Articles of Interest

Getting Your First Scuba Diving Flippers?

Which is Which?

There is a dizzying array of scuba diving flippers in the market. Buying your first pair can be a confusing exercise. For you, all scuba diving flippers are equal. This is not the case though. Experienced divers can tell you that there are different scuba diving flippers. A type of flippers will be ideal for snorkeling, and another will be best for deep sea diving.

As you gaze at the shelf of scuba diving flippers, you will be amazed to see all the bright colors of the rainbow: green, orange, yellow, pink, and blue. The manly scuba diving flippers are usually in their staid black color. Choosing the color alone can be a tough; but concentrating on what you really need for your diving jaunts can be harder.

If you are a novice in diving, you will be better off choosing slim finned scuba diving flippers. This type of flippers, have open toe pockets designed to add force to your kick. Of course, you really have to kick that hard until you are ready for powerful fins. With frequent practice, you become comfortably familiar with the rhythm and nuances of your flippers.

Snorkeling or Diving Flippers?

There is no hard and fast rule that dictates exclusivity of flippers for snorkeling and diving. The different designs in the market respond to the different needs – smaller flippers for gliding underwater and stiff flippers for speed.

First, ask yourself what you need from your scuba diving flippers. Do you need speed? Do you need better propulsion? Or do you need something for easy underwater navigation? Those questions will guide you in the selection of your scuba diving flippers.

You will note that scuba diving flippers have fins. These fins make it possible for you to swim faster. Technology has designed better fins that remove the drag when you kick your flippers to be able to propel yourself forward. The fins push against the water upward or downward for the pull without the tow.

Scuba divers choose the open heel fins. These are worn with boots, are stiffer and therefore strong enough to fight the drag. The full foot fins are smaller and cannot give the required push if you need swifter forward motion. This type is recommended for snorkeling. With this information, you need not be confused about the flippers you need.

Battle for Speed

The next problem would be in the choice of the scuba diving flippers. There are blade fins, slice fins, rotating blade fins, and much more. If you started with the basics with scuba diving flippers, you will have the experience of the kick and the speed. You will go for the fins. You will now choose again, which among the fins would indeed give you the cutting edge.

The paddle fins are recommended for scuba diving because these can give provide the better propulsion, and divers can move about underwater. The paddle fins have been reinvented, this time with pivoting blades. This gives you the greater push, and the convenience of walking through the water.

Now, have you decided what scuba diving flippers will you get?