How to Buy Scuba Diving Flippers

Flippers are one of your primary tools whenever you go scuba diving. Your flippers provide you with added mobility and a greater amount of propulsion as you dive. When you first start out in scuba diving it's usually all right to rent or borrow flippers, but as you progress you're going to want to buy them.

Instructions

    • 1

      Determine the kinds of flippers you are interested in, and those that are right for your skill level/need. Full foot fins, for example, are more often used by those who are snorkeling, as their need for greater mobility is diminished. Open foot fins are designed for scuba, and are typically worn with wet suit boots. They provide a greater range of motion and are ideal for deeper dives. They also reduce foot and leg fatigue through their designs.

    • 2

      Estimate your budget when you need to buy flippers. Good, professional flippers can be relatively expensive compared to flippers for beginners or more frugal divers.

    • 3

      Consider buying fins with channels in the blades. Channels help generate greater thrust when you kick, with deeper channels showing the greatest increase. Studies are being done to determine exactly which channel design produces the best thrust/output ratio, but experienced scuba divers seem to agree that a large central channel and two smaller outer channels are dependable.

    • 4

      Use Scuba.com to buy your flippers (see Resources below). In addition to having one of the largest selections of flippers available, you will also be able to read user reviews and get detailed information about a host of different scuba diving products.