How Good Scuba Fins Impact your Diving
Have you ever thought that the most important property of a good dive fin would be its color scheme?
No?
Good.
Unfortunately, quite a few other divers seem to think that they should buy scuba gear based on it looking good, giving boasting rights, or just have a pretty color. That certainly is also true for scuba diving fins.
Are Stiff Blades better or worse?
Besides the attractiveness of the fin, another popular misconception is that a harder and inflexible fin will provide better power and you’ll be able to go faster or need less energy.
Are stiff scuba fins better?
That’s far from the truth though. Stiff blades on your fins will actually often increase the resistance and make it harder to dive with them.
After all, diving has nothing to do with speed. You’re not down there to have races with your buddies or try to outswim fish. The joy is to explore life underwater and to have a chance to take in the sights.
Flexible fins are the way to go
The flexibility of the fins does have a huge impact on your air consumption. Stiff blades will actually make you work harder. They force you to burn through your air faster. As we all know, that’s a bad thing as we’re striving to conserve energy and with that extend the time we can be underwater.
In turn, that means that the goal is to find the most efficient fins. Not the hardest ones which you might think would be the most powerful ones.
Best fins when renting?
Renting fins from the dive shop often results in getting not the best fins you could have. They can shorten your dives and take quite a bit of joy from your dives.
Get a pair of good dive fins that fit you and your diving style best. Check out our Scuba Fin Buying Guide as well as our 10 best scuba dive fins.
Other factors to consider
There are a few things you have to consider when you want the best fins for yourself. The first is that you should get fins that fit your body size.
Length of Fins
It doesn’t make sense to get extra-long fins when you’re barely over five feet. Otherwise, you will need to put a lot of unnecessary muscle into your kicks which will exhaust your air supply faster or cause cramps.
Fit
Next, make sure that your fins will fit you correctly. If they are loose on your feet then you have a good chance to end up with chafes or blisters on your feet. In that case, you might also end up losing a fin on a dive.
Final Thoughts
Make sure you pick a pair of good dive fins that fit you tight. You will have an easier time maneuvering while needing less air. It will make your dive a lot more enjoyable!
