ScubaPro S-Tek Scuba Fin Review

I’ve been a big fan of ScubaPro for as long as I’ve been diving. I think they make great equipment for all levels of divers, and there are a ton of service technicians that can help when you need it. I use ScubaPro regulators when I’m teaching or recreational diving and I use a twin set of MK 25 EVOs while I’m technical diving; Jet Fins in open water; and GO Sport fins in the pool. You could say I’m a fan. Put that together with the innovation of the S-Tek, and I was more than excited to get them on my feet.

In the pool during the testing phase they performed admirably. They felt like a traditional paddle fin, but at the same time they performed like a channel fin. The length gave them some whip and force, but they were also very easy to maneuver.

The first thing you notice that sets the S-Tek fins apart from every other fin on the market is the stainless steel weight plate. While attached, it makes the fins negatively buoyant. It is a small, flat, square addition, measuring roughly 2 x 2.75 inches, and is located in the middle of the blade portion of the fin. If you were to take this off, using a hex key/wrench, the fins become neutrally buoyant.

Even with the added weight they didn’t feel heavy. In fact, they felt lighter than my Jet Fins. This is due to them being made of monoprene material while the Jet Fins are solid rubber. The monoprene leads to a bit of stiffness, making frog kicking and back-finning feel like second nature.

The pre-set 30-degree angle of attack takes a little bit to get used to. You feel like you have to take a bigger kick, but once you get used to the feeling, you’ll realize that the angle actually means you have to kick less. This saves energy in the long run.

While I wouldn’t use the two-piece feature for travel (I don’t mind my fins in a bag), being able to do so if you choose is quite innovative. ScubaPro and other third-party retailers list the S-Tek as a “technical” fin, but after testing them I feel as though these fins would be a great fit for a large group of divers.

Even though the ScubaPro S-Tek fins are vented, it was tough to place them in the more traditional channel fin category. We have them listed as a traditional paddle-style fin, and we think the performance is closer to that classification.

While similar to a channel fin, in that there are spaces where water can run through, these spaces are more similar to other two-piece design fins, such as the ScubaPro Seawing Supernovas. Basically, what you have here are stabilizers built into the fin where the foot pocket meets the blade. These are not the same as you would find in a more specific channel fin.

While measurements are not provided by the manufacturer, an at home measuring shows the size large S-Tek fins to be 22.5 inches in length. This length will vary depending on size.

The S-Tek fins are not cheap, but they are comparable to other high-quality fins. Even being on the higher end of the fin scale, they won’t break the bank. With the S-Tek fins you get exactly what you pay for—great fins from a great brand with a great design makes them well worth the money.

The innovation alone is worth the purchase. Designed to be either negatively or neutrally buoyant due to the removable stainless steel weight plate, it’s like getting two sets of fins in one. No longer do you need heavy fins for diving in cold water and a drysuit or lighter fins for diving in warmer waters and skins would work—these fins work in both circumstances.