Full Foot Pocket Fin Recommendations???

[billeelou]

The Mares Pana Avanti Tre's Full foot fin is a scuba testers best buy. I have used them for two years in tropical waters without a single problem. If you are doing warm water/boat diving, there is no reason for a full foot fin.The LDS is trying to upsell you. Get a neoprene sock if you want....The same Scuba diving magazine gave the Avanti
Superchannel FF its best rating on two of the three catagories.... but I do not own that fin...

I also have the Oceanic Caribe, which i found good for Snorkling but WAY too Flexible for Scuba.but 29.95 is hard to beat...and scored very well on the tests


oh and BTW the full foots won EVERY SINGLE CATeGORY

 

[agilis]

Nothing beats the feel of a good full foot fin. I use Apollo biofins. Fine sand can be a problem, so I use lycra socks. I use a vintage pair of Turtle open heel fins in colder water, but only because they make it possible to use neoprene boots. They don't feel quite as natural and effortless as the Apollos, which are made of natural rubber, and silky smooth. The Apollos are heavy, and are as capable as my Turtles, or the Scubapro open heel fins I used in the past. Everything is subjective, but using the Apollos gives me the sensation of swimming like a fish instead of a paddleboat. Internet sources are selling them very inexpensively.

 

[David Wilson]

Rubber full-foot fins have been around since the 1950s and there are still plenty to choose from. I've snorkelled with this kind of fin since the 1960s, when full-foots were dearer, and also considered better, than open-heel fins, at least in Europe. Back then, plastic full-foot fins were for those who couldn't afford rubber fins. I 've never seen any reason to change since, especially now that rubber fins are cheaper than their "space-age" successors. The switchover from rubber to plastic in the 1980s wasn't a universal phenomenon, e.g. in Japan, where Apollo Bio Fins are made and rubber fins are still a mainstream divers' choice.

 

[LavaSurfer]

I have a pair of these and love em.
I thought they would fall off or not give me any power bu I was wrong.
For casual warm water boats trips they work perfect.
I bought them for the pool while teaching but found them so comfortable they make trips with me.
Mares Avanti Superchannel Full Foot Fin, Snorkeling Equipment, Mares, Mares Avanti Superchannel Full Foot Fin

 

[dschonbrun]

Traditionally, Full foots delivered better energy transfer and feel. In recent years, the open heal versions have caught up, and there is not a heck of a lot of difference from what I can read. Open heels offer the ability to wear booties which is nice. but if you're a warm water diver going off the boat, or a sandy shore... you may not need to spend the extra money on open heels. The Apollo Bio Fin Pro's in full foot are wonderful. I have a pair of full foots, and a pair of open healed. You can get used to either one of them.

 

[realdiver7]

I love my Mares Avanti Quattro Power full-foot fins for warm water diving. They are just heavy enough, stiff enough, wide and long enough for great propulsion while scuba diving. The center of gravity is different than my open-heel fins, but they don't take long to get used to. I have seen these used in tropical locations like Cozumel and Cayman Brac by underwater photographers and videographers as their first choice in fins, so that carries a lot of weight in my opinion. I have also used them, and seen other divers use them with bootie socks for a little extra warmth and a tighter fit.

I generally use my Tusa Imprex Tri-Ex open-heel fins with stainless steel spring straps more because the fins are easier to don and doff, the booties provide good traction on the boat after the dive and keep my feet warmer where I do most of my local diving, and I don't have to carry a separate pair of shoes to wear before and after the dive.

 

[ocpaul]

I was thinking about getting a pair of full foot pocket fins for warmer water scuba diving. My dive shop said it's a bad idea, as they won't be efficient enough, when compared to the open healed variety. Their basic recommendation is that if you're not snorkeling, then full foot is no good. Any advice either way?? I've heard good things about the Aeris Velocity!!!

Froggs,

I am also thinking that a set of full foot fins would be a good idea for warm water diving, but only boat diving. I would still stick with open heel fins & boots for warm water shore diving.

I am recently back from a 10 day liveaboard trip to Cocos Island. I used my Apollo Bio-Fins with boots on that trip. Cocos condiitons can be highly variable, and we encountered moderate to strong currents on a number of dives as well as strong surge on a number of dives. Although I was not uncomfortable with my Bio-Fins, there were a few instances where I felt I would be happier with a stronger fin in the currents. Note that my Bios are the original soft rubber type.

On this trip I noted that both of our divemasters and a number of the more experienced divers (one with over 5000 dives) were wearing full foot blades and that got me to thinking it might be a good idea to consider.

I disagree with your LDS's opinion that full foot fins are not as efficient as open heel designs. Head to head tests seem to indicate otherwise.

Advantages:
Less weight and less gear to carry (i.e. no boots) - weight is becoming a real issue with airlines
As good or better performance than open heel designs
Low cost
Ease of donning and doffing. Some might argue on this - but it seemed to me that the full foot users really did have it easier.

Disadvantages:
Possible blisters or hot spots - can probably be solved with a pair of lycra socks, which I wear under my booties anyway for the same reason.
Loss of traction when transferring from main boat to panga - here the boots are probably the best choice. Bare feet are pretty good, but I certainly would not want to be walking around in the lycra socks! Will have to put them on in the panga if wearing them is necessary.
Sand in foot pocket - not too likely since I don't put my feet on the bottom except in rare circumstances. Even if it happens, it seems like taking the fin off and putting it back on when submerged is going to be pretty easy.

That said - I am planning to get a new set of full foot blades, probably the Mares Avanti Superchannel, for warm water boat diving.

I'll also keep my Bio-Fins for trips to Bonaire, etc.