what fins should i buy?

[omerdiver777]

i currently have the riffe silent hunters but would like a somewhat stiffer blade. i have tried the jb esclapez fins and liked those alot but i cant seem to find them anywhere. also i was wondering about the black teams. anyone have any suggestions even on fins not mentioned please chime in.

[Kirby]

I have a pair of Black Teams. They have lasted and are still working perfectly after five years of hard use and abuse. I cannot tell you if they are stiffer than the Silent Hunters but if you call Picasso America they will be able to tell you. They sell both brands.

[Chris Lupin]

i have tried the jb esclapez fins and liked those alot but i cant seem to find them anywhere

On occasion you will be able to find them here on the board, I have a pair and love them and I got them on here for an awesome price. They don't make those fins anymore, at least under that name. I can't remember who makes them now. I really like the pockets and the overall feel of the fins. But maybe post a thread under the members items section and someone might have some. If not those I have heard only good things about the picasso black teams.

[Chris Oak]

Your best bet is to try out your buddies fins and see what you like and what works for you. But if you are looking for stiffer blades you can try out carbon or fiberglass #3's.

[omerdiver777]

Your best bet is to try out your buddies fins and see what you like and what works for you. But if you are looking for stiffer blades you can try out carbon or fiberglass #3's.

do the fiberglass or carbon fins crack easy? i do mostly shore diving and when i am on my boat my gear normally gets pretty beat up

[SDMF]

do the fiberglass or carbon fins crack easy? i do mostly shore diving and when i am on my boat my gear normally gets pretty beat up

I just got some Matrix #4s, Dennis was out of #3s and they are damn SWEEEEEEEEEEEET!

Can't say much about the durability since i just got them recently but from what i've heard and read they are bad arse!

Also a friend had a pair of #3s for about 5 years before he felt they needed to be replaced, he shoredives a lot!

Just while on a boat make sure they are upright semi-stashed somewhere, people seem to aim for them with weight belts when they aren't plastic blades! :mad:

[DarenDeath]

20 Fathoms has some great products. Call Dennis and he'll help you figure out what you need.
You'll find as you get to be a more efficient diver you need to waste less energy pushing stiffer fins. The fiber glass blades are very reliable and I believe plastic fins veri over time and temperatures.

To answer your question, Black Teams are pretty stiff. Too stiff for me.

[omerdiver777]

thanks alot you guys i am leaning towards plastic only because i dont want to break the fins on a reef or in the boat as far as stiffness im not looking for boards just a little stiffer than my riffes. but thank you so far anymore suggestions would be appreciated

[cww180]

Hanapaa still sells the Imersion fins.

[Sebastien]

I have a pair of green Millenium size 9/11 feel free to try them, almsot new the foot pocket is just too big for me
Take em for 80$

[Icarus Pacific]

There's the deal right there. Those are great shore fins.

[Ascendv6]

20 Fathoms has some great products. Call Dennis and he'll help you figure out what you need.
You'll find as you get to be a more efficient diver you need to waste less energy pushing stiffer fins. The fiber glass blades are very reliable and I believe plastic fins veri over time and temperatures.

To answer your question, Black Teams are pretty stiff. Too stiff for me.

I AM SOOO CONFUSED!!! I have a pair of Black Teams that I have been using for 11 months now. I feel like they are too flexible for me. I don't feel like I am getting enough thrust from them on the surface, while diving or ascending. I am quite sure that DarenDeath is a better diver than me. Some one else mentioned how stiff the Black Teams are. Now I feel like I am doing something wrong, not kicking the right way? I just bought a pair of Spetton Fiber Glass #2's from Neptonics. I am very concerned that I just spent all of that money on the fiberglass fins and I won't get the true benefits from them.

I guess I will find out when I get my new fins. When I do, I'll take both pairs out and do a couple of laps with them. Then I should be able to see which pair feels better, provides more thrust, and leaves me the least tired.

Darren

[Mobius1]

i think JBL makes them
http://www.jblspearguns.com/new_site/2009/09/masks/

leisure pro has them http://www.leisurepro.com/Prod/JBLFFF.html

[spearthebigones]

I AM SOOO CONFUSED!!! I have a pair of Black Teams that I have been using for 11 months now. I feel like they are too flexible for me. I don't feel like I am getting enough thrust from them on the surface, while diving or ascending. I am quite sure that DarenDeath is a better diver than me. Some one else mentioned how stiff the Black Teams are. Now I feel like I am doing something wrong, not kicking the right way? I just bought a pair of Spetton Fiber Glass #2's from Neptonics. I am very concerned that I just spent all of that money on the fiberglass fins and I won't get the true benefits from them.

I guess I will find out when I get my new fins. When I do, I'll take both pairs out and do a couple of laps with them. Then I should be able to see which pair feels better, provides more thrust, and leaves me the least tired.

Darren


Darren did you buy your Picasso fins new or used?

[Ascendv6]

Darren did you buy your Picasso fins new or used?

New.

[spearthebigones]

New.

huh.... well then I can't wait to get your review of the new fins to see how they compare.

[cww180]

I thought the Black Teams felt like two pieces of plywood on my feet, you must be a beast for them to be flimsy. I now dive the Dive R mediums and they feel great!

[Ascendv6]

I thought the Black Teams felt like two pieces of plywood on my feet, you must be a beast for them to be flimsy. I now dive the Dive R mediums and they feel great!

This is why I am confused. I am in decent shape, but I doubt I qualify for "Beast" status. So am I doing something wrong with my kick?

Darren

[cww180]

I'm the opposite a weak dive to begin with so efficiency is paramount and those fins took too much to get going for me. I think you will enjoy the FG blades.

[dennishaussler]

i currently have the riffe silent hunters but would like a somewhat stiffer blade. i have tried the jb esclapez fins and liked those alot but i cant seem to find them anywhere. also i was wondering about the black teams. anyone have any suggestions even on fins not mentioned please chime in.

you can get the orginal JB Esclapez at www.imersion.us, they do online sales in the states now.
They were the parent company for Esclapez, and have continued the line, with many improvments.

[dennishaussler]

thanks alot you guys i am leaning towards plastic only because i dont want to break the fins on a reef or in the boat as far as stiffness im not looking for boards just a little stiffer than my riffes. but thank you so far anymore suggestions would be appreciated

the glass blades will outlast plastic or carbon, you pretty much can;t kill them.
Of course, dropping weight belts on them, or sticking them in the swim step then jumping off will do it.
The performance of glass over plastic is 20-30% more, with same or less effort.

[Icarus Pacific]

Having used all the fins mentioned so far, I'll just put it out there that the Edge fins I got from Dennis are my pic for best shore dive fins. I have the #4 stiffness, which is stiff, but I have the hams to use them. They slide over the rocks on the beach, take a good flex when I push off the bottom, (yeah, I know...) and have yet to cough when I ask them to hustle.

www.20fathoms.com

[cww180]

Having used all the fins mentioned so far, I'll just put it out there that the Edge fins I got from Dennis are my pic for best shore dive fins. I have the #4 stiffness, which is stiff, but I have the hams to use them. They slide over the rocks on the beach, take a good flex when I push off the bottom, (yeah, I know...) and have yet to cough when I ask them to hustle.

www.20fathoms.com

I have heard nothing but great things about the Edge fins, but I will also say the same about my Dive R fins!

[dennishaussler]

I have heard nothing but great things about the Edge fins, but I will also say the same about my Dive R fins!

DiveR's rock,,,,, thats actually what I use. BUT, expensive.

[Smudge]

This is why I am confused. I am in decent shape, but I doubt I qualify for "Beast" status. So am I doing something wrong with my kick?

Darren

I started out thinking that my black teams were stiff since my previous long blades were cressi's but when I got here to Hawaii and started to dive deeper (80+) the BT's began to feel like mush to me. It may all be in my head, but I stepped up to C4 Falcon 30 blades in my Picasso foot pockets and couldn't be happier.

They're just as snappy and responsive comming off of the bottom at 100 ft as they are on the surface.

As far as durability issues are concerned, I've only heard of one carbon blade breaking from surface scratches and that was on O.M.E.R. Rekord I believe. I'll try to remember to take pics of my blades when I get home tonight and post them up. They're pretty beat and scratched to hell and I've had no problems!

[Otis Driftwood]

I ended up with some soft omer fins when I bought a full set of gear. I've been into stiff fins, edge #4 and my blades that are more stiff.
The soft fins seem let me stay down longer but when I stay down to long I can't get back up as fast when I'm out of air. The biggest bonus for me was the lack of knee pain on my long drive back to Fresno.
I gave a pair to one of the guys testing them for me that I thought were way to soft and he said they are slightly stiffer then his waterway's.
I think I might start leaving a few layers out next time I lay some up.

[deckhandmike]

We should pick a crappy dive day this winter and everyone bring their fins and do a SB demo day shore party. I would love to try out several pairs of fins. Maybe we could get a few fin companies to bring a rep and some products down.

[omerdiver777]

does anyone have or has anyone tried the emersions?

[bliss]

i like cressi
the 2000 or 2500 are good
or my dads picasso standard fins the black ones are good
there cool for him because there softer