Fin recommendation

[alicezhang]

Hi, all


My husband and I are avid scuba divers and snorkelers. We would like to start dabbling in free diving, mainly as something we can do while snorkeling to check out things out closer.
We may eventually try out spearfishing, but not a priority right now.


Would love to get some recommendations on good fins to buy that is reasonably priced (<$200) for beginners such as us. Here is our profile:


My husband:
* 230 lb; 6'4''
* Feet size: US M 12.5. wide and very flat footed
* Pretty strong legs
* Mainly free diving in warm waters such as Hawaii (would be great if it's good for traveling)
* Will prefer to wear the fins bare foot (preferred) or 3mm neoprene booties


Me:
* 130 lb; 5'2''
* Feet size: US W 5. a little wide
* Average strength legs
* Mainly free diving in warm waters such as Hawaii (would be great if it's good for traveling)
* Will prefer to wear the fins bare foot (preferred) with simple 3mm neoprene booties


Thank you!
Alice

 

[tbone1004]

important point, what fins do you have now and what makes them unsuitable for learning how to freedive?

Mask and snorkel will actually be more of a consideration this early on. Having a low volume well fitting mask and a snorkel free of any unnecessary junk will help to reduce drag.

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

Alice:

MAKO Searguns sells direct, so we eliminate the typical retail store overhead and the associated mark up. We can get you both into some EXCELLENT fins for very close to your budget.

Our black fiberglass blades some in at $205. You will definitely want our soft blades. Your husband will do well with the medium blades.

Most people prefer a 3 mm neoprene sock, even in warm water to provide some cushion and to prevent chaffing. however, our foot pockets are very comfortable and many people can use them barefoot, some people can get by with a nylon dress sock or even a thicker athletic sock. Our size chart makes reference to the use of a neoprene sock or not.

These are very high performance fins, they have a lot of snap to them, when you kick the energy is returned. We also have less expensive fins, if you are looking to economize. And we have more expensive ones, but these are really not needed for new divers.

Also, many of our customer use these fins to scuba dive as well.

If you buy a his/hers pair, give me a call when you place the order and I should be able to get you down to your budget..

Thanks

Dano

MAKO Spearguns, Spearfishing Gear and Freedive Gear

 

[alicezhang]

We are using Mare fins (it's been 5 years, so forgot the model ) that are great for cold water, which is where we were certified (Pacific Northwest).
They are very rigid and very heavy for travel, so we are actually looking to possibly purchasing a different set for travel / warm water scuba.

 

[tbone1004]

figure out the model, some of the Mares despite being somewhat heavy are actually very good for freediving... Depending on the weight you might not save much and keep in mind the dimensions of many freediving fins, they are quite long so unless you're planning on freediving for extended duration to below 100ft or so, I would save the money and use your existing fins

 

[Redshift]

If you think the diving ones are heavy for travelling, the freediving ones will also have disadvantages as they are long. And to start with you don't really need freediving fins, most scuba fins do ok.
But if you decide to try proper freediving fins, don't go for expensive models. Even Mako mentioned $205 fins when they also have $68 ones!
And if you want to be able to wear without socks, try them first. The foot pocket rubber, size and shape differs greatly and some are more comfortable than others. For instance Cressi Sub fins have a combination of different rubber that makes them quite comfortable. Although I think it's always good to have socks.

 

[adamx]

It all depends on how serious you plan on getting and what you're doing. I used to work on a tour boat out of Waianae, and I used Churchhill Makapuu bodyboard fins both for work and for fun. I never had trouble diving to tie up the boat, even on the anchor that was a bit deep (it was around 40 feet). They are comfortable and not very expensive (by scuba standards), and if you're not having to push gear they are quite good for swimming and diving. Frankly they are much better than they have any right to be, and are badly underrated as snorkel fins. Though they do sink, so watch out for that.

That's my unconventional recommendation, though they don't exactly pack light. Lighter than huge freediving fins, maybe, but they're fairly thick.

For a more conventional recommendation... Just buy travel fins.

 

[Deco Duck]

I'm of the mind that you should buy once and cry once; there aren't many arguments against buying the best equipment you can afford and having the right tool for the job. That said, besides being cheaper, plastic fins have the distinct advantage of being highly tolerant to abuse.

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

Yes we offer a wide variety of freedive fins. Some for children and women with very small feet, another model with a blade fixed to the foot pocket and a plastic blade (similar to a Cressi 3000 fin) and then our other models have replaceable blades. As for toughness of blades...the fiberglass blades I originally showed, are EXTREMELY tough. Spearfisherman put the gear through a torture test and they hold up to that abuse very well.

Incidentally, we sell gear bags that are designed to accomodate long free dive fins, so travel with checked luggage should not be an issue.

 

[ronscuba]

What are peoples opinions on the Mares Avanti Quattro Power Full Foot Fins ?

I have them, but the size 6.5-7.5 foot pocket is loose for me and they dive stiff. Not sure I have the length strength for them. I have a small narrow flat foot.

I'm a scuba diver only, but keep hearing about people recommending free dive fins for scuba.