Our previous snorkeling experience has been strictly limited to using full foot fins. We bought Mares fins yesterday at the one local dive shop(the only one in town) . I took them to the YMCA pool for a test run. This fin seems to require a lot more from the ankle and top of the foot muscle. Is that the case or do I have an equipment mismatch or technique issue? Thanks to everyone for your input. We have until April 20 to get our equipment issues settled. I usually swim about 2 miles a week with full foot fins, just for fitness. Maybe the Mares fins aren't a good snorkel fin? Thanks.

it's been awhile since I have used full foot fins, but I have tried a number of "open" fins since then and there definitely is a difference in various ones. The stiffer models do require a lot more effort and leg strength to the point of being uncomfortable. You might check back with your dive shop and see if you can find a set that are a bit more flexible. You might even try some split fins, as they are typically a bit more flexible. My wife has been snorkeling for years with her full foot Cressi-sub CLIOs and switched last year to the open Scubapro twin speed split. She is not heavy on the leg strength but says the new fins are even easier to snorkel with. For Bonaire, if you are going to snorkel around the island, I would even suggest hard soled booties. That broken coral is rough to walk on even with soft booties, and the entries and exits are easier if you have firm footing.

Thanks Bob. We have the hardsole booties. Part of my concern is that those open fins seem to require a higher level of fitness! I can get there, but my wife may have trouble . Our dive shop here is very limited. We were thinking of taking the fins back and waiting to buy on Bonaire where according to the posts, selection and price will be better than here. I may order one set of Force fins, since they get really good reviews, but I would like to use them both with and without the hardsole bootie, and based on their website, don't know if using a 3mm hardsole bootie, and then switching to the insole for fitness swimming is an option. The site said 1.5 mm booties would be the swap bootie size with the insole option.

POST EDITED BY MODERATOR FOR SELF-PROMOTION see http://www.oldbonairetalk.com/newsgroup/messages/25/152184.html?1078174978 for our policy on self-promotion
www.scubaboard.com is also another great source for dive information of any kind.

Hope this helps.
Suzanne

I originally used the full foot fins for diving, but they took a lot more effort to move around underwater, so I switched to a stiffer fin. I do snorkel with them (the open heel TUSA Imprex) also, but snorkeling isn't about speed, so it just takes a small amount of effort to move. Unfortunately, most dive shops won't let you try them out before you buy. The divemasters down in a really active operation on an island are probably better qualified to make a recommendation, and may have some different brands in service that they will let you try out. For that matter, I seem to recall the Force fins are relatively pricey, so you might just keep your full foot fins for your swimming and check when you get down there for something more appropriate for your needs. I don't think a high level of fitness is really required, just the right fins and I guess technique is involved also. I was in Bonaire last month, and I did notice there was a good selection of gear and the prices weren't much different from the states.

Hi Dennis,
Since you still seem to be struggling with the fin issue, I'll add my opinion. I've been snorkeling on Bonaire for many years. I've always used full foot fins, the old fashioned real rubber type with a very flexible, not very long, blade. I use Teva type sandals to walk into the water then put the fins on and toss the sandals up onto the shore just beyond where the biggest wave will reach them. When I exit the water I have no problem walking with fins on back up over the coral rubble to retrieve the sandals, because the blades are not long. I most often snorkel with two males who have the heavier stiffer open heal fins. They get tired before I do and I am less fit. I usually like to meander, but if we need to swim a distance quickly they cannot keep up with me. I believe this is because their fins are so stiff that they have to swim with very bent knees in order to not strain their ankles, knees, and calves. They almost look like the snorkeling version of running in place, lots of leg movement and little forward progress. To me, the constant introduction of "newer, longer, better" fins is mostly about marketing to get people to buy new fins at higher costs. For snorkeling the calm waters of Bonaire, my vote goes for the no bells and whistles inexpensive, rubber, not to long, full foot fins. I also think the shorter blades cause less stirring up of the sand and less damage to the coral. I know I'm in the minority on BT, they have worked well for me.

Dennis,

My husband and I snorkel, are not in the best of shape, and have had really good luck with split fins. We used to use ScubaPro TwinJets (until they got stolen last year on Bonaire). We went to the Plaza and bought Tusa split fins (I can't remember the model) and they are 1000000000 times better - less foot and ankle strain. I highly recommend them! Not that the ScubaPro fins were bad, the Tusa fins are just lots better (for us).

Belinda

Thanks to everyone. I know exactly what your talking about Nathalie, I had to basically run in place in the pool to not get ankle fatigue, yesterday, and then not cover much territory. Last year in the USVI, we walked out with flip flops, then put on our full foot fins and threw the slaps back onto the shore! There's quite a bit of rubble down there, too, but apparently not on the same scale as Bonaire. I couldn't walk barefoot. Belinda, do you know the cost of the Tulsa fins? Thanks so much to everyone. This has gotta be the best bulletin board, ever!!

Dennis,

They were not inexpensive (I know there will be a lot of OMG's when I say) - I think we paid around $140 per pair but do not in any way regret our decision. The model is SF-8 X-PERT ZOOM. Just small leg kicks propel us through the water with no effort. I used to get foot cramps with the ScubaPro fins and they are a thing of the past with the Tusa fins.

You can check them out on http://www.tusadivegear.com/reeftourer.html
Click on Tusa Dive Gear on the left side of the screen then click on Fins and you will see the SF-8 listed.

I HIGHLY recommend these fins!

Belinda (19 days woo hoooooooo)

I just went into the Tusa website also. Those fins do look impressive. I also checked out the website of the outfit I use (when the local dealers don't have what I need) and they showed about $140 also

http://www.joediveramerica.com/index.php

Belinda, you earned your woo hooo. Have a good trip.

Bob,

Thanks for the warm wishes - I'll be sure to say hi to the fishies for you.

The Tusa fins really are wonderful - I could not believe the difference between them and the ScubaPro fins (for me that is).

Belinda

I'd just as soon get the appropriate fin and have a great trip. My wife will also be using a corrective (she can't se 10 feet without them!)lens mask for the first time. She will probably never leave the water! Do any shops on Bonaire sell that fin or does anyone know? I'm concerned about bootie/fin compatability, if we order off the net. Thanks again to everyone for all the great information!

Dennis,

We bought our Tusa fins at the dive shop at the Plaza resort on Bonaire. It is definitely better to wear your dive booties to try on fins to make sure of good fit.

Bruce at Carib Inn had one pair on clearance for less than half what we paid at Plaza. We didn't buy them because they were in my color in my husband's size so we paid more to stay color coordinated (so sue me!) That was over a year ago but it might be worth checking to see if he has any more of them.

If not, Plaza is the certified importer for Tusa gear on Bonaire.

I would definitely check with Bruce for dive boots as his prices are VERY reasonable. My husband had to buy a new pair of boots as his were stolen along with our fins (still wondering why they didn't take mine hmmmmmmm) You can then take those boots to Plaza to try on fins if desired.

Belinda
(still 19 days)

Hi Belinda:

Thanks for the great info. I looked on the Tusa Web site and found that a dive shop in Louisville,KY (75 miles from Lexington)has the Tusa fins. It so happens that we're going there for a wedding on Saturday, so thanks to everyone on here, we'll probably get this snorkel fin issue resolved Saturday. And then I'll do some pool tests and post those results. Thank you everyone!! This is our last major issue, so we then have about 6 weeks (April 20)of anticipation!

Dennis,

I'll be looking forward to hearing the results of the fin tests. See if the dive shop will let you test them in their pool then you won't be out the money if you don't like them (I think you will though). After the wedding might be preferable if you choose to do this however. :-)

We'll all be anxiously awaiting a trip report upon your return from Bonaire!

Have fun at the wedding!

Belinda
STILL 19 days (darn it!)

Thanks Belinda.

A word - as if you need more input - on the process that got me to the Apollo Bio-Pro fins I decided on. I don't have anywhere close to the in-water experience of these other posters, but I do exhaustive research when making important purchases and just finished going through the same thought and shopping processes you are now experiencing. Take what I found for what it is worth - probably not much more than you are paying for it.

The many dive shops I spoke with convinced me that the Apollo Bio-Pros had what I was looking for - they are very comfortable (more and narrower size ranges than most fins for better fit), they are durable (all rubber and no plastic, unlike my highly rated full foot fins that were plastic and rubber), they are shorter than many other open heel fins and will thus pack easier because of their length and rubber composition (a factor that becomes important only after you have already made your purchase and attempt to travel with them), they are the fins that many of the dive shop owners I spoke with use themselves and thus were able to recommend most enthusiastically, they are on the beefy side and will thus stay under the water for us snorkelers swimming on the surface for better propulsion, they are easy to utilize and perform well without lots of kicking technique, they always do well in the "controversial" (because they do not include all brands such as Force Fins) Rodale tests (http://www.scubadiving.com/gear/fins/fin_fight/), and the black model is very flexible for those with less technique and experience and for those looking for fins that will not stress the ankles and feet. The consensus was overwhelming that newbies should get a fin that is flexible rather than stiff. These old hands want stiffness for more power and speed, but that can add stress on the body parts if your technique and conditioning are less than stellar. In fact, Scuba.com guarantees the Apollo Bio-Pro fin in black and allows folks to try them for thirty days (yes, in the water) and send them back for a 100% refund if they are not totally satisfied. The folks at Scuba.com tell me that very few pair come back. (I am reticent to mention my experiences with specific retailers and only do so in this instance because the extraordinary guarantee at Scuba.com speaks well of the product, which is the kind of information you are looking for.)

Durability and ease of packing for flights are not factors that dive shop owners ever talk about, in my experience, when it comes to fins. I learned about the ramifications the hard way when my full foot fins would not lay flat in any piece of luggage that myself, my family, or my girlfriend owned - including very long duffle bags - and bent in route because of this and their partial plastic composition.

I would summarize by saying you should make sure that the issues you care about are addressed by the retailer you buy the fins from and the friends you get information from. For me, I wanted (in no particular order) comfortable initial feel, low stress on my ankles and feet during use, durability, ease of packing for travel, good propulsion for surface snorkeling, and ease of use for a novice with no technique or experience. I might add that to get all of that I ended up spending a lot more than I had planned or hoped. But in the long run it should be a good investment both from a substantive and economical perspective.

If you do as Nathalie suggests and use Teva sandles you can attach them to a strap around your waist and not loose them to petty theft or the waves. The sandles don't weigh much and should not get in your way, then you could still use your full foot fins.
Andy

Hi Again Everyone:

My fin problem continues to resurface. The dive shop in Louisville does not handle any snorkel fins. The owner insisted that his Tusa fins are for scuba, but will also work well also for snorkeling. He said they don't sell enough Tusa snorkel fins to carry them in stock. He can special order, but won't accept a return on a special order. I really think we'll just wait and buy down there. I'll check at the Carib and the Plaza. The teva idea is still an option. I'm tempted to take my full foot fins down there to give it a try. However, if I stay in he water for 3-4 hours, it seems like i always wind up getting a blister somewhere on my foot, even when I use massive amounts of adhesive tape! Thanks for your additional input PHS1, I'll read up on the Apollo. The 30 day guarantee sounds good, but not being able to test drive with the bootie before buying a disadvantage. There should definitely be something to buy down there. Being landlocked in KY is hell when you're planning a snorkel trip to Bonaire. So anyhow I think a command decison to just wait and shop in Bonaire is the right way to go. So anyhow thanks for this huge amount of information, and if anyone still wants to add more suggestions, I'll be watching. Thanks again to everyone. You are all great!

Dennis,

The Tusa fins I bought ARE dive fins - they just happen to work very, very well for snorkeling.

FYI - we only take one snorkel trip a year so we are in no way in great snorkel shape and we LOVE these fins. We feel absolutely no strain on our ankles, feet or legs when using them.

If they have the SF-8 X-PERT ZOOM at the dive shop in Louisville, you should definitely stop by and try them if possible.

Belinda

Thank you so much , Belinda. I'll call him again tomorrow. I think he does have that fin. I guess what I've finally realized ,after all this is that basically you have to use a dive fin to snorkel on Bonaire, if you want to use a bootie. After looking at several sites, full foot fins are considered to be snorkel fins, and open fins with strap are a dive fin. The trick is to find a dive fin that will work for snorkeling. The Mares fins I bought yesterday are just too rigid for that application. I could probably get used to them, since I swim with full foot fins a coupla miles a week and have more foot/ankle muscles. However, since my wife never does that, the Mares would kill her feet. The guy in Louisville said that I can try the fins here at the Lexington pool and he'll take 'em back ,if I'm not happy. So, I'm changing that command decision, so I guess it wasn't really a command decision!! Thanks Belinda for the clarification. I hate loose ends, when traveling, and I was gonna be bugged about the fins for the next 6 weeks,so it will be so much better to get it resolved! Thanks again!

Dennis,

You're very welcome.

I can relate to "loose ends" - I too prefer to have all my i's dotted and my t's crossed before heading out.

Enjoy the next LONG 6 weeks - but they will pass before you know it and we'll all be envious of you being on Bonaire.

Feel free to ask any other questions you might have. And let me know how the fin trials turn out.

Belinda

Dennis,

One thing t remember is that some fins are hard to push at a fast foot speed (stiffer fins, not necessarily full or open foot fins) but give good thrust/motion when just used at a comfortable rate. Soft fins are easy to push hard but may not give as much thrust as a stiffer fin used at an easy pace. Just push any fin to your comfort level and you will be fine. No real need to search for 'the perfect fin'. Besides, watching fishes isn't like racing!!!

I understand that the angle of the blade is a more important difference between dive and snorkel purpose fins. But... they are really not that different except to professionals seeking the last bit of performance.

The only open heel fins I came across that were specifically described by the manufacturer as snorkeling fins were very moderately priced, such as the Deep See Aqua Glide (http://www.deepseeinc.com/products/aqua_glide.html). If you want true comfort and performance in an open heel fin you will be buying a diving fin. But different open heel diving fins will satisfy the needs of a recreational snorkeler better than others - length, stiffness, etc. And the other key point is that the folks in the dive shops who sell you know the products mostly as divers, so you need to remind them of your purpose and the elements that are important to you.

Look at some of the other Bonaire threads in the snorkeling category that speak to the issue of purchasing open heel fins for snorkeling (http://www.oldbonairetalk.com/cgi-local/bbs/show.cgi?tpc=27&post=204490; http://www.oldbonairetalk.com/newsgroup/messages/22932/208603.html?1107300388). Folks like myself and Darlene who wanted comfortable, good performing open heel fins for snorkeling ended up with high end diving fins from manufacturers like Apollo and Atomic Aquatic.

Thanks for the additional info, PHS1. The main thing I want is a fin that doesn't immediately cause a big stress on that muscle across the top of the foot. Those Mares fins just won't submerge enough and thats part of the issue,plus the stiffness. However, they work great, swimming on my back with a swimming board, LOL! I'll let you all know the results of my fin purchase, hopefully on Sunday. Thanks again for all this input and empathy! Its very reassuring.

Hi everyone. There are 3 dealers in louisville that have the carry deepsea products, mentioned by PHYS1 (Thanks again)so i may be able to evaluate those as well. I'll let you all know.

Dennis you might consider lycra socks for your full foot fins. Several companies that make dive/snorkle skins make them. They would protect your feet from the foot pocket rubbing your skin.
Andy

Sorry if my post offended anyone, it was not meant as a self promotion only as a resource for the poster to get additional info.

Suzanne

Thanks Andrea. I never even thought of that!

Hi Again Everyone:

Logistics have limited my shopping choices for fins on Saturday in Louisville(wedding, etc.). However, the one dive shop that has been responding to my e-mails carry and recommend Vector fins, made by Oceanic. I looked up the company and the fin, and the manufacturer recommends the Vector for snorkeling and diving. They also state that it will work for all skill levels. So it looks like that since the Tusa dealer hasn't responded, we'll be giving the Vector fin a shot. It retails for 79.95, but the Louisville dealer has a 10% off sale going! So I'll be testing on Sunday and posting the results. Should I start a new thread for the evaluation? Thanks to everyone for all of your info and great suggestions!

Sounds like unfortunately you are being significantly limited by what dive shops in the greater Louisville area sell. My concern would be that you are not being exposed to the fins that have been most enthusiastically reviewed by experienced snorkelers and divers on this board - such as the Atomic Aquatic, Apollo, and Force Fin brands. I would question what kind of advice your local dive shops are providing if they do not carry such highly regarded fin brands. You could be setting yourself up for another disappointment, it seems to me, being forced to buy from the apparently limited choices in Louisville. I went through a similar scenario, and getting an initial good deal gets eviscerated if the fin does not work as well as the sales pitch implied and you end up retiring those fins and trading up later.

If you do not have access to dive shops that provide some of the most highly regarded brands of fins, perhaps you should wait until you reach Bonaire, as treacherous as that sounds.

Thanks PHYS1 . I'll keep that in mind. I'll have plenty of opportunity to return those fins and I'll give them a good workout before the trip. I'm actually glad that I bought the wrong fin (Mares), initially. That way I have a good point of reference for open fin comfort, muscle fatique, etc. The Vector fin may be just fine for what we're doing. Our generic soft full foot fins were plenty good enough in the USVI. The Tusa was not available in the sizes we needed, in Louisville.

Hi Everyone;

Well, I finally found some fins that after using in the pool for 2 hours, I think will be good fins. The Tusa dealer in Louisville didn't have any SF-8X--Pert zoom fins in our sizes, but another shop recommended the Oceanic Vector fin. This is a really good fin for the money. I assume the Tusa is probably an even better fin (you get what you pay for, usually). That being said, the Vector is an open heel fin, the Medium-Large is what I bought. I have a Deep See size 9 , thick, treaded,hardsole (I mean just like a shoe). It fits that medium-large fin perfect. The Vector is not a split fin. However it is extremely flexible. It has just about the same amount of flexibility as a typical full foot , generic rubber fin. That is probably the key to its comfort as a snorkel fin. If you look at it on the internet, you'll see a big black area, bounded by yellow. That whole area is an extremely soft, thin,flexible rubber area. The fins were $79.95, a pair. So if anyone is wanting some good open heel snorkel fins, but do not want to spend the $130+ for some of the high end fins, I don't think you'll be able to beat the Oceanic vector fin. JMHO. Thanks to everyone for your great advice.

Dennis,

The best fin is the one that works for you! Glad you found some fins you like.

Looking forward to your trip report upon your return.

Belinda

Thanks Belinda. I think I'm gonna pack my bags. That's bout all we have left to do!