Sami (Beth’s and Bill’s son), a quad amputee bilateral below knee, has been swimming with shinfinTM fins for many years, as a child to adult. The fins have adjusted as he grew and have proven strong to last many years. They make his swimming exercise so much easier and more fun. So much, that they have recommended the fins to other children and adults through the International Child Amputee Network.
Beth’s & Bill’s review from Tuscon, USA
“I want to thank you for inventing this wonderful device. My son swims for exercise and for fun and his shinfinTM fins have made this so much easier for him! Sami is now the Board President of the International Child Amputee Network (I-CAN) and we have recommended shinfinTM fins to other children and young adults through this organization.”
Beth’s & Bill’s review: Quad amputee bilateral below knee fins
“My wife Beth said that you wondered how our son Sami was doing with his fins, well here he is. Note the smile.”
“You have my permission to use the photos of my son Sami, both for individual communication and for use on your website.”
Reply
Thank you Bill, that is really helpful. Great pictures so thanks for sending them. I guess that means that the fins are working well for him. They seem to keep his body nice and horizontal. Let me know if I can help in any way.
Bill
“Not a problem, keep up the good work.”
Beth (~11 years later)
“I have just ordered another pair of shinfinTM fins for my son, a quad amputee who wears bilateral below knee prostheses. These are a replacement for the shinfinTM fins that he has worn for many years, which were unfortunately chewed up by one of our rescue dogs.”
“I want to thank you for inventing this wonderful device. My son swims for exercise and for fun and his shinfinTM fins have made this so much easier for him!”
Reply
It’s the first I’ve heard of shinfinTM fins getting chewed up by a rescue dog! So it must have strong jaws, as the fin polyurethane is really tough!
Great to hear your son has been using his fins and getting the benefits from them for so many years. Does he wear the fins on his prostheses or direct onto his stumps below his knees? I’d love to hear more about how he uses them and benefits from them, if you get a moment to email me. I’m building up that aspect of my website to help others in similar situations so all feedback really helps.
Beth
“You are welcome to put some extracts from my emails on the website. One of our rescues (we have five dogs, including Sami’s service dog) is an Anatolian Shepherd mix. He has pretty powerful jaws!”
“Sami got his first pair of shinfinTM fins when he was 10 years old. He is now 21 and in college and he’s worn them for almost eleven years. He wears them on his legs below the knee. Trying to swim in his prostheses does not work. He tried it once with an old pair and his legs floated to the surface, making it hard to keep his head above the water.”
“Sami is now the Board President of the International Child Amputee Network (I-CAN) and we have recommended shinfinTM fins to other children and young adults through this organization. Unfortunately, many families are unable to pay the cost of the fins, which are not covered by insurance.”
Reply
Thank you for your kind permission Beth. Personal recommendation is very important to help a new product like this along, so I really appreciate it.
Conclusion
shinfinTM fins adjust to fit as you grow and are strong and tough to last years. What’s more, they also adjust to fit quad amputees, single and bilateral below knee amputees and above knee amputees too. Above all, they make it much easier for you to swim for exercise, weight loss and fun. All, as in this other review, without back problems.
Other reviews show how they can be worn with a transtibial amputation, with a foot amputation and with fused ankles and clubbed feet. You can also wear them with prosthetic legs. You may also be interested in this article on swimming with fins after amputations.