5 Best Scuba Fins (For All Diving Scenarios)

Scuba fins enhance a diver’s maneuverability and speed underwater.

Depending on the type of diving you do (boat vs. shore) and the conditions you dive in (currents vs. caves vs. wrecks), different fins perform better.

Getting fins of your own makes sense if you're diving regularly.

You'll save on rental fees, and more importantly, develop muscle memory with your own gear.

With so many options, the idea of purchasing fins can be intimidating.

For this reason, I put together a complete guide to choosing scuba diving fins, covering everything from:

• Fin type
• Blade design
• Sizing
• Performance in different dive conditions
• & more

So you can comfortably use them on your next dive.

Scuba Fins Buying Guide

Once you've identified your primary diving style, the next decision is choosing between open heel, closed heel, and freediving fins.

Open Heeled Fins

They're the only fin type designed to be worn with dive boots, giving them a balance of power, warmth, and comfort.

Dive boots of different thicknesses also provide thermal protection in cold water.

Most open-heel fins come with spring straps, which make them easier to get on and off quickly.

This matters for shore diving (getting fins on between wave sets) and climbing up boat ladders with ease.

Closed Heel // Full Foot Fin

Closed heel fins (also called full-foot fins) are designed to be worn barefoot.

They're lighter and more streamlined than open-heel fins, making them popular for calm diving and warm water where you're not fighting current.

They're also generally much cheaper and more compact than other fins, which can be the deciding factor if you're on a budget or traveling with them often.

Freediving Fins

Some scuba divers use freediving fins for extra propulsion, especially in situations where speed matters like swimming against current or for spearfishing.

The tradeoff is maneuverability.

The extended blade length makes tight spaces, wreck penetration, and reef navigation more difficult.

You'll also need refined buoyancy control and a specialized finning technique.

I only recommend freediving fins for scuba if you're an advanced diver with solid buoyancy and trim.

Why Get Your Own Fins?

Having diving fins you're comfortable with is one of the best ways to enhance your diving experience. Diving with rental fins that feel like paper in strong currents can completely ruin your vacation.

When chosen correctly, proper fins can help reduce air consumption, improve buoyancy, and increase speed.

Depending on how often you dive, buying your own gear will save you money.

For example, in Miami, my local dive charter charges $15 to rent fins. If you take a fin recommendation from this article, you'll earn that back in six to twelve dives.

Fin Color

Fin Straps

Open-heel fins are sized like clothing (S/M/L), and the right size depends on the thickness of the boots you're wearing them with, not just your foot size.

Always try fins on with the actual dive boots you plan to use before buying, especially if you switch between a thin 3mm boot and a thick 7mm boot depending on the water temperature.

Fin Buoyancy: Positive, Neutral, and Negative

ScubaPro Jet Fins are the extreme example: heavy rubber blades that pull your feet down and help keep your body flat in trim. They're built for dry suit diving, where that weight offsets the suit's natural float.

My Apeks RK3s are negatively buoyant too, just lighter and less extreme than Jet Fins. That makes them a better fit for warm-water technical diving, where you're often in a thin wetsuit or none at all but still want the fin to hold its position instead of floating up behind you.

Fins like the Aqualung Storm do the opposite job. Made from monoprene, they're soft and light enough to wear without boots, which makes them a better match for warm-water boat and reef diving, where you don't want extra weight dragging your feet down all dive.

Depending on whether your fins are positively, negatively, or neutrally buoyany could effect your trim. However, weight placement and distribution likely has a larger effect than this.

How to Size Scuba Fins

Sizing your scuba diving fins properly is critical.

Poorly sized fins cause blisters, cramps, and can even slip off mid-dive.

Open heel fins are worn with dive boots, which adds complexity to sizing.

Determine your boot thickness

1. 3mm neoprene boots: Usually go with your normal boot size
2. 5mm boots: May need to size up
3. 7mm+ or hard-sole boots: Often need to size up 1-2 sizes

Full foot fins are worn barefoot, which makes sizing more straightforward but less forgiving. Size full foot fins similarly to shoes, but brands vary significantly.

Freediving fins come in two styles: full foot pockets (like closed heel) or modular systems with separate foot pockets and blades.

Apeks RK3: Best for Reef, Shore, & Technical Diving

The Apeks RK3 are my personal fins and my top pick for most divers.

The vented blade design provides excellent power without burning out your legs, and the foot pocket stays comfortable even on multi-dive days when worn with dive boots.

The RK3s come with steel spring straps and are incredibly durable. At 2.5 lbs (1 kg) per fin, they're negatively buoyant.

These are open-heel fins, so you'll need to wear them with dive boots.

Mares Avanti Quattro Plus: Best All-Around

Another great fin are the Mares Avanti Quattro. I have often come across this model as the go-to fin for dive centers.

They are flexible and easy to maneuver. They generate power effortlessly. The bungee straps with the thumb loops make them easy to pull on and off.

Scubapro Seawing Nova

The ScubaPro Seawing Nova are a very popular fin amongst avid scuba divers. I've tried these on various occasions and right away you notice the build quality.

Made from 100% Monoplane, they feel strong and robust yet flexible. The patented articulated hinge allows the entire blade to flex and pivot, generating power and speed when necessary.

Getting them on and off is easy due to the adequate foot space and self-adjusting strap.

It almost feels like you’re wearing split fins in terms of comfort and efficiency but in reality, you feel the power, acceleration, and maneuverability of a single blade making them both great for cruising, and produce power and thrust when needed, especially in strong currents.

Best Full Foot Fin: Mares Volo Race

The Mares Volo Race are the only full-foot scuba fin on the list and they're a great budget set of fin. Since you won’t wear boots, these are more suited to warm water environments. I found the anatomically designed foot pocket to be both secure and really comfortable.

They are effortless to kick but because of that, it does feel that you sacrifice some power. The channels provide good direction and stability.

Best Freediving Fins for Scuba: Cressi Gara

In my opinion, these fins are too long for most scuba diving environments, but they do have a use case among freedivers & for scuba spearfishing.

For freediving fins, they're pretty affordable, and since they're made of plastic, they can take a beating unlike carbon fiber freediving fins.