What to look for when selecting Vipers Swim Fins
Look for comfortable, high-performance and affordable viper swim fins
Are you an intermediate or advanced bodysurfer or boadyboarder? You must have the viper swim fins to get that unrivaled thrust, control, and speed as you enjoy your favorite sport of surfing. The V-5 model in particular is tailored for both bodysurfing and bodyboarding and boasts five inch blades. When selecting swim fins, it's highly recommended that you first factor in your comfort, followed by its performance and lastly its price.
1. Comfort - a good pair of swim fins is one that fits snugly without clutching or squeezing you because this may cause cramps and bruises on your feet. Pick a fitting size, one that matches the sizing information provided with every fin description. Once you purchase your pair of swim fins, you can put them on in the house for half an hour or so as you walk up and down and they hurt or are uncomfortable, you would require a different size.
2. Performance - every good fin should give you unmatched thrust and Viper has both asymmetric and symmetric blades where the former has a diagonal blade and the latter has a blade equal on both sides. Opting for short blades will mean rapid starts but you would have to kick more to cover the same distance covered by a longer fin.
3. Affordability - factor in the number of times you plan to use your viper swim fins and if the ones you are thinking of buying are within your financial budget range.
Apart from comfort, the balance to shoot for in flippers lies between long distance cruising - acceleration/burst speed for spin and take off versus paddling out and cruising the line-up. Many mat surfers today prefer to use Prof Greg Deet's UDTS or Voit. A lot of people who weigh 170 pounds and below reduce them by following Greenough's modification i.e. starting off by flattening the ribs first and then taking in small bits at a time to achieve their personal best compromise. Note also that the strap tends to be stiff and uncomfortable for many people hence may need some bit of trimming. Bodyboard fins like Viper Swim Fins provide enough power to thrust through and besides, they're very durable, giving you a good return on investment.