Swim Fins come in a variety of styles and have a variety of uses for everyone from the experienced swimmer to the snorkeler to the SCUBA diver. Which fin someone selects, depends on the activity that it will be used for. Fins, also called flippers, are mostly made out of plastic or rubber. Generally they have two parts, the section that encloses the foot, and the blade that extends beyond the toes.
There are two designs for the foot enclosure, fool foot and open heel. A fool foot fin completely encloses the sole and heel. Open heel fins cover the front of the foot, leaving the heel exposed and attach using straps that fasten around the heel. Fins vary in length, design and flexibility of the blade. Shorter blades and more flexible ones, require less power while longer and stiffer blades take more strength.
Different combinations of these two basic aspects of length and flexibility determine the appropriate style of fin for the many exploits that utilize them. SCUBA divers use long, large wide fins that provide a big amount of thrust through the water to counter the heavy, bulky equipment that causes a lot of drag. However, snorkelers will use lightweight flexible fins that allow them to increase their speed without expending so much energy. Bodysurfers will opt for still smaller fins that allow them to walk from the beach through the surf with greater ease.
Swim fins are also used as a training tool for competitive swimmers. They improve kick strength, body position, and increase ankle flexibility. Depending on which stroke a swimmer is working on, and how strong their kicks are, different styles will be preferred. Those new to practicing with fins will want more flexible, shorter fins, and those who have a powerful kick will need fins that are stiffer and provide more resistance. Besides providing a more challenging leg workout, fins also correct body position in the water.
Better swimmers remain vertical and on the surface of the water, while novices tend to drop their legs lower. Fins necessitate correct body position by moving the legs closer to the surface. For practicing freestyle kick, also known as flutter kick, shorter fins are used, sometimes with blades only a few inches long. The advantage of these short blades is that they allow swimmers to maintain the speed of their kick while they work on power. Also they do not interfere with flip turns or wall starts. Longer blades are used when practicing butterfly kick.
Traditional swim fins cannot be used with the breaststroke kick. Manufacturers, however, have developed alternate designs. One of these looks much like a normal fin, except the blade is vented, it has angled holes that allow water to pass through when a swimmers legs are moving up, but not when moving down and around. An entirely different design for breaststroke fins does not have a blade extending from the toes at all. Rather a stiff blade curls underneath the foot.
There are other activities that instigated novel fin design. One of these is free diving. Free divers swim underwater for extended periods of time without the aid of SCUBA tanks. Thus, they require fins that provide a lot of thrust but require little expenditure of energy. Monofins can provide this. A monofin is a single blade with two foot pockets. Imagine the end of a mermaid tail. They provide a wide surface area to easily propel freedivers through the water. Rather than rubber or plastic, monofins are often made out of fiberglass or carbon fibers. Monofins are also used in an official sport called fin swimming. There are several competitive races both above and underwater.
Other modifications to the swim fins are available. There are fins that attach to the ankle rather than enclosing the foot and the blade extends over the top of the foot. These are supposed to prevent foot cramps. To overcome the difficulty of walking in fins, some flippers now come with movable blades that can be flipped up and down. They also make socks to be worn with fins. While there are many different styles, the average fin will perform well in a variety of activities.
Loading... Please wait...
