Hollis F1 Fin Review

October 8th, 2009

Fins are where the rubber meets the water. Given that human-powered propulsion gets most of us around underwater (scooters are fun too), fins are an integral part of a diver’s gear kit. A few years ago I offered up a comparative review of a number of good performing fins, including the Mares Plana Avanti Quattro, ScubaPro Jet fin, ScubaPro Twin Speed, ScubaPro Twin Jet, Atomic Aquatics SplitFin, and finally, the Apollo Bio-Fin and Bio-Fin XT. The winner in that review (for best cold water fin) was the Apollo Bio-Fin XT – which had just enough thrust, ergonomics and maneuverability to edge out the others.

As a testament to the Bio-Fin XT, I’d been diving them ever since. Actually, I still own two pairs of them and they’re still great. However, from once diving singles and doubles and taking photos with point & shoot underwater cameras, to now diving a CCR with bailout and an underwater DSLR (a.k.a. “The Death Star”), I started the search for a fin that was capable of moving more weight and drag through the water.

Trying out the fins typically used by the majority of technical divers, who traditionally carry a lot of gear and therefore deal with increased drag, I didn’t find much that appealed to me. The Turtle fin pockets were way too soft for me (I hear that you get used to them) and the Jet Fin’s foot pocket was way too small and narrow. Neither of them have changed much over the years, as fin design and materials have continued to evolve. For some reason, most of the advancements seem to hit the tropical-oriented fins (I’m currently diving the Mares Volo Power, in warm-water).

Then, at last year’s Northwest Dive Expo, I came upon the Hollis F1 fins. These immediately stood out to me as the first technically-oriented paddle fin to have evolved in the past several years. Don’t let the sleek design fool you. Hollis did not reinvent the wheel here. The F1 employs a familiar, basic form-factor that has kept the Turtle and Jet fins at the top of the list for most divers who explore cold water for years. But, it does so with refined features and characteristics, such as the material used, drainage holes and integrated spring straps with a nice, large finger loop.

Here are the main selling points of the F1s, from Hollis:

• High grade, heavy duty rubber construction
• Angled strap mounts for comfort and a better transition of power
• Spring heel straps w/ easy-grip heel tab
• Multiple strap mounting positions for a fine tuned fit
• Vented blade to reduce stress while accelerating water over the blade
• Generous foot pocket

After about 30-40 dives with these fins, I have to admit that Hollis hit the mark with these. The foot pocket is quite a bit bigger than those of my Bio-Fin XT, so it took a little getting used to, but nowhere as soft as the Turtle’s foot pocket. The spring straps are designed really well, and the huge finger loop at the rear makes it a snap to get them on/off. These paddle fins have just the right amount of flex, allowing you to kick efficiently, with great maneuverability – but at the same time they also provide the necessary amount of power and thrust to make the most out of every kick, when burdened with large load of dive gear and the inherent drag a drysuit imposes. The drain holes are a nice, commonsense feature that is lacking in some other fins, and you’ll appreciate being quickly relieved of the water (and corresponding weight) once you pull yourself out of the water, fins in hand.

In conclusion: if you’re in search of a traditional-style paddle fin that deals well with a heavy gear configuration, especially in cold water, look no further than the Hollis F1.

A Second Opinion

A little over a month after the original publishing of this review, I thought I’d ask my dive buddy about his opinion of the Hollis F1 Fins. The following is an account by guest-reviewer and frequent dive buddy, Joshua Smith:

When I first started diving, I bought a pair of fins that my instructor recommended- they happened to be the Apollo bio- fins. (The now famous “split-fin”)They were fine at first- when you’re new to diving, you don’t have much to go by for comparison, of course. As I got a few dives into my logbook, and started looking around at my new dive buddies’ gear, I noticed that my friend Calvin had Apollo fins like mine, but slightly different- they were the “XT” version- stiffer than the regular ones, and with spring straps. After borrowing his for a dive, I immediately went out and bought a pair.

As I progressed in my diving education, I started to dive much bulkier double tanks, usually with a stage bottle slung on my side. I quickly learned that bulk and weight are the Achilles heel of split fins. As mass and drag increase, their performance decreases. I started trying to find a paddle-type fin that would work for me. Many of my friends swear by the age-old Scubapro Jetfin. I bought a pair that was too small, sold them, and bought a pair that was too big. Apparently, I’m a guy with in-between sized feet, even though I wear a size 9.5 shoe. I dive in a drysuit as well- but so do my Jetfin lovin’ buddies. Then, I spotted a pair of Turtle fins in a dive shop. They look very similar to Jets, but they’re made of softer material. I went home and brought my drysuit back to the dive shop, and put it on before trying on the fins- a step I had neglected with my other fin purchases, and one I highly recommend! They fit like a dream, and I’ve been diving them ever since. I have something like 250 dives in them now.

But I’ve never been 100% sold on them. They’re good fins- but they are softer than I would like them to be. They’ve always felt a little bit “mooshy” on my feet, and seem to lack “fine tuned” control. Once again, my friend Calvin showed me a different path. He’s been a committed Bio-fin XT user, even as we moved into Rebreather diving together. But a Rebreather with multiple slung stage bottles and a big-ass camera finally overwhelmed his love of the XTs. At a dive expo last year, he pointed out the Hollis F1 fins to me. I thought they looked very interesting- they have many of the same design features of Jetfins and Turtles, but with a sleeker, more modern presentation. And the stiffness of the fin is somewhere in between the “Sheet of plywood” feel of the Jetfin, and the “overcooked pasta” feel of the turtles. I was intrigued.

Calvin bought a pair as soon as they were available, and loved them immediately. Last weekend, we got together for the first dive we’d done together in way too long, and he generously offered to switch fins with me. I say “generously” because I know he doesn’t like my Turtles! I didn’t hesitate very long to accept his offer. We did a fun hour long dive that day, and I was pretty impressed with the performance of these new fins. They fit my foot better than any fin I have ever dived. They’re very responsive in the water, without making me feel like I have a steel garbage can lid riveted to my boot. The stock spring straps are well designed, beefy, and secure. They seem to have combined all the best features of Jets and Turtle fins with none of the features I dislike- and did I mention that they look cool?

I guess the best testimonial I can give the F1 is to tell you that I’m ordering a pair tomorrow.

By Joshua Smith, CCR Trimix Diver

Entry Filed under: Gear, SCUBA