Despite South African swimmer Natalie du Toit proving otherwise, it really helps to have limbs if you want to swim.
Swedish designer Richard Stark was inspired by amputee sprinters to create a fin-like prosthetic prototype. The fin is divided into what Stark calls three “fingers”, comprising a stiff digit in the middles, supported by two flexible ones. The fin allows the wearer to emulate the circular-like motion of treading water.
Called the Neptune, the fin can easily be adjusted, using a slider, to match the strength of the wearer. The fin can also rotate 90 degrees to allow for a switch from the sideways kick of the breaststroke to the up-and-down motion of the crawl.
