
Fins for photographers
#1
Posted 12 November 2005 - 07:06 PM
Does anyone here really love their fins? If so, let me know why.
I've had the same pair of fins for the past 11 years (honestly) and they have finally worn out. I need to replace them but I've come to realize that I have thought very little about fins all this time. What makes for a good fin?
Being 11 years old, my last pair were basic, fairly stiff, and seemed to worked well. Is that the right formula?
What do you all think?
Dan
#2
Posted 12 November 2005 - 09:30 PM
Luiz Rocha - www.luizrocha.com
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#3
Posted 12 November 2005 - 09:44 PM
Love em, i haven't used anything but freediving fins for the last 3000 dives or so. Oh, except the one time in Palau they tried to give me a pair of neon yellow splits as rentals...i refused em..

ie) i like stiff blades as opposed to floppy splits
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#4
Posted 12 November 2005 - 09:51 PM
Drew
Moderator
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#5
Posted 12 November 2005 - 10:15 PM
anybody got any non-black jetfins (pink? blue?)? they made them, been looking for some.
Or technisub Alas, been looking for those, too.
#6
Posted 12 November 2005 - 11:54 PM
Alex
To answer Roger's question, I have a friend in Cayman who has the camp "egg-shell-blue" jetfins, I can't believe they made them in pink too!
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#7
Posted 13 November 2005 - 12:48 AM
Does anyone have any experience though of Force Fins? I have a couple of mates (not photographers) who swear by them even though they look really weird - and they are expensive too.
Tim
Tim
(PADI IDC Staff Instructor and former Dive Manager, KBR Lembeh Straits)
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#8
Posted 13 November 2005 - 12:49 AM
Start toTo answer Roger's question, I have a friend in Cayman who has the camp "egg-shell-blue" jetfins, I can't believe they made them in pink too!

Nikon D200, Ikelite housing, Dual SB105.
#9
Posted 13 November 2005 - 01:14 AM
What about BC's? Jackets or wings?
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#10
Posted 13 November 2005 - 01:37 AM
looks good with a neon pink wetsuit i bet

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#11
Posted 13 November 2005 - 08:32 AM
they were freediving fins but so good for diving ... gave nice balance when holding for a photo. However .. BIG and HEAVEY .. not everyones cup of tea
I also love my Scuba Pro Twin Jets (split fin) I bought for travel. They are easy to use .. they are bouyant but i like my leg position using them .. bad points about them .. you can't go backwards and twisting ankle movements aren't as effective for manouevering as they are with solid fins ... and worst thing ... they are useless for surface swims .. and USELESS in a current ... i dont know why they just are. but i still love em.
#12
Posted 13 November 2005 - 02:37 PM
Split fins are not very effective for small movements - they are a great fin if you have bad knees/ankles, but are not ideal for many situations (as highlighted by some others). If you're pushing a big camera rig, you won't move very well with them. The same goes for diving in current - they're almost useless. If you dive in these conditions and need ot hold your position for shooting, split fins are not what you want.
Or technisub Alas, been looking for those, too.
The Alas are a great fin, but they're not manufactured anymore (due to dioxin emissions, i think - some chemical byproduct got the process shut down). You can still find them occasionally, but they're usually had to come by for less than about $225 anymore - they're an extremely popular fin for underwater hockey/underwater rugby, so I keep my eyes out for them, but it's rare when a pair shows up.
Does anyone have any experience though of Force Fins? I have a couple of mates (not photographers) who swear by them even though they look really weird - and they are expensive too.
I have never liked the force fins - they're not very good in heavy current. They perform a lot like split fins (although slightly better, i think) but not as well as other fins. That being said, they are one of the fins used by the US Navy SEAL program (alongside Jetfins) - I was told this is because of their compact size, but based on my personal expirience with them, i'm guessing some admiral has a brother who owns the Force Fin company.
These are basically my observations from working on dive boats - I've seen a lot of fins on a lot of people, with significant diving in current - the split fins just do not perform as well in general diving conditions as traditional designs.
Canon 1DmkIII, 1DsmkIII
#13
Posted 13 November 2005 - 10:57 PM
Upside - Great in the water.
Downside - weight & you need to develop muscle that you did not know you had.
Paul C
#14
Posted 14 November 2005 - 12:01 AM
On a slightly different note:
Do you think we can get one of the vendors to make ones with a large white patch, a large grey patch, and a Mcbeth color chart on them.
Eric, can we find a vendor to make a wetpixel special like that.
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#15
Posted 14 November 2005 - 03:04 AM
I share your dislike of the force fins, but they are useful for frog kicks and other manuveurs like the helicopter etc. But they are heavy like the apollo biofins, and screw up diving balance.
Drew
Moderator
"Journalism is what someone else does not want printed, everything else is public relations."
"I was born not knowing, and have only had a little time to change that here and there.
#16
Posted 14 November 2005 - 03:55 AM
I'd have to say the negative bouancy of the Apollo Biofins is the one thing I do really like about them!! It saves me wearing ankle weights (though that is for drysuit diving B) ). The spring straps are their other graceare heavy like the apollo biofins, and screw up diving balance.

In the tropics I love my old underwater hockey fins - Technisub Ala ... great for hovering, manouverability and speed/current
... hey! maybe a cable tie or two will fix that pesky split in my biofins


#17
Posted 14 November 2005 - 06:51 AM
Brian is young (he was one of the very able dive guides on my Shark Expedition with JASA this summer) and can push the likes of orginal heavy rubber Jetfins and probably a 2X6 nailed to his foot

These days I'm using the BLACK full foot Scubapro Twin Jets in tropical waters, and for dry suits and thick wet suit boots the Force Fin Pros.
I've know Bob Evans, inventor and creative type for 15+ years and he's been ripped off for his hydro-dynamic testing more than anyone in the diving industry. I've used the Pro stiffness models with bungie heel strap in currents up in British Columbia that left divers using "heavy bladed" fins crying for a break....Being able to kick longer without cramping and still make headway, like the full foot Scubapro Twin Jets pays off even in currents.
My humble opinion is most divers barely know how to swim efficiently, have on too much crap and then couple this with mega-size camera rigs.
Funny that many dismiss the black, slightly stiffer Scubapro Twin Jets. Howard Hall and Bob Cranston switched to these pushing around IMAX cameras and giant HD video rigs in conditions all over the world. And I'll bet they put in more time underwater on their MK155 CCR rebreathers than practically anyone. I dived with Bob a few years back and he and Howard were die hard Scubapro Jet Fin users. Must be good enough in currents if they decided to switch

YMMV
David Haas
www.haasimages.com
#18
Posted 14 November 2005 - 09:16 AM
The black twin jets are good fins for many divers - the most important thing to recognize is the different kick required to swim with split fins versus bladed fins. Unfortunately, this makes comaparing them relatively difficult - the machine that ScubaLab uses to compare fins kicks one way only - the most efficient kick style with bladed fins is different that that with split fins.
I'm sure part of my disdain for split fins is that I am used to kicking with a larger blade - a larger, slower kick stroke than with split fins (probably developed this from freediving). Split fins require you to kick with a smaller, faster kick to generate the most thrust.
If you have a good dive shop locally, they should let you try some different fins in the pool or on a dive (or borrow them from one of their instructors to try) so you can make a good decision on it. There isn't going to be one fin that works best for everyone, as i'm sure you've noticed from reading the board. Personally, put me in a pair of foil force fins and i can't even move - give me some quattro powers and i'm off to the races. Try out as many fins as you can - look at other divers who have similar body type/technique to you and see what works for them.
Canon 1DmkIII, 1DsmkIII
#19
Posted 14 November 2005 - 09:19 AM
I really like my Force Fins. They are lightish, VERY, VERY easy to get on and off, you can walk in the (really) and they do work well as fins too.
BUT, you need to try some as not everyone gets on with them (one friend found that they caused knee joint irritation after one dive) and they seem to respond best to a 'frog' kick - downside is they don't carry easily (in a hand) and the sizes are weird; like I said, you need to try them.
Even though they are pricey, I'd buy another pair (even though I still have my (24 year old) jet fins too)!
- tdpriest likes this
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#20
Posted 14 November 2005 - 09:48 AM
I have two pairs of personal favourites: Apollo Biofin XT (heavy-weight that put my fins down) and Mares Plana Avanti Quattro (lightweight - fins up). Both are equipped with stainless-steel spring straps which IMHO transform any fin. I have just come back from, a trip using Force Pro fins. They need some getting used to but they DO work and take up little space in the baggage.
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