Best fins for a weak ankle?

[DCBC]

Another vote for Force Fins.

 

[David Wilson]

I also use 'fin keepers' on my Mares Plana's. I kick fast and move fast, but in your case, you may just be able to fin slowly with the fin keepers attached to your ankles. I'm sorry I don't have a link or reference picture to show you, but I just bought a few pairs from Leisure Pro, and they work well.

Do you mean these?

You can also get them in other colours:

 

[NC Wreck Diver]

Do you mean these?

You can also get them in other colours:

Hello David:

Yes, those are the fin keepers. I wanted to suggest these for the post, but since I was scanning U/W Slides into my computer, I couldn't risk getting on another web page. Our broadband in my area can be a pain sometimes. Then I would have to start scanning these Ektachrome Slides all over again. Thank you for answering with the images. Maybe these will help the diver with the OP question get some relief for his problem. They are cheap (I think I paid about $5.00 a pair US), so it could be an inexpensive fix for him, as compared to buying a new pair of fins. Thanks again. Safe diving to you.

 

[Dyno Bill]

I had a dive buddy that had broken an ankle and he dove the Mares Quatro fins with no problems but that was before the split fins came out. I would imagine the split would be a good choice as a partial blade will offer less resistance in the water along with a diminished forward thrust I guess. As for the fin savers I used them with freedive fins having full pockets, not sure why you might need them in this instance.

 

[David Wilson]

As for the fin savers I used them with freedive fins having full pockets, not sure why you might need them in this instance.

Fin grips/fin retainers/fin keepers were indeed invented in the early 1960s by Beuchat of Marseilles in France, where they are called "fixe-palmes", to address the problem of slightly oversized full-foot fins. However, my attention was drawn in the following thread
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/fins-masks-snorkels/207565-fin-retainers.html
to the practice of certain Californian divers who use fin grips to secure open-heel fins.

 

[NC Wreck Diver]

I had a dive buddy that had broken an ankle and he dove the Mares Quatro fins with no problems but that was before the split fins came out. I would imagine the split would be a good choice as a partial blade will offer less resistance in the water along with a diminished forward thrust I guess. As for the fin savers I used them with freedive fins having full pockets, not sure why you might need them in this instance.

I originally used them with my TLS350, since it did feel like my Mares Plana's were not tight on my feet. It became second nature for me to use the keepers whenever diving. I still use my Plana's, and I really like them. They are old, and the finstraps with these fins take a little bit of time to adjust. When the finstraps do age, or if they are not exactly adjusted to my boots, the fin keepers work well for me. I don't see many divers using them, and that's fine, since most newer fins have quick adjusting straps. When I use the fin keepers, it feels like the fins are very firmly attached to my feet in a wet suit or a dry suit. I can swim very fast, be it strong current, spearfishing, etc.

I do have a new pair of ScubaPro Nova's with bungee straps for my CF200. I don't use the fin keepers on these. I would use the Plana's with the CF200, but the intergrated boots are just too big.

For the OP, I just thought that the guy may find some relief with his bad ankles, before he went out and bought a new pair of fins. Just my .02..........

 

[MrJDoran]

Thanks everyone for the helpful replies. I just went out and tried some force fins. Holy moley these fins are nice! I did also try some mares split fins and found them a little difficult to control but nothing i couldnt get used to in a few hours. Anyway its force fins for me and ill let you know if things change. thanks again

 

[akirawut]

Might be too late but I also have a broken ankle, full of plates and pins. I use a mares volo power, it's a nice soft fin, easy to move through the water, doesn't seem to lack for power.

The pain in your ankle - you say it's after use. Does it sometimes feel better after use as well, as if it's loosened up? Maybe after the pain goes away? If so it may be a soft tissue thing, ie it was never truly rehabilitated. That's what I ran into.

I had to work it a whole pile to make it normal again.

 

[MrJDoran]

The pain in your ankle - you say it's after use. Does it sometimes feel better after use as well, as if it's loosened up? Maybe after the pain goes away? If so it may be a soft tissue thing, ie it was never truly rehabilitated. That's what I ran into.

I had to work it a whole pile to make it normal again.

No, it never feels better after. Its always sore after any strenuous activity. its the tendons on the top of my foot that were separated and now they just get strained easily. definitely not gonna slow me down though! Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Scuba.com]

The Apollo Bio Pro Split Fin is a very good choice. This full rubber fin is one of the most comfortable and efficient fins available. And work well for the conditions described.
Buy Apollo Bio Pro strap fins 150-81-80 with reviews at scuba.com