Newbie Fin Questions!

[Crystal A.]

Hello! I fell in love with snorkeling in the ocean with rental fins but we are heading to Belize and I want to bring my own fins this time. I am a women's size 7 - 7.5 and a weak swimmer with slightly wide feet. I ordered Tusa Platinas that we tested out in a swimming pool and between a size small and a size medium I didn't feel the love. I'm keeping the mediums with snorkel socks, but didn't feel like i had any strength of thrust. I'm too new though and I don't know if this was the fins or because I was in a swimming pool. Can anyone point me to some great information or recommendations for specific fins? Ideally I can cram them in my carry on, but all of our future travel plans now center on snorkeling so my equipment will be critical. Thank you!

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

If you want to maximize your snorkeling potential, you want to look at what freedivers use. Freedive fins are what you are looking for. However, sometimes it is difficult to find good freedive fins which fit smaller sizes. We have fins that accommodate children and women as well as very large feet (up to size 15 1/2).

MAKO has gone to the trouble to have fin pockets molds made in one size smaller and one size larger, than most others in the industry.

Womens Competition Freediver Fins | MAKO Spearguns

This link is for our inexpensive fins for women. The chart indicates that you will want the size 4-5 foot pockets. These fins will give you a ton of power.

If you are able to spend a good bit more on fins, then you may want to select the MAKO fiberglass blades which can be installed in the same 4-5 foot pockets. You would want the soft fiberglass blades.. These blades will provide slightly better performance in that they return more energy to the blade from the elastic recovery of the blade (they snap back with a little more performance) and they are softer which will be better for women.

Incidentally, for men who want fiberglass fins, we also recommend the soft blades if they are under 200 lbs - so don't think the "soft" blades will not deliver a ton of thrust for you.

Competition Fiberglass Fins for Women | MAKO Spearguns

You can order these blades in black and for slightly more, a blue or reef camo pattern.

If you budget allows it, we offer two other blade options, These include a hybrid (fiberglass and carbon fiber blade) as well as the most expensive, 100 % carbon fiber blade. All of which we can install into the 4-5 pockets for you.

Here's a link to our entire fin page:

Fins


Thanks!
Dano

 

[cmburch]

For me I like a nice lightweight bootie with a some tread for walking. If I use neoprene socks with full fin footpockets, I use hiking boots or tennis shoes to hike to my entry point.

My current favorite easy to use, easy to walk with, can use bootie with tread, good control and power, easy to store and travel with are full foot pocket Apollo biofins, but I think they are only available in Japan. They are heavy and wide though. Not easy to pack in carry on due to weight and width.

I would stay with a full footpocket fin. If you have strong legs and require more thrust, then a stiffer longer fin. Heavy, stiffer fins may not be enjoyable though. For surface swimming a fin blade that is angled not straight. If I see a fin that is
1. Full footpocket.
2. Angled blade.
3. Carry on capable: not too heavy, wide, or long.
4. Good thrust.
I will update post.

I wonder if you also post in the women's section if you will get a better response and advice.

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

Just for clarification, all our freedive fins have an angled blade (meaning the foot pocket and and the blade) are not "flat" which is intended to enhance the performance for surface swimming.

 

[cmburch]

Yeah. I have Picasso Carbon angled blade Freedive Fins and Captain Nemo Fiberglass straight blade. Big difference for those long surface swims in the bright California sunshine!

I also got a freedive fin storage bag, I won at a competition. Long expensive freedive fins may not be the best for a traveling snorkeler. Even with a good fin bag.

Your snorkeling companion will never be able to keep up with you. You will constantly have to turn around and look/wait for him. There is such a huge difference in power and comfort using freedive fins. Their length though may not be as convenient when out of the water or swimming around close to rocks.

 

[fmerkel]

Boat only or does this also include shore dives? For shore entry you'll want open back fins so you can wear booties.
How critical is length for packing? Free dive fins as you can see are very long. Personally I don't think I require anything like that for snorkeling. My goal is to simply poke around and look at stuff, not get from here to there as rapidly as possible.
There are fins that will fit in carry on if needed.

 

[Crystal A.]

If you want to maximize your snorkeling potential, you want to look at what freedivers use. Freedive fins are what you are looking for. However, sometimes it is difficult to find good freedive fins which fit smaller sizes. We have fins that accommodate children and women as well as very large feet (up to size 15 1/2).

MAKO has gone to the trouble to have fin pockets molds made in one size smaller and one size larger, than most others in the industry.

Womens Competition Freediver Fins | MAKO Spearguns

This link is for our inexpensive fins for women. The chart indicates that you will want the size 4-5 foot pockets. These fins will give you a ton of power.

If you are able to spend a good bit more on fins, then you may want to select the MAKO fiberglass blades which can be installed in the same 4-5 foot pockets. You would want the soft fiberglass blades.. These blades will provide slightly better performance in that they return more energy to the blade from the elastic recovery of the blade (they snap back with a little more performance) and they are softer which will be better for women.

Incidentally, for men who want fiberglass fins, we also recommend the soft blades if they are under 200 lbs - so don't think the "soft" blades will not deliver a ton of thrust for you.

Competition Fiberglass Fins for Women | MAKO Spearguns

You can order these blades in black and for slightly more, a blue or reef camo pattern.

If you budget allows it, we offer two other blade options, These include a hybrid (fiberglass and carbon fiber blade) as well as the most expensive, 100 % carbon fiber blade. All of which we can install into the 4-5 pockets for you.

Here's a link to our entire fin page:

Fins


Thanks!
Dano

I am not quite sure why you would suggest I wear fins that are so long they could damage the coral?

 

[Crystal A.]

I think I have been talked into the Mares Avanti Superchannel Full Foot Fins. In my very limited experience even the regular dive fins at the rental shop came dangerously close to touching coral at times, and much as I would love long fins I cannot really transport them. I am hoping that these are more powerful than the Tusa platina which frankly sucked at least in the pool.

We will be going off of piers and boats and sandy beaches.

 

[Crystal A.]

Question for Mako - I was looking at some open heeled fins on your website but they didn't come in any sizes nearly as small as a women's 7.5. Do you have any recommendations 24" or under that would fit me?

 

[Crystal A.]

Boat only or does this also include shore dives? For shore entry you'll want open back fins so you can wear booties.
How critical is length for packing? Free dive fins as you can see are very long. Personally I don't think I require anything like that for snorkeling. My goal is to simply poke around and look at stuff, not get from here to there as rapidly as possible.
There are fins that will fit in carry on if needed.

Boat and Shore. Freedive fins look amazing, except that I always just pack a carry on, and aren't they too long for shallow water?