The Aqueon
is a swim fin unlike any other that you will see. Unlike monofins or bifins which mount on and extend the feet, the Aqueon
is mounted on the lower legs. The swimming blades are actually forward of the mounting point, moving up and down below the wearer's navel.
This device was invented in the early 1970s by Calvin Gongwer of Innerspace Thrusters.
Innerspace and the inventor are still around but the Aqueon had been out of production for decades. Fortunately, after a bit of buzz
from another company trying to re-invent the same thing, Innerspace made a limited production run for some of us interested freedivers.
I got my Aqueon from that limited run in February 2008 and have been testing it out since then.
The stories that follow are about my experiences and insights into this unique swimming device.
Advantages
- Blade works outside the body's turbulent zone
- Power comes from the big muscles in the legs, the quadriceps and the glutes
Disadvantages
- Optimized for straight swimming only. Very slow to turn
- Wide fins add risk of entanglement
- At 21 lbs. the unit is pretty heavy
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