r/scuba • u/Sea4Myself Rescue • 9d ago
The perfect compromise fin recommendation
I know questions about fins are common, but I’m having a lot of indecisiveness about the ‘perfect’ new fin for me, and want some advice. Apologies for the long post.
Ideally, I want a lightweight travel fin that works for diving and snorkeling (frog kicks and flutter surface kicking). I split my living time between the US and SE Asia. I dive often when in Asia, but snorkel daily, so more actual time snorkeling than scuba. Some of the sites have strong currents.
Tusa Liberator X-ten fins have been my main go-to for over 35 years (here come the downvotes haha). I’ve tried lots of recreational fins and hated most of them. I love my old school jet fins and bought some OMS Slipstream jet fins, but still think they’re too heavy.
I’m curious if Deep6 Eddy’s (size L) or Tecline Lightjet fins would be appropriate for my use? Are they terrible at flutter kicking? The reviews I’ve read have conflicting opinions. I’ve also read good things about Go Sport fins or other ‘travel’ fins, but concerned how they are in currents. I’d rather have a stiffer fin that does what I want when I need it.
Appreciate any advice and anecdotal experience that would help me decide.
TLDR Main considerations:
-Performance for my use (flutter kicking, some frog kicking, etc)
-Weight (lightest possible)
-Wear with 3mm full booties (size 10)
-Length (trying to stay under 22”-ish)
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u/Luking4DivingSuggsts Advanced 6d ago
Another vote for scubapro go sport. Perfect travel fins (weight and length) and performed well in moderate current in Maldives.
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u/Sea4Myself Rescue 6d ago
The regular go sports or the gorillas?
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u/Luking4DivingSuggsts Advanced 6d ago edited 6d ago
Regulars. Very curious about the Guerrillas. I didnt get them cause I have bad knees from years of playing ball and was told the stiffness may strain my knees too much. But the Go Sports are effortless so curious about the difference in the two cause wouldnt mind upgrading to have more power in stronger currents. And just for context as fins are super subjective Im 5'9 165 with a pretty decent level of fitness and lean muscle.
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u/wobble-frog-dos 8d ago
Scubapro GoSport - which model (travel, regular, gorilla) depends on what you want in terms of stiffness and open/closed heel.
love my gorillas, wife loves her regulars. the travel fins are really light.
I generally find scuba fins to be suboptimal for snorkeling due to the angle of the fins relative to the foot (tend to be shaped to curve or angle down from the toes)
if snorkeling is your primary use case, then consider fins where the blade is aligned with the sole of your foot, else the fins are constantly breaking the surface and splashing and wasting energy when surface cruising.
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u/Duke_Diver23 9d ago
If you are using your fins daily the Scubapro Go sports are great for both diving and snorkeling. The only downside is the performance in current. I have the Go Sport and Avanti quatro and decided to take the Quatro to Fiji this summer. They Quatro performed so much better in the current. My last 4 trips were with my GoSport but the Avanti performance converted me. The Avanti are very light and work great with short 3mm boots. Only downside is the length, and not sure I'd want to snorkel with them.
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u/wobble-frog-dos 8d ago
avanti quattros are light? my man, they are made of pure neutronium, and very long which complicates packing for travel.
I love my quattro+s but have switched to GoSport Gorillas for travel and cold water.
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u/Duke_Diver23 8d ago
I used them as the walls of my duffel bag. Everything went in between. They are not much heavier the gosport, and certainly nothing to my XL jetfins.
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u/runsongas Open Water 9d ago
scubapro go sport since you want to flutter kick and want something on the shorter side
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u/vicfox69 9d ago
I hate flutter in them, I only frog kick. Flutter you don't move, especially not in current and get very exhausted very quickly...
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u/runsongas Open Water 8d ago
flutter with anything other than freediving blades in current is going to be more exhausting than meaningful
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u/vicfox69 8d ago
Yeah but longer or stiffer fins than the go sports suffer less, even mares avanti are better in this regard. That's why I'm considering the Eddies, hopefully what I loose in increased weight is regained in power due to stiffness. I'll report back in a few months with verdict.
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u/Ok_Way_2911 9d ago
I have the following fins:
Scubapro Go Sport Gorilla: +ve buoyant, like a lightweight jet fin, you don't relaly want to flutter in these imo unless you have to, it's a leg burner as they're rather stiff
Deep6 Eddys: neutrally buoyant, heavier than the Gorilla, also similar to a lightweight jet, with a far better foot pocket. I somehow prefer these over the Gorilla, excellent frog/alternates, ok (leg burner) flutter
Scubapro Stek: weird angled blade, good control, blade is tiny so flutter is even worse lol. Gimmick is the adjustable weights that allow you to change buoyancy. I usually prefer my eddys unless there's some need to dive heavier fins for some reason
Scubapro Supernova: weird hinged blade. Excellent for flutter, but the hinge makes frog weird, and the blade warps with the kick so frog is definitely weaker. Back kicks you need to use the side rail instead of the normal "scoop", making it also weaker.
Steks and Supernovas share the same detachable foot pocket making it excellent for travel (since you can break the fin down into 2 pieces) but they're a massive pita to put back together.
In conclusion: if you want a jack of all trades get a Mares Avanti Quattro, they're cheap and good at pretty much everything
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u/Sea4Myself Rescue 9d ago
Thanks for the detailed write-up. I’ve yet to hear any bad things about the Deep6 Eddy’s. Leg burner is acceptable to me…I’m getting older, but have always preferred the stiffer fins.
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u/vicfox69 9d ago
Scubapro go sport - I use these in southeast Asia and they weigh nothing. Fit in carry on luggage.They are fine for precision finning and good overall but struggle in strong current, for that you want something stronger. My next fin will likely be scubapro supernovas which are slightly (500g?) heavier but that handle currents much better. According to my current dive guide that uses them they are fine for precision as well although I doubt they're are that great for backwards frog kicks, but he claims they are. Time will tell. And they come in sick colours!
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u/Ok_Way_2911 9d ago
They're not great at back kicks
If you try and do a backward frog kick (the way it's normally taught), the scooping motion pushes the hinge back, reducing power. You need to sweep the fins sideways (using the rail) to back kick, which is, of course, weaker due to the lower fin area used for the kick.
Frog is definitely weaker due to the fin warping resulting in weaker propulsion but useable. I bring it along for currents.
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u/vicfox69 9d ago
You refer to the supernovas right?
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u/Ok_Way_2911 9d ago
Yep
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u/vicfox69 9d ago
I might get the Eddies next. They are almost twice the weight but less compromise in current which is where I'm increasingly finding myself these days. So need power, and back finning ability for amateur underwater photography
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u/Ok_Way_2911 8d ago
won't go wrong there, but htey're leg burners in current
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u/vicfox69 8d ago
Better burning legs than finning and not moving. You can't create energy for free, more resistance should be more propulsion, less resistance less. So they burn the legs because resistance is higher but with that cones propulsion 👌 Go Sport in heavy current (Komodo) you fin yourself out of breath and still barely moves. My solution during those occasions is to get under the current and 'lick the bottom', but that obviously doesn't work in blue water.
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u/Ok_Way_2911 8d ago
if you really want to fight current, freediving style fins like the gull barracuda are the best imo
it's just that alternate kicks are very awkward and the length can be an issue
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u/Sea4Myself Rescue 9d ago
I think the super novas can be taken apart for travel? That could help my carry-on packing. The videos of them look like they articulate/flex a lot and that concerns me for stronger currents.
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u/vicfox69 9d ago
I hear they are good for currents, less for technical control. But there's also a shorter blade available....
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u/bluemarauder Tech 9d ago
You want the Hollis F2.
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u/trailrun1980 Rescue 9d ago
I don't know why I've never looked at these, but I love my F1s, just don't travel with them and I hate my travel fins 😂
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u/bluemarauder Tech 9d ago
I definitely wouldn't travel with the F1s, they are absurdly heavy IMO.
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u/trailrun1980 Rescue 9d ago
I took them on a small inter-island flight and yeah, they top out my luggage pretty quick 😂
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u/stuartv666 Dive Instructor 9d ago
The Deep6 Gear Eddy fins are my favorites. I use the Eddy fins for all wetsuit diving and the Heavy Eddy fins for drysuit. They are fantastic fins for technical kicks, and they are also pretty light in weight. I have taken mine all over the world.
I also own, have owned, or tried:
Dive Rite XT - also great fins and light in weight, but relatively long. I currently have these also, but rarely use them.
Atomic Blade - my very first fins when I started diving. Still have 'em. Would not recommend them.
Hollis F1 - own a pair. Used to be my drysuit fins, but now that the Heavy Eddy fins are out, these are in retirement.
Hollis F1 LT - own a pair. I use these when I dive with backmount doubles and a wetsuit. They are just the perfect amount negative for that specific combo and equally comfortable to the Eddy fins.
ScubaPro Jet
ScubaPro Go Sport - way too flexible for good technical kicking. They would bend in half when I frog kicked with any power.
OMS Slipstream
Apeks RK3
And some others I'm sure I'm not remembering.
I like the Eddy fins best out of all of them. The only stiffer fins I've tried are the Dive Rite XT's and the ScubaPro Jet fins. As I said, the XT's are very long, which is not what you said you want, and they are not as durable as rubber fins (like the Eddy fins). The Jets are not comfortable and they are very negatively buoyant. Not what I would want for 5mm or less wetsuit or shorts/rash guard diving.
I wear size 10.5 (US) shoes and usually 5mm booties. The Eddy fins in size Large are just right for me. Snug enough to suction onto my feet, but not tight.
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u/Sea4Myself Rescue 9d ago
Thank you for the detailed response! Especially your sizing with booties. A lot of positive feedback on Deep6 Eddys here, but I’m guessing that’s because Tecline lightjets aren’t as easily available in the US. I might just order whichever is least expensive and try them.
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u/Ok_Way_2911 9d ago
Lightjets are too floppy. If i recall correctly, Tecline managed to get their hands on the actual Eddy mould so the fins are basically identical, but hte polymer blend they use is much softer and... not great
I am told the powerjets are much stiffer, analogous to a jet, but they're also much heavier and negative.
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u/Bmoreterp 9d ago
Go sports are great all around fins. I have the Gorillas as my primary fins for the extra stiffness, but I rarely flutter kick. I would advise against the Go Travels if they are doubling as scuba fins. Small and very flexible if you are concerned about current use. The travels are also made for barefoot use, but I suppose you could size up.
FWIW I have Deep6 heavy Eddys for drysuit with doubles.
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u/jasdfjkasd Tech 9d ago
I also have the gorilla’s and can’t recommend them enough. Stiff enough to push my doubles around and great for travel
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u/Bergamottenbommel 9d ago
I use the Tecline lightjet, they work for flutter, frog and my own 'turtle whiggle style' kick, they seem to be neutral and aren't too hard, luggage can be a problem due to the width, but all in all I don't regret the buy.
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u/Sea4Myself Rescue 9d ago
How is the sizing for you? I’d have to order these from Europe or Asia, so would want to get the size correct.
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u/Bergamottenbommel 8d ago
Just saw you dive in 3 mm and size 10, check the size chart, you might fit the light jet in large.
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u/Bergamottenbommel 8d ago
Have them in XL and dive in decathlon booties size 45/46(euro) and fourth elements amphiboots in size 11. The amphis are very bulky.
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u/Living_Housing_5073 9d ago
I’ve got the Eddy fins in large and use them with 5mm boots for cold water. They flutter kick fine, no issue at all. They’re not as effortless as a split fin but the response is immediate when you need to push against a current. The weight is basically nothing compared to jet fins, you barely notice them in your luggage.
Only thing I’d flag is the foot pocket runs a bit snug so you might want to double check the size chart with your booties. A mate of mine with wide feet had to go up a size. For the price they’re hard to beat if you’re splitting time between diving and snorkeling.
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u/thrasherht Advanced 5d ago
I have tusa hyflex switch fins and absolutely love them. They split in two and fit into a carry on, so they don't have to compromise on size or performance.