Which Fins?

[Nemrod]

I guess I just don't understand.

N

 

[Shaka Doug]

I don't really understand the point of the video then, two new divers, a lot of fast big kicks and hand swimming. The fins don't look impressive and that little tail would catch line and tangle. Does not make sense.

N

I'm glad you said this "N" because I really like talking about Mor-Fins. They changed my whole opinion on fins when I first put the protoypes on a few years back and that wasn't even in water!! Now that I dive with them I'm 100% sold!

I guess you should have a synopsis of the video, I mean, I suppose it's not as self explanatory as I first thought. I did try an explanation in an earleir post. Hopefully this will make sense to you this time.

Have another look:



The video is of two divers using MorFins and one diver on Mares Plana Avanti Quattros. I posted it merely to show divers diving with the fins. They aren't actors or experts and it was an impromptu shot on the fly. Only one diver here is even certified so forget about being too critical of their handswimming and technique. Overall they look pretty comfortable to me, just having fun. The guy in the Scubapro suit (last guy) is certified. I signalled him to swim by me and both Mor-Fin divers kind of went into a bit of a sprint so that is not a typical kick stroke speed. (You will notice that they did however both pretty much fly by the diver in the Quattros although she wasn't really keeping with the pace either. She seemed to have a similar kick cycle speed but she quit early.) The only excessive hand movement I see in this video comes from the girl wearing the Quattros, not the Mor-Fin guys. What does everyone else see?

Maybe I need to have someone video me using my Mor-Fins so you can see how I am able to fly underwater slowly and efficiently with them. Next dive I'll try to do that. We have a huge swell in today so I might not dive till Monday or Tuesday but I'll do that for you guys (and also keep this thread alive in the process! Yeah!).

Question to all you divers and fishermen out there: How many times have you caught a tuna, mackeral, wahoo, dorado, marlin (or any other fish with a similar tail shape) that was tangled around the tail? Any one? Ever? I don't think that happens too much and it certainly hasn't happened to me and believe me, I go into wrecks, caves, tight spots, ledges, you name it! I'm a crazy diver when I want to be. You should see me when I'm buggin! My Mor-Fins don't get tangled except in my dive flag line once in a while (but then again, so did my Quattros that I used for twelve years before I tried Mor-Fins) and that's only because I tow it from my belt the entire dive and it lays right into my feet sometimes. There's really no avoiding it at times. It's no big deal for me though and as easily as I'm tangled, I'm just as easily untangled.

If you're that paranoid and worried about getting tangled, Nemrod, don't get Mor-Fins. Sounds like they're not for you anyway. Personally, I've never gotten tangled in fishing line in my Mor-Fins and I have a knife for that if I do. I wouldn't give up the ultra smooth kick action and maneuverability they provide on that once in a while slight chance of snagging.

New divers need to know about Mor-Fins and experienced divers that have never seen or heard of them before deserve the opportunity to find out for themselves. It's no longer just a Split VS Paddle battle. If they walk into a shop and there's no Mor-Fins on the wall, what choice do you think they're gonna have? Same ol' same ol'! Splits or Paddles! It's time for that to change.

* Mor-Fins are easy to kick. I'd venture to say even easier than Splits.

* Mor-Fins turn way quicker than any fin I've personally tested; that includes (but is not limited to) splits, paddles, free diving, sling-shots, mantarays, quattros, planas, tres, compros, turbo flexs, tigers, volos, jets, rockets, blades, guerillas, sea wings, even those stupid Vee shaped fins from twenty years ago (forget the name but they were really horrible!!), you name it.

* Mor-Fins are reasonably priced.

* Mor-Fins come with simple, easy to adjust, durable straps or without straps (making them even more affordable if you already have your own favorite straps.)

* Mor-Fins are great for any rental program due to ease of kick, ease of size adjustment, durability, style, functionality, performance and even conversationalism (people always ask me where I got my fins!!!)

* Mor-Fins are now made in America.

*Plus! Not only do they look really 'clean' on your feet, Fish like them! Look!:



I don't work for Mor-Fins, I just like the guy and his product. His fins took my diving to a new level of comfort that I never knew before (I was a die hard Quattro fins diver for over a decade and a die hard Scubapro Super Jet Fin guy the decade before that!). They're so new that most people don't even know about them. I use them exclusively on my daily two tank shore dives and every single diver I've given them to has said they liked the fins. I used to have people bitch about the rental fins being hard to kick once in a while when I used a random assortment of a wide variety of rental fins. I'd watch countless novice divers struggle with their kicks, looking like their feet and fins were completely useless half the time (Instructors and Divemasters reading this, you know what I'm talking about!). That has not happened nearly as much since I switched out all my rental fins to Mor-Fins.

I just speak from my 25 years of experience leading and teaching divers. I tried so many different fins in my life. These Mor-Fins work best for me and my shaka (you know, "hang loose") style of diving, that's all. I like it leisurely. I'm convinced that so many more divers would be happier on their dives if they dove with Mor-Fins from now on.

If anyone thinks I'm making this stuff up and doesn't want to believe that I really do dive all the time, here's a couple of photos of me from over four hundred dives ago (summer, 1997). One is of me sitting with my 'Maui only' dive log book. The other is of me blowing bubble rings lying on a sand bed with my Mor-Fins on. Look how nice and cleanly they taper off my legs. Both photos were published in the 2008 edition of the Divers Almanac and Yearbook.

"Dive Shaka and you'll Always have a Shaka Dive!"

Dive Mor-Fins....the fins that feel like they grew on your feet!

 

[Shaka Doug]

Tell me Shaka Doug, is that video an accurate representation of how fast you would normally kick with MorFins? I'm referring to the frequency of your kick cycles; not the speed at which you travel through the water.

Would you say on an average dive that you normally have to move your legs at that speed?

I kick quite slowly most of the time. These guys were busting a move in this clip. Please read my previous explanation.

 

[Nemrod]

OK, I am still confused, your feet are not tunas and tunas don't carry spools, run lines or shoot a bags. From the looks of your dive log, maybe you are a tuna, do you have Mor-Gills also?

If I want some Mor-fins I could take my old Jets and just cut a slot on either side, maybe a little duct tape, voila, but why. I understand the concept behind FF, I understand the principle, misguided or not, with splits but exactly what advantage does having a pretend fish tail stuck on the end of my flipper provide me? Get rid of the fish tail and extend the fin to it's current outline and you may have something. The foot pocket looks comfortable.

Maybe if your Mor-fins come with a "tuna head" shaped cap you could strap on your head and maybe some little Tuna-Mor-hand-flippers for simulating pectoral fins and a rubber Mor-tank-fin to attach to your cambands to simulate a Mor-dorsal-fin. Get a Mor-green-rubber suit and with all that not only would you have tuna fins but you would look like a tuna as well.

If I ever catch a tuna and he is wearing Mor-fins, I am all over them, otherwise, not. Oh well, I have had my fun, good luck with the snake oil.

N

 

[john1bl]

Based on your reference I reviewed the "thinking diver" comments, particularly those concerning splitfins.

The comments are ridiculous and contrary to numerous tests conducted by Scubalab, Dr Jim Grier, U of Buffalo for starters. Particularly egregious is the opinion concerning high energy consumption of splits. That is patently false. As to odd ball styles like frog kicks, some people do have trouble adjusting these styles to splits. However, Dr Grier's tests did establish that these alternative styles are easy following a little practice. About paddles, some "old style" paddles do well, no question. Examples would be some varieties of Jet and the old, out of production, US Divers Blades fins. However, the new style paddles, for example the Mares SuperChannel, are much better. If you think somebody like "Twain" really knows more about fins than teams of researchers and testers; then, that should be documented with published sources.

Ok, I have to bite on this one . In god I trust, all others bring DATA. I have seen a lot of opinion, but data is in very short supply about fins. I mean real data not "i got them, love them" opinion.

 

[llqwyd]

definetely agree that split fins are not the way to go...personally, dive what you like. find someone that will let you try a pair before you spend your hard-earned money. i prefer the new cressi reactions. they are not only a very good all around fin that is stiff enough to create excellent thrust, but they also have sufficient flex so that they will not wear you out. good luck.

 

[edasque]

Based on your reference I reviewed the "thinking diver" comments, particularly those concerning splitfins.
... As to odd ball styles like frog kicks, some people do have trouble adjusting these styles to splits. ...

Ok, I'll bite. "Oddball styles like frog kicks" ? You mean the style adopted by thousands of cave divers and wreck divers ? A style that I wish I had learnt from the get go ? One of the one ways to kick powerfully without silting out a wreck, a cave or even a reef. Try diving a reef which was just visited by 10 flutter kickers and get back to me.

Oddball styles ? Hah !

 

[DMJulie]

I love my Cressi Reaction fins.

 

[John_B]

Jetfins with spring straps, if you need lighter fins then get the Slipstreams instead (or in addition to).

 

[pterantula]

definetely agree that split fins are not the way to go...personally, dive what you like. find someone that will let you try a pair before you spend your hard-earned money. i prefer the new cressi reactions. they are not only a very good all around fin that is stiff enough to create excellent thrust, but they also have sufficient flex so that they will not wear you out. good luck.

Exactly - try a few, find something that works for you.
And be aware that what works for you this year might be superseded by something else next year.

I've been loving my Twinjets - even used in Cocos' legendary currents with no problems - but am always on the lookout for something interesting. Apollo BioPro-C's are awesome too. Next I'm going to try APS Mantarays, they look fun. I tested A/L Slingshots, and they work surprisingly well also.

It seems that the attitudes toward one type or against another type are based on only a few examples of the type; not all fins are the same....