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River board fins

shinfinTM fins lift your legs more horizontal & streamlined for river boarding. They leave your feet free and protect your shins. River board fins are called hydrospeed fins in Europe and water sledge fins in New Zealand.

Want fins & use your feet too?

  • Legs horizontal & streamlined.
  • Legs & knees higher above obstacles.
  • Tough protection for shins & feet.
  • Powered steering through rapids.
  • Streamlined kick from your hips.
  • Powerful kick from strong muscles.
  • In line with legs for low drag.
  • Easier to walk between rapids.
  • Safer to stand on river bed.
  • Comfortable new river board fins.
  • Comfortable toes, feet, ankles.
  • Don’t cause Achilles tendon pain.
  • Don’t cause calf or foot cramps.
  • Secure fit.
  • Lightweight & tough.
  • Fit with or without a wetsuit.
  • Evolve your river boarding.

Your ideal river board fins?

Have you ever dreamed of river board fins that lift your knees higher, protect your shins and leave your feet free to fend off obstacles? Have you ever wished for comfortable fins that don’t strain your feet, ankles, Achilles tendons and calf muscles, so you can shoot more rapids with less fatigue? Do you long for river board fins that leave your feet free to kick naturally and walk easier over rocks than foot flippers? Can you imagine steering your river board through the white water using a more efficient, streamlined kick with power from the strong muscles in your thighs, buttocks, stomach and torso?

River boarders around the world are realising the benefits of shinfinTM fins. River board fins are called hydrospeed fins in Europe and white water sledge fins in New Zealand.  I have thousands of happy customers. Read on to see how shinfinTM fins will help you achieve your river boarding dreams.

Feet free to fend off obstacles

They strap just above your ankles, not to your feet at all. So your feet are completely free to fend off obstacles. You can wear shinfinTM fins with streamlined wetsuit boots or water shoes.

River board fins that lift your knees higher above obstacles

They lie along your shins and the top of your feet. So the water flowing across the fins lifts your shins and knees higher. This keeps your legs more horizontal and streamlined, so they are less likely to hit underwater obstacles.

Tough protection for shins & feet

shinfinTM fins are made from tough polyurethane. So they will protect your shins and the top of your feet from bangs on rocks, branches and other underwater obstacles.

Comfortable river board fins, so you can ride more rapids

They don’t hurt your toes, feet, ankles or Achilles tendons. They don’t give you dangerous foot cramps or calf cramps. They don’t blister and cut your feet. They don’t fill with grit, pebbles or sand. These river board fins are more comfortable than your old foot flippers so you can river board longer in the rapids and have more fun.

Streamlined kick, strong muscles

These river board fins give you good thrust with a streamlined freestyle kick like good swimmers use. They guide you into a powerful kick from your hips, without bending your knees too much. That’s why your knees and thighs are higher in the water where they are less likely to be banged on underwater obstacles. Power comes from your strong thigh, buttock, stomach and torso muscles. If this kick is new to you, it may take a while to build your strength in your upper legs and torso. Most river boarders get the feel of this streamlined kick very quickly. Sometimes it helps to practice this streamlined kick first without your board, swimming normal freestyle with shinfinTM fins in calm water. Then transfer the same streamlined kick to your river board. (A foot flipper kick has much more knee bend which doesn’t work so well with shinfinTM fins.)

Powered control in rapids

They lift your legs more horizontal, keeping you more streamlined behind your river board to reduce drag. The fin power surface is closer to your board for an exciting ride. Better streamlining gives you a faster ride with positive control in the rapids. These river board fins are not angled down like foot flippers, so they don’t cause unwanted foot lift or drag like foot flippers. You can keep kicking them for faster steering through the rapids.

Powered dolphin turns in rapids

To turn your river board with shinfinTM fins, twist your waist to press the fins sideways against the water. This creates a smooth, curved hollow in the water, like dolphins turn. (This is different to digging foot flipper edges into the water to turn.) To turn with power you can continue to kick while you are turning. Turning with shinfinTM fins is more natural than with foot flippers.

Stand more safely on river bed

They leave your feet free to stand more safely with your feet gripping the river bed. To get going again, just push off the bottom with your feet as normal. So it is easier to jump back onto your river board from a standing start with these river board fins.

Easier to walk between rapids

Walking with shinfinTM fins is much easier than walking in foot flippers. When walking in shallow water over the rocks between rapids, lift your knees higher than normal so the fins slide upwards and forwards through the water. Then place your foot down quickly on the bottom for the next step. The straps should be secure enough so the fins do not slip around your leg. Don’t worry about the fins bending in the direction of the current. They are designed to do that to reduce the water drag on the fins. It gets easier once you are thigh deep because the water supports you better. The fins should line up automatically as soon as you lie on your river board and kick.

River board fins that don’t fall off

The double straps go around your leg above your ankle and don’t slip off over your heel. So shinfinTM fins don’t fall off in the rapids like foot flippers. You don’t need need fin leashes (fin savers) like foot flippers, with a dangerous tether that can get snagged on rocks and branches underwater.

Tough, light fins that don’t break

They are made from tough polyurethane which is extremely abrasion resistant to cuts from rocks and branches. They don’t tear or break like foot flippers. They are only about half the weight of many foot flippers and pack flat so they are much easier to carry. These tough, light river board fins will last you for years. We have had no failures returned to us. The secure rubber straps are also tough but they will gradually wear with use and exposure to the UV in sunlight. Replacement straps are available from this website if you need them.

River board fins that fit with & without wetsuit

The one size of shinfinTM fins fits with or without your wetsuit. In fact, they are so adjustable that the one size replaces all the typical foot flipper sizes from small and medium through to extra large. So these river board fins can also be shared amongst different sized people.

Great for boogie & bodyboarding too

To learn about how these fins are also great for bodyboarding, please see bodyboarding fins article and bodyboarding fins reviews.