Open heel fin Ques.

[sangria]

I currently have open heel fins with a pair of booties. I will be traveling to dive in warm water and was curious to know if I should purchase closed heel fins for the warm water or if I can wear my open heel fins without the bootie without any trouble?

:tree:

 

[wreckchick]

When I went to the Caribbean I wore a 3 mil fullsuit with my 5 mil booties and open heel fins. I was perfectly comfortable and never noticed my feet being warm during the dive. On the boat, I would take off half my wetsuit and my booties and waited to go back in the water. It works fine!

Rachel

 

[scuberd]

I prefer closed foot fins in warmer water, but I wore my cold water booties in the Bahamas last summer and I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.

 

[Dr. Jay]

shouldn't be any trouble. I've used mine snorkeling before (fins and boots with spring straps) and I've never had any problem.

Purchasing another set of fins would be nice, if you had lots of money to blow. But if you do, let me know cuz I could use a nice pair of turtles .

 

[Dectek]

In warm water I substitute a pair of Surf Mocs I bought from Walmart for the neoprene booties. I don't know what they are called in other areas but they are a mesh shoe worn on the beach. Around here they can be picked up for as little as $3.

 

[Big Blue One]

no need to buy diff fins. Most people use open heel and boots here in the tropics - better fins and better control. Also sometimes need the boots to protect your feet when walking between shore and shop

If you have the heavy dry suit boots you may want to switch to a lighter style bootie but generally no need to change you fins, just your exposure protection

 

[Walter]

Open heel fins allow you to keep control of your fins as you climb on the boat. I've never understood why anyone would want to pass their fins to the DM.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Bare feet in Rocket & Jet fins will rub the skin off of the tops of your toes fairly quickly OUCH! I wouldn't be surprised if the result is the same in other full foot fins because of the extra space required to accomodate the bootie. I wore the "surf mocs" DecTek is talking about once and still lost the skin off of my toes (salt water=double OUCH!) but there was a seam between a neoprene toe protector and the mesh part of the shoe right where the skin was gone. I now have a pair of ankle high neoprene shoes that I wear and they work well. The only problem is the sole sticks out just a little in the back and my fin strap tends to get caught on the bootie sole when I try to slide it off (no quick release on my fins).

Your cold water boots will be fine if you don't want to purchase anything new.

I agree with Walter, nobody gets ahold of my gear until I'm ON the boat and clear of any area where I could fall back in. Sliding your fins up onto your wrists (one per wrist) gives you free hands to climb the ladder yet you still have your fins if you happen to lose contact with the boat and end up back in the water.
Ber

 

[lanun]

Walter once bubbled...
Open heel fins allow you to keep control of your fins as you climb on the boat . I've never understood why anyone would want to pass their fins to the DM.

is that the same as saying hold on to the fin straps when you climb up ?

 

[aquababe]

lanun i was just about to ask the same thing when i believe Ber Rabbit explained it...

Ber Rabbit once bubbled...

Sliding your fins up onto your wrists (one per wrist) gives you free hands to climb the ladder yet you still have your fins if you happen to lose contact with the boat and end up back in the water.

thanks Ber

i just bought my first open heel fins -> haven't seen the water yet! hope to do it next weekend