Need a fin recommendation for a gal with little feet (Men 5)& dry suit DUI rock boots

[kathydee]

Hi

I'm new to drysuits & taking a cert class this weekend!! I'm excited to dive local waters! I have a DUI suit with rock boots.

Wanted heavy fins like Jet Fins, but finding the rock boots a bit too wide at the ankles to fit all the way in (a 2 pocket is left in the jet fins).

The Jet fins do work with narrower converse tennis -- but the rock boots are more comfortable.

Are there any gal dry divers with little feet (size 5 mens) that can recommend a heavy fin that might fit well with little rock boots?

Thanks!!

 

[TSandM]

Kathy, I've faced precisely the same problem. I wear a woman's 7 shoe, and I'm 5'4" and 120 lbs. When I got my Fusion, I bought the lovely boots that they sell with the suit, and they wouldn't fit in my L Jet fins. I tried XLs and I was utterly miserable. Although the guys who get stuck between XLs and XXLs have Turtles as an option, we don't. I understand the Hollis Ls may have a slightly larger foot pocket, but I don't know if that's in height or width, as I have yet to see any.

I used Chuck Taylors for a while but got tired of lacing them. I tried wetsuit booties, but they compressed my feet so much that they got cold, and the ones that fit in the fins didn't have much of a sole. Right now, I'm using surfer shoes from Gill Marine -- they go on easily, allow my feet to expand a little, and fit in my fins, but they don't have much sole and I doubt they will last long on our rocky entries.

If there's a perfect answer, I haven't found it yet.

 

[SubMariner]

Hi

I'm new to drysuits & taking a cert class this weekend!! I'm excited to dive local waters! I have a DUI suit with rock boots.

Wanted heavy fins like Jet Fins, but finding the rock boots a bit too wide at the ankles to fit all the way in (a 2 pocket is left in the jet fins).

The Jet fins do work with narrower converse tennis -- but the rock boots are more comfortable.

Are there any gal dry divers with little feet (size 5 mens) that can recommend a heavy fin that might fit well with little rock boots?

Thanks!!

I've been using Mares Volos size M with both my wetsuit booties & DUI Rockboots. Heavy fin? No. Versatile? Yes, up to/including sculling backwards.

 

[Susanne]

Hi

I'm new to drysuits & taking a cert class this weekend!! I'm excited to dive local waters! I have a DUI suit with rock boots.

Wanted heavy fins.....
Thanks!!

May I ask why you are looking for a "heavy" fin? Weighting your foot makes no sense for propulsion in water. I can understand ankle weights, with a light propulsive fin for drysuit diving. That way you are putting the weight at the same place of the buoyancy, but to weight your foot is counter productive.

 

[D_B]

Weight at your ankle,or at your foot are pretty close, you still have to accelerate, then stop, then re-accelerate the mass on your leg/foot

you only need heavy fins, if you need them, and you wont be able to tell that until you've dived the drysuit, and maybe only after a few dives too .. your floaty feet may learn to behave (I have very light fins)

I'll make mention of my experience in using neoprene boots for that drysuit ... don't, the crushed neoprene foot can expand and your feet can slip right out of them, leaving you with "broken ankle" syndrome .. VERY hard to get your foot back in while your under water, and potentially dangerous

I've heard good things here on the board about OMS Slipstreams, lighter than jets and have a more flexible foot pocket

 

[kathydee]

Thanks for your advice! I went with large jets. Floaty feet are gone. Need more kicking techniques for efficiency but even now they seem to do the job!