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Please help me find some footpockets.. blind testing is getting expensive.

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Fat Larry

Member
Nov 5, 2013
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I posted this in another thread but here it is again. With the request for suggestions.

I take a size US10 shoe and normally go for a 42-44 size foot pocket.

I have been looking and trying as many fins as i can the last month or so.

Diving without socks i had no issues with comfort or power transfer using Cressi 2000/3000s..

However i now need to use 3mm socks and i am having issues finding a pocket that works for me.

At the moment i am diving with H.Dessaults in a size 9-11, they work with 0.5mm socks but are to tight at the sides with 3mm socks. I lose a little power with the front of my foot moving about with the thin socks but its fairly minimal my feet are however a little cold.. and its summer down here.

So far i've tried:

Omer Stingrays i find get cramp on the side of my foot and a gap over the toes that causes the front of my foot to hit the top or the bottom of the pocket depending on where i am in the stroke and feeling like im losing power.. it is very annoying. I get this with lots of pockets (put it down to a high instep and low toes?) , Seatec, stingray, gara modular, and to a much less annoying extent the Dessaults..

Picassos: Seemed to fit ok, but i didn't like the feeling of the pocket bending where the blade ended under the instep. They also have the older style shallow blade angle. Have not used for any serious length of time in the water. Just a short test in a pool.

Sporasub spitfires: Seemed to be the same as the stingrays and gara modulars, havent tried in my correct size though or in the water.

Omer milleniums: Tried a while back without socks and medium stiffness leader carbon fins. They gave me bad blisters and felt stiff as hell. Power was impressive but i wasn't a fan.

Keen to hear some suggestions before i turn to the international sites to find my next pocket.

I think the last ones i have access to easily are Beachaut or Mares. The Pathos sound interesting but im pretty reluctant to spring for a pocket that might not work if i can return it, especially if i have to glue in expensive fins.

There is also these.. but i've never heard of them before. http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=661776492

Many thanks in advance.
 
Pathos, hands down.

Wide like a stingray, but shallow at the top of the foot.

See my blog for a review.
 
Stingrays in the correct size aren't wide enough.. are the Pathos the same or wider then the average stingray??
 
And which top of the foot are you referring to? The toes or the upper part of the arch? Cheers
 
the pathos foot pocket 42-44 is 265mm long and 100mm wide at the widest point if this helps
 
I'm not sure if this will help, but-

I had been using Picasso Black Team pockets on my Edge fiberglass blades. I got Moana carbon fiber blades in Pathos foot pockets in the same size, but the front of the pocket was too shallow over my toes. The width was OK, but my metatarsal heads were being squeezed vertically. So on the advice of the manufacturer, I put on an extra fin sock and jammed my feet in, then used a heat gun on the low setting on the top of the pocket. Now I have custom fit pockets. They fit perfectly. I just have to pay attention when putting them on since one is custom for the left foot and the other for the right foot.

If you don't have a heat gun, I think a hair dryer works. And one guy told me he stuck his foot into very hot water and got the same result.

Your profile doesn't give your location, but Moana fins are made in San Diego, CA. When I bought mine, the owner said that if they didn't fit, I could return or exchange them for another size.

http://moanawaterman.gostorego.com
 
Last edited:
Thanks to all for the replies and insights. Bill yours especially, are you saying you put double the amount of neoprene that you normally would? Was it 6mm total? how hot do you have to get the pockets?
 
Fat Larry said:
Thanks to all for the replies and insights. Bill yours especially, are you saying you put double the amount of neoprene that you normally would? Was it 6mm total? how hot do you have to get the pockets?
Click to expand...

I normally wear a 4 mm fin sock, and I wore an extra 2 mm sock over it for the stretching session.

I don't know how hot I got the pockets, but my feet were not overheated. I recommend caution. If you over-stretch the pocket, I don't know how you can shrink it. Heat it up a bit, then let it cool with your foot in it. Take it off and them put it back on and see how it feels. If its still too tight, then heat it again.
 
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