help with finz

vwrabbitgti
June 2008
Hi , i started bboarding 2 months ago and descoverd that some of the guys paddle speed is faster than mine is there a difrence in finz?

Bodyboarding 1,815 views

19 Replies

craigtrilivas
June 2008
Vipers all the way if u want speed.
Check out their site, good dynamixs explanation.
Think its viperfins.com
Elementree
June 2008
Hi there...

What fins are you currently using?

Yes fins do vary in performance and much like boards, it is down to the personal preference of the rider as to which fins they like to use.

Craig is right in saying that Vipers offer great speed, but they can also be quite painful to use , depending on the width of your foot because they have a very narrow foot pocket.

Check out the Viper website by clicking here.

Like i said...fins are all about personal preference.

Over the years i have used Rip Curls, Manta Blades, HB Octoblades(I borrowed these), Hydro Tech 2's and now Vipers.

Out of all the fins i would have to say that the Manta's were my favourites, they looked ugly, but had loads of power and were incredibly comfortable.

The Tech 2's have the best foot pocket as it is shaped to fit my foot perfectly, they do however tend to just break without prior warning and they don't float!...but the Vipers are the best for lank speed lank fast.

Another point that i would like to raise is that because you only recently started bodyboarding your legs might not be strong enough to paddle as fast as other riders who have been participating in the sport for years...give it time and you'll be fit as a fiddle.

If you are looking at buying fins and would like great advise as to which might be the best for you...visit Factory7 by clicking here have a look around and drop the owner, Derek Footit, an email to ask a couple of questions. Or you could call the F7 hotline on 0800 FSEVEN (0800 373836).
Spy Dude
June 2008
you should try webs on your hands if you want to paddle faster.
vwrabbitgti
June 2008
I am using reef finz the black and grey set dnt know wat type coz it only says reef finz floating on the box and hav the reef pro series board does the speed vary on boards too?
StJohnLombard_Bodyboarder
June 2008
I'm using Churchhills Black, red, and grey. Love them.
StJohnLombard_Bodyboarder
June 2008
koslovski001
June 2008
vipers=massive explosive power and speed and very little comfort..
church hills= good power and speed and are super comfy...

my personal choice are the church hills... oh and if you can find them are redley finz... best i ever owned.

none of use can tell you which finz are the best for you, its a trial and error thing till you get what works for you.

good luck and happy hunting
Seb
June 2008
One of my friends has those reef fins..i tried and being used to vipers they feel quite weak...however my friend loves em...as every1 has said b4 personal preference.......
if ur keen on getting other fins, i hav been trying 2 sell sum (they pretty much brand new- like used once or twice)
Like elementree mentioned b4 the more u boogey the better u get at it (this includes paddling) if ur not so strong at the swimming side of bodyboarding try heading down 2 a pool like a couple times a week (helped me)

seb
vwrabbitgti
June 2008
Isint there more ppl out there that has tryd my reef finz i need more opinions i think i got the paddling thing on good coz i did bodyboard in high school an it al came back to me bot these finz ? i dnt know
Jmo
June 2008
Yes, fins do make a difference, but something that often gets overlooked by people in many areas of bodyboarding is technique...

A lot of guys that are new to the sport will tend to kick their legs in a way that is not effective at translating paddling energy into forward movement. The best sign of this problem is checking to see how much splashing they make behind them when paddling, especially when paddling for a wave. This means that they are really just kicking too close to the surface of the water and are losing energy when their fins break free of the surface. The paddling motion gets power from both the down stroke and the upstroke so if the fins leave the water on the up stroke and slap back down on the surface, then the flow of water through the fin's driving system is broken and the guy will struggle to build up speed.

So, to improve on your technique, firstly try slide a little back on your board so that you can get your legs deeper in the water (especially important if using bat tail board) and then try use a flowing kicking motion that has power on both up and down strokes without leaving the water. Try to focus on using the whole muscle chain down your leg from hips to ankles. You should find that you need to use less energy to get a comfortable cruising speed for paddling out, and more speed when getting into waves.
This is harder to practice when also paddling with your arms, so initially just work on the techinque while only using your legs and after a while you'll find you do it automatically when using your arms as well.

To test the your own technique, be aware of how much your are splashing behind you, if you leave your mates drenched and coughing up water everytime you turn and paddle for a wave then you know you need to work on your technique...
lyle
June 2008
ive used church hill makapus and vipers. makapus are super comfy with good speed. but vipers are 10 times faster. because they faster they gave me calf and foot cramps untill i got a little more water fit. now ill never try anything else!
vwrabbitgti
June 2008
ya i do the paddling thing nice and under the water level but those reef fins where k@k bru i got me a set of yellow dot vipers they a lot better and paddle speed is great but ya the give the feet some pain? and i got me a LMNOP board too so the reef finz and board is up for grabs in the classified section?
ronald911
July 2008
What finz can u recommend that have speed, power and comfort?
I currently have Original Hydro Fins.
vwrabbitgti
July 2008
the vipers that i hve now rock man they the best!
bboard1
July 2008
if you are lookin for speed power and comfort i would most definately try and find a pair of redly's. they are kak hard to get but they are the best fins ever made. if you cant get them go for churchill maks (usually blue and yellow) they are realy comfy and do have tons of power and speed. Vipers are nice but as my feet are pretty wide the fins raped them in like 1 session.
JAMES bye
July 2008
yeah i use vipers and also have pretty wide feet. i was getting loads of cramp from my first pair but then i bought a bigger pair and now they are perfect for me
Jason
August 2008
an addition to the tips on kicking technique: kick from the hips, not the knee... so use the whole leg.

i currently have orange dot vipers (v5 flex) and they are too flexible for me. i have had churchills which were ok, 2x custom x which i really liked (though if you get them get booties too, they chow your feet!) and a pair of unit x fins which were great except i lost one when not wearing fin savers i also had a pair of redlwys, but they dont last long, they crack easily...

i would recommend either custom x/unit x or yellow dot vipers (v5)
March 2009
hi i've lost 1 fin an i was wandering if there is any shop in Durban that sells single fins (hydro tech).
JAMES bye
March 2009
try piranah surf shop.... near north beach.... im pretty shure u will find singles there

Post a Reply

You must be logged in to reply to this topic.