What are the top 3 requirements for a great swim fin?


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Most of us don't go diving to just swim fast underwater ...
You got that right. I thought it was all about how much time we can STAY underwater. Ease of speed translates to breathing less to go slow. - More time to enjoy doing what you love most.
 
Non silting isn't an option...

In priority order:
- non silting (be it through frog kicks or something else)
- lightweight, yet neutrally buoyant (love my jet fins, but man are they heavy)
- durable, yet cheap (don't want to change them more than once every 2000 dives)

Availability of straps is in there somewhere.

Really don't care about power - if I want to go fast, I would use a DPV...


There are reproductions of the jet fin design made in monprene (the same stuff as the seawing nova) which are much lighter than the "jet fin"
 
It looks like reverse is a hot item. Here is what Judy, a senior fish identifier for REEF who tested the maneuverability of the MaxAir swim fin prototypes at Blue Heron Bridge had to say.
 
IMHO:

Best split fin, Apollo bio-fins.

Best paddle fin, Dive Rite XT.

Just a biased personal opinion.

I still have my original pair of Jet fins, Mares Power Plana, Mares Quattro, Original Force Fins and
others.

Choose the fin for the dive at hand.

It is good to see new fins being introduced.

For me, my current fav is the Apollo XT with spring strap, allows for a wide kick, a back kick and
lots of power and propulsion.

Just personal, of course, everyone has their own favorite and opinions are always interesting.
 
I'd like to try a pair of those. Their appearance is almost comical, and I'm sure I'd have to defend myself on every boat ride...
 
It looks like reverse is a hot item. Here is what Judy, a senior fish identifier for REEF who tested the maneuverability of the MaxAir swim fin prototypes at Blue Heron Bridge had to say.

Unfortunately this video seems to demonstrate exactly how insufficient this design is for the technical dive community or anyone interested in control underwater. They appear thin, floppy and uncontrollable in the video.

Might be significant to your marketing to film someone demonstrating their potential better unless the observation is correct. In the video they appear to be entirely insufficient for reverse or precision motion.

They may be fine for racing in straight lines or tug of war but please clarify their suitability for the typical kinds of diving. I'm not seeing it.

Regards,
Cameron
 
Way back when Commander Luis de Corlieu developed the world's first successful commercial fins he described the action of a fin related to the "Law of Cubes."

Based on "the discontinuity of impulsion destroys the yielding power efficiency of a propulsion device"--what ever that means???

As a fin expert can you clarify the Law Of Cubes ? Especially as related to fin action

Sam Miller,111
 
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My post from May 27, 2011-- maybe of some interest for the historical factor

Subject: Fins

Some time ago there was a thread on fins. A gentleman from Italy came on stong and the best I could comprehend his post he gave Italy and their designers/ engineers credit for the swim swim--Nonsence!


Many years ago I became interested in recreational diving fins, so for approximately 15 to 20 years I researched the history of fins and developed a very large file on the subject, This research resulted in a much abridged six page article.


Therefore, I would invite all of you to read the US Historical Diving Society journal, 1994, "History of fins." HDS #3,#4 & #5.


A very short history of fin development in the US and the world is as follows;


1868 Havlor Olsen "Fin Sandals for the feet." (US)

1932 Commander Luis de Corlieu "Swimming propellers" (aka Fins) (France)
1933 European patent
1937 US patent
*** Based on "the discontinuity of impulsion destroys the yielding power efficiency of a propulsion device"--what ever that means???




1938 Owen Churchill discovers Swimming propellers in Tahiti
1939 Churchhill & de Corlieu enter in to a contract to produce Swimming propellers
1940 Owen Churchill produces design patent and a improvement patent (US)
1940 Churchill produces 946 pairs of "Swim Fins"

1945 Pop Romano's Sea Net company produces "FROG FEET" (US)

1947 C.H. Wilen produces "Swimming tales" (Italy)


1952 Art Brown produces "Duck Feet" Spearfisherman Company (US)



1965 George Beauchat US patent for Jet fins (France)

(then Rockets -US Divers; 707 - Sportsways etc)

Canany one explain the

"the discontinuity of impulsion destroys the yielding power efficiency of a propulsion device"

SDM
 
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https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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