Top-Priced Diving Fins Review

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Apollo Bio Fin XT (SRP: £119.95)

Martin: These have quite a short blade so are quite good for frog kicks. They give reasonable power, have nice clips are comfortable. I find the understated looks have an ‘unfinished’ feel.

Dave: As comfortable as my favourite slippers. Do everything I needed them to and performed well in every style of fin kick. A cracking fin.

Paul: As an old man, they’re beautiful to fin kick in. A pleasure to use and comfortable too.

Tony: Comfortable and a good kicking action. A good pair of fins, nothing outstanding, but a good all-rounder.

Jim: Quite comfortable. I found they work better than they look.

Weight of pair (kg): 2
Length (cm): 56
Width (cm): 23
Buoyancy:
Extras: None
Contact:
www.apollo-europe.com  

Aqualung Slingshot (SRP: £109.95)

Martin: They have a well-built feel with a solid foot pocket, that is nice and soft over the top of the foot. The slingshot makes a clear difference, and I found the softer setting the best. I’d question how long the rubber slingshot itself would last though. Very impressed.

Dave: The best pair of fins Aqualung have brought out in years. The adjustable tension makes a noticeable difference. A good looking, and good performing pair of fins.

Paul: I don’t buy the whole adjustable fin tension slingshot. Not the pair of fins for me.

Tony: The three settings make a slight difference. A good, comfortable pair of fins. I liked them enough to go out and buy a pair.

Jim: Very comfortable, with a nice soft foot pocket. The tension adjuster definitely works.

Weight of pair (kg): 2.10
Length (cm): 69
Width (cm): 24
Buoyancy:
Extras: None
Contact:
www.aqualung.co.uk  

SPORT DIVER CHOICE: Atomic ‘Smoke on the Water’ Split Fin (SRP: £130)

Martin: Effortless finning action, plenty of speed, and a comfortable foot pocket. The spring strap is standard, and is a doddle getting on and off. One of my favourite fins.

Dave: Excellent straps, and the thumb loop is a very clever addition. They do everything you want a pair of fins to do (except make an after-dive cup of tea!). Excellent.

Paul: For a long fin they are easy to use, although frog kicking is non-existent. The loop on the strap is the best I have seen, and great for wearing gloves.

Tony: An exceptionally good fin, and the best strap release system I have tried. Powerful, and one of the best pairs here.

Jim: Stunning fin to wear, and you don’t know you are wearing them. Exacty what they say: plenty of ‘smoke on the water’.

Weight of pair (kg): 2.10
Length (cm): 69
Width (cm): 23
Buoyancy:
Extras: Spring straps
Contact:
www.typhoon-int.co.uk

Force Fin Pro (SRP: £145.68)

Martin: Feels like no other fin: they’re neither a paddle or split fin. Underwater they hardly feel like you’re wearing them. I think they would take some getting used to, but I’d be keen to give them a try again. The strap means they’re easy to get on and off. I like them a lot.

Dave: The ‘Marmite’ of fins: you either love them or hate them. Strangely I am in the middle ground. A reasonable amount of performance and comfort, but they’re not for me.

Paul: A cracking pair of fins, and all-round good quality. You have to re-adjust the way you fin kick though as they are very different.

Tony: Considering their size I found them excellent, and easy to put on. They are excellent for frog kicks and great for walking around in.

Jim: They work as well as they look – and that’s not good. I wouldn’t like to rely on them in a current.

Weight of pair (kg): 1.4
Length (cm): 46
Width (cm): 31
Buoyancy: Negative
Extras: None
Contact:
www.poseidon-uk.co.uk  

Mares Raptor (SRP: £99.95)

Martin: They have a nice thin blade and there’s not much strain on your legs. They have good power, too. The clips can be fiddly to unlock, and that marks them down against other pairs in this test.

Dave: Mares are late to the split fin party but they made up for it with a cracking pair of fins – their best for years. This is an excellent clip system, and makes getting them on and off simple.

Paul: The best pair of Mares fins I have put on. A Mares split fin has been a long time coming but it’s been worth the wait. The only negative is the outdated straps and clips.

Tony: I really struggled to put them on in the water due to the straps. They are quite stiff and the amount of power you get is okay. Not the best pair of fins in the test.

Jim: Very comfortable, although I do not like the straps. However, they are very easy to use and give plenty of speed.

Weight of pair (kg): 2
Length (cm): 63
Width (cm): 21
Buoyancy:
Extras: None
Contact:
www.mares.com

Oceanic V16 (SRP: £99)

Martin: Feel stiff compared to other split fins, although they are lightweight and there is minimal amount of strain on your legs. There’s a comfortable foot pocket and excellent clips.

Dave: This is a good looking pair of fins, that could benefit from a steel strap. Good for frog kicks.

Paul: Nice fins, although a bit expensive. These would be a good investment for a first pair of fins, and are vast improvement on the Oceanic V8 from the mid-priced fin test.

Tony: A comfortable pair of fins to wear, that has no obvious shortcomings.

Jim: One of the most comfortable pairs of fins. Lots of go for little effort.

Weight of pair (kg): 1.9
Length (cm): 62
Width (cm): 24
Buoyancy:
Extras: None
Contact:
www.oceanicuk.com

Scubapro Twin Jet Max (SRP: £139)

Martin: Combine the best bits of a paddle fin and split fin design. The addition of the bar creates an added tension to the fin, while the fact the spring straps are now standard means they represent better value for money. One of my favourites.

Dave: One of the best fins on the market. The added spring strap makes a good fin even better. You get a good return of power for your effort.

Paul: A vast improvement over the original Twin Jet. The added stiffening brings an increase to the power, although I think they’re a bit expensive.

Tony: Comfortable, and powerful. A good set of fins.

Jim: Superbly comfortable, and lots of power. The blade is wider than most fins so they tend to collide as you fin.

Weight of pair (kg): 2.20
Length (cm): 66
Width (cm): 24
Buoyancy:
Extras: Spring straps
Contact:
www.scubapro.com  

SPORT DIVER BEST VALUE Seemann Sub Split Fin XP (SRP: £109)

Martin: Feel stiff compared to other split fins, although they are lightweight and there is minimal amount of strain on your legs. There’s a comfortable foot pocket and excellent clips.

Dave: These actually look better underwater then on the surface. A good fin that benefits from a steel strap. Good for frog kicks.

Paul: Nice fins, although a bit expensive. These would be a good investment for a first pair of fins.

Tony: A comfortable pair of fins to wear, that has no obvious shortcomings. I like the clip release strap a lot.

Jim: Lots of go for little effort. A stunning fin, and the steel strap makes life a lot easier.

Weight of pair (kg): 1.9
Length (cm): 62
Width (cm): 24
Buoyancy:
Extras: Spring straps
Contact:
www.seemannsub.com

Tusa Xpert Zoom (SRP: £99)

Martin: Excellent clips, lightweight finning action, and smooth and powerful too. An excellent fin.

Dave: I hardly knew they were on, until I asked for some power which they supply with ease. At under £100 they are a bargain.

Paul: You have to work hard to get some performance, but at a leisurely pace they are good. The clips are tried and tested, and work well.

Tony: They could do with a quick release strap, and the finning felt soft. Speed and mobility are both okay.

Jim: The zoom do exactly what they say, and deliver plenty of speed. When we tested this previously in 2007 I liked them so much I went and bought a pair.

Weight of pair (kg): 2
Length (cm): 65
Width (cm): 23
Buoyancy:
Extras: None
Contact:
www.cpspartnership.co.uk  

CONCLUSION

This was to be the closest-run of the three fin group tests we have conducted, with no single model standing out for the wrong reasons. Throughout testing, the team noted there was very strong competition and you could tell these cost that little bit extra. When it comes to fins, you certainly get what you pay for.

There was a lone paddle fin; the Aqualung Slingshot, which looks a bit gimmicky with its adjustable rubber tension bar, but actually works well. Tony was keen enough to buy a pair. However, while popular, it wasn’t good enough to win. The Force Fin Pro is hard to bracket as it’s a specialised design which requires the wearer to adjust their kicking style. Opinions were polarised, which meant it needed something exceptional to come out on top. You really need to try them for yourself.

Mares’ first split fins were well received, but the questionable clips let them down. The Apollo Bio Fin performed well, but it was the Scubapro and Atomic that were the two out in front. The Scubapro Twin Jet Max are a pricey pair of fins, but they were universally liked. When you factor in the spring straps now as standard, they become good value. It needed a stunning fin to oust the Scubapros, but the Atomic managed it with a fantastic performance to take the Sport Diver Choice award.

The Sport Diver Best Value award was an equally tough decision. The Tusa Xpert Zoom was a contender, and clearly a bargain at under £100. Eventually it came down to the Oceanic V16 at £99 and the Seemann Sub Split Fin XP at £109 – both identical fins with peerless performance, however we felt the Seemann Sub was worth the extra ten quid because you get the excellent spring straps included as standard.