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Freestyle fin reviews

Freestyle & backstroke: cerebral palsy paraswimming training

shinfin^TM fins have been a game changer for Alyssa, who has mixed type cerebral palsy and uses them for her backstroke and freestyle paraswimming training. Previously, she had no kick power because she could not point her toes and could only bicycle kick. After using shinfin^TM fins for only one month, they helped her learn to kick from her hips and keep her feet horizontal. So much so, that even without the fins she can now kick a length on her back. This is because shinfin^TM fins help Alyssa to imprint the new smooth, streamlined kick pattern into her muscle memory.

Sarah’s review from Airdrie, Canada

“I purchased these fins for my daughter who has mixed type cerebral palsy and is a 5 classification for paraswimming. She is unable to point her toes, therefore kicking propulsion is nonexistent. She has been working on kicking to improve her body position rather than power and learning to not bicycle was difficult. After wearing shinfin^TM fins for a month, she is learning to kick from her hips and can can now kick a length on her back without the fins. These fins have been a game changer for her training, for keeping her feet horizontal and learning to kick from her hips. Thanks Marc“
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Triathlon training: bilateral below knee amputee

Hannah really loves her shinfin^TM fins for triathlon training, as a bilateral below knee amputee. She mainly swims freestyle in open water and pools. She finds that these fins give her a better workout because they lift her body horizontal and support a strong stroke balance. Furthermore, she finds that these fins improve her swimming form, which enters her muscle memory and so transfers to her swimming without fins in triathlon competitions. A paralympic athlete recommended shinfin^TM fins to her and they have impressed her coaches as well. So now Hannah recommends them to other amputees too.

shinfin^TM fins for triathlon training on bilateral below knee amputee

Lee’s review from Coralville, USA

“My daughter is a bilateral below knee amputee who competes in triathlons. She loves the shinfin^TM fins. They have really helped her with improving her form and getting a better workout. Her coaches are very impressed with her fins and we have recommended them to other amputees that we know. She definitely feels that she is a stronger, better swimmer now. Even when she is not wearing them. Another paralympic athlete who is an amputee, recommended the shinfin^TM fins to Hannah.”
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10 years of fitness: freestyle & backstroke fins

For 10 years, Gary has been loving his shinfin^TM fins for pool fitness, mainly freestyle and backstroke, swimming at least 75% of the days. Swimming in both salt and chlorinated pools, he finds the fins strengthen his lower back and improve his kicking technique, which continues even when he is swimming without the fins. This is because the fins encourage him to kick from his hips. Plus, they don’t hurt his ankles like regular foot flippers. Gary varies his fitness routines, sometimes using a kickboard, snorkel and hand paddles. He also uses them for water walking exercises, walking backwards wearing his fins to strengthen his back. He has just replaced his straps and is now looking forward to another 10 years or more with his fins.

10 years of swim fitness with shinfin^TM fins for freestyle and backstroke

Gary’s review from Central Coast, Australia

“As the months went by I found my kicking style improving with every swim. Now I just love them. When I swim without them, I notice that my kicking technique is much better than most. Certainly no ankle problems like most flippers. I also have a lower back problem and found that the shinfin^TM fins really help strengthen my lower back.”

I have just had to replace the straps after 10 years’ use. While I didn’t swim every single day of those 10 years, I can guarantee that I swam at least 75% of the days in those 10 years. I highly recommend this product for any type of swimmer. Also, correspondence with Marc is, and always has been, exceptional. Anyway that’s all for me and I hope that you enjoy your shinfin^TM fins as much as I have. I hope to get as much joy and fitness out of them for another 10 years or more.”
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Backstroke & freestyle ankle surgery recovery fins

Shannon loves her shinfin^TM fins for fast backstroke and freestyle kicking, to help her recover from her recent ankle surgery. Also, they do not aggravate her past knee injury. This is because shinfin^TM fins strap to her lower legs just above her ankles, leaving her feet free to move naturally. So, unlike regular foot fins, they avoid the potentially damaging, twisting forces on her ankles and knees. Instead, her ankles can remain comfortable, supple and relaxed as she kicks. She also uses them for water walking exercises.

Shannon’s review from Friday Harbour, USA

“I love my shinfin^TM fins!! LOVE! I thought fun, fast kicking was out for me but shinfin^TM fins have restored that experience. YAY!!! I’m in my doctor approved third week of post-surgical swimming after ankle surgery. I have to do a lot of backstroke due to other nerve issues affecting freestyle sometimes. Backstroke is great.”
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National team freestyle training fins

Yiannis’ daughter uses her shinfin^TM 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 shinfin^TM 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 shinfin^TM 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 shinfin^TM fins everyday for training!! Thanks. I think you must advertise more this magic solution!!”

National swim team freestyle training with shinfin^TM fins
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Two fused ankles: lake & pool swimming fins

With two fused ankles, Dave’s shinfin^TM 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 to breathe more easily. He also uses his fins to swim back crawl and breaststroke arms with a dolphin/butterfly 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 shinfin^TM 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 shinfin^TM 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 shinfin^TM 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.”
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Feet disabilities: para-swim training fins

Owen, with disabilities in both feet, has been para-swim training with his shinfin^TM 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 shinfin^TM 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

“shinfin^TM 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 shinfin^TM 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^TM fins
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Residual limb water exercise fin

Rachel finds her shinfin^TM 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 shinfin^TM fin, she found she didn’t seem to move anywhere! Later, she also started using her shinfin^TM fin for front crawl, enjoying going faster. She plans to experiment wearing two shinfin^TM 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 shinfin^TM 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 shinfin^TM fin, but I didn’t seem to move anywhere!”

“You recommend wearing shinfin^TM 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 shinfin^TM 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.”
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Better kick, stroke, breathing & endurance: technique fins

Over many years, the swim technique encouraged by shinfin^TM 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 shinfin^TM 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 shinfin^TM 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.”
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Freestyle retraining fins: no knee or foot issues

Importantly, after following the fin fitting tips and positioning her fins to suit her kick, Tamra really loves her shinfin^TM fins for retraining her freestyle, and without foot or knee issues. They allow her to smooth her stroke so they retrain her away from a choppy freestyle. She really feels the difference in her hip flexors and back. This is because the fins are designed to lift her hips and encourage power from her hips using the stronger muscles in her thighs and torso. She uses them daily, enjoys her pool time again and bought a second pair of fins about six years later.

Tamra’s review from Albuquerque, USA

“I am loving my fins!! Sending people to your website. Really notice the difference in my hip flexors and back. Awesome in helping me retrain my choppy “fight the water” freestyle. No issues with knees or feet. Gets easier putting them on and taking off. Just enjoying pool time again! Thanks for inventing these beauties! I use them every day!! I love my shinfin^TM fins more than any piece of equipment I own!!”
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