Best diving fins according to redditors

What /u/SCUBAInstructorGuide said is good advice. Definitely get into the local diving community, which shouldn't be hard, everyone's generally pretty friendly and open to other people that want to dive. Heck even hundreds of miles from an ocean and even further from good diving, you can still find active scuba clubs that dive quarries/lakes. Their meetups are a lot of fun to go to and you can generally get air recharges/tank rentals for much less than you'd get from a normal dive operation.

Additionally, I'd suggest not getting super expensive snorkeling gear until you actually know what you're doing/looking for. While equipment can be a huge black hole to toss money down, there's definitely reasonably priced ($40-50) mask and fin options out there that are more than serviceable.

If you'd like some specific suggestions for equipment for a beginner: ScubaMax Navigator is generally considered to be a pretty decent mask that doesn't have any major drawbacks. Be aware though that people's faces are different shapes and a mask that fits one person won't ALWAYS fit another perfectly. You should go to a shop and try it out before purchasing.

For fins, I highly suggest getting neoprene boots and fins designed to be used with neoprene boots. They have back-straps which last longer than the ones designed to be used with bare feet, plus you often want boots for various reasons, particularly if you do lots of shore diving or colder-water diving. They're also generally higher quality in my experience. Anyway I would suggest the Cressi Pro-Lite Open Heel, which I still use actually. Reasonably priced and gets good power. Remember: these kinds of fins need to fit your foot size with the added bulk of the neoprene boot. I believe that I use a medium with a men's 9.5US foot and 5mm neoprene boots and they fit great.

Anyway this was literally my beginner setup and it really worked great for quite some time (and most of it still does except the mask which the rubber will wear out with use and can eventually fail). Everyone's going to have their opinions on the subject but that's my 2 cents.

EDIT: Changed 'should be hard' to 'shouldn't be hard', my bad!

These look like the exact ones:

IST Deep sea scuba diving military fins - rubber rocket, L https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BWXCRFK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_x28CybF0NCV8C

This may sound weird, but get yourself a pair of surface fins (I've had these forever and love them) and work on your technique. SEALSWCC's video guide to the CSS is actually pretty good (albeit a little too classroom lecture-ish for me), and I saw guys use some of the techniques in this video to go from not being able to swim at all to having passing PST times in anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.

Slow is smooth and smooth is fast, which you seem to understand. When you do these drills you aren't trying to kick super hard, and you don't want to push off the wall very far - most of your time should be spent on the drills.

I've been pretty pleased with the Cressi kit I bought a year ago for use during a trip to St Lucia. I spent weeks reading reviews and searching out accounts of gear experiences before making my selection. Since that trip I've used the set about a dozen times since then in rivers, pools and at the ocean and it's held up well. Still works the same as the day I first pulled it on. I've since bought a more powerful pair of fins (Cressi Gara 3000 LD) but still keep the smaller fins for casual diving. good luck!

https://www.amazon.com/Cressi-Diving-Snorkeling-Freediving-Snorkel/dp/B0067BGZBE/ref=sr_1_4?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1468766950&sr=1-4&keywords=cressi

https://www.amazon.com/Cressi-Clio-Snorkleing-Diving-Fin/dp/B0078LWTPI/ref=pd_sim_sbs_468_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=51Iipz%2BtZgL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=CDFN3JS7D9C27Y5WAGK0

Now made and sold by Finis and on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/ScubaPro-Spring-Strap-X-Large-Black/dp/B0000DYVGK/ref=sr_1_23?ie=UTF8&qid=1519840159&sr=8-23&keywords=rocket%2Bfins&th=1
These are what they use at indoc

You don't need to do this. Swim in swim goggles, don't worry about fins. Buying this stuff beforehand is just throwing money down the drain.

But to answer your question: rocket fins and mask

Waste of money though.

https://www.amazon.com/ScubaPro-Spring-Strap-X-Large-Black/dp/B0000DYVGK/ref=sr_1_23?ie=UTF8&qid=1519840159&sr=8-23&keywords=rocket%2Bfins&th=1
These are what I have, and I am 90% sure they are the ones used at indoc.

My wife and I got these from Amazon. Worked perfect for me, she had trouble with it leaking water a tiny bit, but she had a lot of hair and probably just the shape of her head.

WACOOL Ultralight Inflating Travel Camping Pillow - Compressible, Compact, Inflatable, Comfortable, Ergonomic Pillow for Neck & Lumbar Support While Camp, Backpacking (snorkelsetblack) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BPQGY8N/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_9zwgDb37MWXF4

CAPAS Snorkel Fins, Snorkeling Fins Swim Fin Short Adjustable Diving Fins for Adult Men Womens Kids Scuba Diving Swimming Duck Feet Swim Travel Open Heel Flippers Snorkelling Fins (Black, L/XL) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073QHBS72/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_4AwgDbBN52A8S

Have you got some fin keepers? Losing a fin sucks. I like these ones. The triangle keepers make my feet cramp up.

Work on your fitness. It's much more fun when you're not gassed all the time. Learn to duck dive properly. There's plenty of how-tos on Youtube. It'll help you save energy.

Try to relax when you're getting worked over by a wave. If you tense up you burn more O2.

This is super awesome, but not really WL worthy due to the impracticality of buying masks online.

I suppose I'll go with this scarf for the cold winter, although it might be more fashionable, and less of a practical warm scarf. Its on my gf's list, what do I know? :p

Also, have you checked out the Aqua Lung Slingshot fins? I love them, they are for sure my favorite fins I've owned, the power you can put out is incredible. I know they're a bit pricey, especially for random WL items, but thought I'd mention them for fun. How awesome is Costa Rica? It's been awhile since I was there, but I loved it. I spent 1.5 years living in The Bahamas and then moved back to Canada, so I really understand those feels :p

I bought these Seac Motus fins for my first pair: https://www.amazon.com/SEAC-Diving-Powerful-Spearfishing-Freediving/dp/B00JMXX6XY/

I'd recommend trying on fins and looking for the best fit rather than shopping for a brand.

My recommendation looks like this:

1. Buy your own gear. Once you go, you're going to want to return, especially once it's free. Check craigslist and local dive shops that sell used gear if you want to save a little money. Don't buy junk. Companies that don't make junk: Riffe, ScubaPro, Mares, Cressi. Go for black silicone as it ages much, much better than clear, which yellows. Don't mess about with dry snorkels (the ones that close with a float when you go underwater), they just get in the way and cost more money. You'll need fins (full heel if you don't want to buy booties), mask, snorkel.
   
   
2. Start off at Marine Room (parking is easier), go out a couple dozen yards and start swimming north. You'll see some sharks!
   
   
3. Head on over to the cove, the scenery is lots prettier, there's a larger variety of fish but there's fewer sharks and rays.
   
   This is my set-up: Snorkel, mask, fins. But I like overkill. You'd do fine with this: Mask + Snorkel, fins. I'd also recommend some socks to prevent chafing.
   
   Once you're in, you're in so expect to be buying weight belts, wetsuits and spearguns in the near future. Have fun and see you out there!

Your focus should be Circuit routines involving push ups , flutter kicks, pull ups, squats, lunges, etc. (mostly calisthenics but throw some weight lifting in there for explosionand strength)
So for example:
5 rounds:

20 push ups
20 flutter kicks
8 pull ups
10 lunges each leg
Rest 2 min

Remember, form is very important and it’s not about the numbers. Scale things/switch it up and do push ups to the beat of a metronome or do pull ups so you hold yourself at the up position for 3 seconds. Get creative and challenge yourself.

The pool:
Get the proper gear. You’ll need goggles, a mask, a sturdy and solid snorkel, fins(the big black ones that generate a lot of torque. I believe they’re called jet or rocket ) and some booties so your feet don’t get torn up from the fins rubbing.

So for a workout in the pool do something like:

450m warm up with only goggles

Ladder exercise: (with goggles)

50m-80% effort
20 sec rest

100m -70% effort
20 sec rest

200m -60% effort
20 sec rest

400m-50% effort
20 sec rest

200m
20 sec rest

100m
20 sec rest

50m

Throw on the gear some days and get used to breathing through the snorkel and using those fins. The fins are made to be used like You would do a flutter kick so core engaged, tight glutes, legs fully extended kicking in a smooth motion.

Water confidence:

4 rounds
100m over/unders

*this means you swim the length of the pool (25m) but half of it you are swimming “over” (on the surface, freestyle) and once you reach the halfway mark you dive below the surface “under” to the very end. Shouldn’t break the surface or come up short.

There’s a ton of different methods to build water confidence such as bobbing, drown-proofing, or simply doing under water laps. But ALWAYS remember to have someone watching you that’s CPR certified and ready to respond.

Would definitely recommend going to a recruiter to see if you can get some face time with a swimmer shop. They’ll teach you form and get you a game plan if you plan on going the rate.

https://www.amazon.com/IST-Rubber-Rocket-Military-Special/dp/B0035LGTGK/ref=sr_1_4?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1519859688&sr=1-4&keywords=jet+fins

These are a bit less expensive and probably comparable. At least I hope they are because it's what I've been using.

https://www.amazon.com/IST-Deep-scuba-diving-military/dp/B0035LGTF6

Rocket fins are what you want. You'll need booties with them as well

If anyone's looking for cheap but sturdy tech fins, I highly recommend these IST Rocket Fins with good spring straps. Much cheaper than the name brands and just as powerful/controllable.

It'll be a lot more fun to have them. I did a lot of research on scuba fins that are packable in a carry-on and these are the best options. They'll still take up a lot of space but they'll fit and they're real professional quality fins, not swimming pool toys.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PL5A540/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008Z6CJX2/

One alternative is to get hand webbing things. They'll be better than flutter kicking and take minimal space.

Also look into the Altama OTB shoes as an alternative to separate dive booties.

The FLX material is quite rugged, so I did not bother with any additional reinforcements. It has held up well shore diving. I don't feel like a butt reinforcement would be useful, but the only time I tend to sit around in a drysuit is on a boat. Shore diving for me generally means one long doubles dive, pack the car, and head off for lunch. If your surface interval consists of picnicking on rocks, you might see more wear. :)

As for the boots, I'm a fan of simple turbosoles. Yes, they will wear out quicker than the reinforced boots, but they are comfortable. Fin keepers are useful to keep them secure on your feet. Others prefer rockboots/sneakers plus socks. The turbotec boots did not fit my feet at all. Be sure you get the opportunity to try them on before buying.

On the zipper, everyone I know who has gone with a plastic zipper has had problems with it leaking. These might be a few unlucky coincidences, but it's enough to convince me to stick with YKK metal.

I'm a fan of owning my own gear, but there are lots of variations so make sure you know what you want to use it for before buying.

• In general, scuba and snorkel fins are different. You can use scuba fins for snorkeling but not the other way around - the scuba fins are longer to give you more power as you're carrying a lot of gear.
  
• If you're not sure you want to do anything like this beyond Hawaii, renting is super cheap when you're there and it means you don't have to stuff the gear into your luggage.
  
• If you think you might want to scuba around SF in the future, make sure to get open-heel fins with boots, otherwise you'll have to get a separate set for here (full-foot fins are warm water only).
  
• As another commenter pointed out, you can get gear at any of the scuba shops in the area. They charge fair prices for cold water scuba gear. I paid about $200 for gloves, boots, fins, mask, and snorkel. As noted above, if you're only going to do warm water you're better off renting or buying a cheapo set when you get there.

> What are you using now?

Cressi gara 3000 freedive fins! I don't think those would be appropriate, lol

This is precicely how I got my last dinner date.

Got a pair of these and let nature do the rest.