Updated on October 25, 2024
When you go to a dive shop and rent a set of equipment it is sort of a potluck affair. Is it going to fit properly? Does it suit your style of diving and ability? This is particularly true for your fins. You’ll want a good comfortable fit. Are you doing a shallow recreational dive or something more technical with a load of special gear to carry? There are different fins for different styles with some crossover and a broad price range to consider. How do you decide which are the best scuba fins for you?
To select the most suitable fins for your style of diving, a selection from the best in the range is presented below as an introduction. There is a buying guide to start, followed by descriptions, photos, a comparison table, and some maintenance tips.
If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know in the comments section at the bottom. I’d love to know your thoughts.
For reviews of some other types of fins, please check out these popular articles:
Freediving Fins Snorkeling Fins
Best Scuba Fins Review – Buying Guide
Full Foot or Open Heel
Most scuba divers I have known use open-heel fins. The accompanying booties provide thermal protection as well as aid you to avoid damage to your feet as you walk over unseen bottoms that could contain urchins, stingrays, or even broken glass. Full-foot fins are often used for snorkeling and definitely in warm water as they are designed to be used barefoot.
The foot pocket of an open-heel fin should be large enough to comfortably fit your booties with feet inside. Some drysuit booties are fairly thick, so care has to be given to selecting the right size.
Different heel straps are available to keep your feet securely inside the foot pocket. The trend is toward easy-to-use and adjust flexible bungee or steel-spring style straps.
Sizing
| Size | XS | S | M | L | XL | XXL |
| UK | 3-4 | 5-6 | 7-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 14+ |
| Europe | 35-37 | 38-40 | 41-42 | 43-46 | 47-50 | 51+ |
| US-Men | 4-5 | 6-7 | 8-9 | 10-12 | 13-15 | 16+ |
| US-Women | 5-6 | 7-8 | 9-10 | 11-13 | 14-16 | 17+ |
Color
These days stylishness is important for some divers. In the past when macho was the name of the game, black seemed to be the most prevalent color. Today most fins come in a variety of colors, which can satisfy the desire to be stylish and match the rest of your diving attire. Practically, though, white or yellow fins, in particular, can make you more visible so that buddies and dive guides don’t lose track of you.
Size and Weight
Airlines can really make you pay for overweight and oversized luggage. Lugging heavy gear around can also take its toll on you physically. Some fins are designed with this in mind (and some are not).
Comfort
They need to fit nicely, feel good, and deliver the least stressful performance. If they are too loose, too tight, too narrow, or otherwise fit poorly, your finning will be less effective and you will feel uncomfortable and can potentially become psychologically stressed.
Best Scuba Fins Review
- Aqua Lung Phazer
- Mares Avanti Quattro Plus
- ScubaPro Seawing Nova
- Dive Rite XT
- Atomic Aquatics Split
- Mares X-Stream
- Aqua Lung Stratos 3
- Seac Propulsion S
- Zeagle Recon
- ScubaPro Jet Fin
The Phazer fins utilize what Aqua Lung calls wave rib technology, a combination of hard plastic and softer rubber in the rails that provides a sort of springy snap with each stroke.
The angled blade has a wide flexible central pocket to capture more water in the thrust with a large vent at the toe to allow the release.
They are powerful and come in 5 colors with a comfortable wide foot pocket and bungee-style heel strap.
The Aqua Lung Phazer fins are the Scubalab Testers Choice for recreational fins in 2018.
Rating: 4.7
Price: $$$
View More Options From Aqua Lung
Mares came out with the Power Plana in the 80s and followed it with the two-channeled Plana Avanti that became popular in the early 90s. From there they added two smaller channels creating the Avanti Quattro.
This basic design has continued with some improvements until today, combining stiff plastic with softer channels to create a fin that catches a little more water on each fin stroke.
They are durable and comfortable and come in multiple colors with the bungee-style strap for easy on and off.
Rating: 4.4
Price: $$
The ScubaPro Seawing Nova combines innovative design features including an articulated joint, clean wide blade geometry, and variable pivot control ribs to provide a low drag, efficient and comfortable fin.
They come in multiple colors with an easy-to-use bungee heel strap.
Rating: 4.9
Price: $$$
This is a high-performance model that many tech divers prefer.
They are fairly stiff and made of monoprene providing a lot more power than most recreational fins.
The sturdy spring heel strap and buckles are made of marine-grade stainless steel and are easy to put on and take off.
They are available in black, grey, and red.
Rating: 5
Price: $$
View More Options From Dive Rite
The extremely lightweight Atomic Aquatics split design develops more thrust with less resistance than the traditional structure. This allows a more efficient kick with more power for less effort that independent testing has shown can reduce air consumption.
It has a comfortable open-toe foot pocket and comes with quick, easy-release buckles, and a choice of nine colors.
A full-foot version is also available.
Rating: 4.3
Price: $$$
View More Options From Atomic Aquatics
Two years of testing and research have resulted in the lightweight Mares X-Stream with its optimized pivoting blade and large flexible super channel for a more efficient propelling action with less turbulence and diver effort.
They have a better-fitting foot pocket with less drag, come in a variety of colors, and are suitable for beginners and experienced divers.
Rating: 4.3
Price: $$$
This warm water full-foot fin is durable, light, and comfortable with a roomy foot pocket that has a finish that decreases slippage.
The flex point has been moved back to a point near the toe of the foot which allows more efficient use of the entire fin blade in the thrust for increased propulsion from less effort.
It’s great for snorkeling or scuba diving and comes in 4 colors.
Rating: 4.3
Price: $
View More Options From Aqua Lung
The construction of the Propulsion S is somewhat reminiscent of the Mares Avanti Quattro with stiff side rails and softer channels on the interior of the blade making for good power with some flex.
They work well with different styles of kicking and have a comfortable fit with bungee-style straps for easy on and off.
The Seac Propulsion S fins are Scubalab’s Best Buy of 2018.
Rating: 4.6
Price: $
These heavy rubber fins designed for technical diving are powerful and efficient in a variety of kicking styles.
The Zeagle Recon fins are rated well for power and so-so for maneuverability. They fit comfortably and are easy to put on and take off with a spring heel strap and a large finger loop to grab.
They are versatile and were chosen as Scubalab’s Testers Choice of 2018 for tec fins.
Rating: 4.8
Price: $$
The one and only needs no introduction and is still the preferred fin of many, if not most, technical divers.
If you need to power through a stiff current or make intricate moves in a confined environment, this rubber fin is the one for you.
It is virtually unchanged since its introduction in 1965 except for the 7 other colors available besides black, and the spring heel strap offered here.
Rating: 5
Price: $$$
View More Options From ScubaPro
Scuba Diving Fin Comparison Table
| Scuba Diving Fin | Foot Pocket | Best User | Fin Style | Rating | Price |
| Aqua Lung Phazer | open | rec | one piece | 4.7 | $$$ |
| Mares Avanti Quattro | open | rec | one piece | 4.4 | $$ |
| ScubaPro Seawing Nova | open | rec | one piece | 4.9 | $$$ |
| Dive Rite XT | open | tec | one piece | 5 | $$ |
| Atomic Aquatics Split | open (full foot available) | advanced rec | split | 4.3 | $$$ |
| Mares X-Stream | open | rec | one piece | 4.3 | $$$ |
| Aqua Lung Stratos 3 | full foot | rec/snorkel | one piece | 4.3 | $ |
| Seac Propulsion S | open | rec | one piece | 4.6 | $ |
| Zeagle Recon | open | tec | one piece | 4.8 | $$ |
| ScubaPro Jet Fin | open | tec | one piece | 5 | $$$ |
Taking Care of Your Fins
- After diving rinse your fins in freshwater (as you do with all your equipment) and allow them to dry. Saltwater can damage them.
- Make sure they are stored out of the sun as UV rays also can damage the materials.
- Store fins in a temperature-controlled, cool area. Don’t leave them for prolonged periods in a hot car trunk. Heat can cause them to become brittle.
- Lay them flat for storage and not on their tips. They can become permanently bent that way.
- Don’t treat them with chemicals or oils.
For reviews of some other types of fins, please check out these popular articles:
Freediving Fins Snorkeling Fins
Feedback and Comments
I hope you found this post on scuba fins interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section. If there is no comments section directly below, click here: >>comments<<
Hi,
Thanks for your review. The explanations are simple to understand and the videos really fill it out so it is easy to see the differences between the fins.
I am a fairly new diver and have only used shop fins which were not very stiff. I am an adequate swimmer, but my finning is not very strong. I see that many of the tec style fins are highly rated. Do you think I should buy those or go with another more for recreational diving?
Beth
Hi Beth,
Thanks for your kind comments and your question.
If you are not a strong finner the tec fins may be a little bit difficult for you. Some of the recreational fins are a little more forgiving of less than perfect technique. Any of the models I identify as recreational fins would be suitable for you. I suggest to review the info on those and make your decision from there.
Good luck in your decision and happy diving.
Joe