What Scuba Diving Fins can you recommend?
I am looking to find some lightweight scuba diving fins that are under 30 pounds. They need to be light so i can take them on a plane in my luggage. Has anyone got any recommandations. I only go Scuba diving about 6 times a year so they dont have to be top of the range.
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Tags: diving, Fins, recommend, scuba
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You surely don’t mean 30 pounds weight? That’s nearly 15 kg — with the exception of solid rubber-type fins (e.g. US Divers ‘Rocket’ , or Scubapro ‘Jet’ fins), no fins on the market today are anywhere near that heavy! Most modern composite open-heel designs (preferred for diving) weigh less than 3 kg (7 pounds) the pair. The baggage issue with fins is not so much the weight as the length — if you buy them from a real-world diveshop, take your suitcase/divebag with you, to make sure that the fins will fit inside it.
If you mean a PRICE of 30 pounds (i.e. Sterling), then you’ll be lucky to find any decent open-heel-type fins for that little money, and will probably have to go for a full-foot fin instead. Full-foot fins tend to be lighter weight than open-heel designs, but also shorter, and usually flimsier, so you don’t get as much thrust from them. They’re fine for snorkelling, but not always good once you’re wearing bulky scuba gear as well — so make sure that the pair you get are specifically designed for scuba.
Personally, I like the Mares Plana Avanti Quattros (http://www.simplyscuba.com/products/Mares/AvantiQuattroFins.aspx ) — they’re a classic design (on the market for over 15 years now), which is relatively simple (compared to some of the overengineered monstrosities available today), accommodates a wide variety of kicking styles (unlike most split-fin designs), and is robust. A pair of Quattros served me well for nearly 4 years as a working instructor (2002-2005, ca. 3000 dives), and I’m still using them today (albeit much less frequently, unfortunately!). The downside of the Quattros is that they are relatively long and heavy (re. baggage), and require strong legs.
Based on your criteria and my experience, you might want to consider either the Mares Avanti Superchannel full-foot fins (http://www.simplyscuba.com/products/Mares/AvantiSuperchannelFullFoot.aspx ) or the Oceanic Viper fins (http://www.simplyscuba.com/products/Oceanic/ViperFins.aspx ). A friend of mine used an earlier version of the Oceanics fin as a working instructor, and I never heard any complaints from her.
But it’s really a matter of personal preference, and what suits your diving style. Everyone who answers this question will have a different opinion on the ‘best’ fins — but only you can decide what works/ is comfortable for YOU.
Another vote for the Mares Quarttro line.
I like the Mares line also. Give thm a shot, not that expensive.
Ron @ http://www.monarchsands.com