Oceanic Viper 2 Diving Features
I’ve been using Oceanic equipment for the better part of my dive career. My entire first kit was Oceanic, and I’ve been fortunate enough to test various other Oceanic gear over the years. I’ve found that they consistently manufacture rugged equipment that lasts a long time.
I haven’t used Oceanic fins for a while, so I was excited to get the Vipers back on my feet and test them out. There were no surprises—they performed how I expected and remembered. They were lightweight and comfortable.
My initial feeling during testing was that they were quite floppy on the flutter kick. They lack some of the force you might expect from paddle-style fins, and they did fall on the lower end of our results in that category.
They performed quite a bit better in the frog kick, where they scored above average. They did well in the turn testing, but I struggled a little using them to backfin. Some of this may be due to the length of the fins, and some of it may be due to myself not being used to wearing paddle-style fins on a regular basis.
The Oceanic Viper 2 fins reminded me of the TUSA Solla fins. Both are traditional paddle-style fins that are lightweight and good for travel. Both are extremely affordable as well.
For what they cost, you’re getting a solid set of fins that perform well in ideal water conditions. These make a good set of travel fins for divers that like warm waters. You could fight some small currents, but I’d advise against taking them on a drift dive or to locations that have a strong current. They are also good fins for novice divers trying to figure out what fins best serve their purpose.
Oceanic Viper 2 Straps
The straps on the Oceanic Viper 2 are an adjustable, quick-release button-style strap. These straps lock down nicely and can be unhooked quickly in the event your fins need to come off.
Oceanic Viper 2 Blade
The Oceanic Viper 2 comes with a standard paddle-style blade made from a blend of Thermal Plastic Rubber (TPR) & polypropylene.
Oceanic Viper 2 Colors & Accessories
Oceanic Viper 2 fins come in quite a few colors: black/black, blue/black, neon yellow/black, white/aqua, and white/pink. This means you can mix and match all of your gear and really stand out on the dive boat.
One of our favorite travel masks is the Oceanic Shadow. Low-volume and built with a compact design, you can take this mask anywhere.
Oceanic is manufacturing great equipment, building on known science. One of their newest additions is the Oceanic Delta 5 eDX regulator. Sturdy and rugged, it can hold up to anything you can throw at it.
Oceanic Viper 2 Price/Quality Ratio
The Oceanic Viper 2 fins are very affordable, and can be found in our budget category. While they won’t break any speed records and I’d caution divers against taking these out into strong currents, they’re great fins for calm waters.
At this price, the Viper 2 fins are a great choice for a second set of fins that you use for travel, or even fins for when you’re first learning.
Do we recommend the Oceanic Viper 2 fins?
We do recommend the Oceanic Viper 2 fins. These are great lightweight travel fins that are very inexpensive and can meet the needs of warm-water divers. These are a great second set of fins for people who travel a lot and don’t want to lug a heavy fin with them along the way. They’re also great for new divers who are still trying to figure out the style of fin they like without breaking the bank.
We wouldn’t recommend these fins to those who spend a lot of time on drift dives, in heavy current, or somewhere there might be a lot of surge. They do have some power, but through our testing we found that they don’t have the thrust necessary to fight the current for an entire dive.
Make sure to check out our picks for the 10 best scuba fins, then head over to YouTube and check out our video rundown of every fin we tested.
Specs & Features
| Fin type | open-heel |
|---|---|
| Blade style | paddle |
| Material | thermal plastic rubber and polypropylene |
| Weight | not specified by manufacturer |
| Length | not specified by manufacturer |
| Sizes | XS, S, Reg, XL |
| Strap style | adjustable buckle strap |
| Number of colors | five |
