What kind of fins are best for swimming?

Fins are an incredibly useful piece of equipment for both coaches and swimmers. They can be used in a variety of sets and sessions, whether as an aid for developing technique, a tool for speed, or supporting a swimmer developing their strength and fitness. However, what fins should you invest in? Below I have a put a link where you can find suitable fins but for now please see the below pictures as we talk about the differences in fins.

The blue Arena fin in the left picture is much more suitable for training purposes. Why? Well it is much shorter in length. The longer fin in the image on right have often been said to generate more speed/ power. But particularly for younger swimmers the larger fin can also be rather strenuous and hinder movement. Working against its original goal of aiding a swimmer. The much longer fin can still be used, but swimmers using this style of fin have said their turns, both tumble and touch are restricted, and often their kicking technique morphs negatively to over compensate moving a large surface area. The smaller fins although they potentially don’t produce as much force, will not restrict movement, will support the swimmer as they practice steady technique and will still aid in their speed.

Arena Powerfin Pro - Blue (sos-swim.co.uk)

I hope this guidance helps some of you when picking out your swimmers first or next pair of fins.

David