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I can think of a huge one. I live near a fairly dangerous ocean in SF where I’ve gone bodyboarding with a wetsuit and fins. I’m concerned that, if caught in a

I can think of a huge one. I live near a fairly dangerous ocean in SF where I’ve gone bodyboarding with a wetsuit and fins. I’m concerned that, if caught in a current, fins are not enough to propel me out of it. This would. The extra power and ease of propulsion could make all the difference.

SOLAR_FIELDS 2y ago
I guess the logistics of the thing make all the difference here. Is this something you can detach from a surfboard and equip while being carried out in choppy waters? Could be either really useful or useless depending on that answer
ben7799 2y ago
You just need to get familiar with the correct way to handle a current like that. It’s not to fight it. Especially with a bodyboard and fins doing the right thing does not require a ton of strength and shouldn’t be stressful.
- SOLAR_FIELDS 2y ago
  Your comment kind of implies that a strong swimmer with a surfboard and the right knowledge will pretty much never be in a situation where a riptide/undertow/current/whatever you call it carries them out too far to swim back. Is that true? (It might be, I just know very little about surfing)
  - julianeon 2y ago
    This article about my beach makes it sound like, if the waves are big enough, all bets are off. Note: it's about a surfer who died, but I'm focusing on the comments of the surfers they interviewed. https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/san-francisco-surfer-dies-off-ocean-beach-2523541.php https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/san-francisco-surfer-...
  - defrost 2y ago
    With heavy caveats it's mostly true. Well informed local ocean | river mouth swimmers are gemnerally aware of the currents and tend to know how far out they carry and where one can get to the side to make their way back. That said, currents are strong, people have bad days, they can panic, water can be cold .. far colder further out than might be expected and that can weaken the body. Surfing is a whole other ball of wax; dedicated surf spots might be well offshore and require a boat or a jet ski to even reach, if those get crunched by a slab or fail there might be a whole lot of swimming to get back to shore, assumming the surf didn't get you. eg: The Right in Western Australia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjHaFOGBPzk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjHaFOGBPzk
matsemann 2y ago
Didn't look to go much faster in the video than what I can do with my freediving fins.

SOLAR_FIELDS 2y ago

I guess the logistics of the thing make all the difference here. Is this something you can detach from a surfboard and equip while being carried out in choppy waters? Could be either really useful or useless depending on that answer

ben7799 2y ago

You just need to get familiar with the correct way to handle a current like that. It’s not to fight it. Especially with a bodyboard and fins doing the right thing does not require a ton of strength and shouldn’t be stressful.

SOLAR_FIELDS 2y ago
Your comment kind of implies that a strong swimmer with a surfboard and the right knowledge will pretty much never be in a situation where a riptide/undertow/current/whatever you call it carries them out too far to swim back. Is that true? (It might be, I just know very little about surfing)
- julianeon 2y ago
  This article about my beach makes it sound like, if the waves are big enough, all bets are off. Note: it's about a surfer who died, but I'm focusing on the comments of the surfers they interviewed. https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/san-francisco-surfer-dies-off-ocean-beach-2523541.php https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/san-francisco-surfer-...
- defrost 2y ago
  With heavy caveats it's mostly true. Well informed local ocean | river mouth swimmers are gemnerally aware of the currents and tend to know how far out they carry and where one can get to the side to make their way back. That said, currents are strong, people have bad days, they can panic, water can be cold .. far colder further out than might be expected and that can weaken the body. Surfing is a whole other ball of wax; dedicated surf spots might be well offshore and require a boat or a jet ski to even reach, if those get crunched by a slab or fail there might be a whole lot of swimming to get back to shore, assumming the surf didn't get you. eg: The Right in Western Australia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjHaFOGBPzk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjHaFOGBPzk

matsemann 2y ago

Didn't look to go much faster in the video than what I can do with my freediving fins.