Snorkeling fins vs. Diving fins?

[mitsuguy]

so many ways to either save or spend money... might also find a decent deal on some used gear on ebay... obviously be careful what you buy, but I just got a like new X-vision mask for $25... I also just watched a Tusa xpert zoom / tilos mask & snorkel go for $80 on ebay...

[PhD4JC]

Don't ignore the "open heel full footed fin thing".
Even when snorkeling, full footed fins are better.
Ever since witnessesing someone step on a stingray on a "safe" beach, I never go in the water without shoes.
There are shells, marinelife, bottles, sharpcoral, rusted metal etc that you might step on. So get and open heeled fin that you can put a shoe in.
And until you get the monies to get a real dive bootie, there are a variety of things you can put in your open healed fins.
I've used $2 water shoes from walmart and once, I drove all the way to the beach to find out that I left my dive shoes at home, I had some slip on sandals and just wore those in m open healed fins.

[adv_diver1]

What MSilvia said. Those are the products I am going with, except for the mask. I was set on that one until I found a CETUS maks on ebay for $32. It is full pano with a purge, just like my old one, but new of course.

[nathanbarlow]

I would highly recommend you avoid the purge masks like the black death. They have a nasty habit of getting blocked with sand and junk causing them to get blocked open - essentially a hole in the mask until you clean it. Sometimes you can rip the mask off, rub the purge filter and it cleans out - other times nothing cleans it until you surface. . . .

Having said that, the only purge mask I have used was back in like 2000 when i was around 14 and doing my initial training with BSAC. I suppose the "technology" (lol) was pretty young then compared to now... However, have seen people have to abort a dive because they cant clear the mask, although that may be due to crap mask clearing skills rather than the purge mask failing . . .

Personally, i would adhere to the K.I.S.S (keep it simple, stupid) principle for your first gear - nothing worse than blowing your entire savings at 15yrs of age and then having the gear break/fail on your first few dives . . .

My first set of fins were Oceanic Vipa's, mask was the cheapest quality mask I could find, it also was the one that had the best fit. I think it is a Aqualung one. Snorkel is a budget purge valve one, yes i know i said purges jam, but i got purge because at the time i didn't have the lung power to easily blow water out of the tube after surfacing with a need to breathe. It still works, but i clean the purge after i use it and used to dismantle and clean each part every 6months or so (dont anymore, its just like regs and torch etc nowadays) The fins have taken a battering, yet i still take them with me on the boat and use on strong current dives and as a backup (got a pair of split fins for Xmas a few yrs back, which are good on the legs and knees but suck in strong head-on current), mask is still my primary mask, and snorkel is the only one I have ever bought (though i don't use it much - only really on strong current dives in case i drift from the boat). All up, I spent about 50 quid at the Birmingham dive expo in 2000 or 2001, oh and that included a neoprene mask strap and good hard-soled 5mm booties. I think i had enough cash left over to get some food with the club members on the way home too. Just proof that "budget" gear isn't necessarily crap gear.

Hope that helps,
Nathan

[adv_diver1]

Well see that is the thing. I am from the "old skool". The equipment we used and that I still have is quite ancient. If you saw it you would laugh, but it still works great.

The purge masks were the "BEST" of the kind in 1991 when I was getting my PADI OW. They were first introduced to me in the ScubaPro brand and the mask was about $400. A similar mask these days cost $30-$60, but once I got one, I said I would never have another type.. but that was then and the technology is 16 years newer. There was no such thing as low profile or any new super soft silicone either.

I can't wait to get some new stuff. I feel like a bum showing up at a hotel party! Geez...

I am going to get that purge mask, but also the Mares Demon low profile as well. That way I can give 'er the old college try and see which I like and also have a backup mask, all for under $100. I AM STILL IN SHOCK!!

[adv_diver1]

And about "Budget Gear".. the Caribe Value Pack on this site for $369.95 is better than ANYTHING I have ever dove with. In 1993 I purchased a USED BC from my scuba store and it was $225... A Sherwood. The cheapest reg out there was $400-500. A typical setup would have cost about $2000, entry level, so you can see my surprise and excitement over this kind of stuff.

[Shortyman801]

Thanks for all of the help guys. It great how all of you are willing to help.I will definitely look into these products

[azdiver]

If you decide on the Mares Plana Avanti's and don't mind a faded magenta, i'll sell you mine. I bought them in 1988 and stopped using them when I got my atomic splits several years ago. :-)

[Shortyman801]

Originally Posted by azdiver

If you decide on the Mares Plana Avanti's and don't mind a faded magenta, i'll sell you mine. I bought them in 1988 and stopped using them when I got my atomic splits several years ago. :-)

What kind of condition are they in, and how much?

BTW, are they full foot?

[adv_diver1]

I remember getting alot of chafffing on the heels when I did not have open foot fins with bootys...