booties w/ foot pocket fins

[bikeflip22]

i was wondering how much you should increase the size if u want to wear mild sole booties w/ foot pocket fins.

Also, anyone have any information on the Cressi Gara 2000's and the Omer's Millenium Competition?

I want to get into some freediving, and im looking for a basic freediving fin, with possibly interchangable blades.
Im currently diving with my mares volo's open heel fins, but i want something that will give me better propultion, and faster, currently with the volo's i can do ~45ft.

Am I jumping to fast? Should i wait till i can dive deeper before buying actual freediving fins?

 

[bikeflip22]

no one has ANY idea huh?

 

[nwdiver2]

The bootie in foot pocket fins question I can help with. I use a neoprene bootie so I don’t get blisters in my full foot fins, but I took my booties to the store and tried on several fins, some don’t fit very well.

Sorry I have been to 90 feet but it was to lift an anchor not really free diving so I can’t give advice on free diving fins.

 

[Ron Brandt]

I have tryed it and only went up 2 sizes.

Ron

 

[rpodos]

I'd target two sizes as well, obviously depending on both the thickness of the booties and the roominess of the foot pocket. I think you'll find that the European brands are somewhat narrower.

You are really have to go into dive shops and check physically.

One thing I know a fair number of free divers like is Sporasub pockets with Omer fins. Sporasub goes bigger, too, IIRC, so that might work well with your bootie idea.

As to jumping in too fast, that's obviously tough to call, but I will say that diving with free diving fins is a *lot* different than big flat paners like the Volos. I use an old set of C-S Rondine Pros, which is about as big as you can go without moving up to Garas or the like. It's a good compromise, but they are dang hard to find. Oh, also, you go any bigger than what I have and travel becomes a pain... that's why I had researched interchangable blades (haven't made the jump yet).

 

[bikeflip22]

oh no no, i wouldnt dive with freediving fins haha... i just am getting alot of drag using my DIVING fins, while freediving.. i can feel the straps hitting my ankles and it annoys me, but thanks for the responses, i just wish it didnt take 2 days after i post

i have my eye on these 2 fins, but i really am concerned about my feet getting cold, and i dont have any local dive shops that deal with freediving (i dont think anyways). Does anyone know if cressi sub is a euro company? I have a wide foot, and take about a size 12 in a shoe

 

[Tom Winters]

My wife dives with old Cressi freediving fins. Huge ugly black things. If you're serious about long fins, there are a lot available in Europe, but the shipping charges are going to STUN you. Ideally, you would just wear them with neoprene socks to minimize any inefficiences in the foot/foot pocket fit. You want pure speed.
Do a google search on freediving fins and you'll get some cool European hits. I was surprised at the sheer number of long fins out there - but there's no real American market so no one carries much over here.

 

[bikeflip22]

yea i noticed that, but i only have ~120 for fins and those omer's and cressi fins are in my price range, im also a newb and not sure if im going to stick with it. So... buying c4's or carbon fiber blades might be a BIG waste of money.

just for the record im not scuba diving with these

 

[Tom Winters]

They work for scuba diving. My wife loves hers, and I recently unearthed another pair of ancient Cressis with adjustable straps for her. I tried a pair years ago when I was doing Japanese intro dives. They belonged to a friend of mine and co-worker, The Large One, who needed all the propulsion he could muster. I found them a little awkward around the reefs, but when I had to chase down an escaped intro diver, my mask flooded when I turned my head sideways because I was moving so fast. It was funny kinda whooshing through the water.
With $120 for a budget, yes you are severely restricted as to choice in the states.

 

[bikeflip22]

this fins that u were going fast on, what were these called?
I'm aiming towards the omersub millenium comp's just because they have the interchangable blades... that way if i did advance, i would be able to buy some falcons or what not..


What freediving fins does your wife use?