Opinions on long fins?

[Prodigal Son]

I'm getting back into freediving and spearfishing, and I'd appreciate opinions on long fins. Do they really enhance performance without causing undue leg fatigue? I read an article on one of the freediver websites that claimed long fins were overrated and unnecessary. Unfortunately, I don't know anyone who owns a pair that I can borrow for a day. Is there a sub-$200 make and model anyone can recommend?

[frizeeshizaft]

I am a big fan the cressi sub gara 2000's retail @120 I beleive :D
I was also wondering what else everone used.

[swimndive]

I think so. Long fins are very efficient, but they are best used with streamlined scuba configurations or for freediving only. To make an analogy here: freediving fins vs conventional fins, is like comparing a motorcycle to a diesel pickup truck. The freediving fins lack the torque necessary to push drysuits and double tanks through the water efficiently. They also don't tow big open-mouthed fish or lobster motels that well. They will however, lower your sac rate, while enabling you to chase down some of the more elusive fish, as long as you avoid any power kicking with them (rapid cycle, small flutter kicks with a straight leg work best). Without getting too much into the hydrodynamics here, and trying to avoid another "split fin" debate… they give you a longer waterline. If you are familiar with what "that" means in boats, you can begin to understand how these fins are more about efficiency than power.

If you've got good ankle flexibility (as in the ability to point your toes and lock them in that position, not really a leg strength issue), then you can probably benefit from using the stiffest freediving blades. If not they will actually create more drag and wear you out quickly. The Esclapez greens are the best selling freediving fins worldwide. They retail for 120 bucks and offer a medium stiff blade, and an exceptionally comfortable foot pocket. The fins are over-molded, meaning that the blade's support ribs are an integral part of the blade, thus eliminating the potential for blade separation, which ultimately occurs in a number of the two piece freediving fins. If you are going to be doing mostly deep freediving, you'll want a higher torque (stiffer) freediving fin. You should check out some of the Picasso's and Omer's but as you know, they won't be as cheap. I would look for the Esclapez dealer in your area (they are being imported by somebody who's card I can't find right now located in California). That dealer will no doubt also carry a number of the other fins that you will want to check out. ed

[Nxs Diver]

I use the abbiller apne'a long fin. I have them for 4 years,I would not use anything else. One of the guys on our boat uses the scubapro split fins. I tried them and they don't come close in power. The only problem with the apne'a fins is after alot of use the blade will start to break,but you can get replacement blades and they are easy to install. I think these fins retail for $125 a pair. Keep your old fins for wreck diving,these things are too big for working inside wrecks, you can't get your feet turned around ,you silt the wreck up and you don't need that power anyway

[100days-a-year]

Most Ys or School pools will let you in for a coupla bucks.try and time what you want if someone or a shop will let you borrow some.I dive SP splits in every imaginable condition no one has ever caught me or even stayed even when in a current carrying stuff,but I wear doubles in the winter and they are about even.Blades and jetfins work best with doubles or big loads.Longfins work great for freediving and low drag diving.They are not worth the PITA factor on any boat I've ever been on .I put my fins on just before I flip,but once in a while I need to help someone or forgot something.You can't move well with long fins.What works for you works for you.

[frogman]

Longfins is the way to go for freediving. The problem with many longfins is that is tough to get a good combination of footpocket/blade. After several trials I have found that Sporasub footpockets work the best for me (you can get Sporasub longfins for $119-129 at Outdoor World or Diver's Direct). However I am not a big fan of their blade. The nice thing is that the blade is removable and most other blades (OMER, C4's, etc) can be put in. I have customized them with hand made carbonfiber blades which are just plain AWESOME (minimal effort for maximum work).
One word of caution: Do not get fooled into getting the Variant fin by Sporasub (the one that breaks down in two pieces). It does not last. Try some softer blades first before you go to hard ones to make sure your legs can take the load.

[Prodigal Son]

Thanks for the info guys!

[webers]

I have the OMer longfins. Love them. My air use went way down using them. Less effort needed and the heart rates stays nice and low.

[seahunt]

I allways used strap fins until on a trip one of my straps snaped (no spare on my bag),the dive master let me borrow his long fins ,I fell in love with them and bough me a pair of cressi gara's,they are great ,I still use my avanti quattro for other aplications.

[DanR]

I found the Cressi sub Gara 2000s for about $70 at diveinn.com. It's a Euro online store but people all over the world have left alot of great comments about their service and they seem to carry a great spread of equipment.

[Kasshia]

I freedive reef hunt and ever since the wife got me a pair of Riffe Silent Hunters (O.ME.R Milleniums), $169.98 at http://www.diversdirect.com/scripts/ecatalogisapi.dll/Group?Group=149&Template=9990000001000999&searchn=0&maxresults= both pair of my Avanti Quattros have been gathering dust relegated to loaner status. I love these fins. They do everything better than open heel SCUBA fins. I've heard of long blades causing leg cramps, but I never had a problem. I still think I should get the Pez Fuerte blades which are stiffer, though.

[WreckDiver]

the new gara can be had for 69.00 from LP. http://s1059kxm.leisurepro.com/webapp/commerce/command/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=48083&prmenbr=946&cgrfnbr=956&parentCategory=954&sort=prsdesc

[Dangerous]

For me, the full foot pocket instead of the strap on is the key. I remember reading a review of fins somewhere where they discussed the amount of "spill" from wobble of the blades and for me, the full foot allows a more stable blade water push than a strap on. I also have a pair of US Divers full foot fins that perform almost as well as my Cressies. I had Billers before and they were awesome but did break blades and finally the pocket broke down at the fin attachment. Good luck at a tournament got me a new pair of Cressies.

For my view, the advantage is in the full foot more than the length. You get a better flow of motion from leg, ankle, foot to fin blade without wobble. Also, I do miss my "slotted Rockets" now called Jet fins. Man, when you put leg to them, you would move.

[DanR]

It was actually scubastore.com @ $71 and change, so leasurepro wins out.

[Denny]

I used my Biller open heel fins until the rubber split so far down the front of the boot that the duct tape wouldn't work any more. (This took over 500 spearfishing dives to do). I then purchased some Beuchat Mondial (whatever the hell that means) full foot long blades. What a difference with the full foot! Bill at Aquatic Obsessions had been telling me about them. If you want some fin information, he is the man. I am very happy with the Beuchats.
Long blades kick ass. By the way, the foot pockets on the full foot ABBiller fins were either a bit too large or a bit too small.

[f94gator]

I have a set of Cressi long fins that I just recently got. They are AWESOME. I had Mares Avantis before; they were alright, but they suck compared to the bigguns!

[BluewaterRocket]

I've got two pair of longblade fins - Cressi-Sub Gara 2000 HFs and the Gara 2000 LDs. Both have a nice, snug footpocket. The HFs have a stiffer blade than the LDs. If I'm snorkeling and shallow freediving then I use the softer LDs. I've got about 50 dives on the HFs and they're holding up great - no cracks or splits on the blade or the footpocket. Got'em both at Scubastore.com last year for about $70 each. I'm sold on longblade fins - can't see going back to "conventional" fins. The ONLY downside I've experienced is that they will not fit into a dive bag - no big deal.

Check out http://www.deeperblue.net/article.php/80/18 for a good article on longblade fins.

[yonfuki]

OMER Milleniums are outfreakin' rageous and I'm wanting to try their Bat 40 fins as well but my financial advisor is going to divorce me if I keep blowing my paychecks.

http://www.omersub.com/omer/catalog/fins/index.htm

[Murat]

I bought cressi gara 3000. They are so much reactive to your minimal kicks. They have stiffness between LD and HF. They cost me for $150. But i saw some new fiber fins on the net produced by sebak. Cheapest model is classic 100 euro = $120 dollars which is cheaper than gara 3000 and they are FIBERGLASS. They also produce some more expensive fins for freesiving. Check www.specialfins.com. One thing for sure is longblade fins are much better than any other scuba fins.

BTW will you use them while doing freediving or scuba?

[Apex]

Hey guy, I have the Picasso Black Teams and let me tell you that these fins are awesome! Forget about those wimpy sporasub freedive fins since the blades are way too soft. The only advantages of the sporasub fins are that the foot pockets are nice and that you can buy replacement blades rather cheaply for the fins WHEN you break a blade (they are known to break rather easily). The black teams are strong, the footpoket is nice when you wear a dive sock, you can replace the blades, and the blades have just the right stiffness so that they wont kill your legs but also wont wimp out on you if you have to come up fast after a deep dive where you may have pushed yourself a little too hard.
HTH

[storms]

Got a pair of Riffe Silent Hunters Size Regular if anyone is interested new cond. Used once in a lake for 10 minutes.

[Spear One]

Long fins with a full foot pocket is the only way to go IMO.
Booties are for Greenhorns!

[f94gator]

That's what I got, Spear One. Never used a full foot pocket before. It IS kinda nice!

[Spearooo]

I got a pair of gara 3000s for 80$. They cant be beat for that price.They are awsome. I have been looking at the matrix fins but will need to save up for awhile b4 I can afford them.

[richhermes]

Now do you guys wear any sort of bootie or socks with full foot pocket fins?

No problem with chafing??

[Spearooo]

yup, while freediving I use 3mm socks, if not spending a long time in the water without them will wear my foot raw in a couple of spots but the worst is the toe hairs those little bastards hurt like hell. the sock does the trick to stop this perfectly and keeps my feet nice and warn and the fins nice and snug.

[f94gator]

I've got Cressi Gara 3000's also. Great fins. As for chafing, I've only worn them a few times and they were ok then. I've yet to see if it's an issue on a full day of dives. I tried to look for socks, but I had a hard time getting into the fin with the sock on. And it gave me the feeling that the sock would make it easy for the fin to slip off my foot. I'm going barefoot until further notice.

[Prodigal Son]

Originally posted by Spear One
Long fins with a full foot pocket is the only way to go IMO.
Booties are for Greenhorns!

Eh? Your ankle doesn't chafe? I've got the Omer/Riffe Silent Hunters, and you have to wear some sort of sock bootie because the high rubber backing over the heel will chafe off the skin.

[LuvMyRedDog]

I just replaced the fins I had since '86 with a pair of Force Fins Pro, and it was a great improvement. Anybody tried the Force fins, and a pair of long blades, and have an opinion about the two?

[OceanSwimmer]

Bugged,
Thank you for the lead on a great source of fins for a terrific price!

--I have worn Cressis for the past 3 years w/no bootie; the footpocket is so comfortable it's not necessary. I swim for hours at a time w/no chafing and I love 'em! If the beach entry is a bit rough I wear fixe palmes. The style made by Picasso is best for me.

--Years ago someone told me to stick w/fins that 'feel right for you, and you pretty much can't go wrong'. He was absolutely correct.

--The word I'm hearing about carbon fins is that they fracture easily....

[Apex]

For sure you want to wear a sock with the full foot pocket dive fins or you will more than likely end up with blisters or raw feet. I also wear a 3 mm sock to protect my feet and also to make my fins fit a little more snug since I couldn't find fins to fit me exactly and the black teams are a tad big on me. The cressi fins are also very good fins and should have plenty of power.

[speario]

i got a pair of cressi 2000 , i love them ,but when i tried the socks i couldnt get into the fin ,and when i dived without the socks my leg was chafted , so i tried the cotton socks ,the ones used for football.....! ,they are not diving socks so they dont live long (a new sock for every trip ),but they are very cheap so i dont care , they prevent the chafting and they are very thin ,spetialy when they are wet .

[Kasshia]

I wear a pair of ankle high cotton athletic sock with my Riffe Silent Hunters and I'm considering a thin pair of neoprene socks, but I'm in no hurry to get them.

[f94gator]

So here's a question. How do your feet hold up if you're diving in 55-60 degree water?
I think I'd be fine in warm water with no sock or an gym sock, but in the winter - I'd think my feet would go numb within 5 minutes and stay that way all day long.

[Prowler]

I got a $9.00 pair of neo-socks from Diver's Direct, made by Mares. Eliminates the in-between sizes "slip" and keeps the feet from getting chilly (as in the frigid bottom temps we east coasters have had lately). These work MUCH better than the cotton socks and are'nt too much more $$.

Gary

[got lungs?]

bugged,

great info on leisurepro.com. i ordered 3 sets of fins for my buddies and i. the service was A+. after 11 years with my Beuchats , i decided it was time to treat myself to some new fins. i have used all the top fins out there but fell in love with the gara 2000 the first time i used them. i immediately gained 20+ft on my freedive. i would definitely reccomend them if you like a stiff fin. for your average joe you might have problems especially freediving all day. by the way they run a little on the big side. if you want to wear a bootie then order your normal size. if you want to go bare foot than order the next size smaller. the best thing to do is go to your local dive shop and try some on. then see if they can touch leisurepro's price:)

[speario]

thanks for the info every body
thats sounds interisting ,..... here the diving socks are very expensive , i didnt know they can be bought for such low prices from online shops .

Prowler
i looked for the socks u are talking about on the diversdirect ,but i couldnt find them ,... so if u can tell me more information about them i will be grateful .