When you’re looking to go SCUBA diving or snorkeling and have never been before, it can be relatively tricky to fully understand which fins are right for you since many different fins are available on the market today. Most tour operators will have gear on hand for you to rent, but if you’re determined to get your gear, this post will give you a basic breakdown of the differences between dive fins and snorkel fins, so you have a better idea of what you’re looking at.
There are many similarities between dive fins and snorkel fins, making it exceedingly difficult to ascertain the differences between purchasing one or the other. To understand these differences, it’s typically essential to look at what SCUBA diving and snorkeling entail in the first place.
Snorkeling typically requires little more than staying just below the water’s surface, making big, bulky fins slightly out of place. However, SCUBA divers descend to a depth of up to 150 ft for recreational dives and even more profound for technical dives and, at times, encounter currents that require strong swimming to navigate. These and other factors that swimmers are working within each field ultimately drive the main differences in design.
Basically, snorkel fins are designed to be lighter than most dive fins, though there is some overlap between both variations of fins. Snorkel fins are light and elemental, as propulsion is not typically a primary feature. These fins are generally known as full-foot fins, enclosed at the back. Because snorkeling tends to occur in warmer waters, these fins are fully enclosed and don’t require further insulation.
On the other hand, the standard design for dive fins calls for an open heel, allowing the diver to add more insulation with dive socks or boots. The dive boots, in combination with the open-heel fins, make for better swimming in colder waters and are essential if you are diving at any depth lower than 30 ft. While it is possible for SCUBA fins to have a similar closed foot design as the others, the open-heel design provides more benefits in the way of propulsion and overall comfort.
