Cheap fix for loose open heel fins

[Waterwulf]

First! This is a fix, a rig, a cheap alternative to buying new fins or missing a dive because the dive charter company only had size super humongous fins! It's cheap enough to buy a pair just to stash in your dive bag for that just in case scenario.

I bought my first pair of open heeled fins after close to fifty years of diving with full foot fins. I chose a pair of ScubaPro Twin Jet spring strap open heeled fins. I screwed up! I got a size Large for my size 9 feet and the fins flop around like crazy. No, they can't be returned or exchanged and for the price, I didn't really want to shelve them and buy a new pair. They're mine and that's that!

My boots are U.S.Diver 5mm with a fairly thick and wide sole. They're way to loose inside the foot pocket...as in so loose that I think they might actually fall off. I thought of and discarded several fixes and had just about decided to sell them and buy a new pair when my wife suggested that I just wear my combat boots. (She was giggling and being sarcastic!!) Anyway, her comment got me to thinking about shoes so I decided to try a cheap pair of humongous tennis shoes over my dive boots. (That set her off again giggling and mumbling about circus clown shoes! Arrgghh!) So I'm looking at one of the "mart store" web sites and something caught my eye.

Water shoes. No, not boat type shoes with the thin soft sole to not mark up boat decks. Water shoes are made with thin cloth and netting and have thicker textured soles. I decided to try a pair of Wave Water Shoes and found them on Ebay for under $12 shipped brand new. They fit over my dive boots and inside the fin foot pocket perfectly. I wear a size 9 dive boot and got a size 11 water shoe to fit over that. (Measure your boot from heel to toe and add 1/2. That's your shoe size with the boots on) They even have pull cords to tighten them up after they're on. I just leave them on the boot and do the on/off on my foot with them in place. Voila! No wobble, comfortable and even look "factory" on the dive boots! Best of all is that my wife was impressed with my ingenuity. Of course, I took all of the credit even though she gave me the idea! Heh heh.

 

[Dizzi Lizzi]

Great idea, I just bought a new pair of booties that are a tad bit thinner. I noticed when snorkeling that my R spring strap came off heel. I was able to notice and correct, but it confused me because I did not have that problem for the 20 dives before that. Then I realized that the prior dives I was not finning much. It seems that when I really have to kick its enough to dislodge the spring strap. I am going to try your fix, it seems it will work just fine, if its too tight in the toe box I will just cut that bit off. thanks!! I'm hoping I wont have to go back to reg straps, I love my spring straps and they don't come smaller than what I have.

 

[Waterwulf]

I didn't even think about cutting the toe off of the water shoe. Thanks! I wear a size 9 boot and my boots are kind of thick in the sole plus they're 5mm. My water shoes are a size 11. If I was going to order them again, I would go to a size 12. The kind I got...Wave Water Shoes...have a draw string with a ball lock to tighten them up. I think mine may be just a smidgen tight inside the water shoe. I'm going to wear them around the house for a few hours to see if they're tight and maybe they'll loosen up. Here's a link to a mart store so you can see what they look like. They come in assorted colors but I got the black ones to match my boots. After my wife's clown flopper shoe comment, I wanted them to be as unobtrusive as possible but I have to say that they do look sharp and not all floppy like.
https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=wave water shoes
The added benefit is if you have to cross coral or barnacles, etc. to get to the water, they're extra protection for your feet. I haven't dove with them yet but I think they'll be perfect.

 

[Waterwulf]

I didn't even think about cutting the toe off of the water shoe. Thanks! I wear a size 9 boot and my boots are kind of thick in the sole plus they're 5mm. My water shoes are a size 11. If I was going to order them again, I would go to a size 12. The kind I got...Wave Water Shoes...have a draw string with a ball lock to tighten them up. I think mine may be just a smidgen tight inside the water shoe. I'm going to wear them around the house for a few hours to see if they're tight and maybe they'll loosen up. Here's a link to a mart store so you can see what they look like. They come in assorted colors but I got the black ones to match my boots. After my wife's clown flopper shoe comment, I wanted them to be as unobtrusive as possible but I have to say that they do look sharp and not all floppy like.
https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=wave water shoes
The added benefit is if you have to cross coral or barnacles, etc. to get to the water, they're extra protection for your feet. I haven't dove with them yet but I think they'll be perfect.