snorkeling fins question: snorkel vs. scuba vs. bodyboarding fins

[RR]

Hey everyone

Quick question. I will soon be going on holiday to St. John in the USVI, and I hear the snorkeling is great!

I was planning on bringing my own equipment with me, which is primarily scuba equipment--a mask and snorkel, and especially the large rigid Tusa fins and booties (not sure of the exact model) I use for scuba diving.

I haven't snorkeled as much as I've scuba dived, and I know you normally use a lighter-weight fin for snorkeling.

I don't own a snorkeling-specific pair of fins, but I do own a pair of "BZ Rubbers" bodyboarding fins.

So my question is whether I should bring the large scuba fins with me, whether I'd be better off bringing my BZ Runner bodyboarding fins, or whether I should purchase--or just rent there--snorkeling-specific fins?

Thanks for any advice you can give me,
-=RR=-

 

[Damselfish]

I wouldn't say people "normally" use lighter weight fins for snorkeling. It's just that you can so that's what they sell as snorkeling gear since it's lighter and cheaper. Whatever you dive with will be fine. As far as which fins, maybe whichever you can fit in your luggage.

Or better yet, take the dive gear and go diving!

 

[halocline]

I think the full foot version of the Mares avanti fins are great for snorkeling and warm water diving. There are a few models, I have the "superchannel" or something like that. I think I paid $50. They're pretty lightweight, easy to pack, and kind in the middle as far as stiffness goes.

 

[David Wilson]

A good fit, rather than fin type, is the primary criterion when purchasing snorkelling fins, particularly if you are planning to wear them barefoot. Too loose and they will generate blisters or fall off. Too tight and you will experience cramping. Select your fins in the same way that you would choose a pair of comfortable shoes from which you expected years of comfortable use. Don't settle on a particular brand or make before you have satisfied yourself that the foot pockets accommodate your feet length-, width- and heightwise.

Finding the best snorkelling fins for yourself is a personal odyssey that can take years. I own several pairs of snorkelling fins that fit my long and broad feet comfortably, having been on constant lookout during my four decades of commitment to snorkelling. The great thing about snorkelling is that you don't have to use a particular fin type. Scuba divers always seem to recommend heavy open-heel fins, freedivers expensive long carbon-fibre bladed full-foot fins. You can pick whatever suits your snorkelling style and yes, I see no reason why bodyboarding fins can't be used; that's the kind developed first by Owen Churchill before World War II and worn by wartime combat divers and later peacetime breath-hold skin divers. Personally, I prefer simple, closed-heel, all-rubber fins, the kind I started snorkelling with back in the early 1960s. I see no reason why I should change. They're also inexpensive, comfortable and sustain me during my weekend forays in the North Sea off the North East coast of England. My choice does not necessarily match your priorities, however, so don't follow my lead. As I've written above, a good fit is paramount, not the latest gimmickry, so make sure you try on your snorkelling fins before you purchase them, with socks, boots or booties if you are intending to wear them underneath. If possible, borrow several pairs and see what suits you best in the pool.

 

[holdingmybreath]

....
Or better yet, take the dive gear and go diving!

...

?

 

[FishOutUvH2O]

I've used my scuba fins (Scubapro Twin Jet Max) to snorkel quite a bit and they seem fine. I've also used my Churchill Makapu fins to snorkel and they worked fine as well. I say bring whichever of your fins is more comfortable or lighter/easier to pack.