10-01-2008, 10:40 AM
[cool][#0000ff]Like most other elements of tubing and tooning, your choice of fins is really a matter of personal preference...what works best for you and your style of kicking and fishing.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have long ago lost track of all the different types of tubes and fins I have tried. I bought my first pair of Mares fins in the early 1980s, and I still have them. They have propelled me through waters all over the country and down into Mexico...fresh water and salt...diving and tubing. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I too got a good deal on some tubing gear that included a set of Force Fins. I took them out on one trip...for about 15 minutes. Then I returned to shore and put my Mares back on. I did not like them at all, but I know many others who swear by them. I sold my pair for $25 and the guy who bought them loved them. Go figure.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are probably over a hundred models of diving fins on the market today that will work very well for tubing. But, some tubers and tooners are bigger, stronger and more ambitious than others. They will do better with fins that have larger and/or stiffer blades on the fins. For just paddling around on small ponds...or for those with smaller frames...smaller and lighter fins will work better without causing cramps and fatigue.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There is no law that says you can only own one set of fins at a time. If you have the finances, the need and the space to store them, it is conceivable that you might want two, three or more sets....especially in climates where there is a big difference in what you wear over your feet when the water temps change with the seasons. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]But, a good fin with soft foot pockets and easily adjustable straps can accomodate a lot of changes. I wear the same set of Mares XL throughout the entire year...tightening the straps when I fish wet, wearing only a thin set of booties...and loosening them when I add neoprene waders and a couple of pairs of heavy socks in the cold months. Tight enough in the summer and loose enough in the winter that I don't get constriction or foot cramps.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Look forward to your evaluations.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have long ago lost track of all the different types of tubes and fins I have tried. I bought my first pair of Mares fins in the early 1980s, and I still have them. They have propelled me through waters all over the country and down into Mexico...fresh water and salt...diving and tubing. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I too got a good deal on some tubing gear that included a set of Force Fins. I took them out on one trip...for about 15 minutes. Then I returned to shore and put my Mares back on. I did not like them at all, but I know many others who swear by them. I sold my pair for $25 and the guy who bought them loved them. Go figure.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]There are probably over a hundred models of diving fins on the market today that will work very well for tubing. But, some tubers and tooners are bigger, stronger and more ambitious than others. They will do better with fins that have larger and/or stiffer blades on the fins. For just paddling around on small ponds...or for those with smaller frames...smaller and lighter fins will work better without causing cramps and fatigue.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]There is no law that says you can only own one set of fins at a time. If you have the finances, the need and the space to store them, it is conceivable that you might want two, three or more sets....especially in climates where there is a big difference in what you wear over your feet when the water temps change with the seasons. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]But, a good fin with soft foot pockets and easily adjustable straps can accomodate a lot of changes. I wear the same set of Mares XL throughout the entire year...tightening the straps when I fish wet, wearing only a thin set of booties...and loosening them when I add neoprene waders and a couple of pairs of heavy socks in the cold months. Tight enough in the summer and loose enough in the winter that I don't get constriction or foot cramps.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Look forward to your evaluations.[/#0000ff]
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