Arena Powerfin Pro - Review 2023

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.