You can greatly enhance your freestyle swimming technique by using swimming fins. They help you utilize your energy more effectively as they provide better leverage in the water by enhancing the force of your kick. These small corrections will seep into your ‘finless’ swimming technique over time and have been shown to improve your overall base speed.
Arena is known amongst the swimming community for making high-quality swimming products that can be used by people with all levels of experience. These swimming fins, however, are recommended for professional or advanced swimmers.
Our in-house swimming specialist has been trying and evaluating them over the past few weeks with this in mind. Check out their thoughts below.
Our Overall Review
We have thoroughly tested - and read reviews from other experts and users. In summary, this is what we think:
Things we like:
-
Toes are left open to reduce chafing and jamming.
-
Technique-focused side slits for stronger kicks
-
100% silicone that molds to your feet
-
Soft silicone strap makes it simple to don and doff
-
Excellent for building strength and technique
-
Fantastic range of stylish color options
-
Made with advanced swimmers in mind
Things we don't like:
-
Quite heavy and inflexible so not ideal for travel
-
Reports claiming that silicone splits after prolonged use
-
Not adjustable so may run small
Specs & Features
- Material: 100% Silicone
- Weight: 1.24 kgs
- Dimensions: 11.5 x 7.5 x 2.5 inches
- Open heel with strap
- Blade type: Side Rails, Angled
- Sizes: S- XXL (US: 4.5-13)
- Color Options: 22 options - check them out here.
Review
When it comes to advanced level swimming fins, be it for fitness, recreational or professional use, there are some things you can’t compromise on.
You want a swim fin that’s going to provide a good workout and make the most of the time you put into your training, but you don’t want to sacrifice comfort. You want to be able to complete a training session without worrying about blistering or random muscle aches that will potentially take you out of action for a while.
That’s why we were so excited to try out the Arena Powerfin Pro Swim Training Fins. They’re designed for professional swimmers as part of their training regimen, and they’re supposed to do a great job of helping you build leg strength, flexibility, and technique in order to improve your overall speed and performance!
Features
Our expert swimmer took them for a spin in both pool and open water conditions and came back to the office with a big “I’m keeping these…” grin on their face.
From this reaction, as well as reviews from the online community, we reckon that advanced swimmers will love the Arena Powerfin PRO Swimming Fins. They feature a range of purposeful and considered design features that make them so great, especially for those who are looking for an extra edge in their training sessions.
Quick tip – Make sure you use the free returns policy!
As fins of this style are generally not adjustable, you want to ensure that they fit snuggly from the start. If you find this isn’t the case, take advantage of the returns policy and get yourself a size up/down.
Open Heel Strap
Placing your finger between your heel and the silicon strap on the Arena Powerfin PRO Swimming Fins will allow you to draw it back. You can then simply slip your foot into the pocket and release the strap.
Although the silicone on this swim training fin is relatively rigid, the strap should be easy to manipulate, especially for seasoned swimmers who are expected to have above-average strength. Make sure the strap snaps tightly to your heel and that it doesn’t move when you try it on in the water, as you’ll end up with some bubbly blisters!
For open-heel fins such as these and the FINIS Edge Swimming Fins the risk of blistering is significant. You could invest in some neoprene socks that might help with blistering. However, it is more effective to simply return the fins and get yourself a new pair that fit right. We guarantee it’ll be worth the wait!
The open heel feature is not just great for added ankle flexibility and control but also allows for quick and easy cleaning, which is an added bonus if you need to get sand out of the fin after a trip to the beach.
Blade
The unique blade angle on these Arena Swimming Fins ensures that the foot pocket naturally and tightly wraps around the entire foot; the larger contact surface area enables you to maximise power transfer from foot to fin to water throughout the entire kick cycle, which is necessary when you’re trying to identify other inefficiencies in your swimming technique.
Water is channeled off the underside of the foot by the hydrodynamic side slits on the swim training fin, which essentially serve as catchment walls. Additionally, these slits fan out to provide an extra element of resistance during the up-kick and work the calf, hamstring, and glute muscles. The development of these muscles is essential for any advanced swimmer who wishes to adopt a more streamlined position in the water and pick up speed with each stroke.
A minor detail that is worth a mention – The foot pocket’s underside includes left/right foot and sizing information, which is generally useful to know with your new fins, but this ribbing also prevents slipping and increases stability when walking around a pool or on a boat deck.
Price/ Quality Ratio
These Arena Swimming Fins are a little more expensive than some other training fins on the market today, but they’re certainly worth it. For around $70 (a similar price to the open-heel FINIS Edge Swimming Fins), these fins will stand the test of time.
If you’d like some cheaper swim training fins, you can check out our swimming fin guide, which includes deep reviews on products such as the Cressi Lights, TYR’s Sport EBP, or the new AquaSpheres.
Do we recommend them?
As we said at the beginning of this review, when it comes to swim training fins, there are some things you can’t compromise on. We can safely say that Arena has stuck to this sentiment when designing these swimming fins.
We would definitely recommend them for advanced swimmers and professionals, whereas beginners are likely to benefit from a pair of swimming fins such HEAD’s Energy Swims or Cressi’s Lights. These other fins are made with lighter frames and are equipped with foot tabs that make them easier for beginners to put on.
The Arena Powerfin fins are going to help you squeeze your training sessions for that last ounce of strength and speed, which will give you that edge come next race day.
Our Overall Review
We have thoroughly tested - and read reviews from other experts and users. In summary, this is what we think:
Things we like:
-
Toes are left open to reduce chafing and jamming.
-
Technique-focused side slits for stronger kicks
-
100% silicone that molds to your feet
-
Soft silicone strap makes it simple to don and doff
-
Excellent for building strength and technique
-
Fantastic range of stylish color options
-
Made with advanced swimmers in mind
Things we don't like:
-
Quite heavy and inflexible so not ideal for travel
-
Reports claiming that silicone splits after prolonged use
-
Not adjustable so may run small
Frequently asked questions
Swim more quickly and build stronger legs with the aid of fins. You can relieve some of the pressure on your shoulders by kicking harder. Training with fins promotes muscle growth in addition to improving your up-kick, ankle flexibility, overall body alignment, and conditioning.
Check out this article on the top swimming fins available this year.
We advise training with short blade fins to improve performance in the common swimming strokes, such as freestyle, backstroke, and butterfly. Short blade fins force you to kick faster and with a higher tempo, which helps you gain leg strength and aerobic endurance. A proficient swimmer will ultimately benefit more from short blade fins. Longer fins are usually more comfortable and can be used for recreational activities such as snorkeling or diving.
Our swimmer’s favorite pair overall are the Arena Powerfins, although there are other good training fins, such as HEAD’s Energy Swim and TYR’s Sport EBP fins.
Check out this article on the best swimming fins available this year.
If you want to burn a lot of calories, put your gear on! Your fins, swim cap, and goggles are three essential pieces of equipment for maximizing calorie burn. Because they engage more muscles, fins dramatically increase your heart rate and speed. A swim cap and goggle set that fit properly will make you comfortable for lengthy training sessions.
Choosing a new pair of training fins can be tough with so many different styles and prices on the market. Swimming fins are designed with various training purposes in mind, so you should consider features that will enhance your speed, strength, and technique without compromising on comfort and durability.
Check out our page on the top swimming fins available this year. Here we introduce you to our favorite swim fins on today’s online market:
- Best Overall: Cressi Light
- Best for Advanced: Arena Powerfin Pro
- Best for Kids: Sea Lion Junior
- Best for Beginners: CAPAS Swim Training Fins
- Best for Recreational: Phantom Aquatics Speed Sport
- Best Value for Money: Arena Powerfin Hook
- Most Versatile: HEAD Energy Swim
Comments