Snorkeling Fins buying guide

Being a swimming enthusiast, you must know the importance of snorkeling fins. Every scuba diving kit is incomplete without the right fins. If you love to explore the underwater world, you have to invest in a good pair of snorkeling fins.

The fins allow the divers to control their motion underwater and provide them with proper speed and control. However, while selecting the pair, you have to consider several features of the product.

With an ill-fitted pair, you will not get proper control and speed and will get out of breath quickly. You have to make an informed purchase so that you can enjoy the activity comfortably and safely. For this, you have to look into the size, weight, water temperature, comfort, fit, and other additional properties.

Collecting information on all these factors can become an arduous task. You have to look into tons of pages on the internet. Moreover, you may end with false facts and details. With wrong or incomplete information, you can easily fall into the market's bear trap.

A comprehensive buying guide presents all the information in a well-structured way under a single roof. You can quickly skim through them and strike down the best option.

Also, you should have a clear understanding of the product. So, let us start with a brief introduction and then move further into the guide.

What do you mean by Snorkeling Fins? Why do you need them?

Snorkeling is a water sport that can be quickly learned. It does not require you to have excessive equipment. You can carry it out using only a snorkel mask, but it is best to equip yourself with the full set of equipment. This is to ensure your safety underwater and also to provide you with the best experience.

The set includes a snorkel mask, tubes, and the snorkel fins. These allow you to swim in water just by using your legs. With the fins, there is no need to use your hands to move around.

The snorkeling fins' primary need is to help you in swimming efficiently and explore the beautiful marine life. These allow you to continue floating while maintaining your horizontal stability.

Why should you read this buying guide before purchasing the suitable snorkeling fins?

Having prior knowledge about the product and its characteristics will aid you in selecting the best option for yourself. With several options available in the market, you can quickly get confused and invest in an ill-fitted product.

Also, you will repent investing your money in it and even risk your comfort and safety. To select an ultimate product, you have to deem the critical factors that define the usability and performance of the product.

This detailed buying guide contains all the information that is necessary when looking for fins. You can do an in-depth study of all the features and decide which option suits you the best. Also, you get answers to common questions and queries.

So, without any further delay, let us dive into the immense pool of information.

Types of Snorkeling Fins

1. Full Foot Snorkeling Fins

As the name suggests, these wrap around your bare foot and cover your foot entirely, providing protection. There is no need to wear any footwear along with these, but a thin lycra sock is best to go with.

The significant advantage of this full foot design is that they are comfortable and lightweight. Also, they are compact, which makes them easy to carry in your luggage. This light snorkeling equipment aids you in swimming easily underwater.

Despite having so many benefits, these also have certain drawbacks. The main issue you will face is while walking through a rocky shore to enter the waterbody. It is highly recommended that you refrain from walking while wearing the fins. Instead, you can opt for water shoes or flip-flops to walk on the rocky shoreline.

Having the shoe or flip-flop will demand you to carry them while snorkeling also. You can bring these along by attaching it to your snorkeling belt so that these don't hinder while you swim.

2. Open Heel Snorkeling Fins

Unlike the full foot variants, the open heel ones have heel straps that enable your foot to stay in place. These leave a wide portion of your foot exposed, including the heels. Thus, covering only the toes and a little more.

These fins are more compact and more comfortable to carry along with you than the full foot fins. Many don't find these to be more comfortable because of the full-foot fins' coverage. However, it depends on your personal choice.

The major disadvantage is that it leaves the heel exposed. This makes your foot vulnerable to injuries because of the harmful objects present in and out of the waterbody.

Snorkeling Fins vs. Diving Fins

1. Snorkeling Fins

These are mostly close feet types that can be used barefoot or sometimes with socks too. The fins are designed such that they are both lightweight and compact. Such incredible design makes these more comfortable to carry and store in the luggage also.

The fins have soft blades with them. These blades are for swimming on the surface. These blades do not possess enough power to be used at deeper depths.

2. Diving Fins

Unlike the Snorkeling fins, the diving fins are such that you can wear them with boots made of neoprene. These feature an open heel design.

Diving fins have stiff and thick blades. These blades are more appropriate for underwater diving compared to the one with the soft blades. However, these demand more power while kicking in the water.

They also have a robust design and are heavier too. The blades have a unique design to them featuring channels or splits. This incredible design of the blade helps you to navigate with ease at greater depths.

Things to deem about while selecting appropriate Snorkeling Fins

Size and Fit

Size and fit are the most important factors while considering snorkeling fins. If they end up being too big, then there are chances that they will come off from your feet. But if they are too tight, it will hinder your swimming and cause you unnecessary problems.

You should make sure the fins have a snug fit and not too tight or loose. Opting for a snug fit is better than the loose one because your feet tend to shrink when underwater making the fins slip more.

If they are too loose, you will face problems with your heel strap slipping off every time you kick in the water.

If you are planning on using or wearing the boots or shoes along with the fins, then try them together first before heading for the waters. You should make sure that they are comfortable even when you wear them for hours together.

Check if you experience any discomfort and feel that the footwear or the fins are pressing against your bones. Try putting them on and mimicking the kick action you do. If you think that the hard plastic feels hard on any area, it will likely worsen when you go into the water.

Material

The material of the Snorkeling fins determines its durability and quality they can provide you. You should always choose the fins with the best materials available to snorkel safely in deep waters.

The materials used in the making are rubber, plastic, a combination of both or sometimes synthetic blends. The better the material, the better is the durability and water resistance provided by it. It also determines its sturdiness.

The fins made of these materials offer different weights and usability. Few materials like rubber can help in the making of the soft fins and make it incredibly lightweight. Simultaneously, some like plastic can be used to make stiff fins and make them robust.

Fin Length

Fin length plays an important role too. It mainly affects swimming underwater, especially in deeper depths. A short-fin is usually under 25 inches, while over 25 inches are long-fins.

The shorter the fin length, the lesser the thrust you will get while you kick. This is fine as long as you are swimming in weak currents. But if it were to be a strong current, then it becomes highly unstable.

Still, the compact and travel size fin length helps in having easy mobility. The short fins are mostly for swim training and snorkeling. In contrast, the long fins are mainly for scuba diving. The fins, which are 40 inches and more, are usually for spearfishers and freedivers.

The short fins are easier to kick in and also provide easy maneuverability. While the longer fins need strong kicks and offer better thrust in the water.

Split vs. Solid

The split and solid fins offer different levels of speed. The solid fin is likely the same continuation of the material till the end of the fin.

Whereas the split fin in the middle has a slit. This slit goes from the forward edge towards the back and divides the fin into two separate individual moving parts.

The split fin is better than the solid fin because it provides more speed, taking less energy or kicking in the water. With just short and fast kicks, you can quickly get the required optimal speed for swimming underwater.

If you need large and powerful kicks, the solid fins are better. The solid fins provide you additional functionality, offering better maneuverability and tight turn with it. At the same time, the split fins are more efficient since they provide less resistance while kicking in the water.

Comfort

While you snorkel, the comfort offered by the snorkel fins is essential. If you feel uncomfortable or irritated by wearing them for a long time, you will miss the pleasure of snorkeling.

Kicking in the water also becomes equally tricky if you feel discomfort. Hence, comfort should always be the primary concern. The power output and control of the fin will restrict your feet and give rise to pain.

The discomfort and irritation in your feet because of the snorkel fins will make you bruised by the end of the day. This will later cause you even more immense pain after coming out of the water and removing these fins.

Hence the best snorkel fin is always comfortable and supports your swimming style. This offers the appropriate amount of power to make your trip more comfortable.

Color

The color of the snorkeling fin is not of much importance. But there are certain times that the color of the fins can help too. A simple reason to have various colors would help distinguish your fins from the rest of them.

A significant advantage of having different color fins, particularly bright colored fins, helps your teammates identify you in the deep waters.

Additional Features

Various additional features are available in the snorkeling fins. Besides increasing your performance, these provide you the optimum amount of comfort. So, this can indirectly affect the performance, too.

This happens because when your feet are comfortable, you can easily kick back with more power in the water. Hence, you will also feel less tired.

One of the additional features is easy to replace, quick-release buckles and the fin straps. Despite being labeled as universal replacements, they are unique in their way. Hence it is necessary to examine before buying the easy to replace straps.

Instead of wearing the fins barefoot, some people prefer to wear it with lycra socks. It is the best choice to go with instead of wearing boots or barefoot.

The neoprene socks are like the lycra socks, but this adds insulation as an extra feature. But they require more space and cannot be used with the full foot fins.

Hence, while choosing the snorkel fins, check out all the functionalities of the additional features that they provide along with the snorkel fins.

Price

The price of the snorkel fins should be well within the range of your budget. It should also be able to satisfy your needs and demands.

But often, quality directly influences the price of the fins. If possible, try investing in the durable fins despite it being expensive. For a budget-friendly price, you can even get an optimal performance providing fins.

However, it all depends on the budget you have prepared and the fins' requirements. Even if the fins are not top-notch, they must at least provide you with a decent amount of performance.

Packability

The snorkel fins you buy must also be portable and easy to pack without causing too many issues.

This is so because you will have to walk a considerable amount of distance to reach the waters. While walking, you cannot walk with the fins worn. Hence you will need to carry them.

Even when you are traveling from one place to another, the fins should be such that they can fit in with your luggage. Hence, the portability or packability of the fins is essential.

The weight is not much of an issue because they are lightweight except for a few. But it becomes significant if it takes much time for you to return from the snorkeling site due to the long distance.

This is the time when you are exhausted, and even a slight inconvenience can cause a problem. It is best to have a traveling kit just for the snorkeling equipment.

Stiffness

All the snorkel fins have varying degrees of flexibility or stiffness. The longer fins are stiffer than the shorter ones.

If the fins are too stiff, they would demand more kicking power even though it develops greater thrust. Instead, if they are too flexible, there will be minimal thrust generated even if it is easy to kick.

Hence the stiffness needs to be balanced well between being too rigid or stiff to too flexible. Depending on the length of the blade, the stiffness of the fins also varies. If the fins are long, it has to be stiffer to handle the water's resistance without bending too much.

However, the same does not apply to the short fins. Their blades have to be more flexible to provide the required thrust.

The stiffness expected in long fins makes the short fins ineffective. While a long fin with the flexibility as that of the shortfin will make it floppy.

Foot Pocket ventilation

A proper foot pocket of an appropriate size must always be there. This foot pocket provides the ventilation for your feet to breathe.

The foot pocket's size need not be huge, because if so, the water will gush inside the snorkel fins. Just the bare minimum amount to ventilate the feet is enough. Similarly, if there is no ventilation, the fins' fit is small and will cause complications.

If there is no proper ventilation, it will cause your feet to sweat immensely. To avoid this, a minimum of foot pocket ventilation must be present in all the fins.

So before buying the snorkel fins, always consider the foot pocket ventilation they provide and decide which suits you perfectly. This will help increase your performance and also your comfortability while wearing them.

Steps to take care of Snorkeling Fins

You must always take care of your snorkeling fins since it is an investment that you are making irrespective of whether it is cheap or costly.

Leaving the fins to dry after coming out of the water is fine, but make sure you do not leave them for too long. If you do so, cracks will be formed in them, which will reduce their durability.

You always ensure that you store them in a cool place or a container than an unregulated room or attic. In such cases, since the temperature is unregulated, there is a lot of heat. It will cause the fins to become brittle early.

Also, make it a practice to rinse the fins with fresh water after coming from the water and store them later. Proper maintenance of the snorkeling fins will ensure more extended durability.

FAQs

1. What is the right size and fit of the product?

Your fins should have a comfortable fit around your feet. They should not be too tight or too loose around your feet. Even if you have small feet, never go for uncomfortable fins, They will cause cramping, and you will not be able to enjoy your water activity.

Always choose a size that has a snug fit. Adjustable straps allow you to form a proper grip, so invest in options that have a secondary closure system.

2. Any tips to wear the product properly?

Here are some tips to follow:

1. Once you have decided on the fit and size, you have to look into the style of the product. Full foot style can be worn on their own, but with open heel style, you have to pair a suitable pair of socks.
2. Always try to wear your fins when you are close to the water body.
3. After putting them on, move sideways or backward to reach the water body. This will protect the blade of the product.

3. I am new to the snorkeling world. How should I use them in the water?

Once you are in the water, you should know that all the work has to be done by your legs and fins. Try crossing your arm across so that you remember you don't have to use them.

Avoid giving small jerks with your legs and opt for the regular motion of legs. Use full legs instead of the lower legs to move in the water. This will save a lot of your energy, and you will get a steady and controlled movement.

4. How should I clean and store the product for its long life?

Cleaning the product is vital. It will save the fins from unnecessary damage and elongate their life. All you need to do is rinse them in the water and let them dry in air and sunlight. Always read the instruction manual before using any chemicals on the product. Strong cleaners can damage the shine and quality of the fins.

Keep the fins at a safe place away from direct sunlight. Try to lay them flat on a stable surface instead of hanging them around.

Final Verdict

With all the information under your possession, all you need is to arm yourself with an elite product. Here in this guide, we have corner-stoned all the pointers that will aid you in pinning down the best option.

Go through them and analyze your requirements. Invest in the right product to enjoy the activity with full comfort and safety.