Here's a brave stab at solving an old diving problem - how do you walk around in fins without looking like a circus clown?
£140
Here's how Omega Aquatics' FlipFins work. You put your foot in the normal 'shoe' space, and the fin blade is hinged roughly where your toes should be. The fin blade can then be lifted back from the diving position and up towards your shin, leaving you free to walk around the deck or down to the shore without the encumbrance of big fins flopping about in front of you. A fairly tough spring holds the fin up - once you have entered the water, the idea is to kick away as normal and the blade should lock down again, leaving you with a working fin.
After your dive, you turn the fin back into a shoe by using the heel of your other foot to release the retaining clip on the fin blade. This can then be pulled back to rest against your shin, leaving you free to climb up ladders, scale rocks or whatever you have to do to exit the water.
All very clever, but does it work? The answer is a qualified 'yes' - but it isn't easy to get the fin to lock back into diving mode once in the water. You really have to kick hard, and although I established a flicking motion (as opposed to a smooth fin stroke) as the best technique, you have to be pretty strong in the leg to get it to work. Do not count on getting this right first time.
If you can master the 'locking kick', these fins could be handy for shore diving where the entry points necessitate careful footwork (Malta and the Canary Islands spring to mind). The blade itself is comparable with the market leaders in terms of thrust. For diving from a hard boat, though, I'm not so sure. If you should fail to lock the blades in their diving position, you'll be left with little means of propulsion to ensure you stay clear of the boat, and some of those who tried these fins simply couldn't get them
to work.
I have no doubt that these fins could be useful, especially for regular shore divers. But £140 is a lot to ask for fins, so you should 'try before you buy', as you really have to master the knack of the 'kick 'n' click' to get them working.
DIVE says…
Pricey fin that you need the knack to use
Value 5
Performance 7
