For at least 8 or 9 years I’ve been using a pair of the Apollo Bio-fins Pro. These were among the first high quality fins in the Nature’s Wings split fin design to hit the market, at least in Australia. Prior to using these, I had used various other fins, and when I converted over, I quickly became a fan of the split fin design. About the only thing I kept using standard fins for was tec diving, and then only for a while.

Sometime after these came out, Belinda got a pair of the Oceanic Vortex V12 fins, which are a similar design on the same theme. I looked longingly at the Oceanic’s but never could see a reason to convert.

Last week I made the decision to get a new pair of fins, and it was a pretty clear decision for me to go with the V12s. I tried them out during my dives on the weekend, and was amazed at the difference. I would have to say that Oceanic’s are lighter in the water, easier to use and more efficient than the Apollos – and the difference is not small. This is despite the fact that the Vortex V12s are at least 8cm longer than the Apollos.

I agree totally with what my good friend, Ken Gordon, has stated on the Oceanic Vortex V12 Testimonial’s page

I can rely on my V12’s for power, efficiency, low siltation and minimal leg effort for maximum effect

These are amazing fins, and the only disappointing thing about them is that I found out today that Oceanic is releasing their Vortex V16 fins in Australia in July…..

I encourage every diver to try split fins. They are not suited to every diver for every application, but they’re certainly worth trying out. They give huge amounts of power in the water, and I rarely experience leg cramping when using split fins. If you use a proper kicking style, you can really reduce the amount of sand/silt you kick up. In short, split fins for me are a great boost to my efficiency in the water.

I am also considering buying a pair of Vortex V6’s to use in the pool for doing laps and for pool training sessions when I teach. They might also be useful on holidays where I want to reduce luggage weight.

Posted on Wednesday, May 9th, 2007 at 5:39 pm | filed under |RSS 2.0 feed | Respond, or Trackback.