Neoprene socks for Full Foot fins.
Jean-Sebastien Morisset
Since my local store would only give me MSRP prices, I have to buy from a
store in the next province. It's making some decisions a little difficult,
like neoprene socks. :-) I'm hoping that a few people who wear neoprene
socks, in their full foot fins, can tell me what thickness I need. There
seems to be some 'generic' neoprene socks with an unknown thickness, or
there are some 3mm socks like http://www.altrec.com/shop/detail/3502/13 that
seem ok. Are there differences between neoprene socks for diving and other
neoprene socks? BTW, as several of you know by now :-), I'll be diving in
warm water with a 5/3 wetsuit.
Thanks,
js.
--
Jean-Sebastien Morisset, Sr. UNIX Admin <jsmo...@mvlan.net>
Personal Homepage <http://jsmoriss.mvlan.net/>
This is Linux Country. On a quiet night you can hear Windows NT reboot!
Brian Nadwidny
rubber sole on the bottom. Scuba divers usually wear neoprene boots,
with a rubber sole of some sort. These 'boot's' do not fit in full foot
fins (obviously). For warm water diving you'll be fine with a 3mm sock
in your full foot fin. A free diver that I know uses a 5mm sock
sometimes but that is when he is diving 50F water.
Brian
Edmonton, Republic of Alberta
Ron T
are more for antichaffing than warmth. So before spending on neoprene
socks, just try some anklets, you may be satisfied.
Ron
In article <FXW08.24551$fX1.1...@wagner.videotron.net>, "Jean-Sebastien
Jim Schifferns
I wore a brand new pair of scubapro twinjet full foot fins. On about day
six I stubbed my toe and it needed a little extra protection so I put on a
pair of running anklet socks. You're not wearing em for warmth or you'd be
wearing regular fins/booties. The socks worked just fine.
"Ron T" <omb...@tampabay.rr.com> wrote in message
news:ombligo-1501...@dt091n9a.tampabay.rr.com...
ScubaSnaps
> I just use cheap cotton anklet socks with my full foot fins... The socks
> are more for antichaffing than warmth. So before spending on neoprene
> socks, just try some anklets, you may be satisfied.
>
> Ron
Hey are those the short sock with pink or blue mini pom-poms on them?
Neoprene boots have the advantage that you can walk around in them and
won't hurt your feet on boat ladders, shells, gravel, rocks, etc. and
they are not that much money.
Dan Volker
really good fins, i.e., freediving fins, then you will be using a full foot
fin---and this means you need to use either white athletic socks if the
water is warm, or neoprene socks if it is cooler ( in thickness from 2mm,
3mm, 4mm, 5mm). There is not one person on this newsgroup that could even
keep up with my girlfriend if she is using freedive fins, and they are using
traditional scuba fins with open heel--be they jet fins, twin-shits, Quattro
pros or any other---the efficiency of the freedive fin is just far superior,
but they require full foot for the good power transfer.
I'm not really trying to get on your case---scuba fins are a pet peeve of
mine, as they are an example of stores selling what's good for the store,
with little concern for what is optimal for the diver. The industry hype is
so strong, most really believe it--until they try a good pair of freediving
fins ( Omer tuna comps/ Picasso/ Esclapez green or blue( color for esclapez
signifies which of 6 levels of stiffness)/ Cressi Gara 2000 ( not the crappy
hybrid Frogs)...there are a few others, but this represents main brands
which are good.
Regards,
Dan Volker
www.sfdj.com
"ScubaSnaps" <cmill...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:6543b064.02011...@posting.google.com...
Ness
Last I checked, my full-foot freediving fins are pretty uncomfortable with
booties on
If you wear open-heel fins, fine, use your booties
But if you wear full foot fins, then socks it is
"ScubaSnaps" wrote
Matthias Voss
Dan Volker schrieb:
> pros or any other---the efficiency of the freedive fin is just far superior,
> but they require full foot for the good power transfer.
Dan, I have open heels sporasub, they were the firts to be there, before
Esclapez. I did not like the closed foot, way to hard. When I took up
freediving, I got other fins as well, like Esclpez, Beuchat Mundial.
There is a difference in performance.
Still, for colder water , I prefer the open heels with neopren boots. If
performance is critical, I use triangle rubber fin straps. these bring
the performance right on par. Not on par with the glassfiber or carbon
blades, but these I have not tried with the closed fins yet.
However, the straps help with the closed boot as well.
Matthias
Dan Volker
If I'm freediving down 80 feet, performance is critical, because its gets me
more bottom time :-)
As to the boots, I'm going with what I experienced, and what some of the fin
manufacturers I've met have told me about their own products.
If it works well for you the way you describe, that's great..It might be
worthwhile putting a link up someplace so other people could find this.
Regards,
Dan V
"Matthias Voss" <mat....@t-online.de> wrote in message
news:3C468F7B...@t-online.de...
Lee Bell
> You can only use neoprene "boots" with lame-ass open heel fins. If you
want
> really good fins, i.e., freediving fins, then you will be using a full
foot
> fin---and this means you need to use either white athletic socks if the
> water is warm, or neoprene socks if it is cooler ( in thickness from 2mm,
> 3mm, 4mm, 5mm).
I don't agree with DAN that freediving fins are the best choice, but only
because our priorities are different I have a lower tolerance for longer
fins and a more limited desire for speed. I do agree with him on the merits
of full foot fins. My choice was the Mares TRE fins if you are going to use
them diving and snorkeling and the Quatro Power fins if you're diving only.
My reason for commenting, however, is not based on the fins, but on his
discussion of socks. I have several pairs of heavy duty lycra socks that I
use with my full foot fins in warm water. They're much more comfortable
than athletic socks, are thin enough not to change fit significantly and,
provided they're the ones made for diving, are quite durable.
> I'm not really trying to get on your case---scuba fins are a pet peeve of
> mine, as they are an example of stores selling what's good for the store,
> with little concern for what is optimal for the diver.
My take on how we got where we are is a bit different. The pocket/strap
fins were the first ones around. Eventually, they came out with full foot
fins which were more efficient and a lot more comfortable for those that
could use them, i.e. warm water divers. The power transfer does seem to be
more efficient. The pocket fins evolved into more efficient designs
specifically for those who dove in cold water. Somewhere along the line,
somebody starting calling full foot fins "snorkeling" fins and the next
thing you know, the common belief was divers needed pocket fins. This has
never been correct, but it's long been a strongly held opinion. To this
day, one group in particularly will tell you that there's only one suitable
fin design for divers.
Lee
Ralph Cohn
socks and fins together. Socks can be found in 1 mm to 7 mm
thicknesses and Deep Thought makes some with thin kevlar soles. The
kevlar works farily well but sharp rocks will tear them up. To make
socks last when walking on land it's best to wear sandals or surf
shoes over them. On a boat this isn't a problem.
For cold water diving you buy fins one size larger than you would use
with bare feet and then fit a sock. For example, with my fins I use a
5 mm sock, 3 mm socks are too loose and thicker socks may either cause
cramping or make it impossible to put the fins on. When I've borrowed
Picasso fins to test, my socks wouldn't fit and I had to borrow a
pair.
A couple of comments, socks are fine for boat diving and freediving
from shore where I can easily wear sandals and then attach them to my
float while diving. However, for scuba diving from shore in a rocky
area they are just too painful to bother with. Walking with the
weight of a full cold-water scuba rig, over New England rocks, with no
soles on your feet hurts. The difference between well-fitted open
heel and boots compared to full-foot fins is too insignificant to
endure the pain and the risk of falling.
Ralph Cohn
"Jean-Sebastien Morisset" <jsmo...@mvlan.net> wrote in message news:<FXW08.24551$fX1.1...@wagner.videotron.net>...
Matthias Voss
Ralph Cohn schrieb:
>
> When using heavier neoprene socks with full-foot fins you must fit the
> socks and fins together. Socks can be found in 1 mm to 7 mm
> thicknesses and Deep Thought makes some with thin kevlar soles.
Care to give a referring hint ?
TIA
Matthias
Ralph Cohn
Sorry, I'm not sure I understand your question.
If you want to know what size socks to use, that depends on the fins
and your feet. I have narrow size 11 feet and would probably start
with 5 mm socks, but that's just a wild guess. 5 mm has worked for me
with both Beuchat Goldfin and Sporosub foot pockets, but not Picasso.
Even the added thickness of a thin kevlar sole may be significant. If
you can't try them on at a dive shop, you might talk to the mail order
dealer and ask them to send you several sizes and return the ones that
don't work for a refund.
Too loose is annoying, wastes power, and increases the risk of losing
a fin. Too tight causes cramps very quickly.
One other trick, I find the soles and stiching last much longer if
coated with a layer of "tool dip" or similar coating.
Ralph Cohn
Ralph Cohn
with depth as the neoprene in the sock compresses, it might slip off.
Obviously this will depend on how tight the fit is to start with and
how stretchy the foot pocket on the fin is. Some freedving fins' such
as the older Sporosub pockets' have almost no stretch.
Adding fin keepers which can be found at many dive shops or at Blue
Water Hunter on the web will ensure the fins won't slip off.
Ralph Cohn
Matthias Voss
Ralph Cohn schrieb:
> > > thicknesses and Deep Thought makes some with thin kevlar soles.
> >
> > Care to give a referring hint ?
> > TIA
> > Matthias
>
> Sorry, I'm not sure I understand your question.
Just where did you find the ones with the kevlar soles ?
Matthias
Ralph Cohn
> Matthias
Blue Water Hunter. I just noticed they no longer seem to have the 5
mm, now just the 3 mm. They do make custom wetsuits so they could
probably make booties to order at a higher price.
http://www.blueh20.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/booties.html
Ralph Cohn
Mark Morton
http://www.parkwayscuba.com/products/boots/06.html
MM
Ralph Cohn wrote in message ...