official - fin sizing thread - please add your info

[harbour seal]

hopefully those currently owning fins will fill out the following information, which would be of great help for those of us without the option to first try them on.

- make and model of fins you own (e.g. Omer Millenium Black)
- size of fins (e.g., 44-46)
- thickness and type of socks worn (e.g., 5mm pickasso socks)
- comments regarding quality of fit (e.g., snug, slightly loose, cut off blood supply...etc)
- foot size and country (e.g., 10.5 US)
- any additional fit/foot info (e.g., you have especially wide feet, you have only 8 toes....)


i do have a fin question BUT i thought it might be useful to try and collect a repository of fin sizing information in one thread.



personally, my foot is size 10.5 us (44 european) and i am planning to purchase some omers millenium blacks --- i would like to wear a minimum of a 5mm sock with the fins for colder waters.

what size omer foot pockets should i get: 44-46 or 46-48?

even if your foot is radically different than mine please take a moment to add your pertinent info.

cheers and thanks,
sean

ps. moderators -- if this is a superfluous feel free to modify or delete this post -- i moved this from the bifins subforum

 

[Fondueset]

I have Omer Ice fins - and Millenium Runners - 44-46 they are comfortably snug with a 5 mil sock. My feet are size 10.5-11 us

 

[cdavis]

Foot size 10 1/2 -11, D (medium width) in US sizing. Very flat.

Cressi Gara 2000 pockets size 44-45 , US size 10-11, slightly loose worn barefoot, very comfortable.

Sporasub Dessault size 42-44, US size 9-11, slightly tight, worn barefoot or with a 2 mil sock, comfortable, but not quite as good as the Cressi's.

I can wear either all day, no problem.

Connor

 

[Fondueset]

I agree the sporas and cressis run big compaired to Omer

 

[demasoni]

- make and model of fins you own (e.g. Omer Millenium Black)
- size of fins (e.g., 44-46)
- thickness and type of socks worn (e.g., 5mm pickasso socks)
- comments regarding quality of fit (e.g., snug, slightly loose, cut off blood supply...etc)
- foot size and country (e.g., 10.5 US)
- any additional fit/foot info (e.g., you have especially wide feet, you have only 8 toes....)

- Matrix (Waterway) bi-fins, stiffness #3. Sporasub footpockets size 42-44
- normally wear 3.5 mil neoprene socks by Sporasub
- slightly loose to snug fit
- 9.5 US foot size
- if I were to do it again, I would get the 40-42 size Spora pockets, and use them with 2 mil ankle socks, or occasionally barefoot. I would like a more snug fit. Right now with the 42-44 pockets, my tips of the big toes just peek out of front of the pockets. For better control and feel of the fin, I would have preferred the 40-42 pockets.

 

[harbour seal]

excellent!

thanks for all the replies so far --- keep the info coming --- you guys are saving us from buying the wrong sizes.

fondueset
looks like your feet are similar to mine -- i actually thought i would need to get the larger 46-48 to accommodate thicker socks but you have made me rethink --- thanks.

cheers,
sean
vancouver, canada

 

[nostres]

I have Special Fins monofin with Omer footpockets 46-48, I wear shoe size 47 (US 13). I use 3mm socks for the pool (nice fit) but even better at the lake with 5mm socks, perfect. Bare foot little too lose. I had Cressi Gara 3000 LD before, the same 46-48, too big.

 

[nostres]

Omer 46-48 would be too big for You. I just realized You have 10.5 US size. I got 13 and it's perfect for me. You need 44-46, there still will be room for 5mm socks (they compress too at depth)

 

[Seacidal]

- make and model of fins you own (e.g. Omer Millenium Black)
- size of fins (e.g., 44-46)
- thickness and type of socks worn (e.g., 5mm pickasso socks)
- comments regarding quality of fit (e.g., snug, slightly loose, cut off blood supply...etc)
- foot size and country (e.g., 10.5 US)
- any additional fit/foot info (e.g., you have especially wide feet, you have only 8 toes....)


Sean,
I feel your pain, brother. I wear a size 11 shoe, even though my feet measure out at size 10.75. My feet are slightly wide, but not excessively, and I have good arches.
I have a pair of Omer Millenium Comps, size 44-46, and wear either 3mm or 5mm socks, depending on the temp. With the 5mm socks, my Omer footpockets were too tight. The fins were difficult to get on, and my feet would hurt for about half an hour, then they went numb. It wasn't pleasant. I ended up having to cut the tops of the footpockets to provide some much needed room. I would have liked to get the next larger size.
Yet, with the 3mm socks, the 44-46 pockets are acceptable, but still more snug than I like.
Hope this helps.

Seacidal

 

[island_sands]

Foot size 36-37
Sporasub fins 38-40 with 3mm Mares neoprene socks
Mares quattro pros small - 5mm boots

 

[rslomkow]

I have goofy feet, wide (EEEE right, EEE left) and high arches. fortunately this really is not a problem in fins, because length doesn't really matter much.

I wear a 44-45 (10.5-11 US) shoe [measured by length I am a 9 or a 41, but I have not worn a show of that size since I was 13]

Cressi Gara's 2000HF (or 3000): 44-45
- barefoot perfect! very comfy
- cannot wear even a 1.5mm sock with this fin without losing circulation on the top of my foot

Omer Foot Pocket: 42-44
- barefoot decent, a little side to side wiggle mostly in the heel, while swimming the wiggle is not noticeable
- 2-3 mm sock tight across the ball of the foot leads to cramping, and cuts off circulation near the top of the foot

Sporasub H. Dessault: 46-48
- barefoot, loose across the whole foot, usable for me but not ideal, no real fear of it falling off while swimming, more comfortable plastic than the Omer
- 6-7mm socks are tight across the top of the foot, after swimming for a while cramps and pressure across the ball of the foot
- 2-3mm socks pretty comfy, some days I would cramp my feet anyway after a few hours but not reliably

(SCUBA Fin) Mares Avanti Quatro: XXL
- barefoot it falls off unless I am carefully, uncomfortable on heel
- 5-7mm boot works fine, very comfortable, poor acceleration, good backwards pull

Summary:
- Cressi Footpockets runs small compared to Omer & Sporasub
- Omer has a large heel
- length of foot is not that important in fitting full foot fins compared to size near opening of the footpocket

 

[deep thinker]

Picasso Black Teams
Size 44-46.
Worn with a 3mm coral wetsuit sock.
With a 3mm sock the fin fits comfortably, it might be a bit tight with a 5mm sock I think.
I have size 10 feet in us measurements.
My feet are wide and relatively flat, the picassos have a nice wide footpocket same as the cressis but I went with the picassos cause I found the cressi blade too stiff and the picassos have interchangeable blades so you can increase the stiffness- thickness - of the blades you use

 

[Spaniard]

Sporasub Pure Carbon, Sporasub Radical and Sporasub Grafiber all Eur 40-42. My foot size is UK 7 and I wear 3mm sporasub booties and the fit is just right ( I have quite narrow feet).

 

[harbour seal]

wow, interesting information.

from this thread it is clear that no two feet are the same.

even those with similar length feet as mine seem to have markedly different fit with the same size fins.

rslomkow's observations seem pertinent to me:
"length of foot is not that important in fitting full foot fins compared to size near opening of the footpocket"

i have no idea how to quantify this aspect of foot thickness but certainly something to take into consideration---at least for those up us unable to first try on fins before we buy them.

i would guess that my feet are "thinner" in this aspect given that i used to lace up my climbing shoes such that the eyelets ended up quite close together (especially compared to the shoes of my friend's with "thicker" feet).

hopefully others continue to add to this thread.

cheers,
sean

vancouver, canada

 

[Jon]

I have a US size 9.5 My XC-ski boots and my Birkenstock's are both 43's. I've had a bunch of different fins in different footpockets. Here's what I used:

Sporasub's 42-44 with a 3mm sock

OMER's 42-44 with a 5-6mm sock

Spetton's 43-45 with a 6mm sock, and were still too big

Picasso's 42-44 with a 3mm sock

Esclapez's 42-44 with a 5mm sock, and still a bit loose

The fins where I wore only a 3mm sock I had tried to fit a 5mm in but they were just too tight and I lossed feelingin my toes.

Jon

Jon

 

[The Killer's me]

i have the Cressi Gara 2000 44-45 a bit big but i use fin keepers.
it is very good but i always think that i can find something better.

CheerzZz

 

[iceselkie]

Hey Harbour seal. I'd go with the smaller, the ones that fit right at the ball of your foot. you can stretch out footpockets (around the heel if necc.), fat socks compress at depth, and if you want the most use out of your fins : ie: in the pool AND diving most of the year round get the size that will fit 5mm and under. I can't wear a 7mm sock in mine, but i double up on 3's and that does the trick (I use MEC neoprene socks, theyre cheap like borscht). join up with the vanapneist http://www.vancouverapneist.com/ group, lots of local freedivers you can poll and possibly try on their stuff. TTYS!

 

[strangelove]

My shoe size can vary from 11 to 12, I use a cressi gara2000 46/47 with 3mm socks and omer 46-48 with 7mm. I've also notice a substantial size difference between the Picasso pockets and the omer pockets. The same size Picasso is larger than the omer.

 

[harbour seal]

Hey Harbour seal. I'd go with the smaller, the ones that fit right at the ball of your foot. you can stretch out footpockets (around the heel if necc.), fat socks compress at depth, and if you want the most use out of your fins : ie: in the pool AND diving most of the year round get the size that will fit 5mm and under. I can't wear a 7mm sock in mine, but i double up on 3's and that does the trick (I use MEC neoprene socks, theyre cheap like borscht). join up with the vanapneist http://www.vancouverapneist.com/ group, lots of local freedivers you can poll and possibly try on their stuff. TTYS!

brianna,

thanks the excellent advice--good to think of fitting fins for all year around use and not just for the winter time. thanks to the all the sweet advice in this thread i am going to get the smaller ones (44-46 for my 10.5us shoe size).

also thanks for the hookup---i had never heard of the vancouverapneist group before. it would be amazing to actually meet some real live freedivers. i will contact the club and get my membership in the next couple of weeks.

thanks very much for sharing your wisdom,

sean
vancouver, canada


ps. you should add your fin types/ fin sizes / shoe size / sock size / fit info to the growing list of information in this thread

 

[iceselkie]

hehe no prob sean
as for my own personal fit, i have wide, yet small feet. My footpockets are sporasub 38-40, with waterway #2 blades. i wear anywhere from 3mm to 6mm comfortably, but rarely go barefoot in them. my monofin footpockets are mat-mas 38-41, same as above.