Review//TYR Burner EBP Fin

[Selkie]

I've used these twice. Today, I had them on for the final 600 yards of a two mile swim.

In short, I really like them a lot. Made of soft rubber, they are very, very comfortable. The blade is a bit longer than that of Zoomers. Since they are so buoyant, they live up to their claim of keeping your lower body aligned higher in the water, so I was really able to focus on both my stroke and body rotation. I was surprised at how easy it was to zone in on the rotation, which is something I have to work on due to physical alignment issues (slight case of scoliosis). Anyway, I was pretty tired by that point in the swim, so I kicked very gently.

I like them much better than Zoomers, which seem to work the legs more. Differences: Zoomers are made of an unforgiving, harder rubber. For that reason, Zoomers can be a bit uncomfortable on top of the foot, particularly by the toes. The EBPs are soft, like I mentioned, and I could pretty much ignore them.

Zoomers have a degree of buoyancy but the EPBs felt more buoyant to me (YMMV). Also, with Zoomers, I felt like I was having to work harder to kick. With Zoomers, it's easy to get too much zoom. Felt more in control with the EBPs but I definitely was going faster due to my legs being higher in the water. As terms of work intensity, the EBPs can go either way---they work great w/a gentle kick or you could challenge your legs/focus on your kick with them.

I think both Zoomers and EBPs have their place. Because I'm an endurance swimmer, I'll probably reach more for the latter, particularly when my legs need a break. They also are better at feeling a more balanced core rotation, which I will replicate when swimming w/out them.