Diverite XT Fins....ouch!...suggestions OW-Cave crossover fins for replacements?

[Aotus]

What kind of booties are you using? Something with a thicker sole might help. When I am diving in a wetsuit or less I use Chuck Taylor Converse. When I am in my drysuit I just use regular neoprene dive booties but in a size 15 to fit over my drysuit. This way I do not have to change fins when I go from wet to dry.

Neoprene booties. I wonder what my pool would think of me wearing chucks into the pool...

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---------- Post added January 24th, 2014 at 09:08 PM ----------

You're doing something wrong. It's not the fins.
But, if you are convinced. Try the Hollis F1's

I'm not convinced that I'm not doing something wrong...glad some others are willing to expand on the point to help me figure out what I should do differently.

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---------- Post added January 24th, 2014 at 09:09 PM ----------

I love my Diverite fins. They are my drysuit fins. Sounds like you are using your feet muscles too much when doing the flutter kick. e.g. pushing with the balls of your feet and pulling with the top of your toes. Try to be more "flat footed" and use the bigger muscles instead. Leverage your feet muscles only for manoeuvring. I don't have the strongest legs and given they are stiff fins I found you have to take slower, longer more deliberates moves. After I got used to them, no problem.

I thought I was doing that, but I'll try again...I didn't have this trouble with the rented fins at the dive shop where I was certified, but they surely weren't stiff. I'll try again to focus on my foot position. thanks.

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---------- Post added January 24th, 2014 at 09:11 PM ----------

Sounds like your foot is fully into the fin. I too have a very high instep and some fins feel like they are just hanging off the front of my feet. Fins that do fit a high instep well are the Hollis F-1 and any Force Fin. I comfortably use both. You need to borrow some fins to tryout.

thanks. If these don't work out I'll look at those first...though not sure the force fins are in my budget, or well regarded for cave maneuvers, so more likely the F1s.

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[Superlyte27]

Yeah, if you show up to my class with Force Fins, I'm going to laugh, mock and ridicule you. Hahahaha.... Just kidding. Not really....

 

[SeaCobra]

the Diverite's are a nice fin, but not a good fit for me either. I have the Hollis F1's and really like them, tehy move a lot of water!

 

[buddhasummer]

Different strokes and all that. My F1s fit so badly I'm selling them. Dove my new DR XT fins today fit perfectly a nice fin for me if for no other reason than they fit properly. My only niggle is the loop on the pull tab is too small to be of real use even with my circus fingers. I'll be swapping them out for some Apollo or Hollis pull tabls.

---------- Post added January 25th, 2014 at 11:47 PM ----------

Yes, I like pull tabs, I know I'm gonna die.

 

[bongabonga]

How is your trim? How is your weighting?
Are you able to hover completely static and your body in horizontal position?
Diverite and similar paddle fins are not designed for continuous kicking due to overweighted diver, or to feet-heavy diver due to bad weight distribution.
I suggest you start searching for proper weighting and horizontal trim in this forum, or google it.
Browse youtube and look for "essentials of technical diving" video - excellent video demonstrating good trim and buoyancy control.

 

[buddhasummer]

How is your trim? How is your weighting?
Are you able to hover completely static and your body in horizontal position?
Diverite and similar paddle fins are not designed for continuous kicking due to overweighted diver, or to feet-heavy diver due to bad weight distribution.
I suggest you start searching for proper weighting and horizontal trim in this forum, or google it.
Browse youtube and look for "essentials of technical diving" video - excellent video demonstrating good trim and buoyancy control.

Not sure who you're addressing this post to but I'm all good thanks.

 

[bongabonga]

Not sure who you're addressing this post to but I'm all good thanks.

Buddha I addressing it to the OP
Glad you found good fit on your new fins.

 

[buddhasummer]

Buddha I addressing it to the OP
Glad you found good fit on your new fins.

Cool. Thanks, I'm pretty happy about it was worried I was going to lose more money.

 

[The Chairman]

Those fins hurt my feet too... and I also can't figure out why. I just dive the Hollis F1s. At least for me, they have the most comfortable foot pocket out there.

 

[buddhasummer]

Those fins hurt my feet too... and I also can't figure out why. I just dive the Hollis F1s. At least for me, they have the most comfortable foot pocket out there.

The DR seem a lot narrower to me, certainly the Mediums anyway.