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Thank you so much! I am Googling and will ask the dive shop this evening about a fin strap lug. That is something I have not heard of. I will look into everything you recommended. I really appreciate your help! :)
Sure thing! The fin strap lug is actually a hard rubber piece at the back of the dive boot so your fin strap can rest above it. I hope this helps.
 
Thank you so much! I am Googling and will ask the dive shop this evening about a fin strap lug. That is something I have not heard of. I will look into everything you recommended. I really appreciate your help! :)
Here's a pic of booties with the fin strap lug. I actually dive these myself and they're excellent! Both of my pairs are 5mm but I drilled holes in the soles of one pair for warm water diving so the water drains when I get out. Also if you look, there's a velcro strap that goes across the zipper track beneath the zipper pull to keep it from slipping down during your dive. Another great design IMHO.

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQIL56zf7ljHl2XQ8Ew3DzljoXxfCf_R246wuPQ2dh1wYaOsqUX.jpg
 
Welcome.

Snorkel:
- simple, no extra purges etc. which get sand in them, leak, etc
- foldable/stowable is nice, but they can be harder to use.
- one I like https://www.makospearguns.com/Freedive-Snorkel-p/mfsnkl.htm
- You need one early for drills, they can make surface swims/waits easier.
- Mine says ashore or at home. But I keep looking for a folder to carry for emergencies.

Mask:
- Fit is the highest criteria
- no purge vent is much better, its just a source of leaking
- small volume, so easy to clear
- black inside will allow fewer reflections on the inner glass
- What I wear: www.makospearguns.com/Minimus-Mini-Freedive-Mask-p/mmm.htm
several here have found them to fit well.

(I have no connection to Mako, I just like those bits of kit)
 
I ended up with Atomic split fins (after trying some others) as they were easy on my knees. Now I just use them for snorkeling laps in the pool as I’ve strengthened leg muscles. I have a pair of white (easy to see in our lower viz - see avatar pic) Deep6 Eddy fins, as well as a pair of Hog Tech 2 fins I use with my doubles.
 
I have a pair of TUSA Zoom fins - basically this model, older version - that are white with pink inlay. Size is SM/M, fits my size 9.5 foot in any boot. Adjustable straps on the open heel.

Because I've switched to tech diving, I'm never going to use them again. I'd be happy to let you have them for the cost of shipping (and I have a FedEx corporate discount!) :)
That sounds amazing!!!! I got the Seawing Novas, but I don't know how they will work for me. These look like great fins, too, and would be a different sort for me to work with. I am a size 8 in women's shoes, and it looks like I'd be right around their small/medium area, so these should fit, right? Let me know, and THANK YOU! :)
 
When you get your mask in (if you haven't already) put it on your face without the strap over your head and breathe in through your nose to make sure it seals well. Make sure all hair is outside the skirt, especially around your forehead which is typically where it gets trapped. if you hear/feel any air coming into the mask when you breathe in through your nose, either you still have hair inside the skirt or the mask doesn't fit properly, in which case it could leak underwater. If you do find that it fits, try smiling, wrinkling your face, anything you can to try and get air into that mask while breathing in through your nose. If it doesn't when you do those things, then it should be a proper fit and will serve you well on your dives. Also, the strap doesn't need to be especially tight when you put it on your head. And it should rest on the crown of the back of your head; not down by your ears. It's basically meant as an additional means of security to keep the mask on your face. With the proper fit, the force of the water pressed against it during your dive will hold it in place, even with the strap not placed over your head.

As for fins, I've seen several people dive the Scubapro Seawing Novas and love them. A couple of my instructors actually dive them in bright orange for better visibility. I had a student (I'm a DM) in the last class I helped with that dives a purple pair and seemed to have no complaints about them. They don't look especially attractive to me in that they're pretty futuristic looking, which some people really like, but also because they don't appear that they would do well when practicing some of the more advanced finning techniques, like back finning or helicoptering, which both require more of a stiff sidewall. But from those people I've met that do dive them, they have no complaints about them. YMMV.

As has already been mentioned, snorkels are sort of personal preference, but they're a great thing to have for a couple of reasons. I should explain first that I do not personally dive a snorkel when I'm rec diving because I typically dive a full face mask (see my avatar) which doesn't allow for a snorkel. It does however have a surface air valve that I can spin open to breathe ambient air on the surface so I don't breathe down my tank when I'm not underwater. Just have to remember to close it at the start of the descent, which I have missed a time or 10. Not a huge deal since it only allows water in when I inhale and even then it only breathes a little wet until I decide to close the valve. That said, snorkels are great for saving your tank air on the surface during surface swims, etc. Say you're diving in the Caribbean and your're done with your dive floating on the surface waiting for the boat to pick you up. Rather than take your mask off and just breathe normally, use your snorkel and watch below or keep the waves from splashing water in your mouth while you wait. Of course that also means they give you the ability to still be in the water looking for critters, etc. during your surface intervals between dives. And worse come to worse if you really want to have fun, fill it up and use it to sling water at your significant other!

Lastly booties......definitely get a pair that zip. And if your'e diving cold water, high ankles are key. You want the ankles of your wetsuit rolled over the tops of the booties to help keep your feet warm and to keep that zipper from accidentally coming undone. Those that have the little heel nub to keep your fin straps in place are wonderful. I actually bought a new pair recently (two actually) for that reason alone. If you tend to be somewhat cold-natured and your'e going to be diving cold water, then maybe consider a pair of 7mm booties. Or if 5mm are your only option, or just really don't want to go thicker, you can always snag a pair of 2mm neoprene socks for additional warmth for about $20-$25 and they work wonders. As far as the soles, which ever ones you decide to go with, make certain they fit comfortably in the foot pockets of your fins. You don't want your feet to get uncomfortable because there's too much pressure on your instep from the booties being too snug in the foot pockets. So try both types with the fins you'll be using and see what feels better. It may be that you need to go a size up on fins to use hard sole booties.

Sorry for the long read....I sincerely hope it helps. I by no means have the experience some here at SB do and what I've posted is based on my own experiences so far. With gear it really is a "try it and see how it works for you" kinda thing. So do just that, especially when it comes to buying the rest of your kit. Rent several different brands/types of BC's to find one you like. If you can, try out a few different reg sets to see which ones breathe the best. Same with the rest of your kit....try out as many different options as you can and then buy what's comfortable and works well for the type of diving you'll be doing.

Edit: That's quite the offer listed above. I personally started with the same fins and they work well to start out with. Split fins are very easy to use and typically provide decent propulsion without a whole lot of effort. They don't have the power a good pair of blade fins have, but they don't require as much effort, either. Great for still water dives such as quarries/lakes. I gave my first pair to a dive operator in Cozumel a couple years ago but then won a brand new pair in a raffle during the Christmas holidays this past year. Not a bad thing to have in your gear bag.

Thank you so much. That is all incredibly helpful! I did not get my mask yet, but it should be soon. I am going to try everything you said. That makes a lot more sense to me than just sniffing it to see if it pulls into my face. My mask is slated to come tomorrow. Both my fins and mask I got with bright yellow... I am not really a bright yellow girl at all (my favorite color is dark blue), but I figured these would be more visible, and it sounds like that was a good choice!

I made a note to look for booties with a heal nub this evening when I am at the dive shop. All of this was so incredibly helpful! I feel like a lot of this stuff is really expensive, and I would hate to spend a ton of money on things that just don't work for me. My local dive shop seems to have a very small inventory, and they seem to sell very few brands. Most of my few experiences with them have basically gone with me asking what may work, trying to explain what I am looking for, and being told that I am too new to know anything or have any preferences, so just take this one thing they sell. That is tough! Leisure Pro is online for me (I don't live near them) but they seem way more helpful about explaining some things. I just "don't know what I don't know," so I spent countless hours reading in these discussion boards and watching YouTube videos to try to learn more. I deeply appreciate the time and thought you put into helping me!!!! :) :) :)
 
Welcome.

Snorkel:
- simple, no extra purges etc. which get sand in them, leak, etc
- foldable/stowable is nice, but they can be harder to use.
- one I like https://www.makospearguns.com/Freedive-Snorkel-p/mfsnkl.htm
- You need one early for drills, they can make surface swims/waits easier.
- Mine says ashore or at home. But I keep looking for a folder to carry for emergencies.

Mask:
- Fit is the highest criteria
- no purge vent is much better, its just a source of leaking
- small volume, so easy to clear
- black inside will allow fewer reflections on the inner glass
- What I wear: www.makospearguns.com/Minimus-Mini-Freedive-Mask-p/mmm.htm
several here have found them to fit well.

(I have no connection to Mako, I just like those bits of kit)

Thank you so much. That is absolutely helpful! I am going to look into each of those! Thank you!!! :)
 
Sure thing! The fin strap lug is actually a hard rubber piece at the back of the dive boot so your fin strap can rest above it. I hope this helps.

Aha! Someone else described a nub at the back of the bootie to help keep my fin straps in place. The same thing, perhaps? :D
 
Here's a pic of booties with the fin strap lug. I actually dive these myself and they're excellent! Both of my pairs are 5mm but I drilled holes in the soles of one pair for warm water diving so the water drains when I get out. Also if you look, there's a velcro strap that goes across the zipper track beneath the zipper pull to keep it from slipping down during your dive. Another great design IMHO.

View attachment 529788
Do you happen to have a link to those booties, by chance?
 
Do you happen to have a link to those booties, by chance?
Sure I do! Not sure if Leisure Pro carries them but Scuba Toys does for sure. They're local to me so that's where I typically get all my gear.

Seac Basic HD Boot - Dive Boots - Scuba Equipment Dive Gear Best Prices

They also have the hard sole if you prefer that.

Seac Pro HD Boot - Dive Boots - Scuba Equipment Dive Gear Best Prices

Edit: In looking at the ones your LDS carries, it doesn't appear that either pair have the little heel nub but Agualung does make a pair (SafeSole Ergo Boots) that do have them. So they can probably order you in a pair if necessary.
 

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