Test Dive Profile:

Dive Type - Recreational Shore

DiveLocation - Electric (Kahe) Beach, Oahu, Hawaii

Dive Time - 86 minutes

Max Depth - 30 feetConditions - Moderate undercurrent, 2-4 foot waves

Equipment - 130 cf HP Steel Tank, Aqualung Rogue BCD, DGX Regulator, Truefin (with Yellow Spines)

I have high expectations from dive fins, especially since I’ve been spoiled by the Hollis F1 and F2 fins during my diving career. Opening the box I was glad to see that Truefin held to similarly high standards. The build quality is excellent, and it looks like a lot of attention is paid to the molding process. There is no excess material or sharp edges leftover from manufacturing. The spine pieces are well-crafted and intuitive, with shapes on each side to indicate the direction to align them. The fin itself is fairly heavy; I’m reminded of the massive Hollis F1 fins that weigh 7.5 pounds (Truefin comes in slightly under that at 6.2 pounds). The accompanying spring heel straps snap easily into place and feel secure. The fin offers a very wide opening for a dive boot. I’m a size 10 in a 3mm boot, and my foot fits securely into the fin. However, there’s plenty of room left if I decide to switch to a thicker boot or drysuit boot (especially with the spring strap).

Getting the fins on and off in the shore surge was easy, especially given the wide opening for my boot. I opted to use the Yellow Spines for my first dive, and kicking at the surface (I like to kick on my back with my scuba gear) was relatively easy. It was not as light and easy to kick as the Hollis F2, but nowhere near as exhausting as the F1 fins. I also noticed that slower, steadier kicks seemed to provide me with the most propulsion compared to shorter kicks. 

Once we dove, I immediately felt the advantage of having the spines in the Truefin. There was a slight current pushing against us that day, and I was in a dive group using split fins, ScubaPro Seawings, and traditional recreational plastic fins. In a matter of seconds I had gotten far out in front of the group with very little effort. The movement action of the spines feels a bit odd at first, but you forget it quickly as you feel how efficiently the fin is moving water. 

My kicking style as an underwater photographer is mixed between frog kick, flutter kick, and a helicopter kick (when trying to hover in position to get a shot). The yellow-spine Truefin® excels at the first two, offering very nice thrust per kick with longer strokes. One thing I found during my flutter kick was that it was easier to keep my knees completely straight and generate all the kicking power from my hips. Most fins I generally feel the need to slightly bend my knees while flutter-kicking to prevent too much fatigue. 

After the dive I received several comments (some mildly annoyed, somewhat jealous) from my dive buddies about the Truefins®. I had been flying around the whole dive with very little effort, which required them to kick harder to keep up with me. They all noted that I seemed to be barely exerting myself with slow kicks while happily zooming along. After the 86 minute dive in moderate current, I felt very little fatigue in my legs, hips, and ankles. There were no hotspots that rubbed on the opening or strap of the fin, and it was overall a very comfortable experience. Most importantly, I didn’t have the same hip-flexor fatigue that accompanies kicking in my heavy F1 fins.  

The only downside (for me) with the fins came to the helicopter kick and small maneuvering kick that I use while trying to line up photos. Normally with my heavy and stiff Hollis F1 fins, slight movements of the fin give me small thrust in the direction I need, especially with a hybrid helicopter/frog kick. With the Truefin®, there’s more give on the toe-down flex vs the toe-up flex direction, giving me the feeling of unevenness when I’m trying to perform small maneuvering kicks. However, all of that can be chalked up to a learning curve; I’m not used to the flexion action of the Truefin®, and it will take a few dives to learn the right movements for maneuvering.  

Overall I’m very happy with the construction of the fin, especially compared to other similarly-priced fins on the market. It doesn’t feel delicate or fragile, and it seems like it can put up with a good amount of abuse. Even the plastic spines seem solid, interlocking smoothly and inspiring confidence. 

Ordered my Truefin® Model 110 on 23-September22. I received them on 27-September22. The Fins came with the Blue Spines as advertised. They also came with a set of yellow spines and a note to test both and report back my opinion. I will gladly oblige.

My initial thoughts: 1) assembly was very easy and intuitive for straps and spines. 2) the fins are listed as size Large. I wear US Men’s 11.5 wide. The fins fit with all three pairs of my Dive Boots. I have soft top, medium rigid and rigid boots. All fit the foot pocket comfortably. 3) the weight is noticeably lighter than my Jet fins as well as my Avanti Quattros. 4) the booklet that came with the Truefin® is very informative and explains a bit more about the design and testing. I am a technical Guy by profession and appreciate the level of detail provided. Tomorrow I will hit the pool for initial swim and test of the blue vs yellow spines. Saturday I am diving a freshwater quarry. I will report back my results. So far I am very impressed and look forward to getting these wet!

So, just finished with the Pool test 9/28/22. Started with Blue Spines. The mechanical stops at 20 and 60 degrees are noticeable. The fin feels mechanical. That is not a bad thing, just takes some getting used to. The Fin performed as advertised. I experienced more bang for my Buck with each kick and my legs felt less fatigued. I was able to do all kick styles with ease and found the Fin to be very maneuverable. As an SDI Divemaster I find it important to cover distance quickly. This Fin did not disappoint. I next swapped over to the yellow Spines. These were noticeably easier in the flutter but not quite as powerful. Like with the Blue I felt like I was using less energy to move around. The yellow felt ideal for an average Diver. I then switched the Blue to the outboard rail only. I found this combination to be the best for my Finning style. This will be the combination I use for my up coming quarry Dive. I will post again afterwards. So far I am very impressed with the overall performance.

I dove 4 times today at Blue Water Park in Pelham, Alabama. The Fins performed very well. I was able to move and glide with less effort than my Avanti Quattros. Like the pool, all kick styles were much more efficient. The Fins gets the best performance for Frog Kicks when the kick is performed at the proper angle. I swam around and through many structures and the fins were not clunky. All in all I enjoyed my new Truefins and can’t wait to try the green spines.

The only Cons I have to comment on so far is I wish the spines came in a sleeve to contain as an assembly. Also wish color was an option and not forced. My initial thoughts are maybe the chosen spines could be slid in to a silicone sleeve of my color choice and then installed on the Fin