Fins - What to look for?

[CindyBeth]

I have bought a mask and snorkle set from Sams and am now looking to buy some fins. Where can I get some and what should I look for? Also what type of bag do you use to carry 3 sets of equipment?

 

[fireplug]

FINS TO THE LEFT

FINS TO THE RIGHT

OOPS sorry went to see Jimmy Buffett last week and couldn't help myself

Steve

 

[abitjaded]

FINS UP!

FINS DOWN!

There are many types of fins. Some are made for scuba, these have a full foot and are made to be worn over dive booties. The other major type has a slot for your toes and a strap around the heel, allowing kids a few years use. There are all types of fin designs made for better propusion. Make sure the heel strap is not so wide you can point your foot without the strap digging in above your heel. Some material is stiffer and gives a better "kick" with less effort. The fins can also be made of material that floats. A good dive shop can show you the various types, try the types there, then if too costly look for something similar at discount chains like Target, Costco, or on the web. Serious fins can cost serious money. Snorkeling doesn't require the huge-heavy-duty types. Just make sure the fins fit well and adjust easily, check the heel straps to make sure you can easily adjust them, there is nothing worse than having a sinkable fin fall off in the water.

Then get yourself in shape for the fins, do heel lifts and flex your arches to get them in shape. Having your foot flexed in a fin, if your foot muscles are not used to the position, is inviting cramps. Should you get a calf or foot cramp, grab your toes and pull gently toward your shin.

Dive shops also sell good bags to hold all the stuff. They are usually made at least partly of mesh, great for getting the sand to fall off and good for allowing air circulation around wet, stinky gear. (Don't forget a zip-lock of kleenex for blowing salt water out noses). We got a nice one that holds four fin pairs, four masks and snorkels, booties, gloves, etc, with two solid pockets for small stuff, anti-fog, soft-scrub, water bottles. It has a carry handle and straps so it can be worn as a day pack.

Check out your local dive shop, we have several, even in Colorado! Your dive shop may even have a pool check-out snorkel class that may really help. Sometimes these classes are free if you buy gear from them. They'll teach all the safety signals and more.

Don't forget to scrub those new masks well with soft-scrub or scouring powder to remove all the manufacturer lubricants that cause fogging.

Carla

 

[CindyBeth]

abitjaded - Thanks for the detailed reponse! You had some really good tips in there!!!! I didn't know about scrubbing the mask before you use it. Do you then use a defogger for the mask? Do you use socks (booties) inside your fins? And do you use gloves as well? I know I have a lot of questions, but we have only snorkled a couple of times!!!

 

[disney6]

CindyBeth, I know it sounds gross but before you put on your mask, every time, spit in the inside of your mask, rub around and rinse with the ocean water. Should take care of fogging.

 

[Mojomanny]

So how are these kleenex in a plastic baggie supposed to work underwater?

(just kidding, but felt it had to be asked)

Have a wonderful day and thanks for the terrific first hand info.

 

[abitjaded]

CindyBeth, we have used some of the defoggers, but some sting our eyes, DH and I both wear contacts when we dive. We have one type that doesn't sting, but I don't think it really works better than plain old spit, as disney6 says, and it is much more expensive.

We used to have scuba fins that we wore with booties, leftovers of BC (before children) when we used to dive, they had amazing kick in drift dives or surf. They were huge and heavy and destroyed in a basement sewage flood. We replaced them with US Divers snorkel fins, much easier to lug around. It is nice not to lug the booties around, too. This was before the cheap availability of beach shoes. It is sometimes nice to have booties and fins if you are doing a lot of rocky beach entries to dive or snorkel. You can walk over rough rocks then don the fins once you are in the water. We don't do this with the kids, just use clear beach or boat entry. If we walk tide pools we just use beach shoes from Target.

Gloves (and probe sticks, a short pole with a wrist strap) were also leftovers from dive days. They can be used to GENTLY handle marine life and the probes can be used to push off rocks in heavy surf. This is also something we do not do with the kids. We teach them to touch NOTHING in the water, sensible in light of the deterioration of our coral reefs. I still occasionally wear garden gloves just to protect my hands.

Also mark all your stuff with Sharpie markers, when a bunch of stuff gets shed around a dive boat, it can start to look the same. I'm also hunting for some type of bright tape to swirl around our snorkel tops so I can easily recognize all of us in the water. Rear ends and snorkels look the same in congested snorkel areas. A dive snorkel is usually marked with red at the top, but the cheaper discount store types are not as distinctive.

Silly Mojomanny, you really have to dry off before using the kleenex, or you do end up with a salty wad of goo, not just due to nose stuff.

Oh, and P.S., try to go light on the sunblock, apply it an hour before you go in the water, wear a t-shirt to protect your back. Huge amounts of sunblock are very toxic to the reefs. Some places, such as Xel-Ha near Can Cun, even require a shower before entering the water.

Carla

 

[nicurnc]

Lots of great info! Thanks!

Steve, I thought the same thing when I saw the post I'm so jealous...Jimmy didn't do a summer concert here this year It was back in February on a work night for me.

Loretta