Best fins for poor swimmer with bad back

[highlandfarmwv]

I would appreciate suggestions on the best fins for my husband:

He is a poor swimmer, but wants to snorkel in Bonaire in the not-over-his head range. He has had back surgery and his legs are weak. He may get water in his nose and put a foot down in the sand (I will be sure we go where there is a rubble bottom).

He wears a size 12-13 shoe, and I've ordered him thick soled booties, so that means the fin pocket will have to be huge. He has some old "Blades" They seem so long and heavy. Is there a lightweight, short fin that will come in a size 13?

Thanks so much.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

With thick-soled booties he will most likely need an open-heeled fin. Really the best thing to do is to go to a dive shop and try on fins while wearing the dive boots, since there is some variation in sole thickness between different brands of dive boots.

If you are ordering online, you can probably call and ask them to physically try fitting the same dive boot you bought into the fin you are interested in to see if it "fits". Often you need to go one size larger in fins to when using a thick-soled boot.

I have the same size feet as your husband, and use thick soled dive boots. I use an XXL Scubapro Jet Fin. This is NOT what your husband would want for snorkeling (to big, stiff and heavy), but is just given as an example that you CAN find fins with large foot pockets.

Good luck.

 

[jlovold]

Maybe the APS Mantaray would be a good fin for this... I generally find it to be unsuitable fo my diving, but for snorkelling it should be perfect, as it is extremely lightweight and compact, and has one of the best footpockets out there, and also, it is very easy to kick!

You can probably see an ad on the left side of your screen...

 

[castanagajt]

Maybe the APS Mantaray would be a good fin for this... I generally find it to be unsuitable fo my diving, but for snorkelling it should be perfect, as it is extremely lightweight and compact, and has one of the best footpockets out there, and also, it is very easy to kick!

You can probably see an ad on the left side of your screen...

I would second this fin as I have a pair and love them. If you want, my brother has comprised a thorough review in the manufaturer's section under APS Mantaray, you should check this out for yourself. Get any color from them except black because it is built of a stiffer compound.

 

[tstormdiver]

The Scubapro Twin Jet fins are also very easy on the legs. Might give these a try.

 

[jlovold]

Well, twinjets are neither short nor light...

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

Look at the Mares Volo fins. I tried a pair and it felt like I didn't have any fins on at all. They are a little weak for diving but sounds like they would be perfect for your husband. They have a large foot pocket and come in different sizes.

 

[Web Monkey]

He is a poor swimmer, but wants to snorkel in Bonaire in the not-over-his head range. He has had back surgery and his legs are weak. He may get water in his nose and put a foot down in the sand (I will be sure we go where there is a rubble bottom).

I'm not sure there's a fin that exactly fits your needs.

The SCUBAPro Twin-Jet (any color except black or grey) is very soft and because of the design, doesn't torque the knees (there's no rotational twisting). Unfortunately, they're slightly positively bouyant, so he might find himself with his fins on top of the water doing more "slapping" than he would otherwise. They're good for snorkeling, but not perfect. They're also sort of long.

The SCUBAPro Jet fins are short and black and negatively buoyant, so their nice for snorkeling, however it's a very stiff fin and a very old design, so there's a significant amount of torque on the knees and lower back.

I'd suggest finding a shop with a pool, and bringing several different styles of fins in for a test-swim to see which he likes. I'd probably recommend the Yellow Twin Jets. They very easy on the legs and back and make him really easy to spot in the water.

PS. I'd also suggest a 3mm wetsuit. It will make him float easily, which should make him less anxious.

Terry

 

[maged_mmh]

check the Tusa Expert Zoom (not the black) they're angled for surface snorkeling & very light.

 

[RJP]

Is there a lightweight, short fin that will come in a size 13?

Thanks so much.

The problem with a lightweight fin plus booties is that his feet are likely to be pretty floaty, and accordingly he might have to work to keep them in/under the water. If he's not a strong swimmer he'll have an even harder time if his feet are up out of the water. A slightly negative fin will allow his feet to stay underwater and provide propulsion on both the up and down stroke.

The wetsuit suggestion - or at least a diveskin - is a good one. Beyond providing buoyancy it will help prevent a nasty burn.