Jos(Offline)

Hello everybody. I just received my new dry suit (Santi Enduro) and now I found my fins don't fit the boots of the suit... so I need new fins (and your opinion).
What do I want my fins to do?:
1) I am not into fast swimming under water and would like to have maximum response to my fin movements (subbtle positioning etc). Most from what I read on the internet seems to favor the pladdle style of fins (instead split fins). But there are divers that argue split fins are just as good. For instance if you want to make a picture of a fish and need to get into the best position.
2) from time to time I am swimming in currents. There are 'words' that also here paddle fins are better...

I hope you are able to give me some good advise what to choose. Thanks a lot.

cmalinowski(Offline)

Paddle. From your description of what you want to do, the paddles offer the best (IMO) results. I think splits have their place in diving, but not in the world of being able to subtly position and maneuver. As for which paddles... search is your friend.

Chris

TobyFish(Offline)

Hi

in the dive community at large, this is all down to personal preference. being able to "do" things in different fins is largely down to how well they suit your natural finning style and how willing you are to adapt.

You can maneuvre and back-fin in splits if you work out how, I can do it in twin-jets for sure. You will find it hard in floppy split-fins but no harder than in floppy paddle-fins (aqualung blades II, etc).

They say you can't get any thrust in splits. Not only can you get very good thrust, but you can likely maintain that output for longer as fatigue and cramping are less in splits. When I dived splits I had a whole liveaboard sneering at me about how I should avoid current until the guide got the current-reading wrong and we had to fin-like-fek through small crack. At that point everyone formed up line-astern behind me to slipstream me (all except the BSAC diver who used his knife and crow-bar to drag himself along the seabed)

However, this is a DIR forum and the DIR answer is stiff-short-broad-paddle fins. I dive turtles and can tell you they are ace, but I wouldn't want to fin at full power for many minutes! If you want an equal number of replies from paddle-fans and splits-fans, you are on the wrong forum

Toby

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tim(Offline)

Oy, I resemble that comment! We BSAC divers don't use important tools like crowbars (which need to be free for instantly disassembling any wreck you might find without warning) or knives (which of course need to be kept free for fighting off killer blennies in ambush scenarios) for mundane uses, and always carry large iron hooks (carefully stowed between tanks and hooked to the manifold for easy extraction) specifically for those moments when finning against the current carrying multiple bags of spidge is far too much like hard work.

Ahem

Tim

TobyFish(Offline)

I should have clarified... he was from a miltary branch

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