USVI-On-Line

Posted: **Tue Aug 08, 2006 12:56 pm**

Do we need sock booties to go with our fins?

I see that they are available and am wondering if people really wear them?

Thnx!!!

Posted: **Tue Aug 08, 2006 1:00 pm**

Usually, sock booties are worn with open heel fins. It is very difficult to get the full footed fins on over booties. I have a pair of open heeled travel fins (they are shorter than the regular ones) and I like to wear the booties because they protect my feet from stones, rocky entrances for snorkeling, and hot sand.

Does that answer your question?

Posted: **Tue Aug 08, 2006 1:10 pm**

I do the same -- booties with open heel fins. After a few years of wearing shoe type fins and dealing with stones and urchins at many beaches, I love wearing the booties to walk to the beach and into the water. Make sure you rinse them well and let them air out overnight. They can get kinda ripe if you leave them in the car for a few days.

CariBert, where did you get your travel fins? Do you like them?

Posted: **Tue Aug 08, 2006 1:13 pm**

Ha! When I saw the subject "bootie question" I thought this was going to be a thread about JLO or Beyonce! Just my dirty mind, I guess

Posted: **Tue Aug 08, 2006 1:19 pm**

I really like the shorter fins, they fit in my carry on and the underside of my suitcase rather well. They are all you really need in the Virgins, unless you run into a really strong current (I haven't yet) and then you have to work a little harder is all.

I got them on line, I just googled "snorkel fins". I don't remeber the exact place I got them, but the google search will turn them up, there is only one company making them.

Posted: **Tue Aug 08, 2006 1:22 pm**

HA! CG, I thought the same thing, I almost got whiplash getting in here to find out whose bootie we were gonna talk about!

Posted: **Tue Aug 08, 2006 1:28 pm**

Ha! I was trying to be funny and it worked!!

Thnx for the great info. on the booties. We are Novice snorkelers and I wasn't sure about the sock booty thingies.

So we should look for shorter fins and they should be open heeled and we should buy some sock booties to go with them to cut down on the rocks hurting our heels, etc. Great info and I'm so glad I asked!!

Posted: **Tue Aug 08, 2006 3:50 pm**

...Instead of diving boots, just bring water shoes. They work perfectly with open backed fins, {long or short}, and they also work with hiking sandals {Waterlemon Hike}. [/b]

Posted: **Tue Aug 08, 2006 5:52 pm**

Hawknestbay - thanks fot that info. and what a money saver!! Woo-hoo...we all have water shoes.

Question - can we get away with only using the water shoes or is it imperative that we have fins?

Posted: **Tue Aug 08, 2006 10:36 pm**

Our family are all very strong swimmers, and we still would not snorkle without fins. The fatigue factor is real, and if you start to swim in one direction, with the current, the return trip can be very tiring, against the current. Try them on with the water shoes, though. And try to break them in at your local pool. They are stiff when new.

Posted: **Wed Aug 09, 2006 6:44 am**

Hawknestbay - I didn't think about strong currents etc., I think a trip to a sports store is in our future. There are a couple of them about an hour away so I guess we'll go and make a day of it in the big city and check out fins and vests.

Thnx!

Posted: **Wed Aug 09, 2006 7:08 am**

Another question: Just in case we get lazy and dont' want to make the 1 hour drive to the nearest sports store and want to order our fins on-line instead. Are the sizes pretty much true? I wear an 8, so I buy a fin that is in that range? My son wears a 12 1/2 or 13...but if we buy fins in that range we s/b okay?

Is there really a need to actually try them on before buying them?

Thnx and Happy Hump Day!!!!

Posted: **Wed Aug 09, 2006 9:10 am**

You really need to try them on. For fit and comfort. Width especially.

Posted: **Wed Aug 09, 2006 9:25 am**

I think this is the only place you can get the travel fins: http://www.island-scuba.com/c-scuba-sno ... -fins.html

Go to that site and look at them all, the Reef Tourer is the travel ones. Sizes are S, M. Lg...I got a large and they fit fine.

Posted: **Wed Aug 09, 2006 11:53 am**

CariBert - What normal shoe size do you wear? For me, a ladies size 8, it says to order the Med.

For the Large I would order that for the Men. Correct?

USVI-On-Line

Bootie question....

Bootie question....

Just wear water shoes....

Fins...

Fin sizes...

Fins