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Diving Fins

Diving fins are an investment in mobility. While on land, the human foot is an extremely well adapted means of transportation. However, when we take to the waves, our feet lose out on efficiency because of the relatively low surface area they have. This leaves a diver without fins struggling to get around, kicking madly just to get from place to place.

Diving fins are adapted to remedy this issue. They come in two main types, the shoe-fit fin, and the barefoot fin. Shoe fit fins are necessary for any diver who has a wet or dry suit that is complete with boots. They are highly recommended for most underwater applications because the added protection of a boot can be the difference between a safe dive and a nasty foot injury. Coral is surprisingly sharp, and there are also plenty of stinging species lurking about a reef.

Diving fins started off as little more than oversized shoes, but recent advancements have made them far more suitable for their task than a mere XL shoe. In particular, the study of recoil has led to specific shaping of the fin in an arc, to maximize the thrust produced from a kick. That is all a fin does in reality, it takes the force of your kick and amplifies it by providing a larger surface area to interact with the water.

 

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