Categories
All fin reviews

Broken ankle rehabilitation swimming & snorkeling fins


After breaking her ankle, Betsy is so glad she had her shinfinTM fins for quick rehabilitation swimming, and then for swimming and snorkeling in Hawaii. Because they strap above her ankles, they don’t stress her ankle joint like regular foot flippers. The fins also allow her to recover from ankle replacement surgery, by minimising stress on her new ankle whilst allowing supple ankle movement. As an extra benefit, she found her shinfinTM fins take up less luggage room than regular snorkeling fins. This is because shinfinTM fins do not need a foot pocket, so they are flatter, stronger and lighter.

Betsy’s review from Cincinnati, USA

“I have used my shinfinTM fins on several trips to Hawaii, and couldn’t be happier. So glad I bought them! After I broke my ankle, I used the shinfinTM fins to help rehabilitate in my neighbor’s pool. And it was important for me to rehabilitate quickly, because I had a trip planned to visit my son in Hawaii – where I was able to walk, swim, and snorkel!”

“I’m so grateful that I found your website, and I think your product could be helpful for a lot of other people. An added benefit of shinfinTM fins is that they take up less room in my luggage than snorkel fins. Thanks again!”

Continue reading “Broken ankle rehabilitation swimming & snorkeling fins”
Categories
All fin reviews

National team freestyle training fins


Yiannis’ daughter uses her shinfinTM fins for freestyle swim training and is a member of the National Swimming Team of Cyprus. They help her to train for better freestyle swimming because they encourage her to kick from her hips with a streamlined kick, keeping her body horizontal in the water. As shinfinTM fins are so adjustable, they fit her even though she is very tall and has very thin feet. This is because the fins flex to wrap around her leg and the straps adjust to secure the fins snugly above her ankles. In contrast, she found that no regular foot flippers fit.

Yiannis’ review from Nicosia, Cyprus

“The shinfinTM fins are the perfect solution for my daughter, gold medal at freestyle and member of Cyprus National Team. Because she is very tall and has very thin feet, none of the regular swim flippers were fitting! Now she uses shinfinTM fins everyday for training!! Thanks. I think you must advertise more this magic solution!!” 

National swim team freestyle training with shinfinTM fins
Continue reading “National team freestyle training fins”
Categories
All fin reviews

Two fused ankles: lake & pool swimming fins


With two fused ankles, Dave’s shinfinTM fins allow him to enjoy his pool and lake swimming again. Now, with the stronger kick from his fins, he swims freestyle faster. Furthermore, he can turn his head more easily to breathe. He also uses his fins to swim back crawl and breaststroke arms with a dolphin kick. Like other people with fused ankles, Dave finds it more comfortable to adjust the position of his fins to be a little higher up his shin, so that the fin tips reach about the middle of his feet. Overall, he finds his shinfinTM fins to be well-designed, unique and valuable.

Dave’s review from Baraboo, US

“I have two fused ankles, and because I can’t point my feet parallel to my legs, my freestyle kick was very ineffective. Thanks to shinfinTM fins, I can swim freestyle enjoyably again! I’d forgotten how a strong kick is necessary for easily turning my head to breathe. Thank you for producing a unique and valuable product. I’m finding that if I pull them up just a little higher than the normal position, they work well. With freestyle and back crawl, the shinfinTM fins give me a big boost in speed. With breaststroke, I’ve figured out a sort of bent-knee dolphin kick that works adequately. Thank you for making a well-designed product.”

Continue reading “Two fused ankles: lake & pool swimming fins”
Categories
All fin reviews

Feet disabilities: para-swim training fins


Owen, with disabilities in both feet, has been para-swim training with his shinfinTM fins for about five years. They adjust to fit on his legs. He has been so successful, that he has reached number one UK rankings in his para-classification. These include 50 metres freestyle, 100 metres freestyle and 100 metres breastroke. He is also captain of the University of Nottingham swimming team and on the England Para-swimming Talent Development squad. Owen finds shinfinTM fins extremely helpful for improving his kick action because they lift his thighs and body horizontal. This gives him the best swimming style. Furthermore, he finds them extremely helpful for improving his leg strength because they encourage proper kick power from his hips.

Owen’s review from Nottingham, UK

“shinfinTM fins have been extremely helpful in helping improve my kick action and leg strength, letting me participate in sessions I previously wasn’t able to.”

Mark (father): “So, thank you. The fins have been really effective and they allow Owen to train with able-bodied swimmers. We purchased two pairs of shinfinTM fins and Owen hasn’t looked back since. Now when kicking drills are ordered in training, he can match the able-bodied swimmers and the session is no longer an exercise in disheartening futility!”

Champion para-swimmer wearing shinfin™ fins
Champion para-swimmer wearing shinfinTM fins
Continue reading “Feet disabilities: para-swim training fins”
Categories
All fin reviews

Residual limb water exercise fin


Rachel finds her shinfinTM fins great for moving better in the water, and for exercising her residual limb to build strength ready for using a prosthetic. She likes wearing one fin on her below knee amputation stump and kicking holding a float in front of her. Kicking with just her residual limb ensures that it does all the work. Furthermore, she finds this technique also builds her core strength because her core strength stops her rotating in the water. When she tried kicking without her shinfinTM fin, she found she didn’t seem to move anywhere! Later, she also started using her shinfinTM fin for front crawl, enjoying going faster. She plans to experiment wearing two shinfinTM fins in the pool, and also to swim in the sea.

Rachel’s tibia is slightly protruding at the end of her stump. So she wears a modified diving sock to pad her stump, to stop it rubbing on the fin. Padding options include stump socks, neoprene knee supports and sleeves, wetsuits, and sleeves cut from wetsuit legs, arms and socks.

Rachel’s review from Oxford, UK

“I’ve been enjoying using the shinfinTM fin, which has enabled me to exercise my residual limb more and to move better in the water. So I wanted to find a way to exercise my residual limb, by increasing it’s resistance in the water, to maintain and build strength ready for using a prosthetic. Swimming with a float, leaving my healthy leg floating in the water, so my residual limb has to do all of the work. Initially, I tried doing this without a shinfinTM fin, but I didn’t seem to move anywhere!”

“You recommend wearing shinfinTM fins on both legs. I haven’t done this yet, because I specifically wanted to work my residual limb really hard. Also, I find when swimming with just one shinfinTM fin, that I am using my core strength to stop me rotating in the water, which is also very useful exercise!”

6 months later: “I’m getting on really well with the fin. I still only wear one and I mainly use it to exercise my residual limb, by swimming with a float and only using that leg. I’ve started doing a few lengths front crawl and I enjoy being able to go faster. I’m slowly increasing the number of lengths I do with the fin. It’s a great product and I’m really glad I found it.”

Continue reading “Residual limb water exercise fin”
Categories
All fin reviews

Swim fin changed my life: below knee amputee


Tracy is a below knee amputee whose shinfinTM swim fin has changed her life. She absolutely loves the improvement in her swimming style and the increase in speed. What’s more, her leg muscles, balance and mobility have all improved too. This is because shinfinTM fins encourage her to kick from her hips, strengthening the muscles in her thighs, buttocks and torso. They also encourage constant speed throughout her stroke. So Tracy swims about a mile most days, summer and winter.

Tracy’s review from Cedar Rapids, USA

“Thank you swim fin! I’m a below the knee amputee and use your fin just about every day. It’s made a difference in my mobility. The fin has helped my leg (Stella) develop muscle a lot faster than just walking. My balance has improved 300%. I recommended trying the fin out! You’ll be surprised at the results and it happens quickly. I swim a mile just about every day and my time improved by 8 minutes. In just a month!!!”

One shinfin™ fin changed her life: below knee amputee
One shinfinTM fin changed her life: below knee amputee
Continue reading “Swim fin changed my life: below knee amputee”
Categories
All fin reviews

Short stump propulsion below knee amputee fins


Steve, a below knee amputee, definitely feels the extra propulsion from fitting one shinfinTM fin on his short 6 inch stump and the other fin on his other leg. This is because both fins combine to smooth his swimming stroke. They streamline his entire body and give him a smooth propulsion throughout his kick. They work so well that he finds he needs to tell his amputee friends, and others too.

Steve’s review from Newhall, USA

“My amputation is 6 inches below the knee. I could definitely feel the difference, mostly in the amount of additional propulsion. Yea, I really like these suckers. I try to promote them all the time. They work so well, I feel I need to let ohers know about them, especially my amputee friends. They are the bomb.”

Continue reading “Short stump propulsion below knee amputee fins”
Categories
All fin reviews

Better kicking technique, faster snorkeling fins


Andrew loves the better kick technique that shinfinTM fins give him for more efficient, faster snorkeling. This is because shinfinTM fins encourage him to kick with power from his hips and a smooth, streamlined technique. He found this new shinfinTM kick to be very different to his kick when snorkeling with his old foot fins.

Andrew’s review from Melbourne, Australia

“Loved the fins. Took a while to get used to them but once I was kicking differently they were surprisingly fast. Already they have proven their worth for reef snorkeling. I found I was much more efficient and faster since using the shinfinTM fins and the kicking technique was much better!”

Continue reading “Better kicking technique, faster snorkeling fins”
Categories
All fin reviews

Better kick, stroke, breathing & endurance: technique fins


Over many years, the swim technique encouraged by shinfinTM fins has given Rick a better kick, improved stroke, relaxed breathing and a dramatic increase in endurance. He tends to swim freestyle about 5-6 km a week, fitness swimming in pools and in the ocean. What’s more, these benefits carry over to his no-fins swimming style too. This all flows on from the better aligned, streamlined horizontal body position that he feels the fins promoting. Importantly, he feels the incredible workout in his thighs, glutes and abdomen because the fins guide him to kick from his hips. Rick can see clearly that regular foot fins don’t come close in comparison.

Rick’s review from Perth, Australia

“Thank you for prompt service and a great product. By the second session I was already noticing marked improvement in my kick, but also more generally in my stroke and breathing, as a flow-on from the better aligned body position the fins promote. What I hadn’t really considered (the added bonus I suppose) is the dramatic improvement in my endurance, allowing me to extend my lap distance each session. And my no-fins kick is also improving. So, good on you for taking a strong concept all the way through the process of invention and manufacture, to realise an extraordinary Aussie design innovation.”

4 months later: “I’m still using my shinfinTM fins three times every week, swimming an average of 5-6 km a week at present. I’ve found them kind of addictive! My endurance has improved dramatically, and so has my general fitness. I’m now much more relaxed in the water, and breathing smoothly and easily. The improved horizontality of body position has helped me work on my freestyle stroke, to streamline my swim technique. I’ve been able to really concentrate on technical aspects of my stroke, like kick beat, or bilateral breathing. The long, slow, strong 2-beat kick provides an incredible workout for my abdomen, glutes, thighs, and even my shoulders, as my arms are working stronger, to maintain momentum. I’m happy to help encourage more people to adopt shinfinTM fins, because I believe in the quality of the design and product!”

4 years later: “I swear by the fins, for promoting a good horizontal body position, improving my stroke and working my thighs, quads and glutes. Regular fins don’t come close in comparison.”

Continue reading “Better kick, stroke, breathing & endurance: technique fins”
Categories
All fin reviews

Easier, comfort, stand on sandbars: body surfing fins


Kevin enjoys the comfort and easier body surfing with shinfinTM fins, including entering the surf and standing on sandbars to catch waves. In particular, he feels his kick uses his legs, in contrast to kicking using his feet with foot fins for many years. This is because shinfinTM fins encourge a streamlined kick from his hips. So he is very happy with them.

Kevin’s review from Sydney, Australia

“I’m enjoying the comfort after being a long time “foot fin” wearer. I mainly use them to body surf and it really is a lot easier with the shinfinTM fins. I can enter the surf a lot easier, stand on sandbars. Very happy. Happy to support a great Australian product. By the way, just returned from the beach and a session of body surfing. Really getting used to them now.”

Continue reading “Easier, comfort, stand on sandbars: body surfing fins”