What Are Swim Fins?
Swim fins, or flippers, are a type of swimming accessory that is shaped like a fin and are designed to enhance your swimming experience and make you move more smoothly in the water. They are known to greatly enhance the speed and reduce the time it takes for you to complete a lap in the swimming pool.
Swim fins are useful for people who are training for professional or college-level swimming competitions, and they are also beneficial for people who swim as a means to stay fit or build endurance for playing sports.
Why Is It Important to Have Swim Fins?
Swim fins are known to help people experience much higher speeds as they are swimming, mainly due to their streamlined design. One of the major benefits of using swim fins is that they reduce the pressure exerted on your shoulders as you swim forwards. By using swim fins during a workout, you experience less pressure and in the long run, this helps you develop more endurance and shoulder strength.
Another reason why swim fins are important is that they shape up your legs and help you develop more overall strength. By combating the resistance felt due to water pressure, you can perfect your kicks and down kicks, which propel you forward with much more force and help you complete your lap in the least time possible.
Last but not least, swim fins are highly useful in enhancing your swimming technique and body position, which will help you swim better even without them. Therefore, swim fins are very important if you want to improve your performance and win every tournament that you participate in.
History of Swim Fins
Swim fins have been around for nearly a hundred years now, but their earliest version was invented by Benjamin Franklin in the early 1700s since he was an avid swimmer from his childhood. However, his version of the swim fins was made from thin pieces of wood and they were worn on the hands.
The swim fins were given a modern redesign by the French inventor, Louis de Corlieu, in 1914. He manufactured the first prototype of his design for a couple of navy officers, who found these swim fins to be particularly useful while swimming. After leaving the navy to work on his invention, Louis registered a patent in 1933.
By 1939, swim fins were already in mass production and became largely popular. Soon after, different versions and designs of swim fins were being produced throughout the world. The first full-foot swim fin was designed by Luigi Ferraro, who developed it in collaboration with Cressi-sub, an Italian company that made diving gear.
Today, certain international standards are used to manufacture swim fins, and they are an essential part of every swimmer’s gear.
Things to Consider Before Buying Swim Fins
When you are looking for the best swim fins to help you bring your A-game in swimming, there are numerous factors that you must keep in mind to evaluate each of the options you come across. Here are the main factors that come into play:
Type
Since their invention and mass production, swim fins have taken numerous shapes and designs, each of which is suited for swimmers and divers of different kinds. If you read the product description of a certain pair of swim fins, you would find which type they belong to. Some of the common types are fins, monofins, full-foot fins, open heel fins, paddle fins, split fins, and many others.
Apart from these, you can also find a few variations made to the standard types of swim fins, and you can easily decide which one is more suited to your weight, body position, and swimming technique.
Length
When you are training with swim fins, their length plays a major role in the process. This is why you need to evaluate this factor closely when you have to choose between different products. Nearly all of the fins look the same and their purpose is to make you swim faster in water, their length determines how well you will be able to kick up and down.
You might think that the longer the fin, the more speed or lightweight it will be, but this isn’t a hard and fast rule. Longer fins may make it difficult for you to kick without feeling a lot of pressure or turning over. For professional swimmers, shorter fins are much more effective for them to train properly.
Heel type
Swim fins come with both open heel and closed heel types, and each of them has its distinct advantages and downsides. Usually, competition-grade swim fins have closed heels, but that is slowly changing, as you can see swim fins with open heels and an ankle strap to adjust it around your foot becoming more and more common.
Open heel swim fins are adjustable and give your feet some space to breathe and feel comfortable. Plus, the closed heel variants can dig into your skin, especially when the swim fins are too tight.
Fin stiffness
Another factor that comes into play while choosing the best swim fins is their stiffness or rigidness. If you are looking at different products on the internet, you wouldn’t be able to feel them for stiffness, but you can make use of the product description and customer reviews to find out about this.
Having very stiff swim fins can be detrimental to your training, as they will make it harder for you to kick underwater. Plus, stiffer fins will dig into your feet and become really uncomfortable after some time. However, the stiffer the fin, the more it will help you in developing strength and endurance.
Material
As is the case with most products, you also have to take the materials from which the swim fins are made into consideration. Typically, high-quality swim fins are made from either silicone or rubber. Silicone is much softer and more durable than rubber, and it also has a good feel, which prevents you from getting blisters on your feet.
Rubber swim fins are also durable and can help you develop your technique over time, but they are comparatively less comfortable to wear.
Some Fin Buyers Also Ask
How should I take care of my swim fins?
One of the most important care tips is to never wear your swim fins when you aren’t in the water. If you walk while wearing them, they will be more prone to damage.
Can I find swim fins that are made for kids?
Yes, you can, and they are designed to help your child feel comfortable as they learn how to swim for the first time.
How do you store swim fins?
Swim fins are supposed to be stored in a room or closet that isn’t exposed to direct sunlight. Plus, they should be stored separately from other swimming gear.