Split Fins

[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

 

[Søren]

You should be able to find some long fins that won't hurt you ankles. 2 or 3 of my mates have had the same problem and at least one of them bought the grey omers and was satisfied.
I had a sore ankle when I first started out with a pair of cressi scuba fins but I just got back in the water and swam anyway and the training helped the pain.
You will get sore at times but it may be the training you need...

 

[Marwan]

long fins hurt your ankles? any long fins? which ones did you try?, the ones who hurt my ankles were wither too stiff or didnt have a toe angle (i.e. flat blades not angled blades)...i suggest you try some classic fins like the omer ice, they are very comfy fins, very nice for surface swimming and depth up to 20m...definitly better then scuba fins like the appolos, where you loose a lot of energy with them

 

[Mongrel454]

The long fins i tried were made by land and sea(australian made) not sure on any other details than that sry.
They are the only long fins ive tried and only used them for 6-7minutes.
I originally used a very cheap pair of tiny plastic fins and then upgraded to the Apollos and found them much better. But maybe i need to step up a bit more and get long fins.

Thx Marwin and others for help

 

[Mongrel454]

Omer millenium ice is that the ones your referring too Marwan?
If so i just did a quick search and they are $450-$500 way outta my league.
MY WIFE WOULD SIGN THE DIVORCE PAPERS NO QUESTIONS ASKED rofl

Thx anyway Marwan

 

[Marwan]

yes those are the ones...its crazy those prices in Australia...this is considered to be one of the cheaper fins...
what kind of long fins do you get in australia and how much do they go for, maybe we can help you out

 

[Marwan]

i just checked in adrenaline..they sell the cressi gara 3000 LD for almost half the price of the omer ice,,,,the cressi is another great choice, but if you can try them before buying, their footpockets are not suited to everyone...another good choice i saw there was the immersion sea run fins, i can attest to immersions comfort, but cressi will be superior for long surface swimming i think
best of luck

 

[Mongrel454]

Well adrenaline is in another state and diveimports is in my state, they are the bigger of the shops that i know of.
I will check out the cressi links soon

Thx again

P.S. in regards to aussie prices, YEAH we get stooped at every corner
and im not sure what we get here till i do a bit more searching, but before i get any i will be sure to ask opionins

 

[Søren]

In my experience the cressi fins are not good for people with weak or sore ankles. Two of my friends bought other fins after being hurt by the cressis.

 

[alexrom1207]

The cressi gara 3000 will be very stiff for you and hurt your ankles or just cause leg fatigue. The gara 3000ld are made for surface swimming and dives up to 20m. I have a pair. Bought them off this site Buy scuba gear, scuba diving and snorkeling equipment, and everything underwater from LeisurePro.com for $89 American around Christmas time...I think they're about $109 right now. If money is a concern they are the best deal...assuming the footpocket fits you. Best to check out a dive shop first and try on an Omer Ice, leisurepro has them for, I think about $189 American. Then try on a cressi. If the cressi footpocket fits you I would suggest that fin: The Gara 3000LD, make sure it is the LD. Also, long blade fins take a week or two for your legs get used to, so give it a little time and they will be more comfortable. The first 6-7 minutes will obviously be the hardest but give your body some time to adapt.
Good luck

 

[MahiMan]

I have the Cressi Gara 3000 fins and on my first dive with them they hurt! My next dive hurt less and the one after that they felt perfect. I'm not sure if there might be a break in for them or my body adjusted to them but they work wonderfully for me and weren't very $$.
​

 

[Mongrel454]

Thank you very much guys, i appreciate all the help
I will have a look into the cressi 3000LD and see how they fit

 

[Newbie_spearo]

Mongrel,

I have a pair of those Land and sea fins and I honestly think they are CRAP!!! They are a copy of the cressi 3000 but the bottom of the foot pocket is still soft and doesn't transfer the power very well. I bought a pair of picasso black teams on ebay and they are awesome, they don't hurt my ankles at all and with a 3m sock they fit great and I have narrowish feet. I'm looking into a pair of ice fins from jimdoe2you. I figure I'd rather buy from overseas and get the stuff a little cheaper than spend almost twice as much and be able to get my warranty valued. It'll still be cheaper to send the fins back to the states and get them sent back after if I need the warranty than to buy them over here.

 

[Mongrel454]

I agree with you mate...Aussie prices are wrong(way out of the ballpark)..
I will grab the cressi's eventually as i am getting the mamba(toravich) kit first
as im already getting the LOOK from the wife rofl

 

[colt.45]

has any one ever tried sporasub variants, whats the opinion?

 

[Lockedin]

IMHO, Before buying, I would try as many as I could. Get in the pool, and do some side by side testing including your old fins.

I went from generics, to Force Fins, to OMER Ice, after testing vs. Cressi, Sporasub (not variants Colt - sorry), and my Force Fins. They caused some minor soreness in my muscles, and two BIG blisters on the first pool session. I tried the Ice a second time.

Result - with 3mm socks - no blisters. I was told (rightly) that my longblades would require a smoother, lower frequency kick. Result - my other fins are somewhere in the garage - I think...

My Wife didn't quite sign the papers USD $300

 

[Newbie_spearo]

I agree too with trying before buying if it's possible. Especially with the cressi's. Do you use socks for comfort or warmth or both? How wide are your feet? if they are narrow, what thickness sock will you need to still keep your feet warm and make the cressi's comfortable without being too tight? Will you need to go to the next size up in the cressi due to them being really comfy in the size below without a sock, if you need that extra warmth or are you happy to dive with numb feet after 30mins? Comfort is my number 1 priority but do you see comfort as the first half hour of your dive or the entire dive from putting your gear on to taking it off. It's easier and cheaper to get socks to accommodate for a slightly larger fin than the other way round. Find out what other guys with similar sized feet are using?

Have fun!

 

[Mongrel454]

I already wear 3mm socks and i will always use them for
1. Comfort
2. Warmth
I have wide feet so i will definately need to goto a larger size than needed.

 

[Newbie_spearo]

Jamie,

If you have wide feet I'd recommend staying away from the cressi fins. I'm not saying they aren't any good, but from what I've read they tend to suit people with narrow feet a lot better. Also if I could give you some advice before forking out money for long blade fins. If yuo are able to do some gym training and strengthen your legs it will helps tremendously. Obviously nothing beats swimming but if you can get to the gym and do some squats I garantee you it will make your hunting that much easier, on your body atleast. That or get a pair with softer blades like the green picasso's or the omer winter blades.have a look on tuttopescamare.com look under pinne apnea. they were getting rid of sporasub fins. the green ones are the softer blade, but are not changeable. I had a mate who just bought the black slightly harder blade and he loves them after using the L&SS Stealth Fins. They are going really cheap on tuttopescamare like 37.50 Euro plus 39 Euro shipping so your looking at about AU$120 to your door. still half price than buying them over here.

 

[Mongrel454]

Thx mate i really appreciate yours and everyones help in DB

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