What I love about the Cressi Thor fins

These flexible fins more than got the job done in both diving and snorkeling scenarios. I kept my booties on while waiting for whale sharks to appear and, once they did, the EBS strap meant I was able to slip into them in mere seconds before sliding off the boat.

On both dives and snorkels, pushing through the water required very little effort and I found my legs didn’t become fatigued as they have with other fins. When I was flutter kicking to get through the water quickly, the Thor fins got me right to the whale shark’s side. It was also quite easy to put the fins on and take them off on both snorkels and dives, thanks to the adjustability and flexibility of the EBS strap.

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The Hollis F1 fin, also known as the ‘bat fin,’ is one of these fins, and a very popular one. With high-quality rubber and a small profile, it moves easily in the water, while simultaneously generating enough thrust to stand a fighting chance against a strong current. But these fins are heavy, weighing in at 7.7 pounds for the pair.

With the follow-up fin, called the F2, Hollis has tried to remedy this by creating a pair of fins that have the same overall performance, but weigh less and are slightly smaller, making them ideal for the traveling tech diver or anyone else who wants a tech-inspired fin without the weight.

The first impression of the F2 depends on your point of reference. If you’re used to plastic fins, you’ll probably find them a bit heavy. If you’re used to tech fins, the fins will seem lightweight. They weigh in just shy of 4 pounds, making them heavier than most plastic fins, but almost half the weight of their full-bodied big brother and comparable fins.

In spite of the reduced weight, they come standard with adjustable spring straps, rather than traditional rubber heel straps, just like the F1. Since most divers who purchase fins like these will likely replace rubber straps with spring straps, this is a definite plus.

They move easily and quickly in the water, requiring a bit less strength to propel them compared to the F1, perhaps due to the extra vents on the blade. This will likely make them more suitable to male divers with smaller frames, as well as female divers. The thrust is still great, though perhaps slightly less powerful than a traditional rubber fin. On one of my test dives I managed to find a good, strong upswell to battle and the fin held up admirably. Maneuverability is totally on par with the F1, except for making a turn while in hover, which seemed to require a bit more finning. Perhaps more practice will make the difference less noticeable.

Wrap-up

9ScubaDiverLife score

Hollis F2 Fin

• Low weight
• Good amount of thrust
• Compact
• Relatively large foot pocket (good for drysuits)

• Quite costly
• Relatively large foot pocket (might be problem with some wetsuit boots)

These fins aren’t cheap, costing almost as much as the F1, but if you’re in the market for a tech fin that isn’t quite as bulky as most, or if you’re looking for a designated travel fin, but want to stick with a rubber fin, this fin is a great choice.

If you are a drysuit diver with “light feet,” who struggles to keep your feet down while in trim, this fin might be a bit on the light side for you. Some divers I’ve spoken to rely on the weight of a rubber fin to help them maintain neutral trim. If this is the case, and you want to make the switch to the F2, you may need a small amount of ankle weight to compensate. Often, however, you can solve light feet-issues by adjusting your overall position of weight and buoyancy. Shift the tank down a bit and move any weights down to ensure that air isn’t getting trapped around the feet and so on.

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Because my choice in fins are so limited, I really don’t know what it’s like to have a pair of heavy duty fins, that give my kick a lot of power. Aqualung has specifically designed The Shot FX fins for a woman, that’s right, a fin especially for women! These fins have forever changed my diving, now I know how much propulsion I can get from a well-made fin that fits.

The technology has evolved from past Aqualung Models. The foot pocket, which is equipped with a “Power Transmission Zone”, helps to anchor the foot, which prevents stretching of the foot pocket, overall giving the stroke the best transmission of energy.

The blade contains a high performance elastomer, which is very efficient, and creates a “spoon effect” which pushes more water with each down stroke.

I have been diving with these fins for over 5 months now, and I love them. They perform great in all sorts of diving conditions, including strong currents. They are reliable, sturdy and give me the propulsion I was lacking in other fins. These fins are a great investment for any female diver.

Here are the current color choices:

Arctic White:

Twilight: Key Features:

• Shot FX foot pocket’s design, compounds, and sizing are made to fit women’s feet.

• Power bands on the SlingShot and HotShot fins has been replaced with V Boosters located in the Power Zone. These provide greater power with even less effort.
• Spring strap has a soft TPR heel pad for comfort.
• Blades contain a high performance elastomer for improved efficiency.
• Foot pocket uses a Power Transmission Zone that limits the unnecessary stretching of the foot pocket during the power stroke. Providing maximum energy transmission.
• Inner sole provides a gripping effect that prevents the boot from moving laterally inside the pocket.

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There are a few things that every scuba diver must have – A nice mask and snorkel and a good pair of quality fins. Having a good pair of fins impacts the outcome of your dive significantly. If you own a pair of poorly fit diving fins it can cause pains in your foot, have long term affects on your other joints, and be a highly inefficient waste of energy.  You also want to consider tailoring your fin choice to your environment to compensate for currents, long surface swims and the length of your dive.  As there are so many styles of diving you can definitely expect to own more than one pair of fins to maximize your efficiency; which after all is the ultimate goal, to save air and be streamlined in the water. You have fins for snorkeling, cold water diving, warm water diving, drift diving, teaching, and many more. Your fin choice should be as meticulous as a hockey player’s choice of stick curvature. No one fin is right for every type of diving environment.

Contradictory to my previous statement, Scubapro has decided that there is indeed a fin for every environment, the Seawing Nova. This “weird looking” fin is said to be appropriate for all of your diving needs. Honestly baffled by the fact that Scubapro would only want you to buy ONE set of fins, it seems like a great idea. Trying to combine the power of the Jet fin with the efficiency of the Twin Jet Max (split fin) they have really made a unique and completely authentic dive fin. Having a completely independent foot pocket allows the diver to maximize their stroke and the added length of the Seawing Nova helps as well. Having an easier back stroke and elastic down kick gives the fin a true balance of power between a Jet Fin and a split fin. Although the balance is there, there is no substitution for the power and torque of a jet fin.  Not to mention cool, these fins come in all sizes both black and white.

I have dove with the Seawing Nova’s and I can confidently say that for shore diving in a cold water environment, they are not for me. They have a very nice push underwater, but any more than a light current renders the fin obsolete. I also require a fin that will push me nice and fast on the surface, which these did quite nicely. I think that these fins would be excellent for warm water, as that was all I was thinking about during my dive… If you are looking for fins with an easy kick, but power when you want it, they would be great; in a relatively calm environment. Speaking with a colleague of mine, you may also want to avoid shark diving with these fins (schools of sharks) as they look like nice fleshy bits to grab a bite of.

I could say that I am biased a little bit towards Scubapro Jet Fins as I have been diving them for well over 5 years now, and would never go back, I do also travel with them. I would take a pair of Seawing Nova’s snorkeling or for long shallow dives to appease my calves. But I do enjoy the thrust of a stronger fin. Here is the real kicker… All that has been said, if this is the fin for you, then make sure you are willing to spend up and above $200.00. They are the child of engineering when it comes to the price, so you won’t want to complain too much to your local dive stores.

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