Question about Fins - Scuba and Snorkeling

I folks, I'm a first time poster here. I have never Scuba'd before, but I'm planning to enroll in a class next week. I have snorkeled a few times.

My question is: Which single type of fins should I buy for Scuba, snorkeling, and free diving? I only want to buy one set and want high quality (My motto is to buy items only once, therefore buy high quality). Specifically, I'm wondering what the difference is between open back fins and full foot fins.

Most of the full foot fins I see are long and are made for free diving, but many people seem to use them for Scuba as well.

A friend of mine just completed his first Scuba class and the instructor told him to buy open backed fins. He uses booties as well. I'm planning to take the same class with the same instructor, but am leaning towards the longer full foot free diving fins. Specifically the Cressi-sub Gara 3000 Fins. I would prefer to wear booties as well with these fins. Are they designed for booties? I want to wear foot protection while walking on rocks and such.

Will the instructor try to dissuade me from this fin? Hard to say.

I do plan to give diving a serious try in the future and appreciate your help.

I dive Mares Volos and Quattros for scuba. While freediving I use Sporasub Elites and C4 Falcons. Long blade freediving fins are very awkward for scuba, esp during the initial open water class. Full foot fins supposedly offer a better translation of energy/power than open heel. I don't buy into that though. I am limited to open heel fins thanks to a size 14 wide foot. If you want a fin that will really perform, consider the C4. By the way, both the Elites and the C4's come in full foot and open heel versions. The C4's are expensive though. The blades are around $300 and the footpocket to go with the blades are around $60.

you can't beat the gara 3000's for a freediving/scuba fin IMO. If you're searious about the freediving along with the scuba it would be a good choice. Your instructor will try to disuade you from using freediving fins while scuba... of course he'll want you to buy some scuba fins from him.. he'll probably use "silting" as a reason for not using the long fins, or hitting the coral, or whatever, but if you learn good technique it won't be an issue. Get the gara's 1 size over in a full foot and you can easily wear a 3mil or even 4.5mil sock (not a booty) with them. granted.. long fins might be a bit to handle fresh outta the shoot though... but practice makes perfect!

For the job....

You may want to only purchase once, but Scuba fins, and Freediving fins are two different animals.

Since you don't freedive (maybe you are planning on doing this?) why purchase a long fin made specifically for freediving to use for scuba?

As for fin type, if you are going to wear a wetsuit, you will either have to purchase a FF fin that is a couple sizes too big and wear a bootie, or get Open heel.

As for fin choice, that is a debate as old as fins, and there is no shortage of discussions on this forum that you may want to read.

Thanks everybody for the replies. Sounds like I'd be better off getting a shorter scuba fin rather than a longer freediving fin. Now to decide which one. I really wish manufacturer's like Omer and Sporasub made scuba blades for their respective foot pockets. I think they would do well by offering scuba equipment along with their spearfishing/free diving gear.