How to Choose Swim Fins

Training with swim fins is an experience like no other. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be Michael Phelps or another professional swimmer, using fins can increase your speed to the next level. But why do swimmers train with fins to improve their technique? It’s more than just speed -- using water fins for exercise and training has numerous benefits. If you are interested in buying a pair of swim fins, there are several things to keep in mind when deciding what the best option is for you. Outlined below are the reasons why you should use swimming fins and how to choose the best type and size of swim fins for you.

Benefits of Training With Swim Fins

Using swim fins to train can help you in many ways. Some advantages include:

• Increased leg strength: One of the best things about swim fins is the workout they give your legs. If you want to work your legs in a different way and increase your muscle strength, swim fins are an effective tool. In addition, by using swimming fins, you’ll get in a better workout much faster, giving you more time to work on other skills.
• Improved upkick skills: Swim coaches always want you to work on your upkick, but it’s easier said than done. Kicking downward is more natural, and focusing on upkicks often feels awkward and uncomfortable. However, swin fins help you kick up more naturally. By using them enough, you’ll get used to the feeling and positioning of a good upkick and improve your technique without even trying.
• Optimal body positioning: Swimmers are always trying to improve their buoyancy and ability to glide on top of the water. Swim fins can help you master this skill. Practice with water fins on and pay attention to your body position and how you kick. Once you get this muscle memory, work on your kicks so that you can achieve the same swimming position and motion of wearing swim fins without having them on your feet.
• More flexible ankles: Ankle flexibility is a crucial component of a good kick. Swimming with fins can help you enhance your ankle flexibility over time and eventually improve your kicking ability.
• Eased shoulder pain: Another great benefit of swim fins is that, because they make your legs work harder, they take pressure off of your arms and shoulders. If you’re struggling with a tight or painful shoulder, using swim fins for exercise and training can get you back in the water while easing the strain on your muscles.

How to Choose Swim Fins

Fins for swimming laps and training come in many different shapes, styles and sizes, so knowing how to choose the right option for you can be challenging. That’s why we created a comprehensive guide on how to choose swim fins.

Types and Lengths of Fins

The length of your swim fins has a big impact on your performance and comfort. There are several lengths and styles of fins that affect your technique in various ways. The styles include:

• Short fins: These are the most commonly used fins by professional swimmers. Short fins are the best fins for swimming laps, specifically for freestyle and backstroke swimming techniques. These short-length ‘Zoomer’ water fins create resistance to force a faster kick. They are often used by swim teams and dedicated lap swimmers.
• Notched fins: These swimming fins are also used by more serious swimmers, and some prefer them to short fins. These fins get their name from the v-shaped notch in the blades. Notched fins more closely resemble the natural movement of feet through the water, which makes them a bit easier to use. They often come in short lengths to optimize for ease of movement as well as proper kicking technique.
• Long fins: Out of all of the fin types, these are the best swimming fins for beginners. Long fins are typically used by first-time snorkelers, recreational swimmers and individuals with less experience still learning how to move through the water. The longer length improves leg endurance and ankle flexibility, making swimming easier for beginners.
• Mono fins: Although not as widely used as the other fin types, mono fins can be great for serious swimmers wanting to perfect their dolphin kick or butterfly swimming technique. These fins force the feet to stay together, improving the kicking method required for the butterfly stroke.
• Breaststroke fins: This option is beneficial for serious breaststroke swimmers. These fins are curved to increase resistance while ensuring proper breaststroke kicks. Straight fins can’t be used for the breaststroke, so if you’re serious about the technique, these fins are best.

The Best Swim Fins

How do you know which are the best swim fins? What size swim fins should you get? There are several factors to consider when choosing the right swimming fins for you. Here are some of the best swim fins for your skill level.

• For beginners: If your child is just beginning to swim or if you’re a leisurely swimmer looking to have a bit more fun in the water, try these long fins, good for any level of experience.
• For serious swimmers: The best swim fins for swimming laps and training are the Arena Powerfin Pro fins. These products are used by competitive swimmers, including Olympians. Some close runner-ups are the Speedo Switchblade fins and the Speedo Trialon Swim fins, also recommended by Team USA Swimming.

When trying to decide what size swim fins you should get, there isn’t necessarily a straightforward answer. Swim fin sizes aren’t universal, so it depends on the brand and style. As a general rule, swim fins are unisex, so women can usually expect to size down one or two sizes from what they’d normally get, and men may need to size up. The best rule of thumb for finding your swim fin size is to read the product descriptions. Shops with your best interest in mind, such as Kiefer Aquatics, will have detailed descriptions and list what size they recommend based on your foot dimensions.

Find the Right Swim Fins for You at Kiefer

If you’re ready to improve your swimming speed, strength and technique, swim fins are a great tool. Kiefer has a broad range of water fins for all skill levels and needs. You are sure to find the perfect product for you, whether you need your first pair or a new pair of fins to prepare you for your swimming season. Browse our wide selection of fins and decide which is best to get you swimming faster and stronger today!

Learn More About Choosing Swim Gear: 

• How to Choose a Swim Cap
• How to Choose the Right Swim Goggles
• How to Choose the Best Open Water Swimming Gear

Gear. The essential additive to all things sport, swimming included of course!

Fins come in all shapes and sizes. There are sport-specific as well as leisure time fins. So, if you are doing laps in a pool the first thing you need to do is avoid scuba fins… that is unless you are training for your scuba certification.

For swim training, you will find short fins, long fins, and monofins useful. Each has a different benefit to their use, but all are excellent training aids to add variety. If you need help finding the right fin, please click on over to my guide here.

What Are Swim Fins?

Swim fins are the equivalent of strapping jetpacks to your feet. Also called flippers, these are swim accessories you wear on your feet to improve your technique and performance. Kids often use fins to zoom through the water, adding jet propulsion to their day of swimming pool fun. When incorporated into your training, fins can be used to develop flexibility, correct body position, and improve your overall technique.

[symple_button url="https://www.kiefer.com/swim-gear/training-aids/swim-fins" color="00ACBD" size="default" border_radius="3px" target="self" rel="" icon_left="" icon_right=""]Shop Swim Fins[/symple_button]

The Benefits of Swimming With Fins

There are several benefits of swimming with fins:

Improve Your Kick Technique

When swimming, a proper kick technique is both narrow and compact rather than big and powerful. Using flippers to swim laps helps improve the up-kick by adding resistance to this motion. By working out your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back muscles, swim fins provide positive muscle reinforcement, improving your kick technique and making you faster and more efficient.

Learn Proper Body Position

Proper body position looks a little like a speedboat skimming across the surface of the water. Your body should ride higher, but most swimmers find this body line difficult to hold. Swimming with fins adds speed to each stroke and teaches your body how to swim on top of the water.

Improve Ankle Flexibility

A compact yet efficient kick requires great ankle flexibility. Some swimmers are naturally flexible. Others need to work on this skill. Swim fins reinforce proper kick mechanics, allowing you to develop ankle flexibility faster than training without fins.

Increase Strength and Endurance

As you zip through the water, you may not notice the passage of time. Swim fins allow you to swim for longer periods of time, increasing your muscle strength and endurance in the process.

Improve Stroke Technique

By adding stability and propulsion to your swim training sessions, swim fins allow you to focus on specific elements of whichever stroke you may be working on. The added speed also helps you practice more advanced drills, such as backstroke or one arm freestyle.

Reduce Shoulder Stress

While swimming is a relatively low-impact workout, after a while, your shoulders endure quite a bit of stress. The repetitive movements of each stroke can lead to shoulder damage if proper care is not given. Swim fins lessen the impact of your workout on your shoulders.

Types of Swimming Fins

The length and shape of the swim fin's blade has a big impact on how it will affect your workout and training. Each type of swimming fin serves a slightly different purpose. It's important to understand the three most common designs before deciding which one is right for your individual swim needs.

Standard Long Fins

Primary benefits to using the standard long fins are:

• - Increased speed to simulate race pace scenarios
• - Increased work load on your legs
• - Build endurance and strength
• - Added bonus of trying to control your turns, streamlines, and stroke under higher speeds

Short Fins

Short fins (Power Swim Fins) are beneficial for a couple of reasons:

• - Flutter kick training
• - Their shorter stature forces swimmers to use small and quick kicks maximizing all-around efficiency

Monofins

Monofins are used exclusively for dolphin kick training and offer some distinct benefits:

• - Foil movement underwater is optimized greatly by the aid of a monofin
• - Working with a single fin in this manner increases core strength in addition to leg strength

Finding Your Ideal Swim Fin

Whether you're shopping for your swim team or looking for the best swim fins for your individual training sessions, Kiefer Aquatics is here to help. Our customer service team would be happy to help you find the best swimming fins for your needs.

Learn More About Swim Gear: 

• The Science Behind Swim Caps
• Swim Gear Guide: Five Things All Swimmers Should Be Using In Their Training
• Swim Fin Sizing Made Easy!
• Center Mount Snorkel Explained
• How to Take Care of Your Swim Gear
• Restringing Racing Lanes – The Fast Way!
• Ordering Racing Lanes

Swimming with fins is an important way to develop your kick and build leg strength. Read this guide and learn how to get the perfect fit, every time.

Proper Swim Fin Sizing Is Easy

Can selecting your swimming fin size be as straightforward as checking your shoe size? Not always, but fitting fins shouldn't be challenging or frustrating.

5 Key Tips For Fitting Fins

Match sole to sole to assess fit.

1. Shoe Size

Start by choosing fin size based on your shoe size. If you wear a size 10 in your daily shoes, begin with a size 10 swimming fin. Upon receiving your fins, or during your visit to a Kiefer Swim Shop, make a visual comparison by aligning the sole of your shoe with the sole of your fin.

2. Trying On Your Swimming Fins - Dry / Wet

Toe Position

It’s OK for toes to show in the fin's foot pocket window, but make sure that your toes do not protrude from the foot pocket window.

Dry Fitting - Be Careful!

If you are fitting fins dry, inserting your feet into the swim fin foot pocket is met with ample resistance. Some new fins are “greased” or “powdered” and may not present this issue, but most swimming fins are not.

Don't allow a loose fit! Fins should be snug.[/caption] Struggling to enter dry fins may cause you to "size up" unnecessarily, resulting in floppy fins that are inappropriately loose in water.

Wet Fitting - Ideal!

The ultimate approach to fitting swim fins is fitting them in the water and taking them for a spin in the pool.

3. Close, Snug Fitting Swim Fins Preferred!

Fins should fit snugly; if you can fit multiple fingers in the space between fin and skin they are too big. Fins should not be loose. A loose fin will cause chaffing and likely painful blisters in the long run.

4. Between Fin Sizes? Put A Sock In It!

Add Kiefer Lycra Watersox to fill unnecessary gaps. If you find that your feet fall between fin sizes, don't give up! Grab Kiefer Lycra Socks to fill the gaps. They will add padding and comfort and eliminate uncomfortable rubbing.

5. Not Satisfied With The Fit Of Your Fins? Don't Worry!

We want swimmers to be happy with the fit of their Kiefer Swim Fins. Save your receipt! If you are unhappy with the fit of your fins, follow Kiefer's Returns procedure to exchange/refund fins fit in the water that do not meet your fit expectations.

Kiefer Can Fit You!

There is a good fit for everyone out there. Don’t let one bad fit get you down - try our selection of swim fins to discover what works the best for you and your swim training. Looking for help choosing a swim fin style? Check out our blog post on how to choose swim fins.

Learn More About Swim Gear: 

• The Hidden Benefits of Swimming With Swim Fins
• The Science Behind Swim Caps
• Swim Gear Guide: Five Things All Swimmers Should Be Using In Their Training
• Center Mount Snorkel Explained
• How to Take Care of Your Swim Gear
• Restringing Racing Lanes – The Fast Way!
• Ordering Racing Lanes

Question: Do you need to train with swim fins?

Answer: Only if you want to become a better swimmer.

Swim Fins Make Better Swimmers

[caption id="attachment_182" align="alignright" width="165"] Need Help Choosing Swim Fin?[/caption]

Swim fins are a vital training tool for all swimmers, increasing ankle flexibility and strength for a stronger and more efficient kick, as well as providing a great workout for leg muscles. With consistent use, adding swimming fins to your workout will make you stronger and faster in the water.

Training with swim fins provides excellent results - it's truly a no-brainer and any swimmer serious about boosting their athletic performance should do it.

However, swim fin selection isn't a no-brainer. In fact, swimmers that are new to fin training often find it difficult to make an educated decision on what fins to buy, justifiably confused by the variety of fin styles on the market. There are several factors to consider before buying, including fin shape, fin length, thickness, and stiffness.

The following Fin Selection Guide makes it easy for anyone buying swimming fins for the first time to choose the right swim gear for the job.

Reviewing The Most Important Decision - Long Or Short Fin Blades?

The biggest decision is selecting fin length - and Kiefer offers both short and long fins.  The longer the fin blade, the more resistance will be added to your kicking. Kiefer recommends that beginners choose long blade fins. Slower tempos caused by the added resistance of longer fin blades means you won’t be able to kick as fast with a long blade, but this will give leg muscles additional loading for a better workout. Short blade fins promote a faster / higher kick tempo, important for freestyle and backstroke training. However, the range of motion needed to develop a strong double legged dolphin kick is best left to long fins. Ultimately, short blade fins are better suited for an experienced swimmer.

Choosing your swim fins - what model is right for me?

We recommend choosing one of five different Kiefer brand fin swim fin models to help you perfect your kick.

Long Blade Fins:

We offer two long blade fins: Kiefer Thrust and Kiefer Cruiser. Both styles offer a closed heel for a secure and comfortable fit, ensuring they stay in place during your swim. Kiefer Thrust has a moderate level of stiffness/thickness, while Kiefer Cruiser offers added stiffness/thickness. So if you are looking for a more intense workload for your legs, Cruiser is your fin. For a more standard resistance and muscle loading, choose the Thrust fin.

Short Blade Fins:

Kiefer offers three short blade fin models: Kiefer Power Fin, Kiefer Training Swim Fins, and Kiefer Silicone Training Fins. These short blade models are especially effective for training freestyle and backstroke because they improve flutter kick speed, offering considerably less resistance than long blade models. Kiefer Power Fins would be considered the standard model, essentially a shortened Thrust Fin. The Kiefer Silicone Training Fin provides added comfort over other standard rubber fins. Split blade Kiefer Training Swim Fins, slightly longer than Power Fins, provide a transitional blade length for swimmers moving away from long blade training to shorter blades.

Monofins:

Monofins are perfect for developing a Dolphin Kick, increasing both strength and range of motion. Instead of a pair of fins, the monofin is a single unit that features a single blade fin with twin foot pockets. Kiefer currently carries the Finis Foil Monofin.

I hope this helps you make an informed decision when purchasing fins. We'd love to hear what you think!

P.S. Check out more advice on using Center Mount Snorkels and read a review of Kiefer Conqueror Swim Goggles.

-Emily