Split Fins

[tbgsub]

link to the Profiles as listed on Subprof.com under fin accessories:>
PERFIL ALETAS SPETTON
they are sold as separate Spetton fins Profile material in 3ft lengths!

isnt internet commerce wonderful!!
what a great specialty item to MOD your own gear!!

these wouldnt hurt on the inside of split fins I am sure, someone should try it and report back, I dont have any split fins though.

have fun!

these would be nice on a pair of ice fins if they were clear!

I like foreward momentum rather than spilling water laterally over the blads as I move through the water, but I guess I am a directional guy on a mission.

[trux]

Originally Posted by Mullins

Finding that a little hard to follow - what is a "profile" in this context?

I used the term in sense of "shape" in my post above. I think tbgsub means the rubber rails on the sides of the blades

[trux]

Originally Posted by tbgsub

... these wouldnt hurt on the inside of split fins I am sure, someone should try it and report back

Actually they would. They would inhibit the propeller effect the split fin creates. The split serves for creating a concave shape with strong middle streaming. By adding rails there, you would force water in the wrong direction.

[Mullins]

He also seems to be using it to mean "flex characteristics" at one point, but now I understand what he's trying to do.

[trux]

Originally Posted by tbgsub

I dont think split fins are good for Freediving below 20ft, because they use more oxygen than they consume getting back up, and in current they arent practical on a breath hold.

Yes, I agree that all currently available split-fins are unsuitable for freediving. It is not because of the principle. It is because there are no split-fins designed for freedivers. Once someone finally develops split-fins (or variable shape fins) in the right dimensions and shape, suitable for freedivers (allowing for slow relaxed kick), they may beat current freediving fins easily.

[calinitalia]

I just bought a pair of the new MARES Razor Pro's after suffering with OMER fins for 1 1/2 years. Mares went all out on the design of these fins. Very comfortable great thrust with little effort (the first time in the water with them I was amazed, I thought I had the current at my back). Right now with Mares re-entering in the spearfishing market, their prices are great. I payed 70 euros for the Razor pro's, Millenium Ice cost around 120 euros and don't perform nearly as well.

[Britney Spearz]

Originally Posted by calinitalia

I just bought a pair of the new MARES Razor Pro's after suffering with OMER fins for 1 1/2 years. Mares went all out on the design of these fins. Very comfortable great thrust with little effort (the first time in the water with them I was amazed, I thought I had the current at my back). Right now with Mares re-entering in the spearfishing market, their prices are great. I payed 70 euros for the Razor pro's, Millenium Ice cost around 120 euros and don't perform nearly as well.

How dare you insult the holy Ice fins!

[calinitalia]

Just because they are nearly invisible in the water doesn't make them the best or even near. They are nice fins, but for 120 euros?? I don't remember insulting the fins. Most of my equipment is OMER. OH, look, a compliment. If you are going to spend that kind of money, add another 40 euros and get a pair of Pegasus'. That is a sweet fin. OH god, stop me I'm on a roll.
Oh no, not the photo with Marco Bardi!!!!!
Have fun!!!!!

[Newbie_spearo]

I don't think you can compare the Mares Razor Pro to the Ice, They are 2 different fins, one is supposed to be a fairly stiff blade and the other a soft-medium stiffness. That's like trying to compare a 90cm gun and a 130cm gun, you wouldn't use them in the same environment. If you are doing a lot of surface swimming and not diving all that deep then the Ice or Gara 3000LD would be a good fin. If you are diving deeper and maybe have the option of a boat them the Razor's or maybe picasso black teams would be the go? You need to work out what type of diving you'll mostly be doing and then go from there. That's my 2cents anyway.

[calinitalia]

I was only messing with him for the holy ice comment. But actually judging by the name, you would expect the Razor Pro to be a bit stiff and uncomfortable on the surface but with me that actually is not the case. My last fins, OMER Tuna competition, were like 2 steel plates strapped to my feet. surface runs were incredibly tiring. I was only satisfied with them when going down more than 15 meters because they gave good thrust vertically, But that was a mistake I made when buying them. Anyway for now I find the Razor a great solution for my type of diving, surface swimming with lots of dives to 3 - 20 meters.

[mishu1984]

Originally Posted by Mongrel454

I know this is a topic that has been discussed, but i recently bought some
Apollo Bi Fins(complete rubber). Personally i found them pretty good, easy to use and uses less air. One thing i found though was that in a strong currant i was struggling to get anywere. Then i tried my mates long blades which are plastic(not sure on brand) and they pushed my through the water fast but hurt my ankles bigtime
We mostly spear in 10-30ft so would i be better in the long run to get long fins even though they hurt my ankles?
Or is it just a personal choice?

Thx

hi,
i have a pair or Omer Bat 25's
footpocket in the beggining was a little stiff, but after a week's worth of diving, the problem was gone

g'luck

[Mongrel454]

I recently spoke to a Spearo(Arnie Piccolli) , and he suggested i use esclapez blue fins. Great for shallow water and upto 10metres and also quite cheap over here.

[tbgsub]

long fins definitely have a break in time to develope a different set of muscles than the ones used with short fins. soft fins have a short break in period, stiff fins have a longer break in period. I have used the ICE fins for a full year and I now think they are kind of soft. Not quite as soft as the Gara 3000 LD fins but still softer than the black Millenium runners which to me feel like medium hardness.

recently, after passing 20 meters of depth gathering a Giant Trevally in a competition, using the Millenium Runners, I felt that stiffer fins would be more efficient as well as Profiles on the edges that would be more efficient at deeper depths as they also provide more directional velocity. Stiffer foot pockets would also be more efficient in transmitting energy to the blade.

I now want to experiment with the more stiff Sporasub foot pockets and a medium fiberglass blade, and a softer foot pocket with a stiffer fiberglass blade to see if there is a noticeable difference with regard to energy use and Hydrodynamic motion of an apnea diver.

I also want to change the flex pattern of the blade to improve directional velocity during normal flutter kicking.

as for shallow water freediving;
I believe that in 30ft of water, if there is any current you will want at least medium stiff ness long fins, but even Gara 3000LD fins are better than full rubber scuba fins in current, and definitely better than split fins.

I know scuba tour divers in the CNMI who exclusively use freedive fins (both Gara 2000 and 3000LD as well as OMER millenium runners) for their daily SCUBA work because it allows them to conserve energy, with or without current.

for Apnea diving conserving energy under any circumstance should be a welcome thing.
if it is money that is a factor, well that is up to each person to decide. I decided that I was going to live on a tropical island for more than three years and never touch a SCUBA rig, so why should I buy cheaper SCUBA fins when all I am going to do is freedive and spearfish. I bought a pair of Sporasub fins and swapped out the blades for OMER ICE, and lets just say they felt better in the water than when I ponied up to the freedive shop and bought the softer OMER foot pockets for the ICE blades to get comfortable booties. the stiffer foot pocket made the blade perform better in my estimation.