1/2" of extra toe space on full footed fins

[jiazzi]

Just wondering if I need a snug fit or if that extra 1/2" toe space is okay? Here it is: Cressi-Sub Pluma Full Foot Fins (http://www.leisurepro.com/Prod/CSBFP.html).

I haven't been able to try them on in the pool and have not been certified yet. Is that extra 1/2" of toe space okay? I'm trying to avoid blisters, sores, and all that uncomfortable stuff as much as possible when I scuba dive in Mexico later this year.

[tridacna]

Just wondering if I need a snug fit or if that extra 1/2" toe space is okay? Here it is: Cressi-Sub Pluma Full Foot Fins (http://www.leisurepro.com/Prod/CSBFP.html).

I haven't been able to try them on in the pool and have not been certified yet. Is that extra 1/2" of toe space okay? I'm trying to avoid blisters, sores, and all that uncomfortable stuff as much as possible when I scuba dive in Mexico later this year.

Why are you messing with NEW full foot fins if you're trying to avoid blisters and sores? Get booties and open heel fins. Much more comfortable and a better bet against foot problems.

[jiazzi]

Well, I read on the board that full foot fins are good for warm water diving which is where I will end up doing most of my diving if I can help it. It almost sounds like full footed fins will give you blisters and sores regardless? Hmmm....

[RJP]

Just wondering if I need a snug fit or if that extra 1/2" toe space is okay? Here it is: Cressi-Sub Pluma Full Foot Fins (http://www.leisurepro.com/Prod/CSBFP.html).

I haven't been able to try them on in the pool and have not been certified yet. Is that extra 1/2" of toe space okay? I'm trying to avoid blisters, sores, and all that uncomfortable stuff as much as possible when I scuba dive in Mexico later this year.

If the fins don't fit, they ain't worth ***t.

[tridacna]

Well, I read on the board that full foot fins are good for warm water diving which is where I will end up doing most of my diving if I can help it. It almost sounds like full footed fins will give you blisters and sores regardless? Hmmm....

I can only tell from my experience that booties with open heel fins are easier and better on your feet. YMMV.

Whichever you get, make sure that you try them on before getting on a plane. If they don't fit, then you will have a very short dive trip. Also make sure that you take antibiotics with you. The sores on your feet can get infected and really ruin your holiday.

[David Wilson]

A comfortable fit is indeed the paramount criterion when choosing fins. Finding a pair that fits your feet precisely, not only in terms of length but also width and height, can be something of an odyssey. It's a myth, by the way, that you can only wear full-foot fins barefoot, or that they're only designed for warm water diving. Photographs of European divers in the 1970s, for example, will show the majority wearing full-foot fins. Prevailing fashion plays a large part in the open-heel versus full-foot fin debate, as do national preferences. Open heels have always been popular in the USA, while Europe, where full-foots were invented, has regarded closed-heel fins as superior to open-heels during various periods of diving history there. I wear full-foot fins all the year round when I snorkel in the cold waters of the North Sea off the North East coast of England and I wouldn't consider wearing anything else. Fins are very personal items of gear and you will have to find out for yourself what type or model suits you best, not somebody else. What matters is that you bring in any socks or booties you intend to wear with your fins when you go to the dive store where you select your fins. Put on this footwear first before you try on the fins, whether open-heel or full-foot, for size.

[Bob Evans]

Gosh Jiazzi, why use a fin foot pocket that causes cramps by design. Reading about antibiotics, foot sores, and a ruin holiday would make some one run for the hills. Try using a fin that takes your foot (http://www.forcefin.com/wiseword-earth.htm) out of the aquatic equation. TERRESTRIS (http://www.forcefin.com/wiseword-terra.htm)fins make no sense, eating a lot of banana's to help stop foot or leg cramps will only turn you into a chump. Free yourself from the bear-trap foot pockets. Best Bob

[Damselfish]

Well, I read on the board that full foot fins are good for warm water diving which is where I will end up doing most of my diving if I can help it. It almost sounds like full footed fins will give you blisters and sores regardless? Hmmm....
when someone says full foot fins are good for warm water diving, they don't mean they're the only type good for warm water diving. While acknowledging what a previous poster said, it's more likely they're saying they're good only for warm water diving. Obviously, opinions and circumstances vary.

There are pros and cons for each type which have been beaten to death on other threads. But one of the big things to keep in mind about full foot fins is, they're fine if you're only diving off boats. But if you're doing any sort of shore diving it usually works best to have some sort of booty to protect your feet while walking to the water, then put your fins on over those. And most booties with any sole at all don't work well with most full foot fins. Socks can help with comfort/fit/warmth, but they get trashed pretty quickly if you walk around in them much, and aren't enough protection on many shore entries. (You may even appreciate booties on some boat ladders, plus open heel fins can be easier to hang onto in the water.) So even if you find well fitting full foot fins that cause you no trouble, you may eventually wind up also buying open heel fins because you find they're better sometimes. So a lot of people tend to get one setup that can work anywhere, rather than getting multiple fins.

FWIW, I actually rarely see traveling divers in warm water using full foot fins. Seems more common to see local DMs wearing them. That's because the DMs in some places are diving off a boat all the time and know they will have no need for booties, plus they are usually cheaper and lighter, maybe transfer power better then the equivalent OH fin, and they avoid having to deal with constantly wet smelly booties. On the other hand, traveling divers are going different places and can't count on barefoot friendly diving everywhere.

[Blair Mott]

So much talk about your foot! Your foot your foot your foot. Take your foot out of it and welcome freedom (http://www.forcefin.com/FF_PAGES/Truth_Dive2.html).
http://www.forcefin.com/FF_MEDIA/images/gallery/cuex.jpg
Many reasons why I like Force Fins, but freeing your foot and taking it out of the equation is just one of them. This diver has booties on, but a lot of people use them barefoot.

[jiazzi]

I've read all about force fins prior to my purchase. Thanks and I'll consider revisiting the fin options but as a beginner, I don't want to purchase all the high end items first - another tip from this board.

On another interesting note, what is the president and product specialist of Force Fins b*t%ching at me to promote their product?! That's a first!

[ScubaRich]

How does that design take your foot out of the equation? It appears that if the diver were not wearing booties the fin still has the potential to cause blisters. Am I missing something?:confused:

[Blair Mott]

I've read all about force fins prior to my purchase. Thanks and I'll consider revisiting the fin options but as a beginner, I don't want to purchase all the high end items first - another tip from this board.

On another interesting note, what is the president and product specialist of Force Fins b*t%ching at me to promote their product?! That's a first!

Jiazzi,
Glad you found some fins. Did not mean to sound like I was "b*t%ching" at you to promote anything. You were wondering about the space in the foot pocket and everyone else kept talking about feet. I just wanted to present to you another option where your foot is not in a foot pocket at all. Good luck and welcome to the diving community. Dive safe and have fun!

[boliver_69]

The little bit of space is fine. Just make sure you get some fin keepers so you don't have to worry about losing the fin, I had to learn the hard way!:D
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h108/boliver_69/FI_FK-105-2T.jpg
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h108/boliver_69/AC_RP57-DPS-2T.jpg