Fins for beginner

[fleedermouse]

Good to join you all!

I am set to go on my first free dive in the beginning of April. Will be on abalone harvest in about 20 feet of water. I'm not looking at getting into anything deeper than 30 feet or so for at least a couple of years. Mostly doing shore and close-in kayak dives in the Pacific NW for shellfish harvest and hunting.

My question is this: How much should I spend on fins and what should I look for?
I am looking for great value but am not into buying something that will not do the job. I am hard on gear in general so durability is a big one with me.
I really want to get some before I go so that I can practice in the pool with them.

I tried a couple of searches on the equipment forum but quickly became overwhelmed by the gearhead talk and details of all the multi-hundred dollar fins. Alot of what I want to get out of this sport is the simplicity and I would prefer to keep the gear that way as well (at least to start).

Thanks in advance for any help that anyone can give. This is a great site!



Oh yeah, I weigh about 150 pounds and am 5 foot 10 inches. I have no idea what that is in meters .

 

[PaulD]

fleedermouse i am pretty much exactly the same height and weight as you and ive just got hold of a set of omer millenium fins with green blades. They cost around $260 in Australia(not sure what they cost in the USA) but they are an awesome set of fins. Foot pockets are extremely comfortable and the blade stiffness is ideal when you are doing a combination of surface diving and immersion diving. I dont know exactly about their durability as i have only had them a bit over a month but so far so good.

 

[cdavis]

Hi fleedermouse,

Welcome to deeperblue. Your question is a tricky one and very specific to you and what kind of diving you are doing. The key thing is Try'em Try'em, Try'em. Try a range of types and see what works for you. Sven would have good input for your area.

Otherwise, read a bunch of posts on this website. There is a hugh amount of knowledge here. Use the search function or just page back through the relavent categories and read what looks good.

That said, here are some ideas. Check the prices on discount websites. There is a very good one on this site. Be careful of the postage. If you are really not going to go deeper than 20-25 feet and don't plan on a lot of long surface swims, jetfins are a posssible, super durable, not very efficient, but easier to surface dive with and more maneuverable than longfins. In shallow water, banging around rocks and holes, I still use mine. Otherwise, the efficiency of any longfin trumps any other fin design. Cressi's are relatively cheap, very durable, decently efficient and have a foot pocket that is very comfortable for me (but not necessarily for you. Try'em with the boots you intend to wear). If you shop, you may be able to get waterway fiberglass blades in a footpocket you like for not too expensive. These seem to be much much more efficient than plastic fins for little if any extra expense (if you shop).

Enjoy analysing all the info around here

Connor

 

[ivan]

Hi

Mate read the article by Sven called Plastic vs Fibreplastic fins theres some good info there on beginner fins and the best available

cheers

 

[miles]

Hiya

The best fins are the ones that fit your feet best. Good choices for a beginner is Picasso Black Teams (very well priced, i own a pair for 3 years now) or any long bladed fins from Omer, Sporasub or Cressi. All of them will do the job that you require them for. Don't worry too much about blade stiffness, materials, etc. Just get the pair that fits your feet nicely and won't cramp your feet up.

Most important part is to get into the water and have FUN!!!

Regards
miles

 

[miles]

Hi

Also check out the classic fins from specialfins

http://www.specialfins.com/eng_products.php?product_id=76

I've bought my hybrids through them and have had excellent service. I received a pair of classic blades two days ago. Very well priced and they look wicked. Will probably test them later this week. Seems to be very nice fins.

Regards
miles

 

[flyboy748]

I have a pair of the OMER green Millenium's too, and they're great. They're my second pair of fins that I use for shallow sites rocky entrys ect. A friend went freediving with me recently and had never tried longfins before. As we had the same size feet I loaned him mine. He said he really liked them, which was a different reaction than mine to my first longfins!

I got my fins from ebay. While it's hard to find freediving gear on ebay, it does come up. Someone in VA is selling a pair of the Millenium greens now. I got mine for considerably less than what they retail for, so it's worth keeping an eye. The current bid is something like $60 right now.

All the best! Have fun selecting your fins!

Aaron

 

[Pezman]

Sporasub Dassaults. You should be able to get them for under $100, shipping and all. I've seen them as cheap as $80 on sale.

When you are ready for a better fin, just buy new blades and use your Sporasub pockets. Most blades that are designed for O.ME.R pockets will also fit Sporasub pockets, though you may need to some minor surgery.

The Cressis are ok, but the pockets are not re-usable. The O.ME.R stuf is good, but seems to be a little pricier.

 

[rcerdena]

Hi there, just try either the Sporas HDeassault (black blades), Omer competition (black) or the Picasso Black team (black).
If at the beginning you feel that the blade is to hard, just train more! Once you get used to them they work very good. I find the Omer green blades too soft, and it demands a lot to go up to the surface from deep dives.

Cheers
Roberto

 

[Memo]

I would strongly advice you the Picasso black teams, once you develop the right kicking style for them, they became an extension of your feet! dont miss them.

 

[neshamah]

what about the sporasub variant fin?

Hi .. What about the sporasub variant.fin?

.. is it good..?.that's the one I have.. I haven'T test it in the ocean yet


http://diverdirect.com/imagescache/ItemLrgPic2A27830.jpg yet......

saludos
Daniel.

 

[fleedermouse]

Thanks for the feedback. I am looking at those sporasub dassualts since they are in my relative price range through the scubastore. What is the difference between 'open' or not? Which one is better?

 

[feign]

For freediving, closed heel is the best for transfer of power from leg to the fin. If you have a well fit pocket your kicks will be efficient and powerful. Based on your water temp in the Pacific northwest you will need neoprene socks for a closed heel system. Depending on sock thickness, you will need to factor this in when considering pocket size.
If you use an open heel w/ straps then you would need to wear booties of some kind (nice for walking on rocks), but I personally wouldn't recommend an open heel fin for freediving.

 

[fleedermouse]

OK,

So I'm down to closed-fin Picasso Blacks or Sporasub Dassaults. They're about the same price through the shop. I think I'm gonna flip a coin.

 

[JMD]

I'll cast my vote for the Black Teams, I've had mine about a year now and like them well enough. They're not as stiff as I would like but for a beginner they're ideal. LikeFeign noted make sure you order a size or so larger to accomadate a wetsuit sock, tad chilly off our coast this time of year.

 

[feign]

Fleedermouse,

get a pair of rubber fin keepers when you get your fins as well. they are cheap and good for a little extra fin fit stability

 

[dallasdiver]

I have been wearing size 42-43 fins for the warmer water without a sock or sometimes with a very thin anti friction sock to avoid them rubbing the back of my heal. I was thinking of diving some of the colder stuff and getting a pair of three mil socks and new fins, should I get larger fin size like 44-45? Dallasdiverdown

 

[feign]

Are your fins really snug now without socks? If they are then you might want to consider going up one size because if your fins are too tight you may get painful foot cramps.

Try your current fins with some thicker socks and see how they work. If you do decide on some new fins, remember that different brands will fit differently so try to ask around about the sizing characteristics of that type of fin.

 

[dallasdiver]

Sounds good, thanks for the info. They fit fairly snug with thin socks.