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I dont know if it is the water polo player in me or what? But I really cannot stand fins!!!! With 12 years of treading water chasing a little yellow ball, I have basically learned how to twist my legs in circles to spin around, and I like that mobility on a tube. Cant have that mobility with fins on. But there is one situation where fins are great, and that is for the trip back across the pond to the truck. Is there some good fins out there that can be taken off when you get to the general area of fishing and can be put back on with little trouble when ready to make the trip back to shore????
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[cool]Hey, Bro. You gotta make a decision. Are you playing water polo or fishin? In my opinion, only a terminal masochist would ever hit the water in a float tube without fins. And, not only for getting there and back, but for manuevering and holding position too. Fins make it possible to move farther and faster, wirh much less effort than just kicking your feet.
That being said, if you prefer to have the fins off while in your targeted fishing area, you have a choice of two kinds of fins...with heel straps and the full foot pocket. Most tubers like the heel straps, because they can pull up over the hard soled booties. Either kind can be put on or removed while you are still in the water, but only from an open-ended craft. And even then, it is more effective to kick into shallow water and stand up while putting on or taking off the fins. I wouldn't recommend trying to get fins on or off while in deeper water. Unless your fins float, you risk dropping one or both. Then you will find out how much you miss them if you need them to power back against the wind.
We all have our own preferences, and we tend to prefer what we are used to. Work with fins for awhile and just accept the idea that you don't need to make those fast turns when fishing. The fish don't mind if you don't fire a winning shot at them with one second left on the clock. Slow down and enjoy things. Totally different concept.
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I was out tubin with polo on saturday at Jordanelle, and I was surprised at how fast could actually go without fins on! Maybe his body adapted from all those years playin polo and he grew webbed feet! lol [cool]
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[size 2] Does he have webbed feet?[cool][/size]
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I enjoy being able to move my feet to forward kick also. Even in the wind I can handle kicking with out fins 600 yards from the vehicle and back. I admit I would rather have fins for distances like that, but small ponds or when I get into a centralized area, I hate fins!!! In waterpolo practice, coach tells me to go to the deep end, usually tells a 200lb guy to hang on my back and to keep kicking till the coach gets tired!!!! A little fluttering around in the water while sitting on a bouyant tube is nothin!!! I usually can keep up or outlast friends on tubes with fins!! But I am just looking for a good set of fins that can meet my bizarre needs!!! LIke one of a terminal Masochist!!![cool]
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[cool]Hey, my good friend, I hope you know that I was not taking personal shots. I know that with training and physical skill it is possible to move a lot of water with only your feet...no fins attached. I spend just enough time in water polo...between football, basketball and baseball...to gain a respect for the level of physical conditioning it requires to survive...much less excel.
I would never question your ability to move yourself upon the waters. My only input is that you get greater effort to propulsion ratios with the use of a good set of fins. Moving yourself through or over the water is a function of water displacement. That brings in the size of the foot/blade surface...the shape and efficiency of channeling the displaced water...the stiffness of the foot/blade, etc. Unless you truly do have webbed feet, there is no way you could ever do better without fins. But, to each his own.
We have had a couple of threads in the past on different makes and models of fins. A trip to some of the dive shops in the area will reveal many models, colors and PRICES. If you want to do some online research, before braving the slings and arrows of outrageous salespeople, here are a collection of links from my files:
[url "http://www.divedacor.com/fins.html"][font "Times New Roman"][#0000ff][size 3]http://www.divedacor.com/fins.html[/size][/#0000ff][/font][/url][size 3][font "Times New Roman"] DACOR[/font][/size]
[url "http://www.divernet.com/blandfrd/mares/fins.htm"][font "Times New Roman"][#0000ff][size 3]http://www.divernet.com/blandfrd/mares/fins.htm[/size][/#0000ff][/font][/url][font "Times New Roman"][size 3] MARES[/size][/font]
[url "http://www.diversdiscount.com/ov.asp?st=force+fins&amp"][font "Times New Roman"][#800080][size 3]http://www.diversdiscount.com/ov.asp?st=force+fins&[/size][/#800080][/font][/url][font "Times New Roman"][size 3] DIVERS’ DISCOUNT[/size][/font]
[url "http://www.forcefin.com/"][font "Times New Roman"][#0000ff][size 3]http://www.forcefin.com/[/size][/#0000ff][/font][/url][size 3][font "Times New Roman"] FORCE FINS[/font][/size]
[url "http://www.tusa.com/"][font "Times New Roman"][#0000ff][size 3]http://www.tusa.com/[/size][/#0000ff][/font][/url][size 3][font "Times New Roman"] TUSA (Tabata)[/font][/size]
[url "http://www.genesisscuba.com/fins_blitz.html"][font "Times New Roman"][#0000ff][size 3]http://www.genesisscuba.com/fins_blitz.html[/size][/#0000ff][/font][/url][size 3][font "Times New Roman"] GENESIS[/font][/size]
[url "http://www.apollosportsusa.com/biofin.html"][font "Times New Roman"][#0000ff][size 3]http://www.apollosportsusa.com/biofin.html[/size][/#0000ff][/font][/url][size 3][font "Times New Roman"] APOLLO (Bio Fins)[/font][/size]
[url "http://www.seaira.com/fins.htm"][font "Times New Roman"][#0000ff][size 3]http://www.seaira.com/fins.htm[/size][/#0000ff][/font][/url][size 3][font "Times New Roman"] IDI (International Divers)[/font][/size]
[url "http://www.cressisubusa.com/catalog/cat.asp?lan=uk&idc=2"][font "Times New Roman"][#0000ff][size 3]http://www.cressisubusa.com/catalog/cat.asp?lan=uk&idc=2[/size][/#0000ff][/font][/url][size 3][font "Times New Roman"] CRESSI[/font][/size]
[url "http://s1059kxm.leisurepro.com/webapp/commerce/command/ExecMacro/LeisurePro/macros/main.d2w/report"][font "Times New Roman"][#0000ff][size 3]http://s1059kxm.leisurepro.com/webapp/commerce/command/ExecMacro/LeisurePro/macros/main.d2w/report[/size][/#0000ff][/font][/url]
[url "http://www.diveshopper.com/py205/"][font "Times New Roman"][#0000ff][size 3]http://www.sportextreme.com/pq205/[/size][/#0000ff][/font][/url][font "Times New Roman"][size 3] [/size][/font]
I did not take the time to verify that all are still working. If you want to find other potential sites, simply enter "Diving fins" in a search engine.
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no offense taken, I just spent some time on saturday pondering a way to meet my "weird" and I know i am weird ways easier. TD i knew you would have fun with this one!!![cool][cool][cool]
No problem, Mon!!!
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[size 2]See with me my upper body is stronger than my lower ( Ex Football player ) so flipping always was alittle problem with me after awhile.[/size]
[size 2] But then I went to my pontoon using oars and I cook! I keep up with power boats coming in sometimes when I am headed to my fishing grounds.[/size]
[size 2] I say do what works for you[ ] But I would always keep some flippers with you as a safety measure. Wind picks up or tidal change and you could get into trouble or end up walking back![/size]
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Alright, polo is going to kill me for this one but...
Here he is - sans tube and sans fins - catching fish!
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[cool]Now that' what I call a "stripped down model" float tube. I'll bet you could pick up one of those for almost nothing.
Thanks for sharing the pic, Jack. Gives me a bit more insight on PK.
I just hope he doesn't try to go the ultimate route and go nude. That could cause some interesting distraction if he found himself in a school of agressive and hungry perchettes. (That happened to some skinny dippers in a back cove on Powell. The local green sunfish were in their spawning mode and resented the naked intruders. Started nipping at anything that protruded out far enough to get nipped.)
Whaddayamean this is a family forum? I meant that in a family friendly way. Haven't you ever had your fingertips nibbled?
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That's some awesome strength to be able to get around all day without fins!
One thing though... I would imagine a lot more kicking is required in order to get around without fins. What does that do in terms of deteriorating the life of the waders?
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Hey polokid,
If I fish with you and my tube dies, can I sit on your shoulders and fish? ha ha
Little natural froggy feet will not help you in a 5ft high to low, cross beach/channel tide on the Big Salty!
TubeDude says that my Caddis shoe slip-on model reduces the effectiveness of the kick due to the limitation of fin angle to kick the water but if he saw the size of this old marines calves he might give me the OK.
Whatever keeps you safe, and happy in that order!
JapanRon
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I dont know much about the big salty water due to the fact the only big salty water near me is at the deepest 25 ft deep, calm amost stagnet water and nothing but little brine shrimp living it. But about the big salty water there in California, I wouldnt even consider taking waders off!!! The few time I have played in the big ocean, I have actually been grabbed by a few out currents and it is not fun!!!! Side note, I know we are all fisherman, but I really want to come down to CA and learn how to surf??? Any body experience in this area, I am sure Tube Dude might be!!!
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[cool]Yeah, I surfed when they still had stone surfboards. Just to give you an idea, I used a 9 foot laminated wood board. Those things are in the museums these days. I lived in Orange County through high school and hit all the famous southern Cal and Mexico Pacific spots.
What you would really enjoy is body surfing and body boarding. You don't need to worry about gettin up on a board with all the California surf snobs dissin ya, and you get some wild and wooly rides.
Whenever you think you might get a chance to come down, we have our own resident group of young surfer/deckhand/tubin' dudes that hang out here. I am sure they would love to meet up with you and show you some California style water action.
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hahhaaha definatly man! i do more body boarding than surfing though. i know how to surf. i can teach you. however, i am not very good at teaching. body boarding is more fun to me. you are lower on the water, so the waves seem extra big. and you can get tubed easier. that is when the wave curls around you and you are riding inside of it. one time, i went to huntington beach at like 6 in the morning, and the swell was up to 8 feet! it was awesome. not too many of the surfers like me being there though. i have to tell that story every time somebody brings up surfing. i'll never forget that. first time riding that size waves.
joe
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Every morning of my life I wake up and fight the same mental delemma!!! Mountains or Beach, I really go through this every morning as I am brushing my teeth," should I pack my stuff and head on my way, or am I content here in SLC another day?" The mountains and outdoor recreation seems to be winning, but all streaks have to come to a end, I think if I learned how to body board, surf and learn the fish tricks of the big lake, the table would probably slightly turn toward me and the beach. Everytime I see a good surf comp. in HB I am glued to my TV in a trance. I dont know if it is the surfing or the "sight seeing" material walking around the beach [cool][cool][cool] that hypnotizes me???? I spent 3 months in santa monica when I was younger, and had the hardest time leaving to come home. I dunno!!!
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[cool] Hey polokid, Don't despair having to move to SoCal! Over here you can go to the mountains and the beach on the same day. You can use your float tube all year round. Not many days that you would really need waders except for ocean tubing. But the DH dudes can show you the spots there. Think about it. Don't worry about all the violence and stuff that is going on. Those guys are not at the lakes, streams and bays. Ha Ha. [cool] You will be most welcome in this state. I left SLC in 80' and I only miss the ice fishing. But I did get it replaced with ocean fishing. I think that was almost a fair trade.
One more thing! One more tube in SoCal won't hurt the environment. So, come on down.
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[size 2]Dude's.....When I was 14-16 years old in LB I was the boogie board king ( So my friends thought[shocked]) I had a smooth top Morey Boogie Mach IV with twin scags.[/size]
[size 2] I used to start out at like 6am by bus and cruise down as far as San Clemente from LB, if there was a storm I was head to San Clemente, huge waves![/size]
[size 2] Biggest I ever got on was 11' after a storm and when I slid into the tube the wave colapsed and I got spit out the otherside![shocked][/size]
[size 2] It was sweet[ ] If I had been on a surf board I would of been wasted[pirate][/size]
[size 2] I always liked boogie boarding more than surfing due to the size of the waves I could get into plus my boogie was easier to transport than a surf board![/size]
[size 2] I feel old. I have not boogie boarded in like 16 years[unsure][/size]
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[cool]Hey, Bro, I synthesize with that. Growing old happens when you spend enough time living.
People ask me if I hate growing older. My reply: "CONSIDERING THE ALTERNATIVE...I CAN LIVE WITH GROWING OLDER."
My philosophy of life is 'EXISTING IS NOT LIVING. I'M GONNA LIVE UNTIL I DIE. IF IT'S LIVING THAT KILLS ME...SO BE IT." (MY own original stuff)
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Amen to that TD!!! I think my biggest fear and my worst nightmare would be to grow old and become sick or disabled in some way so as to be bedridden or housebound or something like that. I would literally go insane! If I can't be old and at least somewhat healthy, then let me die before I get that way!!
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