Misc

8 Best Bodyboard Fins of 2020: Duck, Dolphin, Orca Tails

Best Bodyboard Fins

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

IMAGE

PRODUCT

FEATURES

DaFin Swimfins

1. DaFin Swimfins (Best Overall)

  • Natural rubber fins with top design
  • Endorsed by U.S. beach lifeguards
  • Comes in all sizes from 1 to 17.5
  • Also available in nine colors and designs
VIEW ON AMAZON
U.S. Divers 240930

2. U.S Divers 240930 (Best Budget)

  • Stylish bodyboard fins in red and black
  • Offered at a low and attractive price
  • Fully adjustable safety straps
  • Comes with a 2-year warranty
VIEW ON AMAZON
Cressi Adult

3. Cressi Adult (Best with Full-foot Pocket)

  • Unique fin design with full-foot pockets
  • Very soft and lightweight material
  • Backed by a 2-year warranty
VIEW ON AMAZON
Voit Swimfins

4. Voit Swimfins (Best with Duck Feet)

  • Duck feet rubber bodyboarding fins
  • Available from sizes 1 to 13
  • Fully floating rubber design
  • With soft foot pockets
VIEW ON AMAZON
Churchhill Makapuu

5. Churchhill Makapuu (Dolphin Tail Fins)

  • Dolphin tail fins with a powerful kick
  • Made from soft and comfortable rubber
  • Includes a bonus mesh bag
  • Available in many sizes
VIEW ON AMAZON
Hydro Tech 2

6. Hydro Tech 2 (Bright & Colorful)

  • Bright and colorful silicone material
  • The material is also comfortable and strong
  • Comes in different sizes
  • Also available in different colors and patterns
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MS Viper

7. MS Viper (Delta Tail Fins)

  • 100% natural rubber bodyboard fins
  • Features a short blade with delta tail design
  • Beveled sides offer more control
  • With drainage to remove sand and particles
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Dorsal Swimfins

8. Dorsal Swimfins (Orca Tail Fins)

  • Features a unique orca tail design
  • 100% floating rubber construction
  • Designed for more thrust & speed
VIEW ON AMAZON

PRODUCT

1. DaFin Swimfins

(Best Overall)

DaFin Swimfins
  • Natural rubber fins with top design
  • Endorsed by U.S. beach lifeguards
  • Comes in all sizes from 1 to 17.5
  • Also available in nine colors and designs
VIEW ON AMAZON

2. U.S Divers 240930

(Best Budget)

U.S. Divers 240930
  • Stylish bodyboard fins in red and black
  • Offered at a low and attractive price
  • Fully adjustable safety straps
  • Comes with a 2-year warranty
VIEW ON AMAZON

3. Cressi Adult

(Best with Full-foot Pocket)

Cressi Adult
  • Unique fin design with full-foot pockets
  • Very soft and lightweight material
  • Backed by a 2-year warranty
VIEW ON AMAZON

4. Voit Swimfins

(Best with Duck Feet)

Voit Swimfins
  • Duck feet rubber bodyboarding fins
  • Available from sizes 1 to 13
  • Fully floating rubber design
  • With soft foot pockets
VIEW ON AMAZON

5. Churchhill Makapuu

(Dolphin Tail Fins)

Churchhill Makapuu
  • Dolphin tail fins with a powerful kick
  • Made from soft and comfortable rubber
  • Includes a bonus mesh bag
  • Available in many sizes
VIEW ON AMAZON

6. Hydro Tech 2

(Bright & Colorful)

Hydro Tech 2
  • Bright and colorful silicone material
  • The material is also comfortable and strong
  • Comes in different sizes
  • Also available in different colors and patterns
VIEW ON AMAZON

7. MS Viper

(Delta Tail Fins)

MS Viper
  • 100% natural rubber bodyboard fins
  • Features a short blade with delta tail design
  • Beveled sides offer more control
  • With drainage to remove sand and particles
VIEW ON AMAZON

8. Dorsal Swimfins

(Orca Tail Fins)

Dorsal Swimfins
  • Features a unique orca tail design
  • 100% floating rubber construction
  • Designed for more thrust & speed
VIEW ON AMAZON

1. DaFin Swimfins – Best Overall Bodyboard Fins

DaFin Swimfins

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.

Pros:

  • Top-quality natural rubber fins
  • Endorsed by U.S. beach lifeguards
  • Available in all sizes from 1 to 17.5
  • Also available in nine colors and designs

Cons:

  • They are not adjustable but fit well
Check Price on Amazon

2. U.S. Divers 240930 – Best Budget Bodyboard Fins

U.S. Divers 240930

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.

Pros:

  • Nicely designed and adjustable bodyboard fins
  • Offered at a low and attractive price
  • Includes a built-in leash system
  • Backed by a 2-year warranty

Cons:

  • Rubber and plastic don't last well together
Check Price on Amazon

3. Cressi Adult – Best Full-foot Pocket Bodyboard Fins

Cressi Adult

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.

Pros:

  • Unique fin design with full-foot pockets
  • More lightweight than most others
  • Comes in four color combinations
  • Covered by Cressi's 2-year warranty

Cons:

  • They don't float, so you need a leash
Check Price on Amazon

4. Voit Swimfins – Best Duck Feet Bodyboard Fins

Voit Swimfins

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.

Pros:

  • Rubber fins with duck feet design
  • Available from sizes 1 to 13
  • Fully floating bodyboarding fins
  • Features soft & comfortable foot pockets

Cons:

  • It's one of the heaviest here, although just slightly
Check Price on Amazon

5. Churchhill Makapuu – Dolphin Tail Bodyboard Fins

Churchhill Makapuu

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.

Pros:

  • Comfortable rubber fins with a powerful kick
  • Designed in a dolphin tail shape
  • Comes with a bonus carry mesh bag
  • Available in many sizes

Cons:

  • They can sink quickly
Check Price on Amazon

6. Hydro Tech 2 – Bright & Colorful Bodyboard Fins

Hydro Tech 2

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.

Pros:

  • Made from a bright and colorful silicone material
  • The material is also comfortable and strong
  • Offers a wide size availability
  • Available in different colors and patterns

Cons:

  • This material is new and could have unforeseen issues
  • They also don't float
Check Price on Amazon

7. MS Viper – Delta Tail Bodyboard Fins

MS Viper

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.

Pros:

  • Made from 100% natural rubber
  • Features a delta tail design for better control
  • Beveled sides provide more control
  • Includes drainage for sand and pebbles

Cons:

  • The fins don't look visually attractive
  • They are the costliest here
Check Price on Amazon

8. Dorsal Swimfins – Orca Tail Bodyboard Fins

Dorsal Swimfins

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.

Pros:

  • Features a unique orca tail design
  • 100% rubber construction and it floats
  • Designed to produce more thrust & speed
  • Features drainage holes in each fin

Cons:

  • The colors are dull and unimpressive
  • Adjustable straps would have been nice
Check Price on Amazon

How to Buy the Best Bodyboard Fins

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

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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