Well, somehow I always manage to have feet that are smaller than the smallest size fin. I'm sure it has to do both with needing to wear a size 6 or 7 bootie (depending on brand) and that I pick particularly flexible-soled booties (because my feet are pretty tall a lot of brands only accommodate for wider but not taller feet). The Aqualung booties I've got fit snug like a second skin, so I'm wary to try anything else yet.. so I'm on a mission to actually find a pair of fins that fit. Oh, and I'm in wetsuit.
My first pair was Aqualung adj's with a strap (not full foot). They had wiggle room... it didn't seem so on land, but the second I hit the water they were not snug over my foot and always sloshing around. If you're already a slow diver, losing even more of your power to wiggly fins makes things worse.
Next, I went to Highland Power Fins... well, I thought these were great on land too. But again - in the water, wiggly. I seem to always have side-to-side wiggle in my fins, and I know it's in part because my feet are particularly tall but not too wide so I need a softer foot pocket maybe... What do I do next??
After lusting after yellow-tip Hollis Bat Fins, which just don't come in a size small enough for me, I decided to stop sulking and made the decision to try yet more fins. I had tried Mares fins on maybe 7-8 months ago and found they fit pretty well, so my most recent acquisition is Mares Avanti Quattros, and a pair of HOG Tech 2 fins. I ordered both at the same time, and was hoping one would fit better than the other so I'd have an easy choice. Nope ... darn, just my luck that they both seem to fit like a dream. ...on land. I also did have to pull the spring strap in to the next screw position on the HOG fins like had to be done with the Power Fins. The Mares fins come with a bungee strap that's pretty tough to pull around your foot, but once it's on you *know* it's on because it's pretty tight. Hopefully it doesn't irritate the achilles tendon while you swim. For sizings, the Mares are size small, and the Highland and HOG fins are both size medium because that's the smallest they come.
I have yet to try either of the Mares or HOGs in the water, but I'm already excited that the top of the foot pocket starts a little further than the bottom and curves upward, so it has more of a natural foot shape to it rather than the more rectangle profile of the Power Fin. Here are some pictures I just took of the three Power Fin, Tech 2 and Quattros --
(Quattro, Tech 2, Power, Power, Tech 2, Quattro)
(Tech 2, Power)
(Power, Tech 2)
(Power, Tech 2)
(Power, Tech 2)
(Quattro, Tech 2)
(Quattro, Tech 2)
I included side-shots because you never seem to get to see those online. The HOG and Highland fins look the same size just out of box, but the HOG fins are shorter on the foot because the foot pocket sits a little bit further back on your foot. I've heard of other fins giving foot cramps with that sort of shape/where it sits.
Anyway, wish me luck hoping that I've finally found my fin! I was wanting to keep just one pair of the two new ones, but who *doesn't* want both yellow, and black, fins? Such rough decisions to make :cool2:
My first pair was Aqualung adj's with a strap (not full foot). They had wiggle room... it didn't seem so on land, but the second I hit the water they were not snug over my foot and always sloshing around. If you're already a slow diver, losing even more of your power to wiggly fins makes things worse.
Next, I went to Highland Power Fins... well, I thought these were great on land too. But again - in the water, wiggly. I seem to always have side-to-side wiggle in my fins, and I know it's in part because my feet are particularly tall but not too wide so I need a softer foot pocket maybe... What do I do next??
After lusting after yellow-tip Hollis Bat Fins, which just don't come in a size small enough for me, I decided to stop sulking and made the decision to try yet more fins. I had tried Mares fins on maybe 7-8 months ago and found they fit pretty well, so my most recent acquisition is Mares Avanti Quattros, and a pair of HOG Tech 2 fins. I ordered both at the same time, and was hoping one would fit better than the other so I'd have an easy choice. Nope ... darn, just my luck that they both seem to fit like a dream. ...on land. I also did have to pull the spring strap in to the next screw position on the HOG fins like had to be done with the Power Fins. The Mares fins come with a bungee strap that's pretty tough to pull around your foot, but once it's on you *know* it's on because it's pretty tight. Hopefully it doesn't irritate the achilles tendon while you swim. For sizings, the Mares are size small, and the Highland and HOG fins are both size medium because that's the smallest they come.
I have yet to try either of the Mares or HOGs in the water, but I'm already excited that the top of the foot pocket starts a little further than the bottom and curves upward, so it has more of a natural foot shape to it rather than the more rectangle profile of the Power Fin. Here are some pictures I just took of the three Power Fin, Tech 2 and Quattros --
(Quattro, Tech 2, Power, Power, Tech 2, Quattro)
(Tech 2, Power)
(Power, Tech 2)
(Power, Tech 2)
(Power, Tech 2)
(Quattro, Tech 2)
(Quattro, Tech 2)
I included side-shots because you never seem to get to see those online. The HOG and Highland fins look the same size just out of box, but the HOG fins are shorter on the foot because the foot pocket sits a little bit further back on your foot. I've heard of other fins giving foot cramps with that sort of shape/where it sits.
Anyway, wish me luck hoping that I've finally found my fin! I was wanting to keep just one pair of the two new ones, but who *doesn't* want both yellow, and black, fins? Such rough decisions to make :cool2: