Back to: Free Training | 7 h 13 min split over 50 videos
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00:15 Negative, Neutral or Positive – Types of Fins
01:30 Perfectly Balanced Fin And Diver
01:45 Dive Systems Jet Fin vs Mares Quattro
02:20 Apeks RK3
03:10 UTD Jet Fin
03:50 Hollis F2 Fin
04:40 Different Boots Also Effect On Buoyancy
06:50 Now Test Your Equipment
8 Comments on “Fins : Weight Testing”
Hey Steve,
thank you for the video!
Do you have any experience with the OMS Slipstream? Do you know how they are in buoyancy, especially compared to the RK3 or the Scubapro Jetfins?
Hi Tobias, yes the OMS Slipstream appear in some of the videos I am in and I have used them a fair bit. They are a very good jetfin and slightly negative similar in buoyancy to the mares quattro. They are lighter than the scubapro that is for sure and more like the RK3 HD (heavier one) then the normal RK3 that is actually bouyant. Really suggest you find a set so you can test them to see if they work for you before buying. Cheers, Steve
Do you have any experience with the Apeks RK3 HD fin? I haven’t seen on yet in person, but from what I read online the buoyancy is claimed to be everywhere between slightly and heavily negative. I’m wondering if you’d consider these a better fin for sidemount in drysuit than the regular RK3s? In your review and swim test video you noted that you thought they’d be too light for drysuit, so wondering if the HD version changes any of that?
Hi Rick, yes I have got a set of the Apeks RK3 HD and I am sure they are shown in some of the later videos I added. They perform the same as the RK3 but are heavier for sure, so the HD version are good for using with a drysuit. They are heavier than the Mares Quattro and they are lighter than a ScubaPro jet fin probably somewhere between those 2 fins if I think about it. Like anything see if you can get your hands on a set to test them first to make sure they work well for you, then you know what to buy later. Cheers, Steve
Hey Steve,
Great Video!! Tks!!
Do you have any experience with Hollis F1 Fins, how they perform and how they are in buoyancy?
Tks Alexandre.
Hi Alexandre, I have dived and used the Hollis F1 when they first came out quite some years back. They are definitely a fin for drysuit use in my opinion due to them being quite negative in the water, similar to the Scubapro Jetfin in my opinion. They are also quite a stiff fin too but do work well for the variety of scuba kicks. If you need the extra added weight underwater then try and give them a go, the fin pocket size is also a bit tricky to get right from my memory and quite large and stiff around your foot / boot. Regards, Steve
Hi Steve, in your opinion, what is the best approach to buying fins for divers who dive in both drysuit or 5mm wetsuit?
1) Is it better to invest in two separate pairs of fins – one slightly heavier for drysuit diving to balance out the extra buoyancy from air in the drysuit socks, and a second, lighter pair, when diving in wetsuit.
or
2) Is it better to invest in only one pair of fins: heavy enough for drysuit diving, and then – when wetsuit diving – trying to make them more neutrally buoyant, for example by combining them with one of the positively buoyant boots you show in your video, or an extra layer of neoprene inner sock.
Apart from the cost, are there benefits to diving with the same fins all the time – like getting used to how they kick and move – or are these negligible pros?
Thanks for any thoughts you have to share.
Hi Aurelie, it is a very good question you raise. Having 2 sets of fins is usually the best not just for weight but also because for quite a few divers the foot pocket size they need using a drysuit can be larger than what they ned with a wetsuit boot especially if using a drysuit with fitted boots (not sock and close-fitting rock boot). If I had to pick one fin and it fitted both drysuit boots and wetsuit boots equally then I would choose a fin what was near neutral (slightly negative) that way works as a good all-rounder for all scenarios. I think it is good as a diver to test many different fins and learn to kick with each that way if you find one that works better you can choose to use that, with this said of course building a high skill level with one fin is recommended for sure. Regards, Steve