C4 Falcon 80 pockets query.

[TunaFish]

Hey there

I am going to be buying a pair of the C4 Falcon 80's and I need some advice on footpockets. I say now that I will not ever use OMER pockets, as I have a pair of BAT 40's with OMER pockets [there's a surprise] and they ripped my feet to bits within an hour of diving, and I have to wear booties with them now.

I also have a pair of Cressi Gara 2000HF's and the pocket on them is great and I do not get any abrasions whatsoever. I have narrow feet so am looking for pockets that will accommodate them.

What pockets fit the Falcon 80's and that are the closest to the Gara 2000HF's?

Thanks,

Mike

 

[Jon]

I have OMER pockets on my 80's and my 30's, but Sporasub pockets on my 40's. I find the Sporasub pockets more comfortable, but the 80's are easier on my legs.

Having said all of that it is really a personal thing which pockets fit your feet the best- knid of like the fact that I wear Asics to run in and not Nike's. No matter which pocket you choose (omer, sporasub, spetton, ect.) you will be much more comfortable wearing a sock underneath.

I wear 5mm socks with my Omer's and 3mm socks with my Sporasubs. With my Underwater hocky fins, which are a full size smaller, I wear a simple cotton running sock. Socks are just a fact of life with such fins.


Jon

 

[cantshoot]

I have omer pockets and really like them, but my cousin has them and it tares his ankles apart. So, I am trying to say each pocket fits peoples fins differently. Try them all out until you find one that fits your feet well. If you don't want to use Jon's good idea of using cotton socks, there are thin lyca sock.

 

[cdavis]

I use both sporas with specialfin blades and gara 2000s. On me, the spora pocket is not as comfy as the gara, but is fine for a day or two of hard diving, barefoot. After that I switch to a nylon sock.
The two pockets are quite different. The sporas are much stiffer, with better power transfer. They also ride about a 1/3 inch higher under the ankle bone. Either of these things might cause you problems if your foot doesn't agree with that pocket. No way to tell for sure until you try them. The sizing is different, for example, spora size 9-11, 42-44 vs gara size 10-11, 44-45. The sporas are slightly smaller, but both fit me reasonably well.
At the time I bought my sporas, there seemed to be a general concensus in the forums that omers would probably not work barefoot and sporas might or might not, depending on foot shape. Some people couldn't wear cressi's, but those who could were fine barefoot.

Connor

 

[roy_nexus_6]

I have narrow feet as well, specially in the heel area. OMER footpockets just don't work with feet like mine. Even with 5mm socks and the fin holders my heel moves inside the fin causing "squeeking" when I fin hard. Also if you go deeper the neoprene in the 5mm socks I have to wear collapses and the foot inside the finpocket starts to really wobble.

I have gotten sporasub footpockets and they feel much better (narrower) plus they are much easier to done (not as hard as OMERS). I can imagine wearing sporas barefoot, but def. not omers.

never tried cressi fins, but from everything I hear they are great for narrow feet, cressi footpocket are considered to be softest of the 3 (omer, spora and cressi). Also cressi fins have a fixed blade (you can't change it).

best of luck and let us know how the C4 80's blades worked out for you.

 

[PoseidonSv]

The picasso footpockets are amazing a bit better then the omer and alot better than the sporasub crappy ones.