Cleaning fins?

[holdingmybreath]

ChipM..
what you need with your full foot fins is neoprene socks... not boots/booties. They are available in different thickness.. I like these Cressi Socks Metallite 3 mm. Accessories Socks - boots, Scubastore.com, buy, offers, scuba

 

[Web Monkey]

I havn't been in the water in a couple of years and my wife and I are going on a cruise to teh Southern Carribean in May. We will be snorkeling on at least 4 of the 6 islands that we will visit. So in preperation for the trip I got my fins out and started to swimm laps at a local pool. My feet broke out in a rash after one trip to the pool. What is the best way to clean our fins and what should we take with us on the trip to keep them clean? I sponged them out with bleach and rinsed them right away, then dried them well, but I don't want to have to do this every time I use them.

So what was it? Did cleaning the fins help or did you switch to socks or booties?

It's also possible that it's a reaction to something in the pool water.

Terry

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks for the suggestion. One other question. My wife and I both have full foot fins and as I said before I'm swimming in the pool to get in shape to spend as much time on the reefs as possible during our cruise. I've lost almost thirty lbs so far and now the fins, that I have never had problems with, are starting to be a little loose and are blistering my toes. So the question is what type boots should I get? I was looking at some on scuba.com and was thinking a pair of 1.5 mm boots would work. We snorkel off the beach more often than from boats so I would like something with tread but I don't want them to tear the fins.

One quick possible solution to the loose-fitting full-foot fin problem is to use fin grips, three-way straps that fit over the ankle, arch and instep:


Aquatic "hosiery" in a range of thicknesses and a variety of materials (lycra, latex, neoprene) can be worn with full-foot fins:


The image below from an old diving manual shows how even tennis shoes can be worn with such fins if the foot pockets are spacious enough:


As for the rash you mentioned, you haven't said what material your fins are made from. While natural or neoprene rubber is used to manufacture traditional all-rubber full-foot fins, plastic-bladed composite fins tend to have thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) foot pockets. If you suspect that your feet have suffered an allergic reaction, it might help to know which of these different materials might have caused it.