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Are fins essential?

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.

jon71

New Member
Dec 2, 2004
29
3
0
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Hi there,
I have just started freediving in the last couple of weeks and would like some advice.
- Are fins really essential when practising in the pool?
I only ask because I don't intend to dive outdoors until I build up both my strength and confidence. (Jon71 refers to my birth year, not max depth achieved.....unless someone throws me in the atlantic with concrete round my legs.)
I have done a couple of pool sessions so far and broke a fin in the last session. I actually did much better without them....work that one out??
So far I have managed a 50metre swim in a 25 metre pool, along the bottom without fins (With the fins it was pretty similar.)
Any advice on how to improve strength, breath holding etc would be appreciated. I will scan previous threads though to pick up any gems!
Cheers
Jon
 
Hi Jon, welcome to Deeper Blue.

Fins are certainly not required. There is a whole discipline of no fins and world records for no fins dynamic, constant ballast, etc. What is required is a buddy right on top of you when you are doing any kind of apnea in the water. It is seriously dangerous otherwise.

Use the search function for "dynamic, no fins" That, or something like it, should bring up lots of stuff.

One thought, some of the techniques and physical conditioning for fins vs no fins are quite different. Read the posts with that in mind. Also, your performance in one disipline may get pretty good (50 meters is very good for starters), but if you switch over, it will take some adjusting.

Good luck and have fun, with your buddy.

Connor
 
The difference between with and without fins is in numbers arround 1,0 : 0,75.
If you can swim 50m no fins, you probably swim 62,5 with fins.

Fins are more efficient, if you have a equally good stroke for both techniques.

If you plan on freediving outdoors you'll find that fins allow for more peace since one needs les mucles and movement to reach the sinking depth. Also the way up is much morecomfortable since one has much more grip in the water wearing fins or -even better- long fins.

My advice would be that you train both disciplines. Both are much fun.
I tent to train a specific discipline for a upcomming competition. I try to streamline every move, make notes, have myselfe timed to see the difference etc. There is a lot to optimise.
Once I coached a friend of mine doing 8x50m with his C4 carbon falcon fins in a 25m pool. The first 50m he covert in 48 sec. I would have him start every 2', leaving him 1'12" recovery time. During the recovering I gave him some advice on postiure, stroke, rhythm and the turns. And the 8th lap he did in just 40 sec with the same! effort of the first 50m.

Materials:
Since you're beginning with this fascinating new sport I would recomment Sporasub fins with the detachable soft plastic blades.
Sporasub's fins are good fins, with a round end making them less vurnable for bumping.
When you go outdoors next spring, you'll have your technique streamlined and your muscles strengthend. When you've discoverd the next level, you may want to have better material. The sporasub's blades can be replaced with the well known C4 carbon fiber blades, you only need to buy the blades, fit them in place and your fins go from a medium class fin to a TOPclass fin.

Have fun, dive safe,

Love, peace and water!

Carlos.
 
Sporasub's fins are good fins---

Yes that is the one I use for training

hey if you ask me this question yesterady while i Was training I would say that is not necesary fins for me --- jaja

Im concetrated more in dinamic not fins-- not but is good I train both .. as kars says

when I go back to my spearfishing YES very necesary to use my fin jaja
que pasen buenas
 
Cheers for the detailed response Carlos.
I'll look into the new fins, as they sound easy to upgrade.
Many thanks and I'll chat again soon.
Jon
 
I have to agree with the Sporasub Variant fins. We use them on expeditions not only because of their performance but because they you can detach the blade quickly without tools. It makes for a great fin for travel because they break down into half the size of normal fins for transport. Also I have found the foot pocket of the Variants to be very comfortable. In my opinion my omer ones were too stiff in the foot pocket but the desault pockets are much nicer.

And as you have heard you can upgrade the stiffness of the fin for more power. I use the black plastic middle grade blade. We do alot of reef diving and the plastic blade is very durable.

There is a section on them on our new video "spearfishing 101" that is being distributed by Riffe Spearguns.

Well back in the water for me...time to fight another fish... :martial

GTB
http://www.gonetobaja.com

Fins link @ http://www.sporasubusa.com
 
Referring back to the original post - I don't think you need fins to practice in the pool. By far the most important factor in freediving is learning to relax whilst under stress and to move gently and with minimal effort - you can do this without fins.

Fins will be useful in the pool to train finning muscles, but you use slightly different muscles and technique in dynamic than you do when in open water, so they aren't as useful as you'd think at first.

Also - you don't need fins in open water! I actually quite enjoy going diving without fins occassionally, when in a close to shore environment in <15m of water (big swims without fins isn't my cup of tea). It's quite liberating, although if you dive with a thick wetsuit is can be hard work!

Ben
 
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