On Tue, 26 Jun 2007 17:31:11 GMT, briansfly
wrote:

Frank Reid wrote:
Okay, I've got my Buck's Bronco kickboat. Fins are getting a bit long
in the tooth and are in need of replacement. Does anyone here use the
float tube Force Fins? Are they worth the premium price?
Frank Reid

I use them, and think they're better than all of the dive fins i've
tried. With dive fins, I tend to get cramps in my calves. I've never had
a leg cramp with Force Fins. One thing most people don't know about
Force Fins. You can have the strap break, and the fins will stay on your
feet while you use/kick in them. It happened to me. I called the company
to order some hardware for the straps, and they confirmed that the fins
will stay on..........I don't recommend trying it, but I feel a lot more
confident now that i've had experience with it. This I hesitate to tell
you Frank, but you can walk with Force Fins on. It's not like walking
with shoes on, but it's doable. The curved blade keeps the tips from
digging in, and tripping you......well, maybe not you, but most folks. ;-)

brians

Brians - what kind(s) of dive fins - straps or full-foot? How much
diving do you do? Some folks do get cramps with full-foots more than
with strap style.

IAC, from what I know, Force Fins are damned decent fins, but Force is
pretty proud of them. Are they "worth it?" IMO, that is up to the
person paying for and using them. There are MUCH less-expensive
strap-style fins, similar to Force products (like 1/4-1/8 the price),
from a host of companies. I personally don't think Force is worth the
coin, but that's me spending my money for my use - if someone else
thinks they are worth it _to them_, hey, that's why there's chocolate
and vanilla. OTOH, if someone goes around claiming that Force fins are
necessary, that they are "an investment," or other such nonsense, then,
IMO, they are flat-out wrong.

I have 4-5 sets of fins for various purposes, and IMO, for tube use,
casual snorkeling/shallow diving/"skin"diving, any decent, inexpensive
pair of fins will do fine. There are a number of styles out there, and
a look at any of the diving supply websites will give a good overview. I
like strap (with QRs) for tubes, but prefer fullfoots for
close-to-surface swimming/snorkeling.

As a PS - try not to walk in fins - they aren't designed or built for
"land" use, and strap style can be dangerous to walk in.

TC,
R