differences between scuba fins and snorkel fins

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newdiver1

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milwaukee, wi
hi, i am a new diver who is going to be starting ow classes in the next month. i was trying to find a reasonably price pair of fins, or a whole kit, with the fins, snorkel and mask. the question i have is are there particular brands specific to scuba diving, and what is the difference between scuba fins and snorkel fins? if anyone knows where to get a reasonale set, it would be very helpful
 
Also, i forgot to mention that I will be diving in Aruba in the beginning of July. Not sure if water temp akes a difference as far as fins go, but i will probably be doing most of my diving in warm water, with some infrequent dives in the wisconsin area.
 
Certainly no SCUBA expert here. But generally when I see snorkelers they are wearing the full foot fins which work great in the warmer water where generally you snorkel. I would say that a lot of SCUBA divers wear open heal fins which require a booty:D to be worn under them. The full foot fins are more versatile because you can wear them with different weight boots depending on what temp you are going to be doing the majority of your diving in. If you are only going to do warm water diving then I don't see any reason why you could not use a full foot fin. If you are going to dive in colder water or don't know you should go with a open healed fin. See if you can go to your local dive shop and look at different styles, prices, etc..... I have a straight paddle fin, but my boyfriend loves his atomic split fins. Good luck and have fun getting certified.:14:
 
Oops I meant to say the Open Heal fins are more versatile. Worked fogged brain!
 
If by kit you mean some pre-boxed or bubble packaged set (rather than a discounted package deal at a dive shop) they tend to be stuff that's appropriate for snorkeling but not as great for scuba, in particular probably not the best fins. You are pushing much more stuff through the water when wearing gear and are more likely to find yourself in tougher conditions such as currents. Even if you were to decide full foot fins are the right choice for you, there are much better ones made than come in those packages.

In a package, you might not be able to check the mask for fit, and fit is so important in a mask. You might get lucky and buy some set with a decent mask that fits great that you'll love forever, but the odds are very much against it. I'd suggest going to dive shops and trying on all you can, with a snorkel or reg in your mouth as it can change the shape of your face enough to make a difference. Ask them for help.

As far as the snorkel, well it may not matter unless you also snorkel as many people stop wearing their snorkel while diving once they get out of class. There have been so many discussions of this here I won't start another!

You can learn alot about selecting these items by doing some reading here.
 
Something you might want to consider other than the fin is that in many snorkeling sets, the quality of the silicone of the mask is different from designed and used for scuba. To keep costs down, some manufacturers simply use compounds with some type of acrylic contents (I think that's what they use) for the mask skirt and this may affect the seating of the mask on your face.

So I would suggest you consider to actually go out and get a pair of scuba fin and a good mask that fits you. They will make a big difference in your diving experience.
 
I would also add that the open heeled fin will be better if you plan to shore dive since it hurts the toes less when you have boots on while scraping aginst rocks ect. ect. If you decide to only do boat dive then I guess full foot fin are fine. As well boxed masks are not fit to your face, when you go to your LDS they should have many masks for you to try on and find the proper fit.
 
as noted above, the fins used for snorkeling, tend to be more flexible, and smaller. You don't have as much water resistance while snorkeling. Open heel fins are nice because you can wear foot protection (walking over sharp rocks while carrying 80lbs of gear can make you very glad for boots) You may also find the water colder while diving because you are not expending as much energy as while snorkeling (the idea is to expend as little as necessary and make your air last as long as possible) so the added warmth on your feet can be a nice bonus from wearing boots as well.

Fit is key to both Fins and Masks, neither of which is likely from a boxed set. Many of us went through lots of fins and masks learning this the hard way (myself included)... I for one like the ScubaPro Jetfins or clones (I actually use Turtles), and use them for both Scuba and Snorkeling now... if it helps here's some sizing info and pics http://www.kidspot.org/personal/scuba - and a bonus with Jets is their price, they are some of the less expensive fins out there ($59-$99)

Have fun learning to dive!

Aloha, Tim
 
When I first learned to dive in the 1960s, the fins of choice were full-foot ones and if we wanted extra warmth or protection against abrasions, we wore wetsuit boots with them. So you can get the best of both worlds when snorkelling with full-foot fins. Just make sure you put on the boots when trying on the fins before purchase so that you can get them in the right size.
 
kidspot:
- and a bonus with Jets is their price, they are some of the less expensive fins out there ($59-$99)

And they LAST!!!!!
 

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