Fins

I've been using Force fins for the past year (100 odd dives), they are fine with my wet suit and deep in my dry suit, but shallow diving in my dry suit its a nightmare ..especially to get my fins settled while i shoot low, I was thinking of jet fins for UK shallows, does anyone out of interest get on fine with force fins in the shallows in a dry suit without ankle weights....just curious...feel free to use this for other fin related topics

As a user of force fins I can't imagine why you would have prolems with them in shallow water more than any other fin. Sounds like a bouyancy problem more than a fin problem.

I'm not really sure why it'd be a problem either. Are they a problem because your feet are floaty? If so it's likely not the fins. I use Jet fins and love them for drysuit diving. They are heavier as well so they help keep your feet down a bit but not as much as ankle weights. I just love the maneuverability I get with them.

I've never felt comfortable in the shallows in my dry suit, floaty feet? What exactly are they, I think it's just a sub comscious thing if that's the case

I'm not really sure why it'd be a problem either. Are they a problem because your feet are floaty? If so it's likely not the fins. I use Jet fins and love them for drysuit diving. They are heavier as well so they help keep your feet down a bit but not as much as ankle weights. I just love the maneuverability I get with them.

Thanks that's sort of what Im hoping. I got a pair for £25 with springs.

With force fins being one of the lightest fin about and jets one of the heaviest I'm hoping to find a good difference. Well, we'll see anyhow!

As you swim you have upward and downward forces. In order to propel yourself forward you need to balance the two. Normally a good swimmer with generate the same amouth of upward and downward lift and can keep his body in a proper swimming stance. Too much upward and you have floaty feet. Not many people can create too much downward force.

The force fins are made to push down (create upward lift) but fold as you bring your feet up. To make up for the increadible lack of balance you have to have a strange stance and/or overweight yourself.

I found the best fins or me and not only photographing related are:

Scubapro Jet Fins - Cressi Reaction Pro - Mares Avanti Quattro Power

I personally find stiff fins to stay put in front of a objet to photograph the best and

a longer/larger blade will help to limit movement of the fin and may contribute to protect

the ambient.

I prefer to have light feet for photographing so that the fins stay well away from the ambient

and try to keep some kind of cave diving boyancy for this reason.

I used also the Scubapro Twinjet Max, but i find them - as any other splitfin i tried- too soft

and not useful for holding position as the need some kicks to start to propel.

Chris

The fins I got were too small so am still on the look out, I may try the scubapro ones but they are a lot more than the sub aqua product ones I just got, another thing I noticed what bothers me, is stability/balance, I find it hard to keep full control when I settle for a shot, as well as my fins not being able to help me much, I also think its the amount of weight I have got around me, 15 kg's (another reason why I dont get this problem in a wet suit..only 8 kg's). I think once I'm off the centre it drags me over more and find it hard to counter it with my fins, it could be the weight, I have 6 kilos around me in belt pouches and 6 in my front retractable pockets and 3 in the back of my wing. I have a 12 kilo shot belt, I might try that instead and put the reminder 3 balanced in my pockets 1.5 each side. I always dive indie twins by the way, so have to consider these, but as I said, these cause me no problems whatsover in a wet suit. I dived a one off dive last week with one cylinder and my balance problem was still there

I own 6 different pairs of fins, and choose the fin that's appropriate for the dive. Learning what is the "sweet spot" for each fin design is part of the craft of diving.

All the best, James

I use for photographing one 4 pound weight on my upper tank band to make me more head-heavy.

You may use double-tanks with a weight on them or a single with a V-weight in the single tank adapter.

Try to use different weight distributions until you find the one who fit's your needs.

Gators on your legs may help also as they block any air entrance in your lower leg or one of the new, tight-fit neoprene

drysuits.

Another solution may be to switch tank material from aluminium to steel or steel to aluminium,

especially if you are too head-heavy, aluminium tanks may be a solution because of they are less heavy.

My best setup is 12 liter short steel tank on my 2 Kilo SS backplate Wing and the Jet Fins, this keeps me in a good balance.

Have a buddy make fotos or better a video from you wheile you are diving, you will detect easily common problems

like swim technique, over/underweighted, weight distribution.

Chris

I use for photographing one 4 pound weight on my upper tank band to make me more head-heavy.

You may use double-tanks with a weight on them or a single with a V-weight in the single tank adapter.

Try to use different weight distributions until you find the one who fit's your needs.

Gators on your legs may help also as they block any air entrance in your lower leg or one of the new, tight-fit neoprene

drysuits.

Another solution may be to switch tank material from aluminium to steel or steel to aluminium,

especially if you are too head-heavy, aluminium tanks may be a solution because of they are less heavy.

My best setup is 12 liter short steel tank on my 2 Kilo SS backplate Wing and the Jet Fins, this keeps me in a good balance.

 

Have a buddy make fotos or better a video from you wheile you are diving, you will detect easily common problems

like swim technique, over/underweighted, weight distribution.

 

Chris

Thanks, I have a neoprene dry suit, and steel tanks (which are actually lighter than aluminium as aluminium tanks are thicker because aluminium is not as strong as steel, its just more buoyant as it is more porous) I may try weights on my tanks too, perhaps, I'd love to jkeep switching to see whats best, hopefully I'll get there soon! I was also maybe thinking of sliding some weight down between the 2 cylinders and my wing, so it keeps the weight more central and would upset me less

Which Force Fins do you use?

I use the Extra Force model in the

Tan Delta material and don't have

any issues.

I'll sometimes dive with

ankle weights if I remember them

but don't necessarily notice a big

difference.

I did find that changing my

BC made a big difference in

bouyancy control.

I have force fin pros, my buoyancy is ok, its just my "balance" when lowering for a shot that sometimes causes a problem

Try a SS backplate for your wing, you can get them between 2 or 3 kilos.

You are right, the aluminium tank is heavier in the air but lighter in water,

i may expressed my self wrong, but the lighter was referred while diving.

Chris

cheers, its a buddy tekwing, all built in, like a bcd but a wing, may eventually try to go for a bespoke wing if the missus allows it!

I use two types of fins Jet fins size extra large for the drysuit. And Jet fins size large for the wetsuit. My first pair I got 42 years ago and they are still going strong. I have tried other fins over the years and I keep going back to the Jet fins.

Jack

Another BIG vote for Jetfins with spring straps mod.

Well, I seem to have sussed it, I miraculously got down from 15 to 10 kilos (with the help of a top bloke), and now have 3 kilos buried in my backplate 6 on my weight belt and 1 on my ankles. Feel a lot better in the water

I got some jet fins with springs, which put me where I want to be, a lot easier, Now I have moved away from my force fins for UK diving....

I am thinking of getting the slip on bare foot pool fins (flippers!?) to save weight for diving abroad, can anyone recommend a pair?

I am thinking of getting the slip on bare foot pool fins (flippers!?) to save weight for diving abroad, can anyone recommend a pair?

I use mainly FFF (full foot fins (flippers)) here in Costa Rica for several reasons:

warm waters, so no issue with cold feet, usually better propelling power because the fit snug and don't "wobble"

booties don't dry well (and soon start to stink terrible) in high humidity environments like here

i like to be barefoot

FFF are not necessarely so more lighter than open heel fins, some are, some not

What full FFF to get? Well, thats a question of your personal taste and habit.

You can get FFF of any type, force, split, long, wide, rubber, composite.

You may keep your force fins and use them (maybe with a sock) for warm water diving or continue the

"stiff fin philosophy" of the Jet fins and go with a a stiffer fin as well. It's up to you!

The only fin type i don't suggest for photographing are split fins, they need 2/3 kicks to gain power

and I find them inproper for uw-photography.

I like to use the Mares Avanti quattro power, a big fin with tons of power but still "soft", but for untrained legs

this fin can give nasty cramps in the beginning.

Chris

P.S. Nice that you came down 5 Kilos /10 lbs of dragging around unnecessary weights. I see so much divers diving heavily

overweighted, unable to get a normal boyancy and sucking air due the increased resitstance from weight and especially the 45° angle boyancy.

I have found the Bio-fin pro XT's and I love them. I used the US Divers old school Rocket fins for 35 some years and tried all kinds of the split fins but couldn't find any that gave me the control I wanted. Especially when shooting you need to make those small adjustments in position and I struggled with the normal splits because I would make that little movement of the tips and nothing would happen. I wore out my dive shop folks testing fins in their pool. I finally lucked into a pair of the Biofins with the stiffer rubber (durometer is 75) than standard and they are great. The best of both worlds, power of my old fins with much less fatigue and I still have the control I 'm used to. They come with spring clips if you order the -C version. I have the Bio fin Pro-XT-C model. Downside is they are not light and aren't going to save you any weight in baggage.

Felt kind of silly at first using them to snorkel with dolphins last year but I was able to keep up with the young guys dragging the camera around on those dolphin sprints. Even out swam a few of them.

Cheers,

Steve

[good stuff]

much appreciated Chris, thanks for that