Spearfishing kit - What and where? (part2 - Fins)

I am sure by now you have noticed that most sperfisherman and freedivers don much longer fins than those of scuba divers and snorkelers. Why is this the case? Well remember that spearfishing requires you to hold your breath for extended periods, while holding your breath you will need to conserve as much energy as possible so as to increase your bottom time. These "longer fins" help in that you get more propulsion from less effort but this comes at the cost of having to have strong legs. There are numerous exercises that can be done to strengthen your legs in preparation.

Back to the fins. There are a two different options of fins you can look at:

• Off-The-Shelf fins
• Foot pockets with interchangeable blades 

Off-the-shelf fins offer the added extra length but do not have a few of the luxury features that the interchangeable blades offer. They are pretty much maintenance free and can be considerably cheaper than foot pockets with interchangeable blades. Should the fin however become damaged in any way, it will require the replacement of the entire fin!

Off-The-Shelf fins

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Foot pockets offer a wide variety of features to suit any diver. You are able to fit the foot pocket to the exact size you require while taking into consideration the neoprene sock you no doubt will be using. Should the pocket tear or otherwise become damaged it can be replaced without having to replace the entire fin and therefore at a reduced cost, the same applies to the blades.

Blades are constructed in 3 main materials:

• Plastic
• Carbon composite
• Pure carbon fiber

Plastic blades are very versatile and rugged. For shore entry dives these are a must if you are only starting out. They however have limited flexibility and only flex uniformly along their length (the base of the blade flexes the same as the tip), this therefore reduces the efficiency of the fin considerably.

Carbon composite blades are offer slightly better flexibly when compared to the plastic blades. Manufacturers are able to adjust the flexibility on the blade along its length to provide more flex towards the tip and thereby improving the efficiency of the blade.

Pure Carbon blades, need I say more. There  is nothing that cant be modified on these blades. Pure carbon blades can be custom made for an individuals strength and desired thrust. These blades however can come at a cost and don't even think of taking them over the rocks on a shore entry dive. Once the epoxy layer and weave of the carbon has been compromised you can pretty much throw them in the bin!

Foot Pockets