By Alex (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #307) on Sunday, October 7, 2007 - 11:02 am: |
Up until now we snorkeled with cheap full foot fins, but we decided to finally buy good open heel fins with low booties, as this would be more comfortable when entering the water over sharp rocks etc. - I read this advise quite few times on this board. But now we've used them for the first time, it turns out the booties keep the fins afloat at the surface, reducing their effectiveness and comfort, and also causing a lot of splashing and sometimes even cramps. So at the moment we're not very happy with our new fins. Is this a common problem, does anyone have a solution? Lead in my shoes maybe...?
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By Kiwi AKA Steve (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #405) on Sunday, October 7, 2007 - 11:09 am: |
Wow, Alex that's weird. I have never encountered floating booties before ( no "booty" comments please). If you take the booties off your feet and place in them water, do they float?
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By Becky H - finally a countdown (6 mo) (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1483) on Sunday, October 7, 2007 - 11:26 am: |
What thickness neoprene are your booties? If you got 5mm over the ankle height booties, I can understand the floating thing. I have a pair of tropical weight just to the ankle booties that don't add too much buoyancy to my feet and they work great in Bonaire.
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By Kiwi AKA Steve (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #406) on Sunday, October 7, 2007 - 11:33 am: |
Good point Becky. I suppose it could be related to the wetsuit configuration. If a full length wetsuit was pulled over the tops of the booties, maybe some air could be trapped.
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By Alex (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #308) on Sunday, October 7, 2007 - 11:33 am: |
Kiwi, yes, I agree it's weird, but yes, they float! Becky, they are 2.5mm neoprene low (tropical) booties. And I wear shorties when snorkeling, so no trapped air.
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By Kiwi AKA Steve (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #407) on Sunday, October 7, 2007 - 11:38 am: |
Huh! Floaters.
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By Alex (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #309) on Sunday, October 7, 2007 - 11:42 am: |
Well, it appears to be a problem that occurs more often: (from http://www.goredsea.com/en_travelguide-activities-snorkelling-2-2.aspx : You might find that an adjustable fin, together with boots, is a little clumsy to wear for snorkelling. Adjustable fins are normally larger than full-footed ones. And because the boots float, it might be hard to keep your feet down. Then you end up splashing on the surface rather than being able to make fin strokes under the water. Nobody in the dive shop told me this.
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By Boat Chick (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3259) on Sunday, October 7, 2007 - 11:48 am: |
Alex, you and Danielle on bonaire again? good for you!
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By Alex (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #310) on Sunday, October 7, 2007 - 12:03 pm: |
Hi there, Boat Chick! Very good to hear from you - long time no hear. No, we're not on Bonaire (alas), but we went to Greece (I DID send you the link to the on line pics) and did some snorkeling there. Nice holiday, but the snorkeling is nothing like Bonaire, though we did see a beautiful big moray. So we have already booked a trip to Bonaire now with friends (3 weeks next Spring)! Will we see you there?
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By Boat Chick (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3262) on Sunday, October 7, 2007 - 1:11 pm: |
hi Alex, I got the link but haven't had time to look at the pics yet, I'll get to it today. Maybe take both sets of fins so that if you are at a spot where you can put the full foot fins on, use those. it does get more complicated, but it's worth it!
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By seb (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3167) on Sunday, October 7, 2007 - 2:53 pm: |
Some fins are by design positively buoyant.
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By Ron Gould (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1134) on Sunday, October 7, 2007 - 8:56 pm: |
Good fins are always negative in the water and all boots are possitive. It is the fins that are causing the problem and not the boots...
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By Glen Reem (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2618) on Sunday, October 7, 2007 - 9:28 pm: |
But they have added booties to the mix and, as Seb points out, neoprene has positive buoyancy so the booties can be the difference.
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By Alex (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #311) on Monday, October 8, 2007 - 4:25 am: |
Okay, data: the fins - Mares Volo Power - do not float, the booties do. (I didn't have to try it out in a bathtub - I tried it in the sea while I was there!). When I'm in the water, the back of my feet (the heavier part of the fins, the part that sinks first) is pushed out of the water a bit. When I then move my legs, the fins partly leave the water and consequently splash sometimes and make for uncomfortable swimming. My wife has the same outfit, and has the same problems.
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By Alex Brown (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #242) on Monday, October 8, 2007 - 8:27 am: |
Hi Alex!
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By Alex (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #313) on Monday, October 8, 2007 - 9:08 am: |
Hi other Alex!
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By Boat Chick (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3275) on Monday, October 8, 2007 - 10:15 am: |
Hi Alex and the other Alex
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By bob...62 days til trip... (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2298) on Monday, October 8, 2007 - 11:15 am: |
there are just too many rough entries to attempt entering the water without hard soled booties...yes that does complicate fin selection and apparently the selected fins may feel more awkward...well, i can not see successfully doing bonaire without them...
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By Alex Brown (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #243) on Tuesday, October 9, 2007 - 8:28 am: |
Hey there, Boat Chick!
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By Alex (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #314) on Tuesday, October 9, 2007 - 11:02 am: |
Danielle and I did our first snorkeling trip to Bonaire without booties (AND without skins, weight, good fins, good masks etc), snorkeled all the usual places and had no problems.
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By Alex Brown (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #244) on Wednesday, October 10, 2007 - 8:15 am: |
Alex, that idea has some potential...
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By Ron Gould (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1138) on Wednesday, October 10, 2007 - 8:33 am: |
In 1997, Jeff Stine and myself, dove the hooker with full foot fins. It was tough but we did it...
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By Gail A. Morgan (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #9) on Monday, November 12, 2007 - 4:34 am: |
I have the same problem when doing pool laps with my fins. Ankle weights solved it just fine.
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