Hi everybody, welcome to scuba diver magazine today I’m breaking down ten of my favourite
fins right now in 2022 in ten different categories.
I’ve focused on more scuba specific fins instead of freediving or snorkelling fins.
If you want to check any of these fins out online head over to one of our online dive
stores by clicking on the link up here in the corner and shopping around but for now,
lets dive straight into the first pair of fins
Best for Style $$$$$
The TUSA HyFlex SWITCH probably gives you the most choices of colour and as always,
they match the colours of their masks and snorkels.
TUSA has always led the way when it comes to choices of colour in their gear and the
Switch comes in six colours, nine if you count the Pro version and they have Tusa’s modern
style and flare.
And they’re great fins as well, the soft section of the blade is made from something
Tusa calls Purimax, which turns the main section into a scoop and stores energy.
The blade starts off high up and angles downwards so that you can walk easier on the deck and
still have an efficient angle of attack.
And the Hyflex in it’s name means that you can separate the blade for easier travel and
storage.
Best for Travel $$$$$
The Scubapro Seawing Supernova are brand new for 2022.
It isn’t the first time that we’ve ever seen something like this but, it is a clever
concept with some legs to it.
The foot pocket and blade are separate.
This has two benefits; first your fins can be packed more easily into a smaller bag.
Normal fins can be a bit of a pain to get into a bag especially if they have a bend
but, if you can separate the foot pocket, that makes life much easier.
The second benefit is that you can swap the open heel foot pocket that you dive at home
with your drysuit boots and then get a separate full foot pocket or a smaller size foot pocket
for diving in warmer water.
Down the road I’ll wager that one of the people in Scubapro R&D has had the idea to
create other blade designs so that you can keep the same foot pocket and swap the blade
for different diving at a later date as well.
Best for the Environment $$$
The Fourth Element Rec fins are literally named for recycling.
Unlike other fins that use natural rubbers, which is still better for the environment
that plastic, the Rec Fins are made from post-consumer plastic waste.
So, the Rec Fins actively take plastic out of our environment and make them into fins
to keep them out of the ocean.
Well, I guess they technically go into the ocean, but then they end up in your kit bag
at the end of the day, not the eco system.
The familiar four channel design is a strong all-rounder for any level of diver and they’re
made from recycled polypropylene and recycled thermoplastic rubber.
They don’t even come in a bag because lets face it, your fins don’t really need a bag.
So, if you care for the environment a lot and you want a good pair of fins, take a look
at the fourth element rec fins.
Best for Bare Feet $$
AquaLung Storm Fins are an open heel fin made to be worn barefoot.
Unlike full foot pockets, the bungee heel allows for different foot shapes and sizes
better than a fixed foot pocket, especially if there’s multiple users.
And unlike most open heel fins, they’re made to be worn without boots so, the pocket
is the right size and softer.
And the Storm come in a bunch of different colours so you don’t mix them up if you
dive a similar pair to your buddy.
You can even have the same colour fin but different colour accents to differentiate
whose fins are whose.
But it’s quite nice to have different colours so that other divers can identify you in the
water.
Compact and durable, the Storm are pretty much flat and short to fit in a carry on bag
easily and the single piece of Monoprene is nice and strong and gives you a decent amount
of power for their size.
Best for Something Different $$$$$
The Force fin has been around for a while now and a lot of divers overlook them because
they don’t fall into the classic fin design.
They are absurdly simple, but surprisingly efficient.
One of their biggest selling points if that they’re basically flat on the bottom and
the tips curve upwards.
So, climbing ladders and shuffling around on the deck is far easier.
The open foot pocket helps to prevent them from rubbing or crushing your feet and they
also help to prevent cramping because the power is coming from your thigh muscles instead
of further down your legs and feet.
Most Robust $$$
Apeks RK3 fins have smashed the diving scene since they were released and thanks to their
classic vented design with a single piece of thermoplastic rubber and a metal spring
heel strap, they’re not going anywhere soon and they can take whatever you throw at them
or throw them at.
RK3s are short and tough and the predecessor the Rocket fins were made for military and
public sector divers who needed a fin that could keep up with them and the modern RK3
fins have a good power and strength to them with no real weakness or major failure points
to worry about.
Best for Power $$$$$
The Scubapro Seawing Nova is a different type of fin.
Seawings have a hinge that ensures that the blade is at the perfect angle of attack during
each portion of the fin kick cycle so that no energy is wasted, and the fins maximize
energy use.
A notable blank spot between the foot pocket and blade is a design feature that helps to
reduce drag, further increasing your performance.
If you really want to maximise your power there’s the Gorilla version that’s made
from a denser material so, if you’ve go the legs for it, the Seawing Nova maximises
efficiency and thrust to get you where you need to go with a good mix of science, design
and brute force.
Best Budget Cressi Palau $
The Cressi Palau Fins are a simple pair of fins with nothing overly fancy but, they’re
a full-sized pair of open heel fins, not full foot or short fins that you usually find in
the budget range of fin lineups.
Granted, they’re nothing fancy, they don’t have bungee heel straps but, they do have
an angled blade with a fishtail tip.
Italian style means that they don’t look budget and they won’t stand out on any dive
boats as looking cheap or anything but, if you don’t want to splash too much cash for
your fins, the Palau are worth a look.
Best for Floaty Legs $$$$
The Scubapro Jet Fins are renowned for being tough, heavy fins and they’re negatively
buoyant, in that they sink more than a lot of other fins.
The best option is the metal spring heel strap option, that steel is less buoyant than a
rubber heel strap and if you look at most fins loose in the water, they float or sink
with the tip upwards and heel strap down.
Fins can have a huge difference in your trim position because the buoyancy is out to your
extremity so if they’re positive or negative they’re going to lever your feet up or down
and the density of the fin makes a big difference to the buoyancy, the denser or stiffer the
fin the more negative it should be.
Best All-Rounders $$$
The Mares Avanti Quattro Plus have long been on pretty much every list of recommended fins
for both beginners and professional divers and you will see them all over the world,
for good reason.
Avanti Quattros are simple, powerful and work for all fin kick styles.
They’re tough, and well put together and still have a certain amount of that Italian
flare.
Mares have produced a few modern alternatives to the Quattros but, they’re going to need
to break the mold before they stop making them and demand still won’t let up.
With a bunch of different colours, a bungee heel strap and a design that simply works,
the Mares Avanti Quattro plus fins deserve to be on everybody’s top 10 list.
And there we have it, if you fancy a pair of any of these click on this link up here
in the corner to check out one of our affiliates if you’re in the market for a new pair of
fins.
If you already own a pair of fins, did yours make the list?
Are there any great fins that didn’t make my list?
I’m sure there are, there are a few more than ten types of fins out there today so,
let me and others know down in the comments what other fins they should consider and subscribe
to the scuba diver magazine channel and head over to one of our online dive stores by clicking
this link.
Thanks for watching everybody and safe diving