Xp100

    Welcome aboard! Pursuit fins are the best I have used for a great price! As far as wide feet go, both Picasso and Omer pockets are the widest I have seen. For a good all around gun for SoCal, I would recommend a wood gun around 57 inches, capable of holding three or four bands.

    OceanHunter1,


    Thank you for providing your opinion. As a diver who cut his teath in the early 70's on full size booties and ScubaPro Jet Fins, I am struggling with the paradox of the new Long Fin foot pocket while wearing booties. The new Long Fin foot pockets do not appear to have the capacity to accomodate a large Male adult foot (as some of us have) while wearing booties. My search continues.


    XP100

    XP, you want to avoid wearing booties, you lose in the power transfer from your legs to the blades, this means you will get tired faster. If you need to wear something on your feet make it as thin as possible while still keeping you warm enough. Sometimes it's necessary to buy footpockets a size larger to account for thick dive socks. I don't know what EEE means but size 12 is not that difficult to find footpockets for.

    Dan,


    Thank you for your reply. EEE translates to 4.5" wide at the widest point.


    In regards to this sock you mention, is there a proven thickness that works best with today's LongFin foot pockets (while striving to dive on California's North Coast)?


    It also sounds as if these socks have no tread for hiking in to a rough shore entry position. Do most divers using this thin sock use Crocks when walking to and from the dive entry spot?


    XP100

    4.5" is a little wide. Your foot is 1.5cm wider than mine but I'm a size 11. I'm sure that a 44-46 H Dessault footpocket will fit you fine without a sock or with a thin sock. Now you have to account for a thicker sock in cold water and may go to the next size up which is 46-48.


    With regards to sock thickness/warmth for California diving, you should start a thread in the Cali section.


    Your last question is the shore diver's conundrum. Personally I'd rather have more water time, and a poor fin choice due to insisting on wearing booties goes against that. I'd rather tow a float and store thin flip flops on it, or if I know my point of exit will be the same as my entry I'd stash an unattractive pair of shoes/sandals somewhere.

    Quote from Xp100

    OceanHunter1,


    Thank you for providing your opinion. As a diver who cut his teath in the early 70's on full size booties and ScubaPro Jet Fins, I am struggling with the paradox of the new Long Fin foot pocket while wearing booties. The new Long Fin foot pockets do not appear to have the capacity to accomodate a large Male adult foot (as some of us have) while wearing booties. My search continues.


    XP100


    I recommend going into a dive shop and trying on some pockets. I think that diving with booties in the cold SoCal water is necessary.

    Dan when it is 54 chilly degrees here booties are a good thing.


    XP=100, I use 3mm Omer Ti botties in my C-90 Pursuit blades with H. Dessault 44/46 pockets and they
    are put to extreme use on shore dives and off shore. I really love them but my kid keeps eying them and telling me he a size 8.5 and praying his feet grow before next summer. ( he is 11 years old):@


    Cheers, Don

    "Great mother ocean brought forth all life, it is my eternal home'' Don Berry from Blue Water Hunters.


    Spearfishing Store the freediving and spearfishing equipment specialists.

    Dan,


    You are correct regarding my foot width. Fred Flinstone has nothing on me. Thus far, I have successfully been able to wear the ScubaPro JetFins with booties with no down side.


    BTW - Not to be argumentative, but as I am a Kinesiology Undergraduate, please explain the physiological rational for your statement regarding the increased fatigue when using booties over a thin sock or thin booty in your previous message. I just returned from Cabo, where I swam a mile North in the morning and a mile South in the afternoon, each day with no fatigue (this is a surface swim combining a breast stroke w/a dolphin kick) using the previoiusly mentioned ScubaPro JetFins. I am curious to learn what improvements might be realized when replacing the booties with thin(ner) socks. I appreciate your understanding in these matters and am pleased to find individuals who have considered these topics.


    I will look for the California diver section and see how they cope with the 50-52 degree North Coast water temps.
    I believe my follow-up action is to visit a dive shop offering both the long fins you speak of and booties to match. I live in San Luis Obispo where there is only one dive shop where these items are not offered for sale.


    Thank you again.


    XP100

    Quote from oceanhunter1

    I recommend going into a dive shop and trying on some pockets. I think that diving with booties in the cold SoCal water is necessary.


    OceanHunter1,


    Yours is sage advice. I thought I would gather as many data points as possible prior to my travel to another part of the state in search of a vendor selling this type of fin/booty.


    XP100

    Quote from Don Paul

    Dan when it is 54 chilly degrees here booties are a good thing.


    XP=100, I use 3mm Omer Ti botties in my C-90 Pursuit blades with H. Dessault 44/46 pockets and they
    are put to extreme use on shore dives and off shore. I really love them but my kid keeps eying them and telling me he a size 8.5 and praying his feet grow before next summer. ( he is 11 years old):@


    Cheers, Don


    Don,


    Thank you for your personal endorsement of the Omer booties. If I am able to effectively combine a booty and this pocket your experience(s) will be brought to bear on my final decision.


    XP100

    Quote from Xp100

    OceanHunter1,


    Yours is sage advice. I thought I would gather as many data points as possible prior to my travel to another part of the state in search of a vendor selling this type of fin/booty.


    XP100


    Glad I can help. Your booties don't have to be very thick either. I wear 1 mil booties and my feet stay toasty.

    For anyone with 13 EEE feet, I have found the Argos booty and Picasso Team Black in 46-48 to provide an accommodating bootie/fin combination. Thanks to all who contributed data points toward a successful search.

    Edited once, last by Xp100 ().

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member to leave a comment.

Register a new account
Sign in now