HOW TO USE THE SPLIT FINS

(courtesy of Atomic Aquatics)

Don't worry about how easy the SplitFins are to kick. There is nothing wrong; you're probably already going just as fast as you did with your old fins. Although they work with a variety of kicking styles, you should adapt to a smaller range, more frequent flutter kick for maximum performance.

The smaller-range rapid flutter kick also keeps your legs within the slipstream of your body so that you punch a hole in the water that is only as big as your shoulders and your tank. Remember, less drag means more speed and less effort. The SplitFins are designed to produce maximum power with a smaller and more frequent flutter kick. Paddle fins are not. The smaller the range and the greater the frequency, the greater the power and speed.

How to swim against a current

The Atomic Aquatics SplitFins virtually eliminate muscle strain, fatigue and cramping to enable you to swim longer distances against stronger currents. Divers have reported being able to make headway against currents they would not normally be able to overcome with paddle type fins. Whatever the speed of the current is, you need to swim faster than the speed of the current to make headway. The true indication of power is actual speed. A small-range rapid flutter kick with the SplitFin delivers the same or greater speeds than any paddle fin without the strain.

In order to reach and sustain high speeds, you need to be streamlined. The reduced kick size of the SplitFin allows you to maintain constant speed, power and momentum throughout the kick cycle. In contrast, the wide kick used with paddle fins extends your legs above and below the slipstream of your body creating drag which slows you down just like swimming around with outstretched arms would. In a fast current, kicking any fin with wide exaggerated strokes could actually cause you to lose ground due to the increased drag created by your legs. Rather than experiencing the stop-and-go movement created by wide kicking strokes, a small-range rapid flutter kick with the SplitFin will propel you effortlessly with the free feeling of constant speed and momentum.

When you're swimming against a strong current, you're not making much headway and you often have to swim for a long periods of time to get anywhere. Unlike paddle fins, the small range rapid kick of the SplitFins achieves high power and speed with almost no leg strain or resistance. This allows you to swim against currents for longer periods of time before tiring or succumbing to muscle strain and cramping. The SplitFins can even reduce your air consumption by 20-40% as documented by independent tests.