Why?

[bikeflip22]

Why do free divers use full foot fins instead of open heal? better kick? what are some of the reasons? It has always been a question i have wanted to ask..

 

[Lil' Irish Temper]

I think it's ease of donning and doffing in warm water, and boots aren't needed, but I'm a Scuba guy so I'm probably wrong.

 

[plongeursousmarin]

Full-foot fins offer better stiffness, which is important when you use your fins to get you back to the surface in a hurry. At least it was for me when I was spearfishing and I was using my Beuchat Gold full-fot fins back in the 80s. Maximizing your effort and not lose energy in your kick is what it's all about. Plus, also in my own experience, I would stay in the water 3 or 4 hours, with no need to take my fins off until the end of the hunt. With scuba, the longest you have your fins on is about 1 hr (unless you do deco dives) and you end up getting back on the boat, taking them off and putting them back on to go on to the next spot, etc. Adjustable fins become a matter of convenience in that way. Supposedly there is also the theory of diving with different booties thicknesses but that would make sense if you dive both warm water and dry-suit type environments, anything in between and people use the same thickness booties.

 

[Amphibious]

a full foot fin offers better transmission of power. no "slop".

the stiffness of a fin has NOTHING to do with the foot pocket config.

 

[humanFish]

Why do free divers use full foot fins instead of open heal? better kick? what are some of the reasons? It has always been a question i have wanted to ask..

It really depends on the situation. I wear open heel fins because I wear boots here in California. Even in tropical locals it can be nice to wear boots for the boat deck, dock, rocky beaches, etc.

With that said, a lot of warm water divers and free divers wear full foot fins because:

1) They don't need, or want boots
2) less bouyancy, due to no boots
3) better streamling than open heels(very important for freediving)
4) many pro-freediving fins only come in full foot models

 

[Hank49]

a full foot fin offers better transmission of power. no "slop".

the stiffness of a fin has NOTHING to do with the foot pocket config.

Body surfing fins, which are stiff and require an initial blast of power to get into a wave, are all strap fins. This is also because full foot fins catch water in the heel and tend to get ripped off your foot when sliding on the face of a wave. I'm using Avanti Quattros, strap fins for free diving now and there's now way I'll go back to the Avanti Plana full footers. I try them now and it's like no fins at all.

 

[Amphibious]

Body surfing fins, which are stiff and require an initial blast of power to get into a wave, are all strap fins. This is also because full foot fins catch water in the heel and tend to get ripped off your foot when sliding on the face of a wave. I'm using Avanti Quattros, strap fins for free diving now and there's now way I'll go back to the Avanti Plana full footers. I try them now and it's like no fins at all.

I freedive in rapids all the time. strapfins catch far more water then fullfoot fins. you can make any fin stiff. my point was that stiffness is not affected by the foot pocket. but the power transmission is. go to any freediving meet (a REAL one) and see if anyone is wearing a strapfin.

 

[bikeflip22]

3) better streamling than open heels(very important for freediving)

?

what is streamling, sorry for the newbie questions im just intrested in getting into some free diving, i have both open heal and fullfoot fins

 

[Hank49]

I freedive in rapids all the time. strapfins catch far more water then fullfoot fins. you can make any fin stiff. my point was that stiffness is not affected by the foot pocket. but the power transmission is. go to any freediving meet (a REAL one) and see if anyone is wearing a strapfin.

I've never free dived in rapids but I have tried to body surf in grinding barrels (tubing waves) with full footers and the only way I could keep them on was with duct tape. The soft heel of a "footer" catches water and it's gone. This is why "Duck Feet" and "Churchill" fins, designed for body surfing, are strap (no buckles and adjustment) fins.
The power transmission comes from the top of your foot when kicking down or from your arches when frog kicking. How does the heel cover of the full foot increase power transmission? I don't understand how one design or the other could make a difference. Most full foot fins I've used tend to have softer blades than strap fins.

 

[plongeursousmarin]

a full foot fin offers better transmission of power. no "slop".

the stiffness of a fin has NOTHING to do with the foot pocket config.

You're right, the stiffness is in the blade. I meant power transfer. No need to be ALL HIGH AND MIGHTY ABOUT IT. Jeez.