| Looking at the variety of different fins can be | | | | are wearing a drysuit this can increase your foot size |
| confusing as they all seem to offer the best | | | | by one - so if you are on a boundary between sizes |
| performance with no effort - here I will cover split fins, | | | | consider whether you will be diving in a drysuit. |
| full foot and open heel fins, general sizing and what the | | | | Decyphering the Blurb |
| blurb the manufacturers and shops give you actually | | | | Every manufacturer has some buzz-words to tell you |
| means. | | | | about their fins, from 'Channel Thrust' to 'Natures Wing' |
| Split Fins | | | | to 'Optimum angles' it can be easy to get lost. In |
| Probably the biggest choice you have to make is | | | | particular there are various 'optimum angles' from |
| whether to go for a solid fin design such as the Mares | | | | different manufacturers! Most diving fins will have |
| Avanti Quattro fins, or a split fin such as the Tusa | | | | various channels or grooves in them - this is to inprove |
| X-Pert Zoom fins. | | | | efficiency by displacing more water. |
| The idea behind split fins is that they make it easier to | | | | Some fins are tilted at an angle; whilst opinions on this |
| fin underwater - they do this by having a less rigid | | | | are varied, personally I found the Tusa X-Pert Zoom |
| body which obviously offers less resistance to the | | | | fins to be very powerful and easy to use - but I can't |
| water. This does usually mean less raw power | | | | speak for any other tilted fins. |
| although the increased efficiency (less effort) can | | | | The scuba diving manufacturers will also usually include |
| make up for this. Also unless you happen to dive in | | | | something about how their fins are made out of the |
| conditions where you have to fight a current often, this | | | | most advanced poly-something or other - this can |
| isn't really an issue. | | | | generally be ignored. Like every other product the |
| On this issue there are also certain hybrid models - the | | | | technology will improve over time and usually the |
| Mares Volo fin range being a good example - these | | | | newer the fins or more expensive, the better power |
| fins offer the benefit of a solid fin in power, whilst there | | | | lightness ratio they will have. |
| is a 'spring' in the middle of the fin to decrease the | | | | More Esoteric Possibilities |
| effort required. | | | | For the more adventurous of you there are more |
| Full Foot vs Open Heel Fins | | | | bizarre fins, such as the Poseidon Power Fins which |
| Full foot fins are those that do not require a dive boot, | | | | claim to be modelled on fish. When I tried them they |
| open heel are those that do require dive boots. Full | | | | were certainly different, and did seem to be fairly |
| foot fins are suitable for either pool diving, scuba diving | | | | powerful for their size although I don't think they justify |
| in the tropics or snorkelling. | | | | their price tag. Whilst some people swear by them |
| Open heel fins are for use when in cold water (you | | | | they do remind me of an iPod or sports car - they |
| cannot use full foot fins in the UK) or when you need | | | | look pretty but unless you have cash burning a hole in |
| to cross rocks to get to the dive site. | | | | your pocket you'd be better off going for something |
| Sizing your dive fins | | | | more functional. |
| Unfortunately, every diving manufacturer has different | | | | Conclusion |
| sizing schemes, which only very roughly to standard | | | | Your best bet is to try a friend's diving fins before you |
| sizes. Some manufacturers have only S/M and a L/XL | | | | buy your own, especially to decide between split fins |
| sizes, which can be confusing when others have a | | | | and solid fins. If not, decide based on how hard you |
| whole range of sizes. Ultimately you will have to | | | | found finning in training - if you found it hard, go for split |
| consult a size chart or try them on to decide the | | | | fins otherwise a pair of solid fins would be fine - the |
| proper size. | | | | Mares Avanti Quattro fins are a great starter pair of |
| One thing to be taken into account here is that if you | | | | fins and have been proven for years. |