Fins

A couple of us beginners plan to go for a swim after the MBK tournament.  We might find a halibut and the area is really nice with a gradual slope and protected water.

That would be really cool Pat.  I might try to rent a suit and join up if I don't have to load up my new trident. 

You guys looking to get into diving should roll up to Fuzz's pad.  Make him take you diving, and in return all you have to do is buy his redundant gear.  Chances are his gear is brand spanking new (he's got too much gear) and usually top notch stuff. 

The beginners get top notch gear at a reasonable price.  A very experienced diver tells you how to use it.  You get tips on diving and spearing.

Fuzz gets to sell some gear that he's NEVER going to use. 

Keep PM'ing him.  If he doesn't reply, let me know and I'll post his phone number. 

I was kind of hoping he'd come on the islander trip and bring an arsenal along from which I could 'mooch' a speargun fashioned from a converted ICBM.  Ah well...   

There is a big difference between scuba fins and freediving fins, the best analogy I can think of is that freediving fins are like drag racers and scuba fins are like a prius, at the extremes at least.  Scuba/snorkeling fins are designed to be comfortable since folks actively swim with them for hours a day over long distances at slow speeds with good control (SCUBA gear is ungainly as anyone who's gotten briefly stuck on their back knows).  Freediving fins require a lot of torque at the ankle to kick which makes them uncomfortable when used continuously, but they provide extreme speed - and when you're holding your breath cutting down your commute time to and from the bottom gives you greater depth and longer bottom time. 

Swimming out from shore there's some merit to fins that are comfortable for swimming continuously, but off a kayak or boat there isn't a whole lot of distance swimming involved - good reason to choose performance over comfort.

Hi Guys,
 I saw where you wrote;

"A couple of us beginners plan to go for a swim after the MBK tournament.  We might find a halibut and the area is really nice with a gradual slope and protected waters"...

In 1970, as a kid, I speared a 56 lb halibut right in front of MBK... snorkle diving and still have the yellowing photos. [ need to scan em].
 I was just there in front of MBK yesterday and surveyed the whole beachfront out to 30 feet.
After an hour of diving in decent visability and searching the sands for halibut, all I saw were 3 electric torpedo rays, pesky, curious sealions, a million kayakers and lots of bare, empty sand.

 I believe this area is too trafficked by way too many users....one had best dive past the activity ...ie down the beach toward Seaside as far as you can go.
Sincerely, Steve
 
    

Warning, after a nice little talk to the "water patrol" at Anderson we were told to get the hell out of the water unless we want a ticket for swimming in a secondary water source.  Apparently you are not allowed to swim at the lake......UNLESS: you were one of the 100 people picknicking and swimming on the east shore of the lake, one of about 40 people anchored up in the south end of the lake swimming around to stay cool, or one of the 100 or so skiers who fell in the water that day.  This is the first time I've been told anything at that lake...ever.

PS there's now a M blue biofin bouncing around the bottom of the lake somewhere.  damn thing flipped out of the boat and sunk like a rock, -1 foot visibilty kept me from finding it.  Looks like I'm getting some freedive specific fins now.     

i have a pair of omer bat fins and they work well but i had to glue the rails on to keep em from disappearing.

i am positively bouyant from 10 ft to the surface and prefer to be positively bouyant for comfort.

man, i wish i could go dive now!

Find out what kind of fins you want to buy first. SCUBA, freediving, then narrow it down to a couple of brands. When you try them on make sure you bring whatever footwear you will be wearing while using them. Some booties have a thicker sole than others. This can make all the difference in the world.
I have stiff long bladed fins for freediving. Cressi Sub Rondine 2000 and LOVE them. I use a pair of Remmington fins, which will float by the way, for SCUBA.
Top to bottom and back I need speed when freediving. While SCUBA diving I can take my sweet time.
If you are beginning freediving I would recommend being just a little positively buoyant for safety reasons. Not only will you be able to get back to the top easier and help you conserve energy but it will force you to learn the proper technique when you start your dive down. You will be surprised how fast you burn energy when starting out. Once you get the hang of things you can adjust your weight belt accordingly.

I ended up buying the omer mellennium freediving fins from Wallins dive center in San Mateo and will be taking a class from David Laird.

Over the weekend I went out to Lake McSwain and paddled out to a cove on the opposite side of the lake to try a couple of dives.  It took me a while to get used to swimming with fins and I'm definetely not as graceful as a swan just yet but I think I'm getting the hang of it.

I found a few lures at the bottom and swam around with a couple of fish (2 Trout and 1 Carp).  Pretty successful trip if you ask me 

I have a feeling I'm really going to enjoy diving in the ocean.

Nice!

HEY AGARCIA  i found a blue bio-fin while in maui but its size L.  i'd be glad to trade it for fishing gear.

Sweet!  pm on its way.