STAFF REVIEWS U.S. DIVERS BLAST II FINS - VIDEO


VIDEO - STAFF REVIEWS U.S. DIVERS BLAST II SNORKELING FINS
Roy gives his honest opinion of the U.S. Divers Blast II Snorkeling Fins. In regards to the split fin technology "...you either like it or you don't." Roy compared the split fin technology with the traditional paddle fin technology. The fin kicking performance at the surface, the U.S. Divers Blast II fins did amazingly well. Roy was very pleased with the overall performance of the U.S. Divers Blast II fins.

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STAFF REVIEWS U.S. DIVERS BLAST II FINS - VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:
Cathy: Hi Roy. How was your trip?
Roy: Actually it was very nice.
Cathy: Well while you were here, while you were swimming over, I'm sitting here waiting patiently and I'm get you a video of you coming in. And a fish bit my toe!
Roy: Good fish! Good fish! (Inaudible) bring fish food out here.
Cathy: Yeah. And for those of you that can see the fish from the surface, they are lots of Bluegills and very friendly Bluegills.
Roy: Yes, definitely.
Cathy: Okay. What did you try?
Roy: I tried the split fins, the Blast Fins by -- who are they by?
Cathy: U.S. Divers.
Roy: Yes, U.S. Divers Blast Snorkeling Fins.
Cathy: And make note that it's not the Blast Fins. They're the Blast II.
Roy: Yes, the U.S. Divers Blast fins actually were a different design. They were flatter here and they had the longer -- the side rails were different. But it was basically a flat fin.
Cathy: Right. The U.S. Divers Blast II fins are a year, year and a half old with their new design.
Roy: And the split fin technology, either you like it or you don't. And this is a fin that I like because of the split fin. With the regular paddle-type fins, you can actually on the down stroke and up stroke, if you don't do a lot of exercising you can actually --
Cathy: &%$^ Go on. I'm sorry.
Roy: You can actually --
Cathy: It was a fish bit me again.
Roy: Okay. You can actually start to cramp up a little bit. And with the U.S. Diver Blast II fins, when I got in the water, I remembered what it was like with the split fin technology--
Cathy: Ow! $%@# Excuse me. I've got to change my position here. Little &*^$#@# stinkers keep biting my toes. Okay, go on.
Roy: Can I really? Like the U.S. Divers Blast II Split Fins, basically you feel like you're not wearing them. And that's some of the reasons why snorkelers, avid snorkelers, who have used the paddle fins don't care for these because you don't feel them on. Now I went out and I came back and I used the same amount of kick strokes that I did for the paddle fin and the split fin and I was actually about the same distance away and the same amount of kick strokes.
Cathy: Roy, do you mean paddle fin like here, like a basic fin?
Roy: Yes, the paddle fin, this is what we're used to as kids and as adults. There's no split in the middle of the fin. You do have good down stroke on this. Now don't get me wrong. I do like the paddle fins too but the stiffer the fin on your foot, the more chance you're going to cramp up.
Cathy: They keep biting! They keep biting my toes!
Roy: Get your toes out of the water.
Cathy: I am.
Roy: But as far as the split fin, I've always been partial to it because it requires a lot less energy to use. I don't know exactly how these would be in a current. On the scuba diving side of it, you have the scuba split fins I've been in a current before with. These, because it's for snorkeling, you may have to work a little bit harder. Make your kick strokes slow and wide kick strokes, you're still going to get the same power off of them.
Cathy: So what you're saying is with the U.S. Divers Blast II fins because of the split fin technology, that they're used for putt-putting around in a calm water.
Roy: Excellent, excellent maneuverability, you're not fighting the fin on turns because basically when you turn, and if you're kicking on the turn, it's going to adjust to your kick. Definitely, if you turn your foot and if you kick harder from the inside of your foot, yeah, this is going to bend back a little further. This one's going to be a little bit further up on the kick. And basically what that's doing, it's sort of like an orthopedic fin because it's adjusting to your kick style, which I like. And again, the nice thing about it is you don't feel like you have them on. And the U.S. Diver Blast II Fins, I give them a good grade, especially in the calmer waters.
Cathy: Now, question for you. You commented or I saw you before you came to the docks that you were diving head first. Do you feel that those are good fins for that, for those that like to do the free diving?
Roy: On the paddle -- for free divers, for serious free divers, no.
Cathy: Well, not for serious, not for professional free divers.
Roy: If you're going down yes, you can probably get down there pretty good with these.
Cathy: But better with the paddle fins?
Roy: You'll get more power off the paddle fins.
Cathy: Got it. So you would suggest that the -- for the recreational snorkeler who's just going to putt-putt around the water, stick with the split fin, the Blast II by U.S. Divers is a good choice.
Roy: Especially if you're an armchair traveler and don't do a lot of vacationing or a lot of exercise on vacation, this isn't going to stress your legs out.
Cathy: Right and it's at a great price point also.
Roy: Oh, definitely. Definitely. And as -- the buckle --
Cathy: Oh yeah, how's the buckle?
Roy: The buckle's nice. It's a definitely click when you adjust it and it does stay clicked. And the nice thing --
Cathy: Can you show us the buckle?
Roy: Sure. It's right here. To loosen it, pull back on it.
Cathy: Right, and we do have a video on this but go on.
Roy: Yes. There's a video on that.
Cathy: Okay, very cool.
Roy: And then just snugging it up on the sides, again, this is a bare foot fin. Okay, where we're at here, it's nice entering the water. It's a very comfortable fin as far as for wearing barefoot.
Cathy: Right.
Roy: Sometimes you just don't want to wear those boots.
Cathy: Right. Right. All right, well thank you very much, Roy.
Roy: All right.