Triathlon Accessories | All About Swimming Fins

Swimming fins are items that you’ll often see on beaches or at pools, but not everyone uses them. Those who do might use them just because they’re fun and can help you go faster. Others use them for specific conditioning purposes. The fins you see today on people’s feet are actually based on a design that started out on people’s hands. Benjamin Franklin, who grew up loving the sea and loving to swim, created a pair of wooden paddles that he wore on his hands to help him gain speed and agility in the water. Those are the forerunner of today’s swim fins.

Why Wear Swimming Fins?

Clearly, it’s not absolutely necessary to wear these swimming accessories in the water. Aside from making the wearer unable to walk without looking a bit like a frog, what do they do and why do some people choose to wear them?

One of the biggest benefits is that they do create a more frog-like foot that allows swimmers to push through the water at a greater speed. Compare a swim fin to the human foot, and you can easily see how it acts like a large webbed foot that can move more water, and push the swimmer forward harder and faster.

Who Typically Wears Swim Fins?

This ability to move better underwater comes in handy for people like scuba divers who are wearing weights and oxygen tanks. Without the fins, a diver would struggle in the water because of that weight. But with the fins, they kick normally and are propelled despite the weight.

There are swim fins available that aren’t nearly as large as the awkward ones we’re used to seeing, so that they can be worn on land and allow someone to walk or run and still provide more speed in the water. Some people like lifeguards or surfers wear these. People snorkeling typically wear them so they can move more freely and enjoy more of the underwater sights.

Swim Training Fins

A top reason for wearing swimming flippers besides having more strength and speed in the water is for physical conditioning. If you swim underwater without fins, the only resistance is from your legs and feet. But with the fins on, you’re pushing against a much larger surface and displacing more water. That provides resistance that can tone and strengthen the legs and ankles, as well as help condition the whole body thanks to the cardiovascular benefits of a more intense exercise. Swimming is already good for the heart and lungs, but with the addition of swimming fins that add resistance, it becomes an even more effective exercise.

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