difference between snorkel and dive fins?

[miscreant]

I'm taking an advanced open water course soon and need to buy my own equipment for it (snorkel, mask, fins, knife, light). I already have a snorkel but my mask is a snorkel mask and my fins are snorkel fins. I was told my mask is probably fine but that I'd probably need dive fins (none of my gear was inspected, this was just general advice). I don't know anything about dive fins and I'm a little incredulous to the idea that my snorkel fins are inadequate, especially when dive fins run around $80. So I started looking on e-bay for some much cheaper dive fins and found a few but between the diversity of fins and lack of manufacturer information I've become much more indecisive. I'd like to do research on some of the products, to find reviews or even to find the manufacturer's intended use but that's not really possible from the scant information provided. So....I'd like to know what I should be looking for in a diving fin, what sets it apart from a snorkeling fin, what are some cheap diving fins (<$40) and is it really all that important for a beginner to use fins specifically designed for diving?

By the way a couple of the fins I've been looking at on ebay are:
http://cgi.ebay.com/SCUBA-DIVING-SNORKELING-SWIMMING-OMEGA-NEMROD-FINS-S-M_W0QQitemZ200109072047QQihZ010QQcategoryZ16054QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270120893720&ih=017&category=73997&ssPageName=STOREROMOBOX:ENDSOON#SLIDESHOW

http://cgi.ebay.com/MILITARY-MARINE-FINS-SCUBA-DIVING-SNORKELING-DIVE-SZ-L_W0QQitemZ250114254528QQihZ015QQcategoryZ16054QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[CompuDude]

To answer that question, we'd need to know what kind of fins you currently have (preferably with photos), and what kind of diving you'll be doing. The needs for fins in Bermuda are very different from the needs for fins in the Pacific Northwest.

Snorkel fins may or may not be too light duty to push a diver will lots of bulky scuba gear on. On the other hand, they may be just fine... depends on the conditions and the gear. "Dive fins" tend to be heavier duty, may be open heel to enable the use of booties and more substantial exposure protection, etc.

A good pair of ScubaPro Jetfins can often be found on eBay for <$40, and will cover any kind of diving you could ever conceive of. Suckers last forever, too, so they keep their value well. They are actually preferred for more advanced dives.

 

[miscreant]

Well I just compared the length of my snorkeling fins to some dive fins and can see one difference. Mine are probably a little short. I will be diving in Miami, not doing anything too demanding for a while. Thanks for the scubapro suggestion. I found a nice pair on ebay.

I just found it a little odd that I have to buy all of this equipment in order to take a course. I got OW certified at a popular diving destination in the 3rd world where all the equipment you needed was rented, and in fact I was able to rent a pair of fins for my class tomorrow, but apparently that gear isn't usually rented out here. Though I've been wanting to get more into diving, and that's why I've signed up for this AOW course, it's too expensive for me to partake in anymore than a handful of times a year. So to me it's like skiing, and in skiing you can rent all the gear.

 

[C Chris]

This is a bit dated, but you might find some useful information on performance of certain makes of fins here: http://www.scubadiving.com/200510_scubalab_fintest - Chris

 

[CompuDude]

Well I just compared the length of my snorkeling fins to some dive fins and can see one difference. Mine are probably a little short. I will be diving in Miami, not doing anything too demanding for a while. Thanks for the scubapro suggestion. I found a nice pair on ebay.

I just found it a little odd that I have to buy all of this equipment in order to take a course. I got OW certified at a popular diving destination in the 3rd world where all the equipment you needed was rented, and in fact I was able to rent a pair of fins for my class tomorrow, but apparently that gear isn't usually rented out here. Though I've been wanting to get more into diving, and that's why I've signed up for this AOW course, it's too expensive for me to partake in anymore than a handful of times a year. So to me it's like skiing, and in skiing you can rent all the gear.

Third world diving destinations are geared toward the travelling diver who may not bring their personal gear with them. They can't afford to not take advantage of anyone passing by who may show the slightest interest in diving.

Stateside, it is standard practice all across the country for the students to own all of their own personal gear, meaning mask fins and snorkel. They just rent you the bigger items that are harder to maintain. Do draw a skiing analogy, do you rent your long underwear and socks?

If the money is that big of a concern, buy some used fins cheap from your local craigslist / ebay / recycler / pennysaver. Used fins are frequently sold for cheap all the time, and you can find something that will work for now, and decide later if you're going to want to dive enough to make it worth investing in some quality gear.

Incidentally, my ski gear is far better than the rental gear you'll find in most shops. The same can be said for scuba gear... and the scuba gear is far more essential to keep me alive (as opposed to simply going a bit faster in a bit more comfort) than ski gear.

 

[red3171]

I have some Mares Plana Avanti's for scuba, and found they are too stiff for snorkeling. I went abalone diving last week, and found I need something more forgiving for free-diving. Those new, flexible, split-fins could possibly do double-duty as snorkeling and scuba, but not my Plana Avanti's.

 

[wunat]

Well I just compared the length of my snorkeling fins to some dive fins and can see one difference. Mine are probably a little short.

Can't really determine that a the shorter fin is not suitable for scuba. For example, Jet fins are pretty short in length compared to many other scuba fins out there. On the other hand, long fins used for free diving are necessary good for scuba. There are other elements to look into.

More on the snorkeling vs. scuba fin thingy, like previous posts stated, it depends on what fin you have at the moment. Some people actually bought scuba fins (eg. Mares Avati-X) and were using them for snorkeling.

When scuba diving, we need to carry much more mass (with those scuba gears) against higher resistances from the water. We need more power in order to move us forward when compared to how it is when we are snorkeling on the surface.

Fin choices can be very subjective when it comes to preference. I am devoted to ScubaPro Jets as many others but there are people who dislike them. Best would be for you to try them out and see for yourself.

I just found it a little odd that I have to buy all of this equipment in order to take a course. I got OW certified at a popular diving destination in the 3rd world where all the equipment you needed was rented, and in fact I was able to rent a pair of fins for my class tomorrow, but apparently that gear isn't usually rented out here. Though I've been wanting to get more into diving, and that's why I've signed up for this AOW course, it's too expensive for me to partake in anymore than a handful of times a year. So to me it's like skiing, and in skiing you can rent all the gear.

Do you have alternatives with regards to the dive center you will be taking your AOW with? I agree that it would probably be a bit expensive if you are required to buy these gears just for the class. Further down the road, you will probably find them not the type of gears you prefer to dive in. It costs me some fortune before I realize what I really like so I would strongly suggest for you to look around, talk to people, and take it slow when investing into diving gears.

It is good that you are on this board at this time of your path into scuba. I could only hope I have discovered this board earlier. :11:

 

[kidspot]

The difference between a snorkel and dive fins is fairly easy to tell ...

SNORKEL:

DIVE FINS:

hope that clears up any confusion ...

sry - I just "had" to do that ... lol

Aloha, Tim

 

[Maddcovv]

If your getting your advanced cert don't you think its about time to at least own some basic equipment?