full foot fins with doubles

[seedy]

Anyone have any experience using full foot fins with double tanks, warm water.
Or would open heel be more practical.
I have never dived doubles and I have never dived with full foot fins.........
thanks for any advice

 

[danvolker]

Anyone have any experience using full foot fins with double tanks, warm water.
Or would open heel be more practical.
I have never dived doubles and I have never dived with full foot fins.........
thanks for any advice

Quality freedive fins like special fins.com. The blue BW fins. Medium stiffness choice. Specialfins.com is a fin made for real free divers... As opposed to mass market junk many scuba shops will sell. With single tank on scuba, Using these fins I can easily outpace a diver using a mediocre scooter like a teckna.

 

[arkstorm]

Only downside I can imagine would be all that weight on bare feet with no support -- you don't want to roll an ankle with all that weight on your back. If it were my ankles, I would wear booties with some structure such as Seasoft.

 

[meesier42]

as I see it the real disadvantage is the difficulty getting the fins on while wearing all that weight. Not saying I haven't done it many many times. found the best method is to sit on the edge of the boat, feet over the edge, put fins on and roll forward into the water. open heel fins are simply easier to don/doff

 

[Karl_H]

The majority of people will find themselves very head heavy when first using double tanks - particularly in warm water conditions.

The easiest way to counter this is to use heavier fins, i.e. the neoprene rubber open heel type such as ScubaPro jetfins, OMS Slipstreams, Hollis F1 etc.... You'll also find there's quite a bit more resitance with a set of twin tanks as opposed to a well streamlined single tank set-up, hence the heavier stiffer fins tend to help with propulsion too.

Considering this along with the fact you'll be barefoot with a heavy set of tanks on your back while using full foot fins I'd say go with the open heel!

HTH,

Karl

 

[tbone1004]

The F1's and Slipstreams aren't negative, at least not measurable so, so no advantage against top heavy. Doubles can be kicked around barefoot but you're not going to make any land speed records.
That being said, why are you wanting to dive doubles? If it's for the extra gas, then just buy a steel 130, if it's for redundancy and all that then that's fine but you're not going to want full foot fins... Generally speaking the jetfin style fins are very difficult to do a flutter kick with unless you have real strong legs. They don't bend much so the extra resistance is noticeable and can cause some wicked cramps if your legs aren't used to it.

DiveRite has some new fins that are pretty light, but stiff enough to move a set of doubles. Real nice fins if you don't have to kick against currents and what not. I have never found a set of fullfoot fins that were comfortable and I don't like the idea of having to buy a set of open heel fins to dive in moderately cold weather either. Just get one good set of fins and you're set for most things.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

I have never found a set of fullfoot fins that were comfortable and I don't like the idea of having to buy a set of open heel fins to dive in moderately cold weather either. Just get one good set of fins and you're set for most things.

I have never found a set of open heel fins that felt like it transferred as much of my finning power to the fin blade as any of the full foot dive fins I have used.

I have never found a set of scuba fins that felt as powerful for scuba as my free dive fins.

The most comfortable full foot fins I have ever owned were Mares HP's; stolen from the bush "drying rack" outside the resort dive center I was working for. I just got my second pair of Cressi Gara 2000's, and the foot pocket is again "almost" as comfy as those old HP's.

I I were only doubles diving from boat or sandy beach I would use my full foot free dive fins. I personally can not see how full foot fins are harder to don than open heel fins.

 

[tbone1004]

I have real wide feet and they are a pain to put on for me. Never found a pocket that fit right.
I figure if he's diving doubles and getting into tech he's frog kicking, and the floppy fins don't work for that, stiffer the better. Same with flutter actually. I can outkick a buddy in freediving fins on my slipstreams and jet fins. They require a lot more work, but they go faster and acceleration is all there. It's all personal preference though, if I'm snorkeling and what not I don't use jets, but wouldn't ever use full foots where I dive. Can't go barefoot in most of the places you need to walk and have no ankle protection

 

[HenrikBP]

The F1's and Slipstreams aren't negative,

F1s are probably about as negative as Jets. Slipstreams - you're right; with springs they're a bit negative, but not as much as to help much with trim.

Henrik

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I would have no problem underwater with closed heel freedive fins, but if you are climbing a ladder barefoot (or with thin neoprene socks) with double tanks, the extra weight may be uncomfortable. Certainly the open heel fins can be easier to don, but I like to put the fins on before the tank if there is room for that.