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Open Heel Freedive fins
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Thread Status: Hello
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Fins | Scuba Fins, Snorkeling Fins, Swim Fins at LeisurePro.com
hanapaa has them for a little cheaper I believe.
Breier makes open heel footpockets. Although, the straps are intended to be glued together, if you want them adjustable, it should be fairly easy adding buckles, or straps from scuba fins. Breier's website is not really functional, so have a look at some of the fins for example here:
Breier sur scubaland.fr
Breier sur scubaland.fr
Esclapez are the classic open heel long fins. Here's a link with picturers Palmes Verte Réglable Imersion Imersion Palmes
Dave.
Dave.
I have tried these fins before (Esclapez and Black team) but after trying closed heal i never thought of getting open heal. What are the benefits of getting open heal for cold water?
Open heel means you can wear scuba style, thick neoprene, hard sole diving boots. Closed footpockests you can only wear thin(ish) neoprene socks.
With socks you need overshoes to walk anywhere, like down a rocky beach and then you need to take the overshoes off and take them with you, which can be a pain.
Disadvantage of open heels and especially wearing hard sole boots is a loss of efficiency. Best power transmission is supposed to be long fins with tight footpockests and no socks (warm water only).
Dave.
With socks you need overshoes to walk anywhere, like down a rocky beach and then you need to take the overshoes off and take them with you, which can be a pain.
Disadvantage of open heels and especially wearing hard sole boots is a loss of efficiency. Best power transmission is supposed to be long fins with tight footpockests and no socks (warm water only).
Dave.
I used to own a pair of the black Esclapez open-heel fins- until I let Wreck runner borrow them and he broke them in two.
It wasn't really his fault, but i just love to post that fact every chance I get.
The fins worked great for scuba diving in a drysuit. I could fit them over the boots on a size #3 Viking drysuit or a size Large DUI turbo sole drysuit boot. They don't work as well as a closed heel fin for freediving, but they were one of the nicer drysuit fins I've ever used. They also make a green (Softer) version if the black is too stiff. While on scuba I never found the Black's to be too stiff.
I also used to own a pair of Cressi sub open-heel fins, but those haven't been made in a long time. They didn't work as well as the closed-heel Cressi fins and the footpockets were only big enough to fit a hardsole wetsuit boot- not the super large drysuit boots that the Esclapez are able to use.
Sporasub also used to make an open-heel foot pocket that could be used on any standard freediving blade. I never used them, but they looked decent enough- just not as large as the Esclapez.
Zeagle used to distribute an open-heel freediving style fin- that I think was actually made for them by Esclapez. I owned a pair of those as well, and while they worked OK for scuba, they weren't much of a freediving fin.
Those JBL's on the LeisurePro sight look exactly the same as the Esclapez fins.
Jon
It wasn't really his fault, but i just love to post that fact every chance I get. The fins worked great for scuba diving in a drysuit. I could fit them over the boots on a size #3 Viking drysuit or a size Large DUI turbo sole drysuit boot. They don't work as well as a closed heel fin for freediving, but they were one of the nicer drysuit fins I've ever used. They also make a green (Softer) version if the black is too stiff. While on scuba I never found the Black's to be too stiff.
I also used to own a pair of Cressi sub open-heel fins, but those haven't been made in a long time. They didn't work as well as the closed-heel Cressi fins and the footpockets were only big enough to fit a hardsole wetsuit boot- not the super large drysuit boots that the Esclapez are able to use.
Sporasub also used to make an open-heel foot pocket that could be used on any standard freediving blade. I never used them, but they looked decent enough- just not as large as the Esclapez.
Zeagle used to distribute an open-heel freediving style fin- that I think was actually made for them by Esclapez. I owned a pair of those as well, and while they worked OK for scuba, they weren't much of a freediving fin.
Those JBL's on the LeisurePro sight look exactly the same as the Esclapez fins.
Jon
It may sound counterintuitive but have a peek at the Cressi Master Frog. Admittedly it is a lengthened scuba fin, but has an open footpocket variant of the gara hf/ld moulding. I used them for freediving in 6mm, thick sole scuba boots and they were a nice all-round fin for shallower work, especially with sprung straps. Quite soft but great over long distances. As dave says, wicked for getting in-out. Most of my deepest dives were done in them.
Icon/Dan,
I see from your profile you work for Jerry Ottie over at Aquatic Adventures. He carries Mares and can get you proper free diving fins. For cold water we use thick socks and closed-heel freediving fins. I can easily get some 6mm socks in my C4 Mustangs, but you should be able to do the same if you go up a size in the Mares fins. I only used the open heel freediving fins for a drysuit while scuba diving. For anything else the closed-heel fins are far superior.
Jon
I see from your profile you work for Jerry Ottie over at Aquatic Adventures. He carries Mares and can get you proper free diving fins. For cold water we use thick socks and closed-heel freediving fins. I can easily get some 6mm socks in my C4 Mustangs, but you should be able to do the same if you go up a size in the Mares fins. I only used the open heel freediving fins for a drysuit while scuba diving. For anything else the closed-heel fins are far superior.
Jon
I'm using Imersion (Esclapez) greens and just got a pair of their carbons. Great fins.
I was looking for the largest footpockets available so I could wear 7 mm socks with them. The Imersions allow me to wear 7 mm socks for winter diving up here, and I just spent 2 weeks diving in Hawaii wearing 3 mm socks with them. Never a hint of slipping off.
I have US size 11 wide feet with narrow heels. For me the Imersions are the best and only option.
The Imersion greens are a great fin. I like them much better than the blacks. To me the blacks felt like 2x4s strapped to my feet, stiff but flexy footpockets. The greens feel much better, and the carbons are great.
If you want to take a look at them, go to the uUS website
IMERSION - Underwaters sports - SPEARFISHING SPIRIT
service is great and the shipping is cheap (relative to other online stores)
Howard
I was looking for the largest footpockets available so I could wear 7 mm socks with them. The Imersions allow me to wear 7 mm socks for winter diving up here, and I just spent 2 weeks diving in Hawaii wearing 3 mm socks with them. Never a hint of slipping off.
I have US size 11 wide feet with narrow heels. For me the Imersions are the best and only option.
The Imersion greens are a great fin. I like them much better than the blacks. To me the blacks felt like 2x4s strapped to my feet, stiff but flexy footpockets. The greens feel much better, and the carbons are great.
If you want to take a look at them, go to the uUS website
IMERSION - Underwaters sports - SPEARFISHING SPIRIT
service is great and the shipping is cheap (relative to other online stores)
Howard
Noticed your post on the Emerson green fins I’m in the market for some fins that I can wear 7mm boots in then change to 3mm like you have posted. Our foot seem to be about the same size. I was on there site and they have several sizes what option worked best for you? I’m thinking it will work for me to.
Thanks
Thanks