any suggestions- what to look for in fins?

[kelp princess]

i am looking for some help in picking out new freediving fins - i have plenty of fins that i use for scuba - but want to buy a dedicated pair for
freedive training and ab diving.

anybody have a list of criteria by which i should be evaluating the performance of a fin?

or any suggestions of fins they like/have had success with?

also, has anyone ever used the Captain Nemo Power fins ( bi-fins) made by Waterways?


any feedback or ideas of where or what to buy would be most appreciated.

thanks!

kp

 

[DRW]

The most obvious, but perhaps also the most overlooked, criterion in fin selection is a comfortable fit. So far as I am aware, there are three national standards for fins (German, Malaysian, Russian). The earliest one, from the Federal Republic of Germany (DIN 7876), concentrated exclusively on sizing specifications, not only foot length but also foot width.

I sometimes get the impression when reading messages on freediving and scuba forums that a few fashionistas choose fins because of the brand name and not because they match the dimensions of their feet. They are prepared to put up with short-term cramps or blisters and to risk possible long-term tendon damage because they have to be seen wearing the "coolest" pair of fins on the market or the beach.

 

[rslomkow]

I agree with DRW that finding one that is comfortable is the biggest thing.

Wallin's in San Carlos (same mall as the REI) always has a couple pairs of long fins you ca try on. Make sure you go on a day that David Laird is working there. He is the Freediving/spearfishing specialist.

Though my favourite starter fin or general purpose fin is a Cressi 3000. HF you have strong legs and want acceleration. Or the LD if you like more surface swimming and and go fast with a long elegant kick. One of the nice things about these fins are the extra soft foot pockets which are comfortable on a wider variety of people.

Leisure Pro has 30 day return policy for things of the wrong size. So you can do it that way.

If you are diving Monterey, Sonoma, Mendocino and you are not me. You will probably want to try and get 5mm booties. (I hate my 7mm ones, they make all fins uncomfortable for me) You need to try the fin on with the socks, because they make a big difference on how well it sits.

Check out the Official Fin Sizing thread.

I have a female diver friend in Marina (near Monterey) Who has a pair of Cressi 3000 LDs size 8/9 which I think she wears with 3mm socks. I think she is a (8-9 US women's).

Any Full foot fin is going to feel a lot more solid that an a loose heel strap fin in the water.

 

[kelp princess]

I agree with DRW that finding one that is comfortable is the biggest thing.

Wallin's in San Carlos (same mall as the REI) always has a couple pairs of long fins you ca try on. Make sure you go on a day that David Laird is working there. He is the Freediving/spearfishing specialist.

Though my favourite starter fin or general purpose fin is a Cressi 3000. HF you have strong legs and want acceleration. Or the LD if you like more surface swimming and and go fast with a long elegant kick. One of the nice things about these fins are the extra soft foot pockets which are comfortable on a wider variety of people.

Leisure Pro has 30 day return policy for things of the wrong size. So you can do it that way.

If you are diving Monterey, Sonoma, Mendocino and you are not me. You will probably want to try and get 5mm booties. (I hate my 7mm ones, they make all fins uncomfortable for me) You need to try the fin on with the socks, because they make a big difference on how well it sits.

Check out the Official Fin Sizing thread.

I have a female diver friend in Marina (near Monterey) Who has a pair of Cressi 3000 LDs size 8/9 which I think she wears with 3mm socks. I think she is a (8-9 US women's).

Any Full foot fin is going to feel a lot more solid that an a loose heel strap fin in the water.

thanks for the very specifc feedback - i will go visit david LAIRD.

had a beatiful wknd of freediving up here in mendocino this wknd - water temps were 53 and the dark cove was FLAT as a board.

been using my booties and split fins on these adventures but I just KNOW i am not being as efficient as i could be with the right fins.

i guess because my feet and legs are so comfy in this set-up i continue to use them.

gotta start fresh sometime!
:t

thanks much.

kp

 

[hteas]

Kp
You didn't say what cost you can afford. A good pair of footpockets that fit, when married to fiberglass blades (I use Sporasub footpockets and SpecialFins medium BW blades) are really great. They feel soft, but they get me to the bottom fand back faster than anything else I've ever used. I recently tried an old pair of Picasso footpockets with standard plastic blades, and suddenly remembered why I paid the premium for good blades. Fairly (or even very) soft fiberglass blades will get you further and happier than any alternative (imho)
Howard

 

[kelp princess]

Kp
You didn't say what cost you can afford. A good pair of footpockets that fit, when married to fiberglass blades (I use Sporasub footpockets and SpecialFins medium BW blades) are really great. They feel soft, but they get me to the bottom fand back faster than anything else I've ever used. I recently tried an old pair of Picasso footpockets with standard plastic blades, and suddenly remembered why I paid the premium for good blades. Fairly (or even very) soft fiberglass blades will get you further and happier than any alternative (imho)
Howard

Hi Howard - I am very willing to pay for a really good pair, and would rather invest more money in the right pair the first time, and not go cheap and have to keep buying different things. what's this footpocket business anyway? how does one get to see or try these on? and do most people buy their stuff online? I went to 4 shops this wknd looking for OMER Winter Millemiums and C4's etc. and not one dive shop had anything. guess i need to go to Leisure pro....????


i'm guessing that i will want a softer blade because i'm a bit of a wuss right now using split apollo-bio fins for scuba - and i like the effect.
kp

 

[azapa]

if you are doing shore entries in rocky areas fibreglass or carbon fins will soon get bashed up. I would recommend some Cressi 3000, Omer Mileniums, Imersion Esclapez etc, all of which are around the $100 mark and should get you to 30M down with a good technique, practice and good buddy. Even if you migrate to fibre/carbon afterwards these will remain good backups

 

[kelp princess]

if you are doing shore entries in rocky areas fibreglass or carbon fins will soon get bashed up. I would recommend some Cressi 3000, Omer Mileniums, Imersion Esclapez etc, all of which are around the $100 mark and should get you to 30M down with a good technique, practice and good buddy. Even if you migrate to fibre/carbon afterwards these will remain good backups

thanks for the context and suggestions azapa. i am doing a FD course in hawaii in a couple of months, but aside from that it is customary that i do shore entries here on our norcal rocky coasts, mostly ab diving when freediving, or just looking around

kp

 

[Bill]

KP
It sounds like you might be coming to Kona for the most popular Performance course yet. If that is the case, taking Azapa's advice may be the best way to go. When you get here it should be easy to get 38-40, 40-42 and bigger footpockets to try on under your instructors supervision. With a good fit and plastic fins to take the beating it'll be easy to rationalize the $400 for a pair of C4-25 blades unless/until they convert you to a monofin.

 

[rslomkow]

what's this footpocket business anyway? how does one get to see or try these on? and do most people buy their stuff online? I went to 4 shops this wknd looking for OMER Winter Millemiums and C4's etc. and not one dive shop had anything. guess i need to go to Leisure pro....????

Most of the popular Freediving Fins (Omer, Sporasub, Immersion, Buechet, Picasso ....) have blades that can be removed from the footpocket. The big exception being Cressi which makes 1-piece molded plastic fins.

It is also the case that many premium blade makers (C4, M-Technic, Leader Fins) don't make foot-pockets but will sell you a fin with a foot pocket made from someone else (often with the branding still on it. So the foot pocket will say Omer).

Switching out a blade is a user-serviceable activity, but if you do it too much you will stretch the rails.

Wallin's used to stock Sporasub stuff (that was 5 years ago, I don't live in the Bay area anymore.) and there were two shops in San Jose that had freediving stuff. Picasso dealer very spear-fishing oriented, and someone who carried Omer, but I don't remember the names and they were really hard for me to get to.

Many people do buy mail-order because of the difficulty in finding a shop that stocks anything.

I second some other people, a pair of plastic Cressi LDs are cheap, durable, comfortable and you won't have much buyers remorse if you decide to upgrade later. I find them to be way better for surface swimming than my Sporasubs or the Carbon fins I have tried (C4 mustangs, M-Technics Pure)

 

[deep thinker]

KP
Perhaps you should go with Bills and Azapas advice, wait for the coarse and try on as many fins as you can there. Then go to a spearfishing shop and buy the pair of fins you liked most, or you could also drop Jimdoe2you a PM he has a store and sells gear over the net, also you know that you get solid advice from someone most of us kind of know, who knows bein a member of the forums, perhaps hell give you a good discount plus if you get ripped off you know where to find him rofl

 

[atomichaggis]

I'm in a similar position. I've been looking for a soft, hard wearing fin for rocky Norwegian shores. I opted for Omer milleniums with winter blades and they are very soft indeed. I think once My ankles can handle them comfortably and I start overpowering the winter blade I will switch to a harder blade of which there are many, There are also plenty of fibreglass and carbon blades for this footpocket if I feel the need.

I think You just gotta try the footpockets (if You get the opportunity) for a good fit then get a cheap plastic blade to begin or perhaps a couple of sets of blades with one as a workhorse and one reserved for performance.

 

[kelp princess]

if you are doing shore entries in rocky areas fibreglass or carbon fins will soon get bashed up. I would recommend some Cressi 3000, Omer Mileniums, Imersion Esclapez etc, all of which are around the $100 mark and should get you to 30M down with a good technique, practice and good buddy. Even if you migrate to fibre/carbon afterwards these will remain good backups

AZAPA thanks for the good suggestion - my only problem now with the cressi 3000 is that what i can find only seems to be available online and i think even the smallest size on LP is too big for my foot

i tried the OMER milleniums size 38/40 on with a 4 mil sock and it fit but was not super comfy - perhaps i'll get used to that...

kp

 

[rslomkow]

A

i tried the OMER milleniums size 38/40 on with a 4 mil sock and it fit but was not super comfy - perhaps i'll get used to that...

kp

The Omer's are at least a size larger than the Cressi's of the same size. So a 40 Omer is a 42 Cressi. The Omers are sized "with sock" and the Cressis are barefoot. At least that has been my experience.

 

[kelp princess]

KP
Perhaps you should go with Bills and Azapas advice, wait for the coarse and try on as many fins as you can there. Then go to a spearfishing shop and buy the pair of fins you liked most, or you could also drop Jimdoe2you a PM he has a store and sells gear over the net, also you know that you get solid advice from someone most of us kind of know, who knows bein a member of the forums, perhaps hell give you a good discount plus if you get ripped off you know where to find him rofl

this all sounds like a great way to do it and yes i always could hunt down our pal mr. doe! :t



thanks everybody - it's really useful to have so many knowledgeable opinions - i do appreciate it so much:inlove

kp

 

[azapa]

as i mentioned on another thread trying fins + socks on dry in a shop does not give a very good idea. the ideal is to try them wet. do you belong to a club? there you may be able to try friends fins with socks. As a general rule, trying dry with socks they will feel very tight, but often in the water with they will feel OK.

 

[cdavis]

Hi Kelp Princess,

Lots of good advice above. Picking a fin/foot pocket is tricky and very individual, especially the pocket. Seems like most people like the cressi's, especially those wearing them barefoot, but I have several friends who absolutely hate'em. Seems to be a function of ankle flexibility and foot shape. They are a little narrower for their length and thick booties don't seem to work as well with them. The Omers are wider and seem to work better for those who wear thick booties. I've heard good things about the Nemos, supposed to be a lot like the old sporasub dessaults,softer than the omers, but I don't have any direct experience. Which pocket works best for you depends on you and you won't know until you have worn them for an hour or so. The best advice is try'em before you buy'em. If that's not possible, recognize that it may take buying more than one set to find the best for you.

On blades, get soft ones. If you have got the cash, go fiberglass. The cressi 3000 LDs (plastic)are inexpensive,should work fine and are extremely tough. The Specialfin kelpie blades(fiberglass) are really nice, bent blade( which you will like a lot), very high quality and real tough, much more efficient than plastic. Waterway blades(fiberglass) are popular, tough, lots cheaper, but don't have a bent blade and don't have anywhere near the quality of workmanship. I wasn't at all happy with their customer service, but maybe that was just me.

Good luck with your search.


Connor

 

[kelp princess]

Hi Kelp Princess,

Lots of good advice above. Picking a fin/foot pocket is tricky and very individual, especially the pocket. Seems like most people like the cressi's, especially those wearing them barefoot, but I have several friends who absolutely hate'em. Seems to be a function of ankle flexibility and foot shape. They are a little narrower for their length and thick booties don't seem to work as well with them. The Omers are wider and seem to work better for those who wear thick booties. I've heard good things about the Nemos, supposed to be a lot like the old sporasub dessaults,softer than the omers, but I don't have any direct experience. Which pocket works best for you depends on you and you won't know until you have worn them for an hour or so. The best advice is try'em before you buy'em. If that's not possible, recognize that it may take buying more than one set to find the best for you.

On blades, get soft ones. If you have got the cash, go fiberglass. The cressi 3000 LDs (plastic)are inexpensive,should work fine and are extremely tough. The Specialfin kelpie blades(fiberglass) are really nice, bent blade( which you will like a lot), very high quality and real tough, much more efficient than plastic. Waterway blades(fiberglass) are popular, tough, lots cheaper, but don't have a bent blade and don't have anywhere near the quality of workmanship. I wasn't at all happy with their customer service, but maybe that was just me.

Good luck with your search.


Connor

hi connor - thanks for your input - i definitely think that soft ones will be better for me since i think that will best suit my kick

it's a little bit tough this chicken and egg thing since i KNOW how critical the equipment will be to my experience overall, but i don't really know which one is best for me -yet. all this great advice is sure to get me to what's best alot faster tho!

cheers,

kp

 

[hteas]

Another approach that may work really well is to contact 20Fathom, in the Bay Area. They sells Matrix and Edge blades with either Sporasub or Picasso footpockets. Dennis should be able to help a lot, and a bunch of west coast divers use them. The Edge blades have the bend under the toe, which seems to help for surface swimming. I have heard it rumored that the blades are made by Waterway, but no one has verified it.

20Fathoms

Sounds like you're taking the Performance women's course. So the other option is to wait until Kona and try everything you can. Mandy-Rae knows the locals (Annabel and Jessie) really well, so there should be a lot of fins available to test in the water if you ask. There's also whatever the other students (including one from here) bring to use.

Howard

 

[bgill]

Kelp Princess,

Check out the website called leisurepro.com

They have EXCELLENT prices and you can order your fins in an AMERICAN size. For me the size chart was right on with bare feet.

I ordered a set of Cressi Sub Gara 2000 HF's from there a few months ago. (Very stiff fin - But I like mine stiff!) Got 'em in like 3 days. The size and fit was PERFECT - The price was un-beatable...And to top it off - if the fins DON'T fit you must aquit....Wait a minute! (man I'm getting old...or weird...When old O.J Simpson murder trial stuff pops into my mind!!!)

Anyhow...If the fins don't fit right and you don't scratch them up you can return 'em and they'll ship you a different size FOR FREE! Yup I said FREE!

:inlove You can't go wrong with Cressi Sub -OR- LeisurePro! :inlove

Since you're in Cali can't you just walk into a dive shop and try on some fins? Here in Wisconsin it's mostly geeky scuba freaks - No freediving or spearing stuff is available at any dive shop that I know of.

If YOU ARE going to Kona for the PFI course pretty soon I'd just wait 'til I got there...Then I'd visit ALL of the OVERPRICED diveshops there and try on ALL of the gear and feel up & caress all polespears and spearguns I can't afford....Yet!!!