Rob, a below knee amputee, finds shinfinTM fins work really well for strengthening his leg and giving better propulsion. He finds the resistance and extra propulsion from just one fin on his stump helps him strengthen that leg. However, wearing both fins gives him better overall swimming and more propulsion. This is because shinfinTM fins encourage a streamlined kick with minimal knee bend, for amputees and non-amputees. So this gives him kick power from his hips which strengthens the larger muscles in his core body, buttocks and thighs.
Rob’s review from Whitethorn, USA
“I’m doing really well with my shinfinTM fins. You might like to know I am an amputee (left, below the knee). I find that it’s best for me to just use one fin on my residual limb. Without the fin there’s not enough resistance and with it I get more propulsion than the other leg. It works really well for me. I did try it with two fins and it works good. It’s better with two. But for now I need to strengthen my one leg, so I’ll continue to use just one. It’s a great product.”
Rob’s review: Below knee amputee, propulsion & strengthening with 1& 2 fins
“Thank you, I’m doing really well with my shinfinTM fins. You might like to know I am an amputee (left, below the knee). I find that it’s best for me to just use one fin on my residual limb. Without the fin there’s not enough resistance and with it I get more propulsion than the other leg. It works really well for me. I should post a short video on the Amputee Coalition’s Facebook page soon. Thanks again.”
Reply
That’s great to hear. It is interesting that you find it best just using one fin on your residual limb. How does it feel when you do add the other fin on your other shin? Did you try wearing the other fin fairly high up on your shin, to improve symmetry? I’m curious because I think the majority of below knee amputees prefer to wear both fins. So I’d like to understand better what makes people like you prefer single fin compared to two fins. Thank you in advance for putting your video on the Amputee Coalition’s Facebook page. That is very good of you and should help others.
Rob
“My swimming appointment got cancelled this week. But when I go again I’ll make the video and see how it turns out. I’ll try with both fins to see what it’s like. I haven’t even tried that yet. I’ll let you know.”
Reply
Thanks Rob, I look forward to hearing back from you about your two fins versus one fin comparison, and to seeing your video.
Rob
Here’s the video. It got a lot of response on Amputee Coalition. You’ll probably be making some sales. I hope so, it’s a great product. Oh and I haven’t tried it with both fins on yet.
Reply
That’s great, many thanks for doing that. Good Facebook comments, including some comments from a few other shinfinTM customers too I see. I look forward to hearing how you go with both fins. Perhaps you may like to do another video or Facebook post of that, as most below knee amputees seem to use two fins. So it should help them to see that.
Rob
“I did try it with two fins and it works good. It’s better with two. But for now I need to strengthen my one leg, so I’ll continue to use just one.”
Reply
Yes, amputees usually find two fins better, like you say. And yes, to specifically strengthen one leg, using just one fin can be good too. I’d love to hear how you progress over the coming weeks whenever you get a chance to email me please. Can I ask a favour please? Would you mind if I put some extracts from your emails on the website?
Rob
“Feel free to use any part of my emails. It’s fine with me. Glad to help.”
Reply
I hope you are going well with your fins. Are you still just using one fin on your residual limb? Have you felt it getting stronger over the past few weeks? Thank you for your kind permission. Personal recommendation is very important to help a new product like this along, so I really appreciate it.
Conclusion
If you are an amputee, such as a below knee amputee (BKA), shinfinTM fins work really well for giving you better propulsion and strengthening your legs. The resistance and extra propulsion from wearing even just one fin on your stump, will help you to strengthen that leg. However, wearing both fins will give you more propulsion and a more balanced swimming style. This is because shinfinTM fins encourage kick power from your hips. So they strengthen the larger muscles in your core body, buttocks and thighs. The result is a streamlined kick with minimal bending of your knees. This applies with many types of amputations, including above knee amputations, as well as for non-amputees too of course.
These reviews illustrate shinfinTM fins worn by below knee amputees lap swimming, pool swimming with his kids again and with a clubfoot too. These other reviews are from a through knee amputee, and foot amputees learning to swim and swimming and surfing. Further reviews show the fins being used walking and snorkeling with both ankles fused and after a knee replacement.