which training fins?

Pat in TX said:

Okay, these Zoomers are killing me! I am gonna send 'em back, but which ones
should I request? Any opinions on the best training fins that won't draw
blood every time?

Pat in TX

I own first generation Zoomers (blue), second generation zoomers (Z2)
and HydroFinz.

The most comfortable ones by far are the HydroFinz. They also give the
most propulsion. The second gen zoomers are pretty soft too. They're
good if you have a continuous kick as their resistance is not what the
HydroFinz are. If you use the Hydrofinz with a full kick, your stroke
tempo is going to slow down a great deal. If you have a broken rhythm
kick, the HydroFinz are a good bet.

My HydroFinz are a bit too big for me, but it's not a problem in the
pool. Makes them ultra-comfortable. I might have "thrown one" once,
but it's a very rare occurence. I don't take them in surf, where they
would probably fall off. So I'm saying buy the right size, but if
you're a little in between, I haven't had any problem going up a bit so
that's what I recommend.

Eric

Quoted message said:

Pat in TX said:

Okay, these Zoomers are killing me! I am gonna send 'em back, but which ones
should I request? Any opinions on the best training fins that won't draw
blood every time?

Pat in TX

I own first generation Zoomers (blue), second generation zoomers (Z2)
and HydroFinz.

The most comfortable ones by far are the HydroFinz. They also give the
most propulsion. The second gen zoomers are pretty soft too. They're
good if you have a continuous kick as their resistance is not what the
HydroFinz are. If you use the Hydrofinz with a full kick, your stroke
tempo is going to slow down a great deal. If you have a broken rhythm
kick, the HydroFinz are a good bet.

My HydroFinz are a bit too big for me, but it's not a problem in the
pool. Makes them ultra-comfortable. I might have "thrown one" once,
but it's a very rare occurence. I don't take them in surf, where they
would probably fall off. So I'm saying buy the right size, but if
you're a little in between, I haven't had any problem going up a bit so
that's what I recommend.

Eric

I have some short blue fins made by Speedo (no model name written on
them) which work fine - no looseness, no blisters.

Pat in TX said:

Okay, these Zoomers are killing me! I am gonna send 'em back, but which ones
should I request? Any opinions on the best training fins that won't draw
blood every time?

Pat in TX

Try this thread from the USMS web site for info. Lots of opinions... My
favs are split fins. It never hurt so good!

http://forums.usms.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3666&highlight=should+I+purchase+fins

Pat in TX said:

Okay, these Zoomers are killing me! I am gonna send 'em back, but which ones
should I request? Any opinions on the best training fins that won't draw
blood every time?

Pat in TX

When I inspected the original Zoomer fins in an American Upper MidWest
sporting goods store, I too was struck by the stiffness of the foot
pocket, which I know would have led to blisters with prolonged use.
I've noticed how Malaysia-made fins seem to vary from year to year when
it comes to rigidity. I used to purchase a pair of inexpensive Delfino
Pro fins

http://www.aqualeisure.com/prod_pix/DF-0520_big.gif

when I visited the States because they were so comfortable. Then, one
year, the same fins sold in the store had impossibly stiff foot
pockets. I wonder whether there's a quality control problem.

There are many other models of training fins around. The first
consideration, as you have discovered, is fit. Some fins are made with
a narrow fitting, others have misleading sizes embossed on them. It
pays to try them on before purchase, if possible. For what it's worth,
the most comfortable training fin I've come across - I live in the UK -
is the Greek-made Balco Sprint, which is sold in Germany and
Scandinavia:

http://www.aquasport.is/assets/images/sundfit_balco_02.jpg

Another popular Greek-made training fin in Europe is the Majorca
Dolphin:

http://www.newitts.com/images/products/200x200/ee080.jpg

In the USA, you have the two Speedo models, the Optimus split fin and
the Trialon long bladed fin, both of which are very soft and
comfortable to wear and broader fitting than other Malaysia-made fins:

http://www.speedousa.com/images/speedo/products/processed/7530006_400_dt.jpg
http://www.speedousa.com/images/speedo/products/processed/7530039_082_dt.jpg

You also have the Sprint Aquatics fins Vertex II and Floating, equally
soft and comfortable:

http://www.sprintaquatics.com/prodinfo.asp?number=639
http://www.sprintaquatics.com/prodinfo.asp?number=640

This represents just a tiny fraction of what is available. An online
search will show that there are at least a hundred different models of
rubber training fin available around the world.

If your fins are slightly too large and therefore cause friction, they
can be kept in place with fin grips:

http://www.spearfishinggear.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=FG924&Category_Code=F

Hope this helps.