Fins -£50
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MARK EVANS PADI Divemaster 22 years diving experience | DAVE HOPE PADI MSDT 16 years diving experience | MARTIN BRUCE PADI MSD 2 years diving experience | JOHN CARTER PADI Divemaster 11 years diving experience | PAUL ANDREWS PADI Divemaster 6 years diving experience |
Mark: These are a fairly basic paddle fin with adequate all-round performance. I think they are overpriced for what you get.
Martin: A good turn of speed when you put the effort in, but the kicking action has a flimsy feel. Looks dated.
Dave: A nice enough, basic fin which performs quite well. A little pricey for what it is.
John: A bit stiff for me. The power return was poor, with the frog kick most effective.
Paul: These were as stiff as an ironing board. Definitely not for me.
Beaver Prodigy 1.72kg (SRP: £45)
Mark: Reasonably comfortable with a surprising amount of power on normal fin kicks. The heel-strap clips are dire.
Martin: Very poor clip design. Quite easy to fin with.
Was comfortable and felt light in the water.
Dave: Very comfortable and quite powerful if you put the effort in. The straps are very poor and can come loose when you’re wearing them.
John: Feel stiff – you really have to make sure they are clipped on tightly. Not the best.
Paul: Not for me at all – not the best performance from a lot of effort.
Dacor Panther 1.8kg (SRP: £39.95)
Mark: This paddle fin is very similar in design to Mares’ top-of-the-line Volo Power and the Sherwood Kinesis. It is lightweight and has clips identical to the Mares locking units – which you either love or loathe – and it performs reasonably well.
Martin: Not a bad performer. A good fit and reasonably flexible. It has a good turn of speed, although I found the clips weren’t up to much.
Dave:Good for a paddle fin. They’re comfy enough and perform quite well. One of the better paddle fins available. I quite liked the clips.
John: Not bad for a paddle fin and they are quite flexible. They give a reasonable return of power for your effort.
paul: These fins are good across the board – comfy, reasonable power, work with all fin kicks.
IST Bora Bora 2.76kg (SRP: £25.95)
Mark: Nice big thumb loop on the strap makes taking them on and off very easy. Powerful normal kick, but they’re too long for an effective frog kick. Not very good for fine manoeuvres.
Martin: I found this to be a fairly light and flexible fin and relatively easy to manoeuvre. It was also fairly powerful.
Dave: A bargain at that price. Very long and, as such, pretty powerful. Quite comfortable – an excellent first fin.
John: I quite like these. Normal and frog kicking gave quite a lot of power. The straps and clips are good.
Paul: Very light – like wearing slippers. A standard performing fin, and good value, too.
Mares Avanti Superchannel 2.28kg (SRP: £49.95)
Mark: Very comfy foot pocket and I quite like the clips, which make them easy to get off. It’s a big, heavy paddle, which gives plenty of power but needs plenty of effort.
Martin: A good balance of flexibility and speed. Frog kicking was easy. One of the better budget ones.
Dave: I really like the clips but it’s very pricey for what you get. Not as powerful as some. They’re very comfortable – not the best, but not bad.
John: Not a lot of power in these unless you work them hard. I’m not a fan of the clip system.
Paul: They’d be good for snowboarding – far too stiff for me.
Oceanic Viper 1.64kg (SRP: £39.65)
Mark: Very comfortable, surprisingly lightweight yet powerful. It’s possible to do a frog kick, and there’s a good thumb loop on the heel-strap. Nice all-round paddle fin.
Martin: A nice, comfortable foot pocket, and
an easy finning action. A good-looking fin at a
good price.
Dave: Comfortable, but not as powerful as some to use. They slip on and off nicely. When you want sheer speed, it’s very easy to get it.
John: Not a bad fin. Easy to get on and off, and reasonably powerful in both normal and
frog kicks.
Paul: Very comfortable and easy to get on and off. Quite powerful. A nice fin.
Ralf Tech Batfish Evolution 1.8kg (SRP: £44.99)
Mark: These fins come in a range of funky colours and have an unusual design on the blade, but performance-wise they are pretty standard for a paddle fin – decent power for the effort needed, and a comfy foot pocket.
Martin: Not the most speedy, but then again you don’t have to put much effort in. It’s a fairly average paddle fin. Not a bad looker, but beaten on price by similar-performing fins.
Dave: An average performing paddle fin. It’s reasonably flexible and there’s a reasonable return of power for the effort put in.
John: Okay for a paddle fin. Not the best if you want speed. Average overall.
Paul: Not a bad paddle fin. Comfortable, and reasonable power.
Scubapro Veloce 1.76kg (SRP: £39.95)
Mark: A basic paddle fin. Adequate all-round.
Martin: The pocket was bigger than some and felt a bit loose. Had a good burst of speed when you wanted it.
Dave: Okay. A reasonably good entry-level fin. It won’t win any prizes, but won’t let you down either.
John: Nice and comfy with a good power-to-kick ratio. There’s nothing to dislike – a good all-round fin.
Paul: Not the most comfy. The rigid foot pocket is quite good for frog kicking.
Typhoon Hurricane 1.92kg (SRP: £29.95)
Mark: Very dated design. Good frog kick but hard work otherwise. One plus is the nice thumb loop on the heel strap.
Martin: Not the best one. They feel big and heavy and a lot of effort is needed for very little return.
Dave: ‘Buster’ Crabb would have been quite happy wearing these, but things have moved on since the 1940s. There’s a good, soft foot pocket. They generate a good turn of speed, but it’s hard work.
John: Overly stiff for my liking. Finning is hard work. When you kick hard you get a lot of power, but tire quickly.
Paul: Comfortable fit, hard work but you get a lot of power. Good frog kick.
