rcohn
Guest
My recent comments from rec.scuba:
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=...thlink.net&prev=/groups?hl=en&group=rec.scuba
When using heavier neoprene socks with full-foot fins you must fit the
socks and fins together. Socks can be found in 1 mm to 7 mm
thicknesses and Deep Thought makes some with thin kevlar soles. The
kevlar works farily well but sharp rocks will tear them up. To make
socks last when walking on land it's best to wear sandals or surf
shoes over them. On a boat this isn't a problem.
For cold water diving you buy fins one size larger than you would use
with bare feet and then fit a sock. For example, with my fins I use a
5 mm sock, 3 mm socks are too loose and thicker socks may either cause
cramping or make it impossible to put the fins on. When I've borrowed
Picasso fins to test, my socks wouldn't fit and I had to borrow a
pair.
A couple of comments, socks are fine for boat diving and freediving
from shore where I can easily wear sandals and then attach them to my
float while diving. However, for scuba diving from shore in a rocky
area they are just too painful to bother with. Walking with the
weight of a full cold-water scuba rig, over New England rocks, with no
soles on your feet hurts. The difference between well-fitted open
heel and boots compared to full-foot fins is too insignificant to
endure the pain and the risk of falling.
Ralph Cohn
Folowed by:
If you want to know what size socks to use, that depends on the fins
and your feet. I have narrow size 11 feet and would probably start
with 5 mm socks, but that's just a wild guess. 5 mm has worked for me
with both Beuchat Goldfin and Sporosub foot pockets, but not Picasso.
Even the added thickness of a thin kevlar sole may be significant. If
you can't try them on at a dive shop, you might talk to the mail order
dealer and ask them to send you several sizes and return the ones that
don't work for a refund.
Too loose is annoying, wastes power, and increases the risk of losing
a fin. Too tight causes cramps very quickly.
One other trick, I find the soles and stiching last much longer if
coated with a layer of "tool dip" or similar coating.
Ralph Cohn
and:
One more thing. You need to be careful that the fin doesn't loosen up
with depth as the neoprene in the sock compresses, it might slip off.
Obviously this will depend on how tight the fit is to start with and
how stretchy the foot pocket on the fin is. Some freedving fins' such
as the older Sporosub pockets' have almost no stretch.
Adding fin keepers which can be found at many dive shops or at Blue
Water Hunter on the web will ensure the fins won't slip off.
Ralph Cohn
Matthias Voss <mat.voss@t-online.de> wrote in message news:<3C4FEDBA.7A4CFF43@t->
> Just where did you find the ones with the kevlar soles ?
> Matthias
Blue Water Hunter. I just noticed they no longer seem to have the 5
mm, now just the 3 mm. They do make custom wetsuits so they could
probably make booties to order at a higher price.
http://www.blueh20.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/booties.html
Ralph Cohn
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=...thlink.net&prev=/groups?hl=en&group=rec.scuba
When using heavier neoprene socks with full-foot fins you must fit the
socks and fins together. Socks can be found in 1 mm to 7 mm
thicknesses and Deep Thought makes some with thin kevlar soles. The
kevlar works farily well but sharp rocks will tear them up. To make
socks last when walking on land it's best to wear sandals or surf
shoes over them. On a boat this isn't a problem.
For cold water diving you buy fins one size larger than you would use
with bare feet and then fit a sock. For example, with my fins I use a
5 mm sock, 3 mm socks are too loose and thicker socks may either cause
cramping or make it impossible to put the fins on. When I've borrowed
Picasso fins to test, my socks wouldn't fit and I had to borrow a
pair.
A couple of comments, socks are fine for boat diving and freediving
from shore where I can easily wear sandals and then attach them to my
float while diving. However, for scuba diving from shore in a rocky
area they are just too painful to bother with. Walking with the
weight of a full cold-water scuba rig, over New England rocks, with no
soles on your feet hurts. The difference between well-fitted open
heel and boots compared to full-foot fins is too insignificant to
endure the pain and the risk of falling.
Ralph Cohn
Folowed by:
If you want to know what size socks to use, that depends on the fins
and your feet. I have narrow size 11 feet and would probably start
with 5 mm socks, but that's just a wild guess. 5 mm has worked for me
with both Beuchat Goldfin and Sporosub foot pockets, but not Picasso.
Even the added thickness of a thin kevlar sole may be significant. If
you can't try them on at a dive shop, you might talk to the mail order
dealer and ask them to send you several sizes and return the ones that
don't work for a refund.
Too loose is annoying, wastes power, and increases the risk of losing
a fin. Too tight causes cramps very quickly.
One other trick, I find the soles and stiching last much longer if
coated with a layer of "tool dip" or similar coating.
Ralph Cohn
and:
One more thing. You need to be careful that the fin doesn't loosen up
with depth as the neoprene in the sock compresses, it might slip off.
Obviously this will depend on how tight the fit is to start with and
how stretchy the foot pocket on the fin is. Some freedving fins' such
as the older Sporosub pockets' have almost no stretch.
Adding fin keepers which can be found at many dive shops or at Blue
Water Hunter on the web will ensure the fins won't slip off.
Ralph Cohn
Matthias Voss <mat.voss@t-online.de> wrote in message news:<3C4FEDBA.7A4CFF43@t->
> Just where did you find the ones with the kevlar soles ?
> Matthias
Blue Water Hunter. I just noticed they no longer seem to have the 5
mm, now just the 3 mm. They do make custom wetsuits so they could
probably make booties to order at a higher price.
http://www.blueh20.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/booties.html
Ralph Cohn
