Why We Use Fins

I am really fond of being in the water, I love to swim, to snorkel and to dive. I swim a lot in pools and in the sea and would say I’m a fairly competent swimmer, however, have you ever tried to swim with a pair of jeans and a T-shirt on? It’s ridiculously difficult because the clothes are heavy and cause drag. Imagine how much weight and drag a full BCD, tank and exposure suit creates. To try to breaststroke with all that equipment on would be almost futile, especially if there was even a mild current. So, naturally, we compensate for the equipment we wear by using other pieces of gear. In this case, we use fins.

Essentially fins are just artificial extensions of our feet that allow our legs to be used to their full potential underwater. Our legs are our usual mode of transport on land, why wouldn’t they be when in the water? The basic principal of finning is that we use our legs to push the fins, the fins push the water and, in turn, we are propelled forward. It seems fairly straightforward, but there are many factors at play when a fin moves through the water, and there are many ways to make it work.

When you come to choosing your fins, you have a range of options and styles to consider. I hope to enlighten you to some of the main features available on modern fins, and introduce you to some of the styles on offer.

Who Are These Fins For?

Before you even walk into a dive equipment supplier, you need to have an idea of what you want your fins for. Throughout this article I will discuss three different scenarios; the casual snorkeler/diver (probably buying the fins for holiday use), the midrange diver (these will be a mainstay fin for an amateur diver) and the professional/Tec diver (who will use them frequently, requires performance and reliability).

Open Heel or Full Foot

First off, we must look at the difference between a full foot pocket, and an open heel with a strap. These terms describe the method in which your foot is integrated with the fin blade. Essentially, a full foot pocket fin is simply a slipper style sock that is directly attached to the blade. The wearer simply inserts their bare foot (or a foot with a very thin sock) into the foot pocket and wears them like a pair of shoes.

An open heel fin is a blade with a half foot pocket and a heel strap. The foot pocket is more rigid than the slipper-like full foot pocket, it is also much larger because it is designed to accommodate neoprene dive boots. The idea is that the wearer puts on the boots, and then puts the boots into the fin.

Full Foot Pocket Fins

Full foot fins are used for anything from light snorkelling right up to mid range applications. The holiday diver and the amateur diver would probably choose these fins.

• They tend to be used in warm waters because they provide little insulation for the feet, especially for the toes, which are usually exposed to the water.
• Full foot fins are great for surface swimming, especially face down snorkelling. This is because they are lighter in weight than open heel fins.
• They used to be considered the fastest fins on the market because of the ergonomics of the pocket, however this has somewhat changed in favour of the open heel fins in recent years due to modern materials and technologies.
• For traveling they are much more convenient because they are lighter and you do not need to also carry a pair of dive boots.
• It is common for divers to get bad blisters and rubbing related injuries from full foot fins that don’t fit well, therefore it is very important that you buy fins that fit close to the skin, but don’t pinch or rub.
• If you wear full foot fins then you must walk in your bare feet until you are ready to put them on, this can be a hassle or dangerous on a boat or a rocky shore.
  

  Full Foot Fins Are Lightweight And Ideal For Snorkelling

Open Heel Fins

Open heel fins can be used from snorkelling right the way through to heavy duty commercial diving or military applications, though the style tends to be found from mid range up to professional. Our hobby diver and our Tec diver would likely choose this type of fin (especially if they were going to go cold water diving).

• Open heel fins are worn with boots, this means that a diver can fully insulate his foot from the cold water. Open heel is the only option for a dry suit diver.
• Open heel fins make entering the water from the shore easier because the diver’s feet are protected by the boots.
• Open heel fins, by virtue of them being stiffer than full foot fins, are associated with power and acceleration. This makes them ideal for professionals who require these fins to propel them in heavy gear and possibly even dragging students, tools or camera gear around.
• Because open fins can be used for any diving application, but full foot fins are limited to light weight, warm water dives there is a trend amongst manufacturers to concentrate their research and development budget on open heel fins.
  

  Open Heel Fins Have A Large Strap At The Rear That Holds The Fin In Place

Blade Style

Obviously having either a full foot fin, or an open heel fin would be pretty much irrelevant unless you had something attached to it on the other end. Broadly speaking these are called the blades of the fin, they are what displace the water and generates the thrust.

There are many different designs of blade, most of which are heralded as the most efficient, controllable and fast style of blade. Having done much research into this topic I am convinced that the most effective style of blade is the one that integrates with the diver the best. Not all divers want the same thing from their fins, meaning that everyone finds different attributes of the blade to be important or redundant. There are a large range of technologies on the market, some look conventional and some look ridiculous, but I’m quite sure that they all have their fan clubs that would support them in their application for best fin ever made.

Paddle Fin

The paddle style is the original form of fin. The concept goes back as far as Leonardo Da Vinci (obviously! I think it’s fair to say that he probably had a wooden version of the Internet that ran on rum and gerbils – he thought of everything else!) The first prototypes that were commercially available (made for the Frogmen during the second World War) were simply rubber planks that were much more effective than bare manpower alone, but the designs were crude and simplistic.

The paddle fin still exists today, though it is now made from a multitude of different materials for each section which gives it the optimum strength at the appropriate places, allows the blade to flex sufficiently to force the water backwards, ensures the blade is stiff enough to generate thrust and to cut the overall weight of the fin. The modern paddle fin is also decorated by a range of different shaped holes, vents, ribs and channels which are used to reduce drag and force the water rearwards, rather than letting it spill over the sides.

• Almost all cheap fins will use the paddle design because it is well known, simple to construct and the simple design is not threatening to a novice fin user. They appear familiar.
• Paddle fins can be made to be efficient, though they are loosing their market share to new, more novel designs like the split fin and the wing.
• There is an evolution of the paddle fin that has much longer blades (1.5x standard dive length) and are constructed from more flexible materials which are used for freediving. They are very specialized fins that are impractical for anything other than freediving. They generate the massive thrust necessary to get the freedivers as deep as they can achieve with as little effort as possible.
  

  Paddle Fins Are A Familiar Sight To Even The Most Novice Diver

Jet Fins

Jet Fins are not really all that different from paddle fins, they are just a family of paddle fins that have found their own specific market. Jets have been going since the mid sixties, which coincides with the initial take-up of recreational diving. They tend to be shorter and broader than their paddle counterparts, stiffer, most robust and have large vents at the end of the foot pocket. They are iconic and are still amongst the most well loved fins available on the market today. To find out more please see my in-depth feature on this most famous of dive institutions (just click “see more from this author” and you will see my Jet Fins article).

Jets tend to be used by professional divers, Tec boys and the old guard of hobby divers. They are a poor choice for the novice diver who wants to snorkel and travel with them because of their bulk and weight.

Old School And Classic, Jet Fins Will Be Around Forever

Split Fin

Split Fins are very similar to standard paddle fins, they are usually made from similar materials, they are often around the same length and width as a standard paddle and they even share the same profile, with one substantial difference – they have a large split that runs from tip to almost as high as the foot pocket. This split is designed to emulate the shapes found in nature, copying the motions of fish fins. The design philosophy suggests that having two conjoined paddles on each foot will require less force to push through the water, but will provide a great thrust for little effort.

There is no doubt that split fins are fast and efficient, though it is a common statement from divers who are unfamiliar with them to complain that they are too flexible and have a tendency to “flop” around under excessive strain. I believe this is simply a technique issue that is overcome by practice with the fin, once the diver is comfortable with the fin’s peculiar feedback the comments are usually very favourable.

A positive feature of the split fin design is that they tend to be light, which makes them great for travel and for snorkelling, but they are also efficient which allows them to be useful for professional divers and Tec diving…they can be classed as an all-rounder fin; good for any level of diver.

Quickly Becoming A Classic...

Force Fin

Mention Force Fins to any seasoned dive veteran and he will likely gush about the one time he saw a pair of Force Fins in action, that one time back in the day. He will probably also over exaggerate their abilities, his memories being clouded and rose-tinted. He might have a friend-of-a-friend who tested a pair for a while and said they were the best fins he’d ever used. Usually, any contact anyone has with Force Fins is short and often by proxy which has led to a proliferation of urban legends and overblown stories about these fins.

Force Fins have caused this big stir in the diving world for two distinct reasons that are  completely interrelated. First, the fins look weird. There is no getting round the fact that they look plain ridiculous, even when worn by the most hardened commercial diver. They are short fins that have a strap that covers the top of the foot. The toes and heel are exposed, though the heel has a bungee strap to hold the fin in place. This pocket design, along with the blade being curved up at the end into a whale tail is said to harness the strongest muscles in the leg and utilises the technologies found in nature to propel the diver at great speed with little effort. The second reason they have caused such a big splash in the diver community is that this ridiculous looking design of fin actually succeeds in living up to its preposterous image and works, which is rare in diving products!

I have used a pair of Force Fins, but only for a short while, though I can say that the myths and the legends are mostly true. They are excellent fins, and their design is really intuitive to learn and use. They certainly provide ample thrust for minimal effort and they are ideal for travel because they are both short and light. Do I have criticisms? Not really, but then I only had a short exposure to these odd looking fins so I didn’t have the chance to see if they rubbed or caused peculiar cramps. It appears that you must develop a very different finning style to make these fins work to their best; a short and rapid flutter kick is more effective than a long power stroke. This might be a negative point for the frog kickers among us who like long power kicks rather than light and fast motions.

Force Fins are surprisingly versatile in their applications; they could be recommended to any level of diver or snorkeler. Our theoretical novice diver could own the same pair as our hardcore Tec diver. Though they’d both have to be making good money as a good pair of Force Fins can set you back as much as $700USD!

Whacky Looking But Amazingly Effective...

Wing-Blade

So, surely we’ve looked at every type of fin shape imaginable right? There are only so many shapes a plank can be? Well, Scubapro thought not, and built the Seawing Nova. This fin is neither a paddle fin, nor a split fin, or any existing class of fin that exists today. So, I had to give it its own category, especially being as it looks likely that it might spawn its own entire subdivision of fin technology.

The wing design philosophy suggests that a paddle fin is effective but has too much material that is redundant when kicking. Scubapro found that all the material on the paddle that was nearest the foot pocket was causing more drag than it was producing thrust, so SP cut it out. They simply removed most of the paddle next to the pocket and left the rest of the paddle suspended on two flexible supports. This gives the appearance of a foot pocket with a wing attached, hence the fin’s name: The Seawing Nova.

The effect of this drastic material deletion is a fin that is exceptionally light, both in weight and in feedback from kicks, and is surprisingly fast. The paddle-wing is on very flexible struts that give a similar “floppy” feel to split fins, but the actual speed that a diver achieves from the fins is remarkable.

Wing fins are similar to split fins in that they are astonishingly light weight (being as SP chopped most of the fin off!) and are therefore great for travellers and snorkelers, but they are also effective in more serious applications. Though I’d be surprised if many commercial divers opted to use such a revolutionary design in their work – the integrity of the struts are simply not anecdotally tested enough for many pros to trust.

The Shape Of Fins To Come?

Mono Fins

I thought I’d finish my blade-rundown on a freaky style of fin that is highly specialised and not especially popular but interesting nonetheless. Mono fins are simply two paddle fins fused together, with both foot pockets being joined side-by-side. The effect of this fin design is to create something like a mermaid’s tail for the diver.

This fin shape is only really employed by freedivers who like to use a dolphin style of finning motion, where the whole body is involved in the propulsion of the diver. The fin is normally very wide and very stiff, the shock absorption is not created by the flex in the blade, but in the bend of the knee and hip. They are very fast fins but obviously require practice to make use of their unique attributes. They are not very easy to manoeuvre in either, making them almost unused in SCUBA diving.

Mono Fins - Turning People Into Mermaids Since 1965!

Material

The material in a dive fin has to fulfil a large number of mutually exclusive criteria, some materials manage to achieve more of them than others. In most high end modern fins there is are number of composite materials at different sections of the fin that optimise overall performance. A fin requires the following attributes from its materials:

• Rigidity – A fin needs to be rigid enough to convey all the force of the kick backwards, to generate thrust. Stiff materials such as plastic and strong rubber composites achieve this. Carbon fibre is often being employed for its rigidity in top-end fins.
• Weight – A fin must be light weight for both traveling and so it doesn’t adversely affect the diver’s buoyancy. A light fin is a logistically viable fin.
• Flexibility – Just as the fin must be stiff to transfer the diver’s kick energy backwards, a fin must also flex enough to provide a flick in the water and to avoid snapping a brittle blade. This is where cheap plastics fail as they are often too brittle and snap. Rubber composites and lightweight synthetic rubbers are much more flexible.
• Visibility – Not always a concern, but most divers like a bright fin to aid their visibility under the water, rubber is poor for this, as is carbon fibre, but plastics can be made in any luminous colour.
• Integrity – A big importance for many divers is that they need to know their fins will last a lifetime, this means that they are tough enough to take knocks during transport and use, but they also need to be corrosion resistant and protected from sun damage. A poor rubber will perish but high quality rubber composites and plastics are very durable.

Final Thoughts

It is worth really researching your fins before you opt to spurge a big wedge of cash on them. They are integral pieces of dive equipment that meld with you as you dive. They must become extensions of your feet and legs for you to get the most from your dive so it is worth taking extra time to pick the best pair for your needs. I strongly recommend you convince your friends to let you try their fins as there is no substitute for getting wet with a pair of planks and getting to know them on an epic dive. Either way I wish you all the best and would love to hear your thoughts on your experiences with fins in the comments section below, be they positive or negative!

Happy bubbles!

By Jamie Campbell

Join our facebook fan page and be part of our scuba community if you like our articles. Our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/DailyScubaDiving

Jet Fins

It is probably no surprise to anyone who has read any of my previous articles that I am besotted with my Scuba Pro Jet Fins. I am a fairly recent convert to Jets, having skirted around them, using other inferior fins throughout my diving career. I have tried many other fins and found some were effective, others were gimmicky and some were simply not sturdy enough (I snapped a fin in half towing two divers in a current, don’t ask me which brand they were…<coughs>Cressi<coughs>)

Jet Fins, a Diving Institution In Their Own Right

I don’t want to preach that Jets are the only fins for every diver, quite the reverse is true. Jet Fins are really, really good for the right diver in the right circumstance. They have served a large sector of the diving community diligently for well over forty years and show no sign of fading away. I aim to illuminate some of the Jet’s excellent features and warn those divers away who would be hampered by their specific attributes.

History

The Jet Fin was born in 1964, fathered by the great Georges Beuchat and was an immediate success – they sold over 100,000 units in the first few years (those were big numbers back then because there were only a fraction of the divers there are today). The Jet Fin came in full foot and open foot styles, though the full foot pocket design very quickly faded away.

The Originals, Beuchat Jet Fins

The Jet Fin didn’t achieve it’s peak until the 1970’s when Scubapro bought the rights to the design. They took the concept and proceeded to popularise the fin with the US Navy and other commercial diving operations. Being as recreational diving has mostly evolved from commercial and Navy diving, the Jets came with it.

What makes the Jet Fin’s history so amazing is the fact that they haven’t undergone much in the way of change since their creation in the mid sixties. The idea of a product moving into stasis like this, especially in an equipment intensive industry like diving where everyone wants the latest gear, is unheard of. There have been, and will be, thousands of designs and styles of fin that will endeavour to propel divers underwater in new and exciting ways, and yet there will always be Jet Fins which are perennially in the top leagues of fin performance.

Because the Jets are so popular there have been many copies put on the market. A notable copy is the Aqualung Rocket Fin, though it has been proven time and time again that the ScubaPro Jet Fin is far superior to all of its rivals in terms of flexibility, durability and in comfort under load. SP Jets are a unique specimen in our society of throwaway goods, they were built to last…and last they have!

Copies - Aqualung Rocket Fins

Design

So, what makes these fins so unbearably fantastic? Well, there are a few key points that have made this fin such a success:

• Material – Jet Fins use a rubber compound that is flexible enough to provide excellent thrust, stiff enough to transfer all the diver’s leg energy into pushing the water backwards and robust enough to take literally any punishment a diver can throw at it. Jet Fins will last a diver’s lifetime, and probably serve their children’s too.
• Vents – Although vents in fins are fairly commonplace now, they were seriously revolutionary when they were first released. The vents, placed at the end of the foot pocket, allow water to pass through on the recovery stroke but force water backwards on the power stroke. This improves efficiency while maintaining the integrity of the stroke.
• Foot Pocket – The foot pocket on the Jets is something of an Achilles’ Heel (I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist it…no more puns from here on) in this fin. The pocket is squared off to fit drysuit boots better, though this can lead to some abrasive discomfort of the top of the foot (being as feet aren’t square). Even when wearing some thick drysuit boots there have been comments on the poor pocket design. I personally find the pocket very comfortable as my foot is quite wide, so I appreciate the rectangular opening. For a while there were also some problems with choosing the right size of fin, though Scuba Pro listened and added a new, bigger size to accommodate large men’s feet in bulky boots.
• Spring Straps – These are the cherries on the top of this super fin, and are what made me fall in love with them. As standard, Jets come with an adjustable rubber strap which, after an extended session of fiddling with the strap to get it to your size, will serve you well as far as straps go. However, if you take the time and spend a little extra cash, you can buy a pair of add-on spring straps that replace the original stock rubber bands. It does take a bit of man power with some pliers to get the old straps off but once you’ve secured the new springs in place the you will be in for a treat – nothing fits quicker than a pair of Jets with spring straps. They are secure, comfortable and ridiculously convenient!
  

  Jet Fins With Spring Straps, a Match Made in Heaven!

Who They Were Made For

Jets are surprisingly versatile. They are good for almost every diving application and will hold their own against any modern dive fin in any benchmark test. However, they excel in some applications and are not the best choice for others.

Of course anyone can use Jets, but not everyone will have the same experience with them. I can say broadly that Jets are perfect for divers who use powerful kick strokes. If you prefer to use lighter, rapid kick cycles then Jets will probably feel sluggish and bulky. They work well for most styles of finning though they are fantastic for frog kick because you kick less frequently but with more power in each stroke. You should also consider your buoyancy distribution when considering Jets because they are very negative in the water which drags your feet down. If you already have heavy legs then Jets might compound your problems and have you hanging vertically during your dive.

I don’t want to make these fins gender specific but it’s hard not to broadly class them as a masculine fin. They suit the heavy kick strokes of a man, and deliver the thrust a big man requires to propel him through the water, though my opinions are biased being as I am male, 190 cm tall and weight 95 kg.

The fact that Jets have been almost exclusively adopted by the navy and the commercial diving sector speaks volumes about what type of diver would benefit from them – someone who needs thrust, durability, control and convenience. When you need heavy duty, Jets deliver.

Pros

• Durable - I’d say that even though Jetfins are well known for their abilities under the water, the real reason they are so super famous is their unbelievable longevity. They manage to provide the same levels of performance as modern day technical fins while being massively more strong and robust. I have never seen a pair of Jets worn out or snapped. They don’t get sun damaged, salt eroded, chlorine discoloured, travel battered, coral gouged or split. They are the strongest pieces of dive gear that you will ever own and with no care whatsoever they will last a lifetime.
• Simple – This relates to the Jet’s durability but deserves its own mention. The Jets, being moulded in one piece, from one compound, are unable to have “component failure” being as there are no screws, welds or connections to break as happens so often with modern fins.
• Powerful - Jetfins = power…enough said? Not quite, though it is pretty much their trademark party piece. They have big, fairly stiff paddles that displace large quantities of water and are flexible enough to provide added thrust by flicking the fin tip at the end of the kick stroke.
• Controllable – This, along with the afore mentioned power, is a real draw for the commercial divers. The Jetfins are very comfortable under extreme load situations but they also provide a large amount of feedback when doing delicate manoeuvres (such as back kicking in a wreck or gentle frog kicking over heavy silt). It’s one of my favourite features about the fins, you know just how much water you are displacing and where it is going.
• Quick to Don – With the standard rubber straps they take the same amount of time to put on as any other open heel fin, but with the spring straps installed they are just about the most convenient fins available on the market.
• Iconic – This might be a strange reason to buy a pair of fins but Jets have a real level of credibility that other, more senior divers will take seriously. I read a quote on a blog post once which said something to the effect of “if I see a guy with a pair of Jets with some scars on them, I think: ‘yeah, I’ll dive with him.’” This doesn’t mean that Jets are a shortcut to serious diver credibility, but they help.
• Squat – This feature is a must for cave and wreck divers and other divers who work in overhead environments. The Jets are broad and short which means that even the most clumsy of us are able to avoid kicking our buddies and the silt-covered floor. They are great for performing some more advanced kicking strokes, such as the helicopter manoeuvre.

Cons

• Heavy – There is no way I can hide the fact that Jets are freaking heavy! They often manage to make other divers say: “oof” when I pass them the fins. They are a nightmare for traveling and make all logistics just a little more awkward.
• Negatively Buoyant – Now, before I hear a roar of indignant yells telling me that I am repeating myself, I’m not. The Jets are not just heavy, but they are also really dense which makes them sink like a stone in water. This is fine if you are wearing a buoyant drysuit, but in a 3 mm shortie you might find you drag your feet. It might be that you have very positive legs (or do when in an exposure suit), in which case you will find this a pro, not a con.
• Poor Snorkelling Fins - For the vast majority of divers this won’t make a bit of difference, especially to commercial divers and others of that ilk. However, it’s quite surprising how often I’ve been required to go snorkelling to aid a search party looking for a lost camera or weight belt. I’ve also found that a good snorkelling fin often turns out to be a good surface swim fin, which is much more applicable to our staunch diver crew. Basically, Jet Fins are too heavy to keep at the surface and to kick out the water.
• Foot Pocket – I’ve already mentioned the problems with the foot pocket, so to ensure this doesn’t compromise your experience with Jetfins I suggest you try them on with the boot you’d normally wear. Don’t accept a spare pair of boots in the shop, make sure they fit over your own personal boots. Some thick soled boots might force the top of your foot to rub against the rim of the foot pocket and some thin boots might rattle around in that big pocket.
• Spring Straps Are Not Standard - This is a minor concern but it is a concern non the less. I have seen many, many posts on scuba discussion forums about how to pry the spring straps off and how to fit the new ones. It takes some elbow grease, I’ll leave it at that. I’ve seen some DIY guides that show how to make your own spring straps, something I’d be interested in trying out myself one day.

If you are a Jet fin fanatic, have a Jet based story or have a question about this most iconic of SCUBA gear then please feel free to share in the comments section below.

By Jamie Campbell

Join our facebook fan page and be part of our scuba community if you like our articles. Our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/DailyScubaDiving

Scubapro Seawing Nova Review

There are only two pieces of equipment that I think are “must haves” for any diver – a good mask that fits well and a pair of fins that suits diving style as well as the diver’s anatomy. Fins make a huge difference to a dive; a poorly fitting foot pocket will cause blisters or foot ache, a heavy duty fin while snorkeling will bog the diver down and a lightweight split fin on a wreck with strong currents will leave a diver unable to penetrate the openings they wish and might hinder them with their length when inside. A pair of fins should be as tailored to the diver and the conditions as a golfer’s clubs – one fin is not perfect for all divers on every dive.

But Scubapro disagree with me. They have tried to make a fin that will provide all the benefits of every style of fin. In the Seawing Nova they have attempted to give the thrust and power of a paddle fin while giving the comfort and efficiency of a split fin. Impossible? With conventional fin design, yes. But Scubapro have made a fin with a paddle blade that is independent of the foot pocket. It is attached by two flexible ‘arms’ that allow the blade to work much harder in the water than the diver’s leg usually allows in conventional paddle fins (the human ankle can only bend so far). This means that more of the diver’s energy is directed into thrusting water backwards rather than dragging a flat plate through the water. It also reduces drag on both the upstroke and the down.

When I did my try dive with the Seawing Novas I had done the previous twenty dives with my trusty Jetfins which I adore, so I was coming from a very different design philosophy when I reviewed these latest-technology fins. At first I was very impressed with the ease of donning because of the bungee chord strap that comes as standard (very reminiscent of the spring straps on my Jetfins) and I found the foot pocket to be very comfortable despite my large feet. Once in the water my first thought was of how positively buoyant they are. I’d even consider wearing ankle weights if I was in a thick wetsuit.

When swimming with my ‘Jets’ or just about any other fin (Mares Quattro Excel, Scubapro Twin Jet Max etc.) I tend to use a strong frog kick with a long glide, in the Novas I found this very awkward and reverted back to a standard up-down kick. This proved very effective and I can’t fault the speed I achieved, nor the acceleration. My turning circle was a little wider but not by much and the stability at speed was marvellous thanks to the upturned edges on the blade. Despite this I still felt myself pining for the reassuring feedback of power you get with a big blade, as the Novas felt a little insubstantial. I also have my reservations about their longevity, though obviously Scubapro don’t as they offer a two year warranty on the fins.

I would take a pair of Novas if I was diving a long reef or was expecting a light current for a long time because their efficiency is astonishing but I rather take another, more robust fin if I was diving very strong current or if I thought I might need to tow a student for any distance as the Novas just don’t give me the confidence that my trusty Jets do.

Pros:

• Lightweight while traveling
• Comfortable foot pocket and easy to don
• Surprising speed and power both on surface and underwater
• Very low effort required
• Their size, weight and efficiency make them ideal for female divers

Cons:

• Pricey
• Low feedback from kick (disconnected feeling)
• Specifically suited to one kick style
• Very positive in the water (though this might be a pro for some divers)
• When I kicked hard I felt as though the blade was flopping around which I found irritating)

Reviews from other buyers

Join our facebook fan page and be part of our scuba community if you like our articles. Our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/DailyScubaDiving

I want to inform my readers that online scuba diving shop LeisurePro.com announced huge discount for product Aeris Velocity Fins .Regular price for this product is ranging from 59-89$ in different online stores , but now you can get high quality scuba fins from Aeris only for 29$ , but you need to hurry as this offer valid till 03.May.09. I was reading some reviews and most of them are marked great or excellent. I’ve not used this fins myself , but it seems that many professional divers are satisfied with their new underwater shoes.

Join our facebook fan page and be part of our scuba community if you like our articles. Our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/DailyScubaDiving

Along with a mask, a snorkel and a pair of fins are probably the first pieces of gear you will buy. Snorkels vary very little, but there are plenty of styles of fins to choose from, depending on your budget. As always, look for a good fit and features that suit your diving needs.

Choosing a snorkel
A snorkel is simply a tube that allows you to breathe easily at the surface without needing to raise your head from the water. When diving, you do not need a snorkel underwater; however, you may use one before and after submerging. A good snorkel should be easy to breathe through, and should not be too long—ideally no more than 17 in (43 cm)—so it is easy to clear. Attach your snorkel to the left-hand side of your mask, leaving the righthand side free for your regulator hose. Always rinse your snorkel after use and store out of direct sunlight.

Basic snorkels are little more than a curved tube, but some models have a splash-guard at the top of the tube to prevent ingress of water, and a drainage valve at the lower end.  Collapsible types are easy to stow away when not in use.

Scuba Diving Fins

Fitting fins
Sometimes incorrectly referred to as flippers, fins are used to aid propulsion when diving. A standard fin consists of a shoe made of rubber and a blade made of a stiffer material, often with ridges and vents to enhance performance. The shoe can either fit the whole foot like a slipper or leave the heel exposed. The latter is held on with a strap, and is designed to be worn over neoprene boots. When buying fins of this type, it is advisable to take your boots along with you, since their thickness will need to be taken into account when testing for fit.

Selecting the right pair
Advances in fin technology mean that there is a wide range for the diver to choose from, depending on their specific preferences. For example, split fins offer a high degree of agility underwater, but many divers believe traditional models deliver more outright thrust. Before deciding which pair to buy, consider the kind of diving you will be doing, and seek advice from store staff or other divers.

Types of fins

Conventional
A basic fin with a single, fairly rigid blade, the conventional design is a good starter fin, but you may want to try other types to see if they offer features that suit you better.

Force fins
Made exclusively by a California manufacturer, this range of fins is designed to minimize the water turbulence produced, and reduce the diver’s kicking effort.

Pivoting
A design that has been adopted by two manufacturers, this fin features a flex-point in its structure and a V-shaped area of softer plastic to scoop water for better traction and speed.

Split
A popular style, split fins offer better agility than standard fins. However, some divers believe they are less effective than conventional fins in strong currents.

Snorkeling
Fins designed for snorkeling are lighter than scuba fins, and of a foot-pocket design, so they can be used with bare feet. Some also have shortened blades.

Buy Scuba Diving Fins

Join our facebook fan page and be part of our scuba community if you like our articles. Our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/DailyScubaDiving

Split Fin Efficiency – Paddle Fin Power and Control. The Velocity X3 accelerates with lightning speed as water comes into contact with the textured blade. Faster and more efficient, the Velocity X3 maintains comfort and control while enabling you to exert less effort, stress and strain with each stride.

During the fin stroke, water flow is directed through our exclusive Power Enhancing Vents (PEV’s) and off the fin tips, creating lift and forward propulsion. So much so, that the Velocity X3 is the only “paddle” fin that benefits from Nature’s Wing® Propeller Fin Technology. This helps reduce the stress on the divers leg while accelerating water over the blade; resulting in increased velocity. Water movement through the PEV’s also reduce lateral movement of the fin (wasted energy), increasing the efficiency of the kick.

• Patented Nature’s Wing Propeller Fin Technology in a Paddle Blade Design

• Power Enhancing Vents (PEV’s) accelerate water over the blade for increased velocity

• Oversized side rails add rigidity for increased lift, power, and efficiency

• Easy on/off fin strap with thumb loop

• Rigid side rails for increased lift and efficiency

• Ergonomically designed foot pocket accommodates virtually all foot sizes and boot styles

• Angled blade for preferred angle of attack

Source: http://www.diveaeris.com

Join our facebook fan page and be part of our scuba community if you like our articles. Our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/DailyScubaDiving