Open heel or full fin?

[7millimeter]

What about the argument that full-foot fins are less suitable for scuba because of some perceived lack of propulsion? I don't subscribe to this theory, but I've heard reputable divers claim it to be true.

 

[TheRedHead]

What about the argument that full-foot fins are less suitable for scuba because of some perceived lack of propulsion?

The DMs in Coz who wear them exclusviely don't seem to have a problem with propulsion or kicks like the frog. I've never seen one do a helicopter, but have seen many divers really working to keep up in open heeled fins. I would think a lot depends on the skill and condition of the diver.

 

[ProfessorAronnax]

Up here in New England open heel with boots are pretty much the standard, although down in the warmer climates closed heel are probably fine

 

[Roberto Calderon]

Open heel of course. Its just easier to move around with booties, dosent matter wher your diving from (boat, dock, shore, etc)

 

[ThomasVJ]

Diving 3-4 dives a day the closed fins give me sore feet, thus I prefer the open heels. Also nice to have boot when doing shore dives with rocky bottoms..

 

[occrider]

Yea open heel. It's nice to have that rubber grip when you're moving around on the pitching deck of a boat immediately before and after the dive.

 

[ThomasVJ]

Plz delete

 

[Puffer Fish]

If you live in warm water, have a pair of full foot that fit great, then enjoy. Otherwise, get open heal and spring clips and wear something comfortable on your foot.

Note: the bigger the shoe/boot you wear, the less efficient you will be swimming. Perhaps not a giant effect, but one that has been easy to measure. Open heel fins are also bigger than shoe fins, but other than that - not that big of a deal.

 

[alo100]

What about the argument that full-foot fins are less suitable for scuba because of some perceived lack of propulsion? I don't subscribe to this theory, but I've heard reputable divers claim it to be true.

Is that right? I thought the scuba diving magazine has reviewed at least one of the full having a better performance than the open healed version (same model, the only difference is open-heal and full-foot). I didn't know that before reading the magazine.

Then nowadays open heel is usually more expensive then the full foot...
I heard someone in the forum said, some years ago, full foot was more expensive.
Open heel is more convenient when we need to walk around before and after dive,
then yes, I saw people using neoprene socks many times when they use full foot....

I think both are good...

 

[Footslogger]

I heard someone in the forum said, some years ago, full foot was more expensive.
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Whatever is being sold the most will generally be the most expensive. Full foot fins sorta fell out of favor in the SCUBA community and their price tags went right along for the ride. I got a new set of Mares Volo Races for $49 just a few months ago.

But more and more divers who frequent tropical dive sites are starting to use the full foot style so the prices are sure to rise.

The biggest issue I have with the full foot fins is the blade length. The vast majority of them are so long that walking from your seat to the dive platform can be quite a task.

'Slogger