Suggestions for first fins

[staurox]

I've been looking at several fins lately and the ones that caught my attention are the Cressi pro light find and the C4 Predator fins.
The water temperatures here in Greece are quite warm, so I don't mind if they are open heel or full foot.
My budget is quite tight, at around 65-70€.
Are these fins good and should I look into anything else?
I think I'll go for the C4 Predator fins, but I want more opinions.

 

[KatieMac]

Referring back to the other thread, you maybe should wait until you start training.

However I will give you some information

The C4 predator fins are very long - built more for free diving than for scuba diving.

For the Cressi Pro Light fins, being open heel you will want boots. These aren't worn without some kind of footwear. I can't comment on these specific fins.

Here's a thread about using free diving fins for scuba.

Why we don't always use freediving fins in scuba?

Why we don't always use freediving fins in scuba? Which are the main disadvantages of freediving fins in scuba?

scubaboard.com

Personally, I prefer open heel fins. You may too especially if you are shore diving because when you take your fins off, you have something protecting your feet.

Full Foot Fins VS. Open heel

I bought my snorkeling gear about 10 years ago and it seems like I remember SCUBA people being very condescending about full foot fins. Has something changed in the market as they seem to be more accepted now?

scubaboard.com

 

[Belzelbub]

Referring back to the other thread, you maybe should wait until you start training.

It’s been a while, but when I took my first course, I had to bring my own fins.

The C4 predator fins are very long - built more for free diving than for scuba diving.

That can be advantageous in open water. It took me a while, but I’m glad I switched to long blades. At least for hunting.

Personally, I prefer open heel fins. You may too especially if you are shore diving because when you take your fins off, you have something protecting your feet.

Yeah, good point. For shore diving, open heel makes a lot of sense. For boat dives, I prefer full foot. As that’s primarily what I do, those are the fins I use primarily.

OP, first decide if full foot or open heel works best based on the diving you will be doing.

If full foot, take a look at the Cressi Pro Star. I have a pair of these and like them a lot. I use them for regular Scuba dives if I don’t need the extra thrust from the long blades.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

A lot of us feel that the Scubapro Go Sport are the best fin of all time.
I cant wear my pair right now because I’m doing urchin removal diving and need Jet’s, but for regular recreational diving the Go Sport is hard to beat.

 

[Oldbear]

My recommendation is to wait until you have completed your Open Water course. Use the shops. That way you have some experience as a baseline to judge other fins.

I alway recommend my student to wait on purchasing dive gear, other than a mask, until after class. That way they have a much better feel for what they like.