda stocky legs and have no problem powering my jets. If I had legs like twiggy maybe splits would be a better choice. I prefer the "power" or "low gear" if you will over "efficiency at speed". I just feel the stiff fin is a better fin for varied styles of diving from wrecks, caverns/caves, reefs, currents etc. For photography I feel the stiff fin is the ultimate in control. It comes down to several key issues like diving style, body type, type of dives (style) and personal preference.

 

[David P]

I love my Bio splits. Where can I get pretty ones to match my color coordinated gear???

You don't have enough dives to make an opinion yet! Hey, I have some cans of Krylon, stop on by Ill color match your fins!

 

[TSandM]

I started out with split fins, because the owner of the LDS told me they would be less likely to cause cramps, and I have trouble with arch cramps even when I'm not diving. As far as I can tell, he was right, because I never had any cramps while using the splits. They were comfortable and easy, and I used them right up until I took the class that tried to teach me to frog kick.

When I saw what my fins were doing (these weren't splits, they were softer, long-bladed fins) underwater, I immediately purchased a pair of Jet fins. The next day, I took them in the water, and was sure somebody had strapped concrete blocks to my feet. But I could frog kick instantly. And today, I can frog kick, flutter kick, back kick, and do helicopter turns, and I'm quite used to the Jets. And I have almost never gotten any cramps with them, either.

If you intend to do a great deal of diving, you most likely will eventually want to be able to position yourself precisely in the water. By that, I mean you will want to be able to stop and look at something for some time, which may require that you be able to back up a little, or spin on your axis. You may want to do your descents and ascents while keeping eye contact with your buddy, which again will require precisely positioning in the water, and is immensely easier with the ability to back kick.

You CAN back kick and helicopter kick in split fins, but it is much harder, and I think pretty much requires that you have learned to do it in a stiffer fin first.