Hollis F-1 Scuba Diving Technical Diving Fin

I'm a diving instructor, worked in a dive shop during college, and have been diving for years. I've kicked a lot of fins. I recently picked up my first dry suit and was looking for a heavier alternative to my trusty old split fins. I read the reviews and decided to try these out - boy was I impressed! The power, comfort, and weight are just perfect. I do not need to use ankle or leg weights with these fins and while they feel hefty out of the water, I do not feel any weight or discomfort when diving with them. They feel almost as easy to kick as my old split fins and yet they give more OOMPH. I've only been diving them a few months, but have yet to find any downsides. If you're doing casual or warm water diving they might not be for you, but for just about anyone else I'd recommend them. I would happily buy another pair.

Ok no offense to those who like jet fins or rocket fins. I love these F1's. I tried a pair of jet fins and they work great. They were a bit on the heavy side and not very comfy with neoprene booties. The Hollis F1 fins have a deeper foot pocket, sleeker look and feel, feel lighter and way more comfortable to wear for longer dives. The power from them was oh so nice. These are some fast fins. I didn't get leg or foot cramps like is got with the jet fins. The spring straps make getting the fins a breez to put on and take off. It's a little more $$ compared to the other fins but in this case you get what you pay for. I should have bought these fins first like my dive buddy suggested. They worked for me. Ohh I have size 12 shoe size and XXL was too big/wide for neoprene booties. so pick a size based on using drysuit boots or neoprene booties.

First I'd like to clear up a misconception about these fins; that they are tech-fins. Now don't get me wrong, these ARE tech fins in the sense that if you are a technical diver these would be excellent fins to purchase. But these are NOT tech fins in the sense that you don't need to be a technical diver to use/enjoy them. Whether you're using a drysuit and doubles, or a wetsuit and a single tank (what I use), these fins are fantastic. First, the bad. The only truly negative thing I have to say about these fins is that they are made in Taiwan. They are very well-made, so I'm not trying to knock the build quality...I just wish they were made in the USA, France, Italy etc. like other fins I've owned. Also (this isn't really negative, but worth noting) if you are going to purchase these fins you should have good leg strength. You don't tree-trunk legs or anything like that, but these fins will be better appreciated by people who swim, run, ride a bike, etc. Now for the good: everything else! For frog-kicking, or modified frog-kicking these fins are wonderful; offering lots of propulsion with minimal effort. I was worried these would be more difficult/taxing to kick than my Mares Avanti Quattro's since they are heavier and stiffer, but frog-kicking is actually easier AND more powerful with the F1's. If you are using an up-down-up-down kicking-style these fins are excellent as well. I would say, overall, these fins seem more geared towards frog-kicks, but they are still good for up-down kicking and if you put some effort into your kick, you can move REALLY fast in these (currents=no problem). What I like about the F1's for up-down kicking is how smooth they feel. Part of this is because of the weight/stiffness/material, but part is due to the vents on the fin; the vents help the fin pass smoothly through water without the fin wanting to twist inward or outward. Another big selling-point for me is that these fins are very precise. If you want to turn, stop, rise, descent, rotate, invert, hover...you name it these fins can do it, and do it impressively well. The built-in spring strap is high-quality and the strap has multiple mounting positions to accommodate various sizes/types of boots. The foot pocket is very comfortable. The Mares Quattro is considered by many to have the most comfortable foot pocket of any fin. I would say that the F1 foot pocket is not quite as comfy, but it is pretty close and is overall one of the best foot pockets of the several fins I have tried. Overall I love these fins and would recommend them not just to tech divers, but do any diver who is looking for a high-quality, efficient, powerful, precise fin. Despite the fact that these fins are the heaviest I've owned, they are also the only ones I forget are on my feet...I don't have to think about my kicking because they are so intuitive to use. I own all my own SCUBA gear, but there are only a few items I own that I consider to be so good I would replace them an identical item should they be lost/broken/worn out, etc. The Hollis F1 is now one of those items. As a side-note the foot pocket is fairly big; I would say the \"true\" range for the size XL I own would be 11-13, not 10-12 (however, factory sizing is probably accurate if you're using drysuit boots).

Went from Force Fins to these. Going back to Force Fins. These are good fins, but much heavier than most.