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Horizontal body fin reviews

  • Arthritis, fibromyalgia & fused ankles: fitness fins

    shinfinTM fins have given Annie 15 years of joyous fitness swimming, helping her cope with mobility issues fom severe arthritis, fibromyalgia and both ankles fused. This is because the fins lift her lower body horizontal to increase buoyancy and reduce drag. Most important for Annie, they improve her kick efficiency and help her to maintain leg strength. Plus, they achieve all this without aggravating her fused ankles and dodgy feet, because they strap above her ankles. Strong and durable, her first pair of fins still work and only look worn, after 15 years of regular use.

    Annie’s review from Castlemaine, Australia

    “Both of my ankles are surgically fused due to severe arthritis. Having lost my natural kicking motion, I had to rely on a pull buoy to maintain lower body buoyancy and reduce drag. I immediately saw how they’d help me. With the fins, I’m able to produce an efficient kick and maintain some degree of leg strength, without upsetting my dodgy ankles and feet. I’m enormously grateful to you Marc. The fins have given me fifteen years of joyous swimming and I don’t intend to stop anytime soon!“

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  • Freestyle & backstroke: cerebral palsy paraswimming training

    shinfinTM 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 shinfinTM 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 shinfinTM 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 shinfinTM 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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  • 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.”

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  • Foot drop & peripheral neuropathy exercise fins

    Louise finds shinfinTM fins very helpful for her swim exercise, having peripheral neuropathy, foot drop and severe lower leg weakness. The fins allow her to swim through the water so much more easily because they promote a horizontal body position and lift her legs horizontal and streamlined too. Also, the fins encourage her to kick from her hips and help her to strengthen her torso, buttocks and thigh muscles. With weaker fingers due to her peripheral neuropathy, an alternative strapping method for less finger strength can help.

    Louise’s review from Kiama Downs, Australia

    “I’ve found the fins very helpful, although I still haven’t mastered adjusting the straps properly. My hands are also affected by peripheral neuropathy, so that may make it harder too. I have quite severe lower leg weakness and foot drop. The fins allow me to get through the water so much more easily. So I can get the exercise I need.”

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  • After osteosarcoma surgery: effective kick & flotation fins

    shinfinTM fins lift Stuart’s legs horizontal to give him an effective streamlined kick with more flotation, for his aquatic therapy after extensive osteosarcoma surgery to his left leg. This is because his forward swimming motion gently pushes the fins upwards. This lifts his knees, legs, hips and upper body horizontal, for less drag and smooth swimming. Without shinfinTM fins, his legs sink. He can’t use standard foot fins.

    Stuart’s review from Dapto, Australia

    “I have found the shinfinTM fins very useful for me as I couldn’t use standard fins. I was unable to use my left leg for effective kicking, prior to using the shinfinTM fins, due to the effect of extensive surgery to remove an osteogenic sarcoma. The leg also tended to drag and sink. The shinfinTM fins have allowed me to more or less have a normal kicking action and have also provided a degree of flotation. I am very impressed with the shinfinTM fins.”

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  • No sinking legs or bad ankles: natural swim training fins

    shinfinTM fins give Mauricio natural swim training, solving his sinking legs problem and the bad ankles he got from standard flippers. This is because shinfinTM fins improve his swim technique by lifting his legs horizontal to keep his body horizontal. So this gives him a better swimming style with smooth, streamlined swimming. Furthermore, they are not bad for his ankles like regular flippers because they strap just above his ankles. So this gives him supple ankles and relaxed feet. Overall, he has less dependence on his arms and is more motivated to swim.

    Mauricio’s review from McLean, USA

    “I have used the shinfinTM fins for a couple of years now and I absolutely love them! I swim 3-4 times a week, around 2K each time. Would not be able to do it without these fins. I was never able to solve the problem of “sinking legs” (which makes swimming very hard on the arms and on the motivation…) And the standard flippers are bad for my ankles. Thanks again for this wonderful, wonderful product.”

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  • Below knee amputee lap swimming fins

    The very first time he used them, Dave, a below knee amputee, felt his lap swimming greatly improved by shinfinTM fins. They help him get up onto the water, lifting his thighs horizontal and his body streamlined. So he no longer drags his backside along. This is because shinfinTM fins encourage smooth horizontal swimming, with more flutter kick power from his hips.

    Dave’s review from Snoqualmie, USA

    “I am a below knee amputee. I wanted to get back into swimming and was finding that doing a normal flutter kick my progress was not good. In fact, I either stayed in the same place or actually went backwards. Used the shinfinTM fins and what a great improvement! Back to getting power out of the kicks. I was able to get up on the water and enjoy doing laps again rather than literally dragging my backside along. Thank you very much for creating and supplying them.”

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  • Bilateral below knee amputee lap swimming fins

    shinfinTM fins allow Amy, a bilateral below knee amputee, to lap swim again. The fins give her a natural linear balance with power from her hip flexors. This is because her forward motion causes water pressure on the fins, which lifts her legs and body linear and streamlined. So she finds that the fins give her an awesome whole body workout, critical for rebuilding her core body strength and endurance.

    Amy’s review from Harwick, USA

    “I am a 54 year old woman with both legs amputated below the knee and I have been struggling to swim again. I could not remain linear and my residual limbs provided no propulsion. The shinfinTM fins changed everything. I feel whole again. Swimming laps feels natural and my linear balance was perfect. I am in a state of sheer joy! Thank you! The shinfinTM fins enable me to to work on my hip flexors, which is important because I spend so much time in my wheelchair. The whole body workout is awesome.”

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  • Osseointegration below knee amputations: snorkeling fins

    Jeff has transformed his snorkeling with shinfinTM fins strapped to his variation of osseointegration prosthetic legs for his bilateral below knee amputations. He kicks using his upper leg muscles with a straighter knee. So the fins really help him to get more horizontal on the water. Furthermore, this minimises drag and gives him smoother, more efficient snorkeling.

    He loves shinfinTM fins as they are. In addition, he is considering ways of lowering drag and increasing thrust still further. This includes adding flotation to his osseointegration feet, as they are rather heavy and tend to sink. It also involves experimenting with strapping the fins at different heights to counter the drag from the fixed ankles of his osseointegration feet. Customers with fused ankles also optimise the height of the fins on their legs, for the same reason.

    Jeff’s review from Denver, USA

    “shinfinTM fins have transformed my ability to snorkel. We used them every day on our vacation. What I noticed the most is that they really helped get me horizontal on the water. Love them as is.”

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  • Both ankles fused: swimming & snorkeling fins

    Like many people with fused ankles, Art was unable to swim or snorkel without his shinfinTM fins. This is because there is too much foot drag with both ankles fused at the usual 90 degrees standing position. However, because shinfinTM fins strap above his ankles, they direct water flow over the tops of his feet. Thus they reduce foot drag without straining his ankles or feet. Furthermore, they also reduce drag by lifting his legs horizontal and streamlining his body. Most importantly, shinfinTM fins give him the extra kick power from his hips needed for swimming and snorkeling.

    Art’s review from Seven Hills, Australia

    “I am really happy with the shinfinTM fins. I have had both of my ankles fused and was unable to swim. Having the shinfinTM fins enabled me to swim around and snorkel on the Barrier Reef off Cairns. This was a wonderful experience, once in a lifetime for me, and something that I couldn’t have done without the shinfinTM fins.”

    “Thank you, they created the highlight of my holiday.”

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