Looking for fin advise for my 12yr old daughter

[dundjinnx]

I am looking for feedback on starter fins for my daughter. She is 12 and is going to go through scuba certification in Sept, then we are off to Cozumel. She is small for her age (4' 5") and I am curious if that matters in the size of fins I get her. She has a set of Cressi Palau Long Adjustable Fins she uses for snorkeling. They are 21" long and I have read they could be used for diving, but was considering getting her the Cressi Frog Plus Fins to use instead. They are only 3 inches longer, so I am not sure if it is worth it. I am just a vacation diver, so I normally just use whatever rental equipment is provided with the local dive shop taking us out.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

You are taking a 12 yr old newly certed diver to Cozumel? One that is small for her age as you said and therefore I'm guessing not a powerful swimmer. Probably a good swimmer but not a powerful one. I'd want my kid in the fins that would give them a fighting chance against the currents there. Of course I don't recommend Cozumel for new divers anyway. Bonaire would be a better choice.
As far as fins go her snorkeling fins might be ok for her class but they really do not have the power to move all that gear in the water. In fact they are not even designed for scuba.

The other issue is that kids fins tend not to last the kid long. Not because they aren't good but because kids actually grow out of them fairly fast. Your daughter may not. So I would not spend $100 on a pair.
But you don't need to. Edge makes a very good fin that I would use that comes in a small size that retails for around 35.00. But it may not be small enough. Some fins don't come in kid sizes. Without knowing what size shoe she wears it is going to be tough to recommend anything specific.
But if they fit the Cressi Frog Fins would be a much better choice than what she has. It would also be highly beneficial to let her get a dozen or so dives in before taking her to Cozumel to dive.

 

[drrich2]

Another good destination for kids where they can participate in the dives but stay fairly shallow (like not exceeding 40 feet, for example), is reef diving out of Key Largo. Rainbow Reef Dive Center puts guides in the water, and if you go when the water's warm and the sea conditions good, it can be really nice. While you can take a boat to some deep wrecks, you also have the option to stick to the fairly shallow reef diving. Some sites were really fishy, and I got to see a few sharks.

And yeah, Bonaire is sweet. My 1st 4 times to Bonaire, I went with a group. Foreign country and all; didn't want to show up knowing little about it. But Key Largo? You fly into Ft. Lauderdale or Miami, drive down and over to the island in a rental vehicle, and 'Bam,' you're there. I stayed at the Courtyard Marriot; Rainbow Reef Dive Center was at the end of their parking lot. I did 2 2-tank boat trips/day, 20 dives in 5 days, for around $600 + tax & tips. One of the most budget dive trips I've been on, with the attractions of mainland Florida to entertain non-divers, and familiar shopping in Key Large itself - Kmart, Publix, Walgreens, etc...

I don't know how pervasive it is, but the 4 dives I did in St. Thomas were all fairly shallow.

I think you'll enjoy Cozumel, if you've already set it up.

Richard.

 

[dundjinnx]

Thanks for the suggestions, I will check them out. I wanted to take her somewhere I had been before, but that is limited to Jamaica, Hawaii, & Cozumel. I didn't really like the dives in Jamaica and Hawaii is a much more expensive trip than Cozumel. I had great dives in Cozumel. We just did drift dives and didn't have to work to hard at it. I haven't booked the trip yet, but I have spoken with the dive master I had used and was told they had some good areas we could take my daughter.

As for her shoe size, she wears a women's 5. Her Cressi Palau Long Fins are a Small/Medium. She could have probably worn the XS/Small, but these fit her and give room to grow and keep for a few years.

 

[f28pilot]

In my humble and unprofessional opinion but having two early teen divers in the family, I would go comfortable and cheap for kid fins. They are going to grow out of them before wearing them out but you do want them to have a good experience.

As far as Cozumel is concerned, fins end up being more for maneuvering than propulsion with the drift diving down there. My wife used snorkeling fins there for a couple of years because of the comfort factor and weight savings. Adding three inches to a young person's fins isn't likely to change her top speed by 1/2 knot so just be real conservative about staying within your combined capabilities. A private divemaster is probably money well spent (and usually very reasonable in CZM) at least until you are comfortable with her ability. Your money is probably better spent on the divemaster or more dives for experience. My kids had about 20 local dives before CZM and we had a ball when they were ages 13 and 14.

Have fun and dive safe!
Steve