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My "quiver" includes a pair of full-foot Volo Race fins. They're very well-made fins and they're great for certain types of snorkeling. They work well for surface swimming in both flat and rough water, unlike many other fins. They're easy kicking and are very easy on the knees. Their...

When you tested the mask on dry land, did you try it with a regulator or a snorkel in your mouth? The presence of a regulator or snorkel usually creates a small bulge near your upper lip, and this of course will change the fit of the mask. A lot of divers don't think of that when they're testing...

Yes, I understand, but lines have been known to snag, you know. I've been around boats and the ocean long enough to know that you can't always assume that a line under tension will run freely through its blocks when it is released at one end. I sure wouldn't bet my life on it, and in fact, I've...

billt4sf, just for the record, do you happen to know how much weight was added to the end of each line? Just a couple of pounds, I hope? Something that you would hopefully be able to compensate for if the line accidentally became detached from the vessel?

I snorkel and do relatively shallow (to 50' or so) free-diving in fairly choppy water 5 or 6 days a week as a part of my daily exercise routine, and I agree with much of the above advice, with some exceptions: I prefer to use a rigid J snorkel with a purge valve. I leave the top wide open so...

Found a single Mares scuba fin, size Small, all-black, rubber heel strap, no fancy features on it so definitely an older model. How the hell do you lose a single fin out there? Anyway, hope the diver is ok.

I tried a pair and they felt quite gutless to me. They were also significantly less maneuverable than your typical paddle fins. I snorkel/freedive rather than scuba, so my requirements are different, but even if the SeaWings had provided me with enough power I would still never use them for...

A buddy and I swapped fins in mid-dive (freedive/snorkel). I was wearing Oceanic Caribe-X full foots and he had on Oceanic Viper open-heels with spring straps. Compared to my Oceanic Caribes I found his fins to to be extremely soft and completely lacking in top-end power. When I tried to push...

I swim/snorkel/shallow freedive a lot (like 5 days a week) and the Oceanic Caribe-X Full Foot fins have been my all-time favorites. They're absolutely perfect for me. However, now that it's time to replace my latest pair I find that they have been discontinued. Oh, no! The most similar...

Today I learned that the diver was found lying face-up on the bottom with his weight belt still on, and his rig was found floating on the surface in the general vicinity. (This was also mentioned in a local news report.) I don't know whether or not the BC on the rig was inflated or there was air...

It's true that the channel currents can sometimes be quite strong, especially on a falling tide, but the currents only extend a very short distance out into the bay before they dissipate, and the diver was apparently found quite a ways farther out and to the right. Anyway, there's no need to...

I'm a Hanauma Bay "regular" and I go out there almost 6 days per week. I was snorkeling/freediving in that exact area only a few hours before the incident and I can report that the Witches Brew area and the adjacent wall were only slightly choppy. I doubt if the conditions at Witches Brew caused...

I'm surprised that OW divers are considered to be such prize idiots where caves are concerned. If you ran a line into a shark's mouth, would they follow it in?

Thanks for sharing the account of your dive trip. It sounds like fun. However, I'd like to discuss the shark encounter a bit. Personally, I think the practice of feeding sharks in order to create a dive attraction is stupid, shortsighted, irresponsible and dangerous, and I'm not just...

I do a lot of snorkeling and freediving, and I have wide feet. My old, heavily used Mares Plana fins eventually ran out of juice (the plastic lost too much of its flex), so I went looking for a replacement. Since the Mares footpockets were so comfortable, I first tested the Mares Plana Avanti...

Wear short, easily driven fins and use a relatively rapid but gentle flutter kick. Don't get long-bladed or overly stiff fins, as these don't work as well on the surface. Make sure to pace yourself. Try to keep your fins from breaking the surface if possible. I doubt if they would allow this...

I freedive with Oceanic Caribe X fins all the time. For freediving purposes these fins work best with a short, steady and somewhat rapid flutter kick, not a power kick or a glide. Power kicking burns way too much oxygen and will severely limit your bottom time, and gliding is a complete waste of...

I'm a freediver who frequently dives in open-ocean conditions. This morning I swam up to a couple of scuba divers floating low on the surface (BCs not inflated) to see if they needed any assistance. One had his mask on his forehead, the other had his mask off entirely, and both appeared to be a...

Oh, please! Wearing snaggable fins in an environment like that is an accident waiting to happen. Just because you've been lucky so far is no reason to imply that others should ignore the risk, which is very real.

I sure wouldn't want to use those anywhere in the vicinity of ropes, lines, cables or fishing line! They look extremely vulnerable to snagging on things.