Fins Opinions

Hey guys I have for the last 20 year used only dive fins. For me that has worked great but then I have never used anything else so my understanding is limited. I was thinking today there are maybe 3 to 4 important categories that we should judge fins.

1. Speed
2. Control
3. Kicking ease
4. Comfort

So what do you use and how would you rate your fins to the top 4 categories. For me I was say my dive fins are GOOD for Speed, GOOD For Control, FAIR on Kicking Ease, FAIR to POOR, on Comfort. What is your opinion.

Force Fins
1. Speed - Good
2. Control - Good.  Nothing better for me yet
3. Kicking ease - Good
4. Comfort - Poor. I must have top of foot protection as the rubber is hard
5. Cost - $85 "used" these things are over $200 new

Omega Fins
1. Speed - Good. They feel faster, but after a day fishing I see no difference in distance traveled.
2. Control - Fair
3. Kicking ease - Poor. I am stiff and sore sometimes the day after some times.
4. Comfort - Good.
5. Cost - "Traded stuff"

Deep Sea Star Fins
1. Speed - Poor
2. Control - Fair
3. Kicking ease - Fair
4. Comfort - Fair
5. Cost $29

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Creek company thrusters/duck feet:
Speed - poor
Control - great
Kicking ease - fair
Comfort - poor

US divers snorkel fins
Speed - fair
Control - fair
Kicking ease - fair
Comfort - fair ** wish they had more support beneath your feet. But these are not step in style

Atomic split fin step in
Speed - great
Control - fair
Kicking ease - great
Comfort - great *dependant upon dive boots/water shoes worn*

Creek Co. Duck Feet, Thruster.

Speed: Fair
Control: Good
Kicking Ease: Poor, work out for the legs.
Comfort: Fair, struggle to remove boot from fin.
Cost: $45

Outcast Power Kick Fins

Speed: Good
Control: Good
Kicking Ease:Good, go all day without discomfort.
Comfort: Good, one latch and two buckles and your out of your fins.
Cost: $100

...........GT           BTW, would you consider adding Cost?

Yep that is fin cost is a factor

I only use Force Fins with leashes, I do have other fins.
I'm a firm believer that ... "you get what you pay for." And so ... why settle on less in life??

Note: I have put in 45 sessions with these FF's since the beginning of April 2016.
1. Speed - very good. Remember ... this is not a race people. The fish can feel and hear the
water movement from each and every kick! Why spook the fish??
2. Control - very Good.  Nothing better for me so far.
3. Kicking ease - very Good. I've never felt fatigue nor have I had a leg nor a foot cramp .... ever!
4. Comfort - super comfortable to me. I wear a thin pull on, low top water boot with out zippers or buckles.
5. Cost - $81 "used" on eBay. $230 new. Buy smart.

If you haven't tried a Force Fin ... then you should.
I've put in as-much-as 8 to 12 hour sessions at times (6 hrs is my normal) with up to between 1.5 to 4 miles in a session (most of the time against the current).

I have gotten out of the water to port my tube along with friends; half-my-age, because they were getting nowhere in the current and they were completely exhausted (they didn't wear FF's) due to their less expensive fins (yes ... they saved a dollar and settled). I didn't feel any fatigue and kicked in the same conditions with them .... but I would rather join them in their porting and their camaraderie. Bottom line is .... I've never felt any fatigue using FF's.

The down side is: they don't float .... so wearing fin leashes ... I consider a must!

PS ... you do have options in life ....

SP Dan     <"))><     Turning 65-yrs.

Having never see FF in the flesh I'm interested to know how close these look to being a copy if a ff user could take a quick look

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Jerdon posted a picture, the FF are the ones on the top. They look very similar.


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Mscustomflies wrote:Having never see FF in the flesh I'm interested to know how close these look to being a copy if a ff user could take a quick look

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I have seen and held the Outcast, and I know 2 people who bought them. They are much stiffer than the Force Fins. The design is very similar and they come a built in ankle strap. One guy sent his back, the other guy loves them.

Go figure

MSCustomFlies, those r a copy of my Outcast fins. 2 buckles and a leash strap. Has the ridges in the heel too. $100.......I love them over my Creek thruster, or as I remember them bodysurfing, "DuckFeet". ..............GT

I've looked at them online previously Jeff but never seen any in person sorry for any confusion

I use Tusa xpert zoom split fins but being relatively new to the world of tubes I optedfor these over standard as the people I spoke to said standard ones are useless.

Maneuverability seems good as does speed but they are heavy on the legs even with diving boots, and my thighs cramped on a couple of occasions today on a 6hr session

Who has ever thought about this does the color of your fin matter ? Can a fish actually spook away because they see you coming ? I can tell you right off with a colored fin the fish can actually see it , I have litterly had fish come up and attack a white fin in 10' of water . I would like to hear if this has happened to anyone else

It's been said that the two colors that fish can see are ... white and chartreuse.

Even though my fins are solid black ... the fish can still see me, hear me and feel the water being displaced from my fins by my kicking action ... no mater how stealth I try to be.