When purchasing dive gear, every diver will have to make an important choice when it comes to fins. Should he/she buy full-footed fins or open-heeled fins and booties?
What Are Full-Footed Fins?
Full-footed fins have soft, flexible foot pockets which completely surround the diver’s feet, including his/her heels. You simply step into a molded foot pocket that keeps your foot right in place in the fin. There is no need to wear any kind of dive boot or slipper with full-foot fins, which is why they are often also referred to as barefoot fins or warm water fins.
What Are Open-Heeled Fins?
The foot pockets of open-heeled fins are normally made out of more rigid material than the foot pockets of full-footed fins. The sizes tend to run larger than the sizes of full-footed fins in order to accommodate the extra bulk of the booties. As dive booties vary in thickness and shape, it is essential to try on open-heeled fins with the booties you intend to use before purchase.
Open heeled fins are best for cold water diving. It is also best for beach or shore entry diving, wherein a diver needs to walk through stairs, sand, rubbles and even rocks to get to the dive site. Some divers have found that their propulsion improved from the use of open-heel fins, particularly a strengthened bond between foot and fin.
Depending on what type of water you will be diving in. If you dive in cold water and want to wear booties, you need open heel fins. If you dive in warm water, primarily from boats, or want the lightest weight for traveling, full-foot fins are better.
Take a look at our website for all the fins that are available.
Have a kickin' good dive!
