A couple of months ago Dale Solomonson and I talked on the phone. During the conversation he turned me on to the split-fin designs and really piqued my interest. For those who don’t know, these swim fins have a slit down the middle of the blade so that the reinforced outer edge remains pretty stiff while the inner slit edge bends and opens to guide the water flow back and out, sort of like a soft propeller. I got a pair of the Oceanic Vortex V-6 fins, having used mainly Voit Duckfeet for literally decades. The V-6 fins are about 8 inches longer than the Voits, but they weigh a lot less. They’ve got a foot pocket instead of a heel strap, so no buckles and straps to cause drag. All told, they’re a real clean hydrodynamic design, and I picked them over any of the other choices because they were so clean, light and somewhat less expensive. I’ve used them in the water 4 times now, riding Dale’s mats. The first time was in some 4-5 foot south swell beachbreak near Ventura. I was amazed at how much more thrust thay gave me and how easy it felt. Unfortunately, I bought a size too large, and on several waves my inside fin got sucked right off. They’re slightly positive bouyancy so it was easy to retrieve the lost fin, but I had to wait a few weeks to get the right size backordered. When it got here, I rode a couple more sessions. No more lost fins, but this time my toes were squashed together more than I’m used to, and my toenails started to chew into their neighboring toes. So I gave myself a careful pedicure, and yesterday I rode for several hours with absolutely no problems. I’ve got a naturally tight little flutter-kick, and that’s how the split fins work best. They don’t provide a big thrust when you push harder, so you need to anticipate your sprints by a beat or two. But when you rev up your cycle speed, it’s like having a little motor. They’re just a great, hands-down, no-question design improvement over anything I’ve used in the past.
I got a pair of the Oceanic Vortex V-6 fins, having used mainly Voit > Duckfeet for literally decades. The V-6 fins are about 8 inches longer > than the Voits, but they weigh a lot less. They’ve got a foot pocket > instead of a heel strap, so no buckles and straps to cause drag. All told, > they’re a real clean hydrodynamic design, and I picked them over any of > the other choices because they were so clean, light and somewhat less > expensive. Dirk I just took a look at the fins on the Oceanic website after reading your post. Another link led to some dive site which had a broad review of fins. There is a V-12 which has adjustable heel straps, and they said Oceanic might make a V-8 as an “in-between” model. Given the hefty price (MSRP approximately double surf industry fins), do you think they are worth trying? Twice the performance?Expecially since full-foot fins do wash off. Nels
…After board surfing today, I body surfed …waves 5-8’…My Scubapro Jet fins worked SO GOOD…PROPELLOR FINS RULE!!!..
…After board surfing today, I body surfed …waves 5-8’…My Scubapro > Jet fins worked SO GOOD…PROPELLOR FINS RULE!!!.. Have to agree with you on this one - for matting and bodysurfing - prop fins are the fastest and most efficent! I also like how great they are in gripping churned up water with a lot of air in it. Just flutter kick your ass right through it all. Hmmmmmmmmmmm got an old pair of vipers I won’t be using any time soon. Maybe some of the wedge guys still stuck in the 60’s would like um. peter
I just took a look at the fins on the Oceanic website after reading your > post. Another link led to some dive site which had a broad review of fins. > There is a V-12 which has adjustable heel straps, and they said Oceanic > might make a V-8 as an “in-between” model. Given the hefty price > (MSRP approximately double surf industry fins), do you think they are > worth trying? Twice the performance?Expecially since full-foot fins do > wash off. Hi Nels, I’ve never touched a V-8 fin yet, only seen photos. The store where I got my fins had some V-12s. They seemed too bulky to me, even longer than the V-6, and instead of a foot pocket they had a substantial foot strap which was connected inside and out with these big adjustable buckles, and it all had a robust kind of industrial strength. Totally respectable but I’m looking for smooth and light. Now properly fitted, I don’t think they’ll be slipping off my feet anymore (famous last words?). The blade of the V-6s is made of a tough plastic polymer they call evaprene. The blade of the V-12 is bigger but rubbery and more flexible. It looks like the V-8 spans the two designs by using the adjustable foot strap but also the stiff plastic blade. I’d like to try a pair to see if my doubts are unfounded about the drag caused by the buckles. Definitely worth trying, I’d say, especially if your dealer will let you take a pair for a test drive. Be sure to revert back to your old fins after trying the new ones and, if your case is anything like mine, that will clinch the deal.
The blade of the V-6s is made of a tough plastic polymer they call > evaprene. The blade of the V-12 is bigger but rubbery and more flexible. > It looks like the V-8 spans the two designs by using the adjustable foot > strap but also the stiff plastic blade. I’d like to try a pair to see if > my doubts are unfounded about the drag caused by the buckles.>>> Definitely worth trying, I’d say, especially if your dealer will let you > take a pair for a test drive. Be sure to revert back to your old fins > after trying the new ones and, if your case is anything like mine, that > will clinch the deal. Dirk, I’m thinking drag caused by buckles should be minimal when riding (feet out of water much of the time), and in-water kicking applications would be offset by not losing the full foot fins in the surf zone. Make sense? This last swell wasn’t too gnarly compared to the usual fin sucking, ripping current winter swells and even some of the SW swells of other years. Or do you see some way of applying fin savers to the full foot fins? Guess I need to actually see and feel a pair. I’m in Ventura County - where’d you get yours? thanks. Nels
I’d like to try a pair to see if my doubts are unfounded about the drag caused by the buckles. …My ScubaPro Jet fins had this big heel platform that for sure would have been a drag… so I cut about 2" of it off…Drag by the buckles is not a factor…The buckles give me a sense of security about not losing them to the surf…Peace of mind, considering the price… Paul
…My ScubaPro Jet fins had this big heel platform that for sure would > have been a drag… so I cut about 2" of it off…Drag by the buckles > is not a factor…The buckles give me a sense of security about not losing > them to the surf…Peace of mind, considering the price…>>> Paul Nels- I checked the Scuba Pro web and under dealer list are 2-3 locations in Ventra co.
Or do > you see some way of applying fin savers to the full foot fins?>>> Guess I need to actually see and feel a pair. I’m in Ventura County - > where’d you get yours? thanks. I live in Goleta. I called most of the dive shops in the Santa Barbara area and Aquatics on Hollister had the biggest selection. That’s where I bought mine. I give a qualified recommendation to them–they’re unbelievably disorganized–but in the end I got what I wanted. In all my years in the water, I only lost a strap fin once. I was shooting from the water on Augustine’s reef, up at the Ranch. Some weird fluke of a wave whomped me so hard it took off one of my Churchills and completely stripped off my shortjohn! I came out of the water stark naked, wearing one fin and clutching my Nikonos. I found the wetsuit but the fin got away. Still worse, the whole roll of film was underexposed : ( In really big waves I’ve tied a tennis shoe lace around my ankle and the fin strap, but for some reason I never needed the extra security and I never had a fin ripped off. I’m no big wave monster, but I’ve enjoyed solid 10 foot in various oceans of the world, all with good luck. So maybe I’m a bit of a Pollyanna about the foot pockets, but I remain optimistic. Speaking of fin savers for the foot pocket styles, I just did a crude sketch to show an example of this thing we used when we were kids. I’ll leave it up for a few days at http://www.pantopia.com/misc/finretainer.html.