Fins: Full Foot or Open Heel?

[lowviz]

Danno, love your hunter style.

When are you going to offer those divebomber fins in a lower durometer rating for us long range patrol types?

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

Danno, love your hunter style.

When are you going to offer those divebomber fins in a lower durometer rating for us long range patrol types?

Nothing in the works right now. For the price, those fins are an incredible value.. compare them to Cressi 3000's - MAKO DIRECT price versus discount dive shop.

Freedive Hunter Freediving Fins | MAKO Spearguns

http://www.divers-supply.com/cressi...CRS-BH135144&gclid=CK6qgJPM8c0CFZA2aQodsQgPhQ

 

[lowviz]

Nothing in the works right now. ...//...

Yer killin' me. (As for the Cressi, no fair compare, doesn't have "Avanti" in the name)

YOU know how sweet the Hunter fin would be with a softer blade...

 

[TMHeimer]

Open heel so you can wear the booties for walking, whether in the tropics or cold water. Then you get a pair of spring straps.

 

[TMHeimer]

Open heel so you can wear the booties for walking, whether in the tropics or cold water. Then you get a pair of spring straps.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Open heel. I dive in both warm and cold water and you def need the boots for cold water. I've been in 90F water and I've never complained about my feet being too warm. I also like not having blisters. I also like being able to walk with protection for shore dives or sketchy boat surfaces/piers.

I dove twice with closed and I hated it. To each their own!

 

[Neilwood]

Definitely open heel for me.

Full foot fins sound perfect for boat dives, simply slip them on and go but that is a tiny fraction of the diving I am likely to do. Can't see them working well for shore entries (over rocks) that add up to about 90% of my diving. Also allows me to vary the thickness of the booties depending on water temp (not sure if 7mm booties are a good idea in 27C water so I might go for a pair of low cut boots for that).

 

[divad]

My diving will probably be strictly warm water vacation diving if that matters any.

That's what I used to think.

 

[dmaziuk]

I'm researching fins, and can't really find what makes a full foot fin better/worse than an open heel fin (except not needing booties).

Are there really any significant pros or cons to each style?

Full foot: more efficient power transfer, marginally harder to put on/take off, when the heel splits you have to buy a new pair.

Open heel: harder to find perfect fit, can be used with booties, you can keep a spare heel strap in your save-a-dive kit.

Even on a boat I prefer to walk without the fins and put them on in the water. In places like Bonaire I don't think I'd enjoy walking in to the swim depth wearing fins or in just the socks.

 

[2airishuman]

I'm a new diver just now starting to purchase my personal gear.

I'm researching fins, and can't really find what makes a full foot fin better/worse than an open heel fin (except not needing booties).

Are there really any significant pros or cons to each style?

I have used both styles. There are indeed pros and cons, including some not mentioned here.

The advantage of open heel fins is that, when you take them off, you're wearing boots, which is an advantage for any kind of entry or exit where your foot needs more protection than just a sock. Since almost any dive has at least some potential hazards for your foot, this is a big deal.

Full foot fins are somewhat more streamlined, the float line is less prone to get caught on them, and they are typically somewhat cheaper particularly when the cost of boots is considered. You can size them to wear with neoprene socks for colder water. In warm water I typically use a lycra sock (although I wear a lycra sock with boots and open heel fins also). One advantage of full foot fins is that you don't have to dry out your dive boots after the dive.