Thread: Fins

Never used them before, but could probably use a pair for snorkelling. They seem to come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, open heel, full foot, .... What's the go for a skinny young fella like me to get started? I have dive boots.

Originally Posted by gadgetman

Never used them before, but could probably use a pair for snorkelling. They seem to come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, open heel, full foot, .... What's the go for a skinny young fella like me to get started? I have dive boots.

If its for snokelling only get a pair of freedive fins, big long ones. They are awesome, go full foot not adjustable strap.

Also fins are like boots some fit better than others

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What are long fins like for effort compared to short? Got one very gammy leg.

Long find take a bit of use to get used to, comfortable with. Don’t get to stiff a blades straight up.

Others may have different opinions.

Originally Posted by gadgetman

What are long fins like for effort compared to short? Got one very gammy leg.

Thats the beauty of fins....the non-gammy leg can do more work to compensate....And I agree with the full foot. What size hoof do you have, I have a pair spare here you could try if that helps. I will be needing them back but they are not in use currently...

Originally Posted by timattalon

Thats the beauty of fins....the non-gammy leg can do more work to compensate....And I agree with the full foot. What size hoof do you have, I have a pair spare here you could try if that helps. I will be needing them back but they are not in use currently...

UK9/US10/EU43/280mm (I refuse to use dressmakers measurements)

I won't need too much thrust. There isn't much of a profile to push through the wet stuff.

I like the adjustable ones as I have to walk over sharp rocks a lot of the time, I use heavy soled booties with them. My mate has the long full foot fins he said they are good In deeper water, but a pain in shallow water. Definitely don't get stiff ones as said above

For snorkelling and freediving, full foot fins are good. If it's just snorkelling and duck diving, you don't need long fins. If you want to do a bit more freediving, or swim against strong currents, long fins are the way to go. Either way, you need neoprene socks to stop your feet rubbing. Obviously, the fins need to fit over the neoprene sock. If I'm shore diving, I wear Crocs down to the water, attach them to my float once in the water and put my fins on.

I wear open foot fins and booties for SCUBA and they are great, but it's a different finning style.

Fins like a lot of things are personal. Unfortunately, you won't really know what you like until you get started.

Having said all that, any fin will be better than no fin, so don't stress it too much if it's just for a bit of casual snorkelling.

Originally Posted by gadgetman

What are long fins like for effort compared to short? Got one very gammy leg.

The whole point of them is to reduce effort for the same propulsion. Go for a soft blade to look after your gammy leg

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The long freedive blades can be put into numerous different makes of foot pockets, and come in different stiffness.
The general rule of thumb is the stiffer the blade, the more effort it takes to make it operate correctly. If you are built like a racing sardine, then a softer blade will work, and this will also mean the gammy leg won't suffer.
I'd spend some time sorting your neoprene dive socks, and getting a pair of foot pockets that are comfortable. Use the differing dive sock thicknesses to fine tune the fit of the foot pocket. Too tight a fit, and your feet will cramp. Too loose, and the fins will fall off in the water.
I'm 5'10, over 90kg, and with a pair of soft blades can happily dive to 30M, and swim against the current for longer than all of the people I dive with, who are using much stiffer blades. Don't listen to those that say you need harder blades to dive efficiently.
PM me if you decide to go that way. I have some blades I can send down your way for cheap.

If for any reason you're not using dive boots most fins I found rubbed the top of my feet a lot so a pair of basic sport socks fixed that

Originally Posted by MB

For snorkelling and freediving, full foot fins are good. If it's just snorkelling and duck diving, you don't need long fins. If you want to do a bit more freediving, or swim against strong currents, long fins are the way to go. Either way, you need neoprene socks to stop your feet rubbing. Obviously, the fins need to fit over the neoprene sock. If I'm shore diving, I wear Crocs down to the water, attach them to my float once in the water and put my fins on.

I wear open foot fins and booties for SCUBA and they are great, but it's a different finning style.

Fins like a lot of things are personal. Unfortunately, you won't really know what you like until you get started.

Having said all that, any fin will be better than no fin, so don't stress it too much if it's just for a bit of casual snorkelling.

Crocs, have you no shame? I'd prefer to walk down in booties, but the crocs are probably a bit more practical and disposable. I'll just wear a name badge with someone else's name on it.

They probably wont get a great deal of use, maybe a couple of times a year, but you never know. I'm at home in the water and at the moment water is more doable than terra firma.

Originally Posted by quentin

The long freedive blades can be put into numerous different makes of foot pockets, and come in different stiffness.
The general rule of thumb is the stiffer the blade, the more effort it takes to make it operate correctly. If you are built like a racing sardine, then a softer blade will work, and this will also mean the gammy leg won't suffer.
I'd spend some time sorting your neoprene dive socks, and getting a pair of foot pockets that are comfortable. Use the differing dive sock thicknesses to fine tune the fit of the foot pocket. Too tight a fit, and your feet will cramp. Too loose, and the fins will fall off in the water.
I'm 5'10, over 90kg, and with a pair of soft blades can happily dive to 30M, and swim against the current for longer than all of the people I dive with, who are using much stiffer blades. Don't listen to those that say you need harder blades to dive efficiently.
PM me if you decide to go that way. I have some blades I can send down your way for cheap.

I'm 1.81m (5'11") and under 70kg and hoping a dive belt will squash some of the air out the abdominal area of the wetsuit. I used to swim about 95m underwater at the pool, just short of 2 lengths of the olympic sized pool, with bare feet and little swim goggles on one breath. Probably lucky to get 20m at the moment.

Thanks for the info guys, I'm forming a picture.

Originally Posted by mimms2

Mono or nothing

What you think @mimms2? Mono?

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...8173659204511/

Originally Posted by gadgetman

UK9/US10/EU43/280mm

Make up your bloody mind man.