Friday, June 4, 2010

Flat Fins VS Force Fins

Force Fin production run in the 1980's

A simple way to understand the difference between a Flat Fin and Force Fin.
Every Force Fin that is hand poured has a curved blade that faces away from the bottom of your foot to provide more resistance on the power or downward ( during freestyle) phase of the kick. The blade then snaps back to assist on the recovery.

Have you ever seen a fast-swimming fish with a blunt or squared-off tail? Neither had I. That is why I pattered my fins after the split V shape of fish tails that more efficiently channels the water.


I also noticed that other fins worked basically like boards strapped to your feet; they were stiff and inflexible. Again I took my cue from nature and physics, and I came up with very flexible fins using innovative materials like polyurethane instead of cheaper rubber from the beginning when I started making Force Fins in 1983.