Booties and fins?

[cchen]

Does anyone wear 5mm booties with their freediving pocket fins?

Do any specific pockets fit booties better than others?

Im thinking about getting a pair of freediving fins, but I live in Oregon, and we need booties to dive over here... Water is around 50* usually.

I have heard that open heel fins don't transfer as well, and that pocket fins are significantly better than open heel ones. So I guess I just need to find a pocket fin that will fit booties into the pocket as well.

Also, if anyone has any experience on this, how much bigger of a pocket size should one get if they want to put a bootie in there too? For example if I were to put a size 11 bootie into my pocket... would I need a size 12 pocket?


Thanks!

 

[cdavis]

I normally wear Spora 42-44 pockets, barefoot. For some Canadian diving, I bought a set of Omer 44-46 pockets and wore them with 5 mil booties. Worked fine.

Connor

 

[vali]

in freediving, boots are not so good
when i say boots i think at scuba boots, with hard base
very good for freediving are neoprene socks [2mm; 3mm, even 7 mm]
the best fins for freediving are the closed-heel ones...and for that kind of fins you must have socks, not bootie...
3mm neoprene socks are very good for water above 6 celsius degrees
open heel fins for freediving?...not good [only some type of monofins]

 

[Dingbat]

Hi CChen,

I'm in Oregon also and I'm normally a 46 in shoe size.
I'm using 5mm socks in Mares Razor Pros size 46-48 and the foot pockets are a bit on the big side.
Also, check out his web site: The Pond

Cheers,

Martin

 

[cchen]

Hey thanks for the info everyone.

I guess I will just order a size up and hope for they fit. My local shops don't carry freediving fins =(

Thanks!

 

[Killa]

why would you have to wear boots? I mean can't you just wear socks?

 

[cchen]

I have to wear boots and not just socks because where I dive, there are baracles all over the rocks/jetties that we enter from. Socks would be destroyed after 2 trips out.

 

[vali]

man you won't want to ruin every freediving event just because of that....
there are solutions...
some soks have a kind of a hard sole....
and step up gently...

 

[Killa]

how bout you use boots to get into water then put them in a bag and tie it to a buoy?

 

[Erik]

A couple of things from a cold-water spearo: 1, buy socks that seal to the inside of your pants. 2, buy some cheap Crocs/flip-flops for hiking down the beach. Stuff them above the tideline somewhere or put them on your float if you use one. If you leave them at shore and they get stolen, meh, they're cheap!