8 Best Bodyboard Fins of 2020: Duck, Dolphin, Orca Tails
Photo: Cressi
Fins are very important in bodyboarding. Like many other water-sports, fins make it easier to navigate the waters when paddling out or catching a wave.
Bodyboard fins are available in different styles, sizes, and designs. They are available for kids and adults, as well as with different blade stiffnesses, adjustment systems, and floating capacities. This variety often confuses and makes it a little harder to choose.
But in this bodyboard fins review, you'll learn how to make the right choice from the many offers out there. Plus, the list of the market's top offers below will help you to narrow things down.
8 Best Bodyboard Fins – Review
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PRODUCT |
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1. DaFin Swimfins (Best Overall) |
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2. U.S Divers 240930 (Best Budget) |
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3. Cressi Adult (Best with Full-foot Pocket) |
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4. Voit Swimfins (Best with Duck Feet) |
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5. Churchhill Makapuu (Dolphin Tail Fins) |
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6. Hydro Tech 2 (Bright & Colorful) |
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7. MS Viper (Delta Tail Fins) |
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8. Dorsal Swimfins (Orca Tail Fins) |
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PRODUCT |
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1. DaFin Swimfins (Best Overall)
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2. U.S Divers 240930 (Best Budget)
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3. Cressi Adult (Best with Full-foot Pocket)
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4. Voit Swimfins (Best with Duck Feet)
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5. Churchhill Makapuu (Dolphin Tail Fins)
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6. Hydro Tech 2 (Bright & Colorful)
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7. MS Viper (Delta Tail Fins)
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8. Dorsal Swimfins (Orca Tail Fins)
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1. DaFin Swimfins – Best Overall Bodyboard Fins
Photo: DaFin
- Sizes: 1 to 17.5
- Material: Natural rubber
- Floats: Yes
- Weight: 3.0 pounds
Made from lightweight natural rubber, this set of bodyboard fins float in the ocean, while being soft and comfortable to wear. They can also be worn on either foot and are endorsed by the U.S. lifesaving association of professional beach lifeguards, making them the best overall bodyboard fins on this list.
DaFin makes this set of fins available in different sizes, ranging from US size 1 to 17.5. They are also available in different colors and patterns, so you can pick out the pair that best suits you.
Further features include the side rails and v-curved blade tips that make it easier to control your thrusts. They combine with the blade's stiffness to offer better acceleration and speed with as little energy as possible.
It would have been great if the straps are adjustable, so you can get a super-tight fit, but they still fit very well, once you put on the right size.
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2. U.S. Divers 240930 – Best Budget Bodyboard Fins
Photo: U.S. Divers
- Sizes: 4 to 13
- Material: Rubber and plastic
- Floats: Yes
- Weight: 3.0 pounds
These U.S. Divers fins have two features going for them. The first is their adjustable straps, which make it easier to get the perfect fit, while the second feature is their low and attractive price that makes them the best cheap bodyboard fins on this list.
They are also adult fins, designed to fit sizes 4 to 13 and featuring a metallic red color that stands out anywhere. The blades feature a dual composite rubber and plastic design, that lets it channel water efficiently, thus saving your energy.
Back to this rubber and plastic combination, they are two materials that often don't last long together, so this might be a cause for concern. But U.S. Divers covers this offer with a 2-year warranty, so it must be good.
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3. Cressi Adult – Best Full-foot Pocket Bodyboard Fins
Photo: Cressi
- Sizes: 4 to 14
- Material: Polymer
- Floats: No
- Weight: 2 pounds
Cressi is one of the world's best brands when it comes to diving, and they seem to be proving themselves with this full-foot pocket bodyboard fins, a unique offering on this list.
While other bodyboard fins offer the simple strap to hold your feet inside, Cressi offers this foot pocket that both protects the entire foot and also helps to transform your every move into a thrust. A 2-way gain for you.
Cressi makes them using a lightweight polymer and they are available in four colors, including this blue/azure , yellow/black , white/silver , and blue .
The only issue you might find with them is that they don't float. So you may want to consider securing them with a leash, so you don't lose them if they fall off.
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4. Voit Swimfins – Best Duck Feet Bodyboard Fins
Photo: Voit
- Sizes: 1 to 13
- Material: Rubber
- Floats: Yes
- Weight: 3.4 pounds
Popular for over 70 years, these rubber fins have proven their worth time and again. Voit makes them using a dual rubber composite of 100% natural rubber, and they can float without issues.
They come into their legendary green and blue colors and offer a soft foot pocket with a softer rubber and a stiff blade from the harder rubber. For size, they will fit everyone from kids to adults up to US size 13, also making them one of the best kids bodyboard fins.
Where they lag is in their weight because they are the heaviest on this list. But then, they are only a few ounces heavier than the next fins. Voit also offers two versions of these fins, in addition to this Duck Feet version, they are the UDT and the V-Duck fins.
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5. Churchhill Makapuu – Dolphin Tail Bodyboard Fins
Photo: Churchhill
- Sizes: 5 to 14.5
- Material: Rubber
- Floats: No
- Weight: 3 pounds
Churchhill's Makapuu fins are a unique set that features a dolphin tail design with a blue and yellow color combination that stands out from the rest.
They are among the best bodyboard flippers for those who want something a bit more traditional and with lots of power. These fins provide a powerful kick, coming from their stiffer blades and overall design.
Churchhill also makes them using natural rubber, so you're guaranteed comfort for your feet. They also include drainage holes for the easier escape of water, sand, and rocks.
The only thing they can't do is to float. But you can always secure them with a leash and the problem is solved. Each pair comes with a mesh carry bag as a bonus to make them one of the best bodyboard fins on the market.
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6. Hydro Tech 2 – Bright & Colorful Bodyboard Fins
Photo: Hydro
- Sizes: 4 to 15
- Material: T-form silicone
- Floats: No
- Weight: 3.2 pounds
Here comes a set of bodyboard fins made from a revolutionary new silicone-based material, called T-form. This material is bright, colorful, super-soft, and flexible.
It will both flex and twist when you kick, giving the expert user the natural ability of many aquatic creatures. They are also asymmetric, which means each fin is either design for the left or the right foot, and they come in a range of sizes from US size 4 to 15.
Another nice thing about these fins is their available colors, and this includes ice blue , tang/navy , and acid yellow , which are all very bright colors and great for excitement seekers.
But like every other new stuff, there's no telling if a user could encounter allergies or something else, with this T-form silicone material. You could, however, wear socks for protection.
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7. MS Viper – Delta Tail Bodyboard Fins
Photo: MS Viper
- Sizes: 3 to 15
- Material: Rubber
These MS Viper bodyboarding fins are born out of a collaboration between Viper, the fin making company, and Mike Stewart, the legendary body-boarder. So the MS stands for his name.
The fins feature wider and shorter blades for quicker acceleration, enabling you to react quickly to changes in the waves. The sidewalls are also beveled and feature delta tails for maximum control, making them one of the best swim fins for bodyboarding.
They are made from 100% rubber and this guarantees both soft foot pockets and that the fins float well and are visible in most conditions.
What's not so great about these fins are their price and how they look. They are the costliest on this list and don't look nice. But remember they are designed by a body-boarding legend, and that's all that should matter.
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8.
Dorsal Swimfins
– Orca Tail Bodyboard Fins
Photo: Dorsal
- Sizes: 4 to 13
- Material: Rubber
- Floats: Yes
- Weight: 3.1 pounds
Also made from natural rubber, these Dorsal bodyboard fins feature an orca tail design for maximum performance, including stronger thrusts and faster speeds.
Being 100% Malaysian rubber also makes them float, plus they have drainage holes to let water and rocks escape easily. This keeps the soft rubber foot pockets comfortable while you are body-boarding.
These fins also come with angled rails and blade rail ridges to maximize their performance in the water by transferring as much force as possible from the feet.
No doubt, these are nice fins and they also work well. But, that's only if you don't mind their rather unpleasing color combination. If you don't mind, then they are one of the best bodyboard fins out there and a great buy.
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How to Buy the Best Bodyboard Fins
Photo: Churchill
1. Size
Comfort is very important when it comes to fins, so you need to get the right fin size for your feet. All manufacturers list their fins' sizes and these can range from US sizes 1 through 15. You just need to get the fins that are the best fit for your feet.
Another issue that concerns size is the fin's blade size. Some fins come with smaller blades while others come with longer blades. You should know that shorter blades produce smaller but faster thrusts, while longer blades are better for longer paddle outs are easier to control.
2. Material
You'll find bodyboard fins made from a variety of materials, ranging from rubber to plastics, and silicone. Each material has its advantages and disadvantages, so none is practically better than the rest.
Rubber, for instance, produces soft and comfortable foot pockets, but many will find rubber blades to be too soft. Plastic blades are stiffer in this regard, but plastic makes less comfortable foot pockets. Some materials make the float, while fins from other materials will sink.
Some manufacturers combine two or more materials in making their fins, to get the benefits of each material where needed. And as you can imagine, your choice here is a personal decision.
3. Performance
Many factors determine a bodyboard fin's performance, so you may want to learn the most important ones and keep an eye out for them when making your choice.
One factor that affects performance is stiffness because stiffer blades produce more thrust. Another factor is design, and it's a complex factor because there are so many design variations that produce specific results, such as the duck feet of the Voit bodyboard fins , the orca tail of the Dorsal bodyboard fins , and other delta designs.
Other performance features to consider include drainage holes in the fins to get rid of debris and improve your efficiency, a traction grip bottom to help with slippery terrain, and the manufacturer's choice of materials.
4. Comfort
The solution to a comfortable set of fins is the snug fit. You don't want fins that fit too tightly, either do you want fins that fit too loosely.
If the fins fit too tightly, then you'll face getting cramps and other forms of discomfort. If the fins are too loose, then you face getting fin rubs and less efficient thrusts.
Keep in mind that new fins that you're not used to might initially give you blisters, but these should go away after a while, else, something 's wrong. Also remember that the fins will loosen a bit after they've been broken in, just like shoes. And, you can always use neoprene socks or fin pads to get a perfectly snug fit.
5. Extra Equipment
Extra gear for your body-boarding success includes stuff like socks, fin pads, fin savers, or any other item you may find helpful. The important issue is that you are comfortable and safe while bodyboarding.
How to Use Bodyboard Fins
Photo: Churchill
There are four major stages:
1. Paddling
There are many options here. You can either use just your arms if things are quiet and keep your fins out of the water. You can also use only the fins, and in this case, you have to grab your bodyboard's nose with both hands and let your legs do the job.
When you need to move fast, however, you can use both your arms and your legs/fins. Simply position your chest a few inches backward from the regular position, and then paddle with all four limbs.
2. Duck Diving
Your fins can also be quite helpful when duck diving because they can help you to get maximum acceleration. As you approach the incoming whitewater, you have to push your board's nose down and kick the fins for maximum thrust, to get on the other side of the wave.
3. Catching Waves
To catch waves, you have to paddle with all fours, but keep your head low. This will propel you as fast as possible into the wave while keeping the board flat.
4. Riding the Waves
Fins can also work as a rudder to steer your board or as a brake to slow things down when you think you're going too fast. There's no universal rule here because everyone has different skill levels and many body-boarders will keep their legs entirely out of the water.
Conclusion
We've reached the end of this bodyboard fins review and you've seen all the exciting and impressive offers out there, including the nice and colorful, the soft, and the stiffer fins. Now it's your turn to choose.
For a quick and simple choice, we recommend the overall best fins here, the DaFin Swimfins offer. They are made from rubber, are offered at a reasonable price, and are available in many colors.
If you are on a budget, then why not check out this U.S. Divers 240930 fins ? They feature a rubber and plastic construction, adjustable straps with a safety leash, and a 2-year warranty backing, all at a very low price.
And for those who need safe full-foot pocket fins, we recommend this Cressi Adult bodyboard fins , with their 2-pound lightweight polymer construction, low price, and availability in four colors.
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8 Best Bodyboard Fins – Review
- 1. DaFin Swimfins – Best Overall Bodyboard Fins
- 2. U.S. Divers 240930 – Best Budget Bodyboard Fins
- 3. Cressi Adult – Best Full-foot Pocket Bodyboard Fins
- 4. Voit Swimfins – Best Duck Feet Bodyboard Fins
- 5. Churchhill Makapuu – Dolphin Tail Bodyboard Fins
- 6. Hydro Tech 2 – Bright & Colorful Bodyboard Fins
- 7. MS Viper – Delta Tail Bodyboard Fins
- 8. Dorsal Swimfins – Orca Tail Bodyboard Fins
- How to Buy the Best Bodyboard Fins
- How to Use Bodyboard Fins
- Conclusion
