Fins, so many choices; full-foot, adjustable, split, heavy, light, spring strap, bungee strap… which one do I need?
Well before you run screaming for the hills the starting point is to look at where you dive or snorkel. Different fins will suit differ waters and types of diving or snorkelling. If you are going to use them only whilst on holiday and it's always nice warm water then you probably want something lightweight so it doesn't take up that precious weight allowance. But if you are going to use them in the UK you're going to want something heavier and will want to wear boots.
Full-foot fins
Although there are light weight adjustable fins generally the lightest fins are full-foot fins.These are worn with bare feet, although you can buy neoprene socks just to give you a bit of protection from sand or coral.
With full foot fins the only real choice is size of blade – but don't get confused by Freediving fins, these are REALLY long and not for anything but freediving. But assuming you are looking at scuba fin the rule of thumb is the longer the more power you will get. But beware as too long a fin blade and you could get muscle cramp.
Buying Tip: make sure they aren't too tight, you may be hotter when you're wearing them than you are trying them on in the UK! Full-foot fins come in shoe sizes, but make sure you know what type of size: European, UK, US etc.
If you dive in the UK or do longer deeper dives abroad then you will want adjustable fins as these give more power and are warmer as you wear them with boots. The fit of your fins is really important because you can get cramp from ill-fitting fins. Make sure the top of your foot is held secure by the foot pocket, you do not want lateral or vertical movement. The base of the fin pocket should reach the middle of your heel. Adjustable fins come in XS, S, R (regular),and XL sizes so you may need to go up or down a size to get the correct fit. Different brands are sized differently so try on several makes.
Buying Tip: If you already have boots make sure you take them with you when you are choosing your fins. Not all fins accommodate all boots. If you haven't got boots yet, then buy them at the same time as you buy fins
To see our whole ranger of adjustable fins click here!
But what sort of adjustable fin? Amongst adjustable fins you will see all sorts of styles and shapes and whilst some tend to be used in certain kinds of diving it is mainly down to personal taste and if you like the feel of a particular fin in the water. To break them into informal categories by bade type:
Paddle: A fairly flat fin with a single material making up the main blade. No channels or vents. An all-rounder but sometimes not as robust as some of the others. Often this kind of fin is a good choice for taking on holiday as they are lighter than some of the other kinds
Vented: Recognised by the vents in it which lets water through.Short heavy fins often used by Tec divers as they are smaller when working in small spaces such as inside wrecks.Extremely robust and made from and single material and of a molded design.
Split: As its name suggests the blade on this fin is split in 2. The amount of power produced relative to the amount of force used, is greater than most other styles of fin making it especially good for those who are smaller or less fit. However it can feel slightly floppy or ineffectual in the water – it isn't but it can feel less powerful. It does limit the way in which you fin as frog-kicking doesn't really work with this kind of fin.
Hinged.The latest style and technology in the fin market. Instead of being made of a flexible material they have a hinge between the foot pocket and the blade. The greater flexibility creates greater power. It is said that you can't frog-kick in them, but we have found otherwise.
Channelled. The most common type of fin and for a very long time considered the best kind of fin available. This fin has 2 or more channels made of softer more flexible material on the blade. These direct the water and create the power. There is normally more choice in this category as it is one of the most popular.
There are variations on all of these fins and it may take several goes to get the right one for you.
Buying tip:If you are buying a dry suit make sure the boots fit in the fin pocket - many dry suits have broader and heavier boots, or you may need to buy separate boots. It's worth checking before you buy your fins!
So the next thing to think about is straps. How the fin attaches to you! It needs to hold the fin in place without being over-tight or uncomfortable, but snug enough to allow you to move it without it falling off! There are 3 main kins of strap:
A traditional ratchet strap with clips that you undo and tighten up yourself each dive. Great if you're gong from wetsuits boots to dry suit boots and back agin and you can adjust them incredible easily by simply pulling them a bit tighter. This can be difficult to get to once you're fully kitted up and the clip and strap can break. Although it's a very simple job to replace one - as long as you're carrying a spare!
A metal spring-style strap. Incredibly easy to get on and off and extremely robust. When you buy them you set them to your own size and thats the way they stay. The only slight disadvantage is that if they fit correctly in your wetsuit, they may not in your dry suit - and vice versa!
A bungee style strap which is similar to the metal spring one but made for rubber. Very flexible and possibly the easiest of all to take on and off. Arguably it is also more comfortable in a wetsuit that the metal sprung variety. Less robust than the metal spring sort but longer-lived than the more traditional strap.
Ultimately the choice is yours and again depends on the type and frequency of your diving. Have a look here at the different kinds we stock.
Buying tip: Do think about what suit you will be wearing and if you are going on holiday with your fins especially if you normally dive in the UK. My personal choice is the metal spring, but (and big but) they are much too big in my wetsuit boots which means I need 2 sets of fins!
If you come into the shop we'll help you make the right choice and talk you through in a bit more detail the different attributes of each fin type. If you want to know a bit more than we've scribbled above but cant get to the shop then check out this YouTube video.