Posted by msblucow on March 21, 2001 at 18:51:25:
In Reply to: Re: Force Fins? Why not for DIR? posted by MHK on March 21, 2001 at 16:05:35:
While I agree with everything you've said regarding the split fin and force fin designs (and especially their price!), I'd like to offer a different perspective. I've used the Bio fins since I got certified (although I'm thinking of switching over to the Apollo splits because they are stiffer). These type of fins are perfect for me, not because I lack a proper kick, or because I have poor muscle tone in my legs, but because my knees are totally f**ked up. Over the years I've managed to dislocate one of my knees twice and hyperextend the other one until my ligaments were spaghetti.
Because I'm interested in pursuing DIR diving, I borrowed a friend's Jet fins to see if I could get used to them. After a day of diving, my knees became so sore that I had to sit out the last dive of the day because I worried that I wouldn't be able to make it back to the boat. So now I'm happily returning to my Bio's. I find that for the type of diving I do (open water recreational where silting out in an OE isn't an issue) they are the right fins for me. I've used them reliably against current and surge with a minimum of fatigue. Simply put, I believe they help me be a better diver and enable me to enjoy my diving that much more.
Just my 2 cents....