Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index Swimfins, swim fins, or "flippers" are (usually rubber) fins worn over the foot to assist and expedite movement through the water in water sports activities such as bodyboarding, bodysurfing, kneeboarding, swimming, and various types of diving. Polymaths such as Leonardo da Vinci and Benjamin Franklin had toyed with the concept, but Louis de Corlieu in France and Owen Churchill in the United States, working independently of each other, were the first to make them a practical reality. Churchill's design caught the attention of the US Navy which wanted to issue it to their underwater demolition teams in the early 1940s; and fins of that design can be found in just about any sporting goods store or surf shop to the present day. Different types of fins eventually evolved to address the unique requirements of each community using them. Scuba divers, in particular, needed large, wide fins to enable them to move through the water with their air tanks and other equipment; snorkelers needed lightweight, flexible fins; ocean swimmers, bodysurfers, and lifeguards favored designs that would stay on their feet when moving through large surf. This article is from Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.