Shore diving - fins

[billt4sf]

OK, I can get my fins on and off pretty well when shore diving but I have not found what to do with them when I'm putting one on or taking one off. There must be a usual solution. Giving one to my buddy while I put the other one on doesn't work very well as she is typically struggling to get hers on, too. Is there an easy place to clip one? I would only need to clip one, though if I could clip both it would be good for walking through the surf zone.

Thanks,

Bill

 

[nimoh]

I just hold it in my hand.

You might want to look at spring straps, very quick and easy to put on and take off.

 

[danvolker]

If it's rough, I'm going to walk backwards with mine on, from the shore. In S Fla, that's any time it's over flat conditions at a beach....This will work even in 6 foot seas. You may get knocked down, but you can always get back in control quickly....with them off, fall in a wave and you are hosed.

p.s.
If I can walk backward with 4 foot long freedive fins, you can walk backward with yours

 

[Searcaigh]

Fin strap over your arm, or you can put the BC chest strap (if you have one) through the fin strap

+1 on spring straps though

 

[billt4sf]

I am already using spring straps. I cannot hold the fin in my hand while putting the other one on. Just can't do it!

My arm will not fit through the fin strap, esp. with a drysuit on, nor with a wet suit either.

 

[milbournosphere]

On rough days, I'll wear them in and backwards through the surf tourist-snorkel style. However, on most days, I'll get into chest high water, just past the quick breaks, and put them on one at a time. What I do is keep my straps loose and them tighten them down once my boot is in the fin. The straps are loose enough that I can put the other fin around my wrist while I work on putting the first one on.

TL;DR version: Straps loose. Put second fin strap around wrist. Insert boot in first fin, then tighten strap. Remove second fin from around wrist and repeat.

I also hear that spring straps are beach-entry nirvana, but I haven't upgraded my fins yet.

EDIT: Just saw your follow-up post. My Divemaster uses spring straps and keeps a clip on his BC to hold his fins during entry. I think he takes them off the clip one at a time to put them on. I'm seeing him today, I'll see if I can get any info on the clip he uses, as I believe it's designed specifically to hold fins for this purpose.

 

[iluvtheocean]

i have a strap that can hook the fins & mask to that i use for shore dives and a couple of others do too around here. if your LDS doesn't carry it you can get one at diver's direct or one of the other online shops
i think i actually did get mine at DD.

i wouldn't recommend using it for anything other than shore diving though

 

[uncfnp]

I have a clip on my BCD to hold them while I wade past the surf and then take them off the clip one at a time to put the fins on. Some might argue the clip poses a risk of entrapment but the types of dives I do by shore really doesn't have this risk.

 

[Damselfish]

also you mention your buddy can't help because they're struggling putting their fins on too. But sometimes it makes sense to take turns. Your buddy can wait and hold a fin or whatever you need while you're getting sorted out, then switch and hold things for them. Sometimes it makes sense to steady each other too. Work together that's one reason for a buddy.

 

[LAKelpDiver]

I hand made these for me and my buddies. You can buy them for about $15, or make them for $18 each. lol I had not cut and added the second clip on this one yet. One longer strap for the fins, shorter one for the mask. They work great! I wanted yellow, I think most pre-fab one's are black and generally only have one loop and clip although I'm pretty sure I had come across a two loop.


Half joking about the costs, I think it did come out to about $10-12 each for the first few, then found a closeout on more clips so it got a little cheaper. This was the prototype, follow on's I hijacked my daughters sewing machine.