15 kickers vie for the top spot in this year's ScubaLab fin tests. ScubaLab’s test team headed to Alexander Springs, Florida, a freshwater site that offers an easy entry, enough space and depth to do some serious kicking, and rock structures and crevices for performing tight turning maneuvers.

This kicker turned in some of the best overall in-water performance scores, earning the highest scores for acceleration. Test divers liked the fin’s exceptional maneuverability, and noted its ability to negotiate turns with minimal foot action.

In water, the fin delivered solid kicking performance. It did take a couple of strong kicks to get it going from a dead stop, but when test divers "turned it on," the fin generated some pretty good power.

The only split fin in this year's open-heel group, the Z3 is easily recognizable by its radical 27-degree blade angle. In the water, the fin racked up some of the best scores of this group in acceleration, stability and efficiency.

The Tusa FF-19 X-Pert Evolution was a test-diver favorite, with many of the testers commenting on how comfortable it felt, whether kicking easy or hard. Testers didn’t report any leg or ankle strain, and noted that the fin was fast, powerful and agile, plus very responsive using all kicking styles.

Kicking versatility through interchangeable blades is the name of the game with Cressi’s new Gara Modular free-diving fin. The standard blade is lightweight and provides a nice mix of power and flexibility.

Cressi’s Reaction adjustable fin has a long and relatively flexible blade that’s made from a new-generation technical polypropylene. This lightweight composite makes for a responsive fin throughout each phase of the kicking cycle.

IST’s Fathom Blue is a powerful long-blade full-foot fin purpose-built for free diving. The foot pocket is made from 100 percent rubber, yet offers multiple densities to provide some areas with supple softness for comfort, and others with rigidity for maximum control, durability and spring.

Constructed of a flexible polypropylene blade and a thermoplastic rubber foot pocket in an open-heel design, Tilos’s lightweight Torrent fins offer increased flexibility, which translates to a more comfortable kicking experience.