Swimming with fins is fun but I can't think of how full size fins would help you train for a triathlon. We used to use them in high school and college kind of like motorpacing but we were training for 200yd or shorter races. A lot of people like zoomers (those little cut-off mini-fins) and I agree that they make you a better kicker but I don't think that's worth much to a triathlete. If you're kicking much in an 800+ yd wetsuit swim, you're doing something wrong. At most you use your legs to keep your body position right (and your wetsuit should do most of that), not for propulsion.

---

________________________________________________

Anyone who tells you they're as fast now as they were when they were 18...
sure wasn't very fast when they were 18.

I have found 2 good uses for zoomer style fins, during drills they help keep you in a proper body position. Second, during cooldown when you want to swim very easy.

It is very unlikely that a weak kick is holding you back. Either your kick *form* is totally wrong, or your body position is wrong which is not dominated by your kick.

I think fins are great for drill work, esp if you have a weak kick. If I didn't use them during some of my drills my legs would be toast. I recomend getting a pair. I use the aquasphere zip-fins and like them but other fins (zoomers, tyr split fins) will also work fine.

A

I agree with Tom. My coach has me use fins for drills only to learn proper body position and to be able to focus on the pull and other things and less about what my legs or hips are doing.

The larger surface area helps to strengthen your legs and also to stretch out your ankles. I would bet that your poor kick is due to poor ankle flexibility. Others are right about the kick not being that important, but having flexible ankles can be a big help without much effort to get there. But I wouldn't use them in drills. They may be good initially to get the feel of a good and fast body position, but in the end you need to learn that by yourself and not have to use equipment to get yourself in the correct position. Hope that helps.

The point about ankle flexibility is a good one. If you ever get a chance to watch someone with a really good kick, it is something to behold (tho you have to see it from the side to really get it). I can't describe it but you can see why it makes them fast and why flexible ankles are important. I still say it doesn't mean squat to triathletes though. You could get an ankle fusion and still beat half the pros out of the water if your pull and body position were good.

---

________________________________________________

Anyone who tells you they're as fast now as they were when they were 18...
sure wasn't very fast when they were 18.

You don't need a strong kick, but you do need a kick that isn't a liability. IMO, you're talking a kick where you've got flexible enough ankles that they're relaxed and bent at a nice 180 degree angle from your shins.

Ankles are effectively airplane flaps in freestyle. If they're not flush with where they're supposed to be, they create awful drag and will slow you down.

Fins exagetate the "airplane flap" aspect of it, and force you to learn how to flex your runner's ankles and put your feet nice and parallel to pool bottom and water line where they're supposed to go.