Shallow Water Snorkeling: Which style of fins?

[sambolino44]

Maybe he was being DEFIANT!

 

[Geezer]

How else does a person accrue an average of 150 posts per month?

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

So back to Yvonne, have you found something yet or are you still shopping?

Do you think you would like to get into diving or are you not really sure at this point?

 

[YvonneH]

Sorry I went AWOL there.
Well, I'll be trekking for 5 weeks this summer with many days on the water, but as for snorkeling in the future, I may not get another long trip in for a few years. Scuba Toys might be good for advice, but since I live in Canada, shipping costs and duties might kill any savings. I'll keep looking online for deals on fins you'e recommended, and I'll visit some Ontario dive shops to try on fins and masks--good fit seems important.
Thanks again everyone.
Yvonne

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

Yvonne, I would call Scuba Toys and check with them. I believe that I have read about a number of people from Canada buying from them and even with shipping did quite well. I would call them and have them give you a quote. I have purchased from many online folks and been very happy. It is my opinion that as a noob not so long ago myself that Scuba Toys gave me the best information, best service and best prices.

You will read over and over threads about noobs being taken advantage of or threads about people buying stuff they regret. You won't find many if any threads like that with people complaining about Scuba Toys.

Have them give you a quote and see what the price looks like. You have nothing to lose but a bit of time and a phone call.

 

[perdidochas]

Hi all,
I'm planning a trekking trip across Central America, with many snorkelling excursions. I'm hoping to buy a good quality equipment package, and I've budgeted $100. I've found several outfits online, but I don't really know what I'm looking at. Fins are especially puzzling--some are long and solid, others short and contoured (for example, Scuba Diving Skin Dive Silicone Mask, Dry Snorkel, Fins - eBay (item 320207469474 end time Jul-11-08 21:24:06 PDT) vs. Snorkeling Scuba Dive Gear Bag Mask Dry Snorkel Fins - eBay (item 220248870098 end time Jun-26-08 10:55:00 PDT)). What might best suit my purposes?
Thanks!

Go to a dive shop for a mask. Fit is important. For fins, I'd buy a set of Mares HP or Tre full foot fins. I have the HP, and they are awesome snorkeling fins (and you should be able to get them for about $30 online from leisurepro). For a snorkel, get a tusa imprex (should be able to get it for about $20 from leisurepro). It should be easy to get a good mask at a dive shop for around $50

 

[David Wilson]

What matters most when purchasing masks and fins is a good fit. A well-fitting mask will remain on your face without the strap when you try it on and test its watertightness by creating a vacuum by inhaling through your nose. Don't settle on particular models until you've found a pair of fins that matches your foot size both length- and widthwise. Fins that are sized too big may cause blisters or fall off. Too small and they will cause cramps. If you can't find an exact match, select a pair slightly too big and wear fin grips or booties or both. Try them on in the water, if you can, to check that they feel comfortable and that the blades are neither too stiff nor too floppy. As for fin type, I remember visiting La Jolla Cove in Southern California several years ago where I saw every manner of fins being worn, so don't assume that there's an ideal type for all the kinds of snorkelling you are planning to do. I snorkel regularly in the North Sea off the North East coast of England and my personal preference is a rubber-skirted oval mask and a pair of all-rubber full-foot fins because that's the gear I learned to snorkel with back in the 1960s and I see no reason whatsoever to change. Your priorities may be quite different, but if like me you regard snorkelling as a relaxed, leisurely activity and not as an adrenaline-fuelled "extreme sport", there is no reason to spend a fortune on equipment. If, unlike me, you are planning to take up scuba or freediving as well, that may be a different story.