How To Choose Diving Fins?

Diving fins are one of the most important things that divers must have. Diving fins help divers glide through the water. Without the help of diving fins, it would be more difficult to propel through the water below.

How To Choose Diving Fins?

There are many options available for divers, so let's take a look at how to evaluate which dive fins will meet your individual needs.

Heel Types

There are two prominent types of heels for fins. The first is called a "foot pocket" open heel that uses straps and is worn with a boot. The second is a full-foot, no-boot type fin. There are differences between the two, and the type you choose will depend on the type of diving you want to do and your level of experience.

 Diving Fins

The advantages of open-heeled fins include.

A better type of fin for cold water diving because the diving fin boot helps regulate the temperature

Less buoyancy than full feet

Spring straps for a more accurate fit

Easy to walk on land

Benefits of full foot fins include:

Easy to use - no adjustments required

Better use of energy from foot to the blade

Often a more affordable option

Great for warm water

Fins are one of the most important parts of your dive gear, so optimize everything about them for you. It's important that your flippers are easy to get on and off so you're not dealing with bulky buckles or struggling to get into the water. Open heel flippers will be the easiest dive flippers to put on and take off. With adjustable straps or a simple buckle adjustment system, you don't have to worry about cumbersome flippers.

Trying on a set of dive flippers that fit in a store may not translate to flippers that fit on your feet in the water. They may fit perfectly at home, but then start to slip off during a dive. Proper comfort and fit is the key to successful diving.

  Diving Fins

So, how should your flippers fit?

They should fit snugly on your feet. Think of it like any other shoe you like to wear, such as hiking boots. Hiking boots need to be tight enough to avoid blisters caused by loose friction. If your flippers don't fit well enough, they can cause scrapes and blisters, or, you may even find yourself in a dangerous situation where they slip off during a dive. Accommodating more than a few fingers in an optimized and extremely comfortable foot pocket should be a daunting task - any more and you risk losing a finger. In terms of too-tight flippers, if your toes feel cramped for space, the flippers are too small and will result in less efficient and comfortable diving.

Size

Flippers are not sized for men or women, but it is recommended that men should start out with flippers the same size as their shoes, while women should start out two sizes smaller. Of course, there are other variables that will determine your size. When shopping, be sure to check the sizing chart or try on your flippers at your local dealer. We'll discuss this in more depth in the next section, but diving fin heel type is a major component of sizing purchases.

Adjustability

Open heel flippers provide the ability to adjust the flipper to ensure fit and comfort. As we talked about in the Fit and Comfort section, adjustability is a key component for many people when looking for a successful dive. Bungee, spring, or traditional straps allow divers to adjust their flippers as needed, especially when deep dives and compressions may alter the fit of the flippers during mid-dives.

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