Do You Wear Socks With Water Shoes?

If you’ve ever been on a liveaboard dive boat, you probably have seen people wearing water socks. Water socks are often worn with diving fins or water shoes so that you have extra protection in any activity where your feet can get wet.

Many people are confused as to what water socks and water shoes are. Many people mistakenly think that water socks are a type of water shoe, but they serve two different purposes. Let’s talk about water socks first.

An easy way to think of a water sock is that they are literally socks that you can wear in the water. Think about the purpose that regular socks serve on land – they keep your feet warm, they protect you from blisters and irritation, and you wear them under shoes. Same with water socks.

You do not have to wear water socks with water shoes if you don’t want to. That said, you are probably going to regret it, especially if you’re walking a lot. Sand, grit and dirt that make it into the shoe, and even the shoe itself, are going to rub painfully against your feet, and your feet will probably be freezing cold. Water socks can protect you from all of that, so they are highly recommended to be worn with water shoes.

If you would like to learn more about how water socks can benefit you, whether you’re an aspiring snorkeler, open water swimmer, surfer, kayaker, hiker, or basically anybody who spends time in the water or wet conditions, then you need to understand why water socks are so crucial.

How water socks differ from regular socks

How do water socks differ from regular socks? For one thing, the material is completely different. Instead of wool or cotton, water socks are typically made of a non-absorbent, fast-drying, water-resistant material such as neoprene.

This is the same material that wetsuits are made of, and it provides the same major benefits like heat insulation and greater durability. As such, they are sometimes referred to as neoprene socks; other names are aqua socks or swim socks.

Some water socks are made with spandex, lycra, and elastane. These are the same materials that swimsuits are made of. They differ from neoprene in that they do not provide insulation and are not as durable, but they are stretchier, more affordable, and still miles better than regular socks because of how fast-drying they are.

Advantages of wearing water socks

Protection. Water socks provide a layer of superficial protection for your feet. They aren’t good enough to replace shoes; concrete, sharp rocks, and other abrasive surfaces would tear them down quickly. However, they can protect your skin from rubbing against your water shoes as well as sand, grit, and debris that enter the shoe. They also keep your feet from being scorched by the hot sand.

Dryness. In the case of a neoprene sock, neoprene is waterproof so as long as no water enters from the opening of the sock, your feet can stay completely dry. As for water socks made of spandex or lycra, they don’t absorb much water and dry quickly. You won’t feel like you’re wearing soggy socks when wearing water socks.

Warmth (neoprene socks only). Whether a neoprene sock keeps your feet dry or not, it will keep you warm. Neoprene is great at insulating heat. Any water that makes its way into your neoprene socks will get warmed up by the trapped heat and form a warm layer of water around your feet, which is why neoprene socks can keep your feet warm underwater as well. The thicker your neoprene socks are, the greater their insulating capability.

Versatility. Water socks can be worn for various water sports like diving, swimming, kayaking, surfing, fishing, and even land activities like skiing, snowboarding, hiking, and traveling in general. Any situation where you feel like your feet could get wet, make sure you wear a solid pair of neoprene socks to keep you warm and prevent blisters, cuts, bruises, sunburn, numbness, and so on.

When should you wear water socks?

Water socks are a fantastic option whenever you’re outdoors in an environment where you expect to get wet. You don’t necessarily have to be in a body of water, such as a lake or ocean to justify wearing it. Even when you’re going camping, hiking, or walking along the shore where you have a reasonable expectation your shoes will get wet, you should be wearing water socks.

One thing to note is that water socks are not meant to be worn like shoes. Some people still make the mistake that water socks are the same as water shoes. You wear water socks under shoes, preferably water shoes, or you can just wear it with a pair of beater shoes you don’t care about.

As durable as water socks are, they will quickly get worn down if used to step on abrasive surfaces like gravel or concrete. They are meant to protect your feet from sand, grit, and dirt that makes its way into your shoes. However, shoes with a sturdy sole are still required to walk on anything more abrasive or jagged than the aforementioned.

Some common activities people do while wearing water socks are kayaking, canoeing, swimming, fly fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, surfing, and hiking or backpacking.

Can you wear regular socks under water socks?

You can wear regular wool socks under neoprene socks specifically. Neoprene socks are waterproof so they can keep your feet dry underneath. That way, your regular socks won’t get wet either, and can continue to keep your feet warm.

This only works with neoprene socks because any other material allows water to seep through. Neoprene socks are specifically designed to be insulating in order to provide comfort in wet conditions. That said, water can still get inside if it enters from the top opening of the sock, so be careful where you step.

Why water socks and water shoes work well together

If you’re wearing a non-neoprene water sock, you can expect your feet to get a bit wet. That’s fine, though, because lycra water socks are designed to be non-absorbent, breathable, and fast-drying. Water shoes work under the same principle. They are not designed to keep you dry, but rather to dry quickly when wet.

Since both the water sock and water shoes are so breathable and airy, your feet will dry very quickly when wet. The moisture-wicking material also ensures that any sweat you produce will be aired out as well.

If you are in temperate conditions, you must specifically wear neoprene socks that are 3 to 5 mm thick to keep you dry and warm, paired with waterproof shoes. Since neoprene socks are much thicker than other water socks, you have to account for this extra thickness by sizing up your shoe otherwise it will feel too tight to wear.

How Tight Should a Shorty Wetsuit Fit?

Most people know that wetsuits are supposed to fit you tight. However, shorty wetsuits are intended to keep you cooler than regular wetsuits, so many people wonder if shorty wetsuits should fit you differently?

Shorty wetsuits should fit you tight just like a regular wetsuit. There should be no bagginess, wrinkles, or anything that indicates it’s loose. Like full wetsuits, shorties should fit you like a second skin in order to be effective. They are the perfect option if you will be in warmer waters where a full wetsuit might be overkill.

The design of a shorty wetsuit inherently will keep you cooler, since it has short arm and leg sleeves. Shorty wetsuits are also made with thinner neoprene, so you do not need to wear a loose one to feel cooler.

In this article, we will discuss how tight a shorty wetsuit should fit you, as well as some other considerations to keep in mind when picking a wetsuit.

Should a shorty wetsuit feel tight?

All wetsuits should feel tight, and shorty wetsuits are no exception. In order for it to keep you warm, there should be no bagginess or gaps in the wetsuit.

It’s true that shorty wetsuits are designed such that you will feel cooler than a wetsuit, but a loose wetsuit is a useless wetsuit; you might as well not even wear one in the first place.

Wetsuits are designed to trap a layer of water around your body which is then warmed up by your body heat, creating an insulating layer of warm water around you. A loose wetsuit would allow cold water to enter and flush out all of the warmth, and that defeats the purpose.

If your shorty wetsuit is not tight, unfortunately you will have to look into getting another. You need to consider your body shape and get a wetsuit that is the appropriate size.

A wetsuit can feel tight in certain areas and feel loose or snug in other areas. Again, this depends on your body shape; it should be somewhat tight around the neck so that water does not enter so easily, but not so tight that it feels like you’re getting choked.

Some specific areas that you should be wary of are the crotch area, neck, and back. Men, now is not the time to be self-conscious; there should not be much room in the crotch area. Pull your wetsuit up between the legs; yes, your bulge will probably be showing.

As for the back, an ill-fitting wetsuit can often leave folds and air bubbles in the lower back area. Find a mirror and pay attention to any sagging area in your back; ideally, it should be clinging tightly onto your skin.

Conversely, you need to be aware of when a wetsuit is too tight. If you feel like your blood flow is being restricted or you find it hard to breathe, then it’s too tight.

Unfortunately, due to the sheer amount of different body types and wetsuits, we cannot give specifics on how you can find a wetsuit that fits your body. It requires some trial and error, and going to a local dive shop to shop in person will probably give you the best odds.

Is it better to size up or down?

If you haven’t realized it by now, selecting the correct wetsuit size is difficult. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as looking at the manufacturer’s wetsuit sizing chart. The closer your body shape is on the extreme ends of the spectrum, the less accurate these size recommendations will be.

First off, choosing a size based on weight alone is not going to be very accurate. Whenever possible, look at body measurements instead. The most important measurements are your height and chest size.

Second, wetsuit arm and leg length can be highly variable. In general, it’s better if the wetsuit is longer than needed. You can always trim off any excess material. If a shorty wetsuit is too short, then it can be uncomfortable in the crotch and neck area.

Third, if you are smack dab in the middle of two sizes, pick the smaller size. Wetsuits will stretch when they are wet, so it’s more likely that sizing down will end up being the right choice.

Will a wetsuit stretch over time?

Yes, neoprene will stretch when its wet, but it will also stretch out (loosen up) over time.

A high quality wetsuit will be much stretchier so that it will not restrict your movement. It should also be much faster to break in, and may even feel very comfortable when brand new.

Lesser quality wetsuits may not feel as comfortable or flexibility until you break it in. To speed up this process, you should wear your wetsuit as much as possible and move around in it.

Wetsuits, depending on how well you take care of them and how often you wear them, should have a lifespan of at least two or more years. At some point, the neoprene material can get stretched out (and worn down) such that it does not keep you as warm anymore.

Should I wear anything under my shorty wetsuit?

Wetsuits are designed so that you do not need to wear anything underneath except your swimwear. In fact, you can even go commando if you want.

With that said, you could wear more under your wetsuit if you want some extra protection. For instance, you could wear a tight rash guard underneath as a base layer for extra protection.

They are not necessary, but if you do plan on wearing something underneath your wetsuit, then you’ll need to get a larger wetsuit otherwise it won’t fit.

Is it normal for a shorty wetsuit to restrict my movement?

Wetsuits can restrict your movement, however the degree to which it restricts you depends on how thick the wetsuit is and how well it fits your body.

In general, shorty wetsuits should not restrict your movement. They are made with thinner, more flexible material that should allow you to move freely.

If you feel that your shorty wetsuit is restricting your movement, it might be too thick (in which case that’s the trade-off for more insulation), too tight, or maybe you just haven’t broken it in yet.

My wetsuit fills up with water, does that mean it’s too loose?

Wetsuits are designed to fill up with water. A common mistake people make is thinking that a wetsuit keeps the water out, but that’s what a drysuit does.

Instead, wetsuits should still allow some water inside – enough to create a thin layer of water around your body. However, it should be snug enough that the water is mostly trapped and allowed to be warmed up by your body heat.

If a wetsuit is too loose, cold water will constantly flush out the warm water. The layer of water inside would not be trapped long enough to be warmed up as it is constantly replaced by cold water, and therefore you wouldn’t ever feel warm.

So if your wetsuit fills up with water and you’re always cold, then yes, it’s too loose. If you have a tight shorty wetsuit and actually feel warmer with it on, then don’t be alarmed that there’s water inside; it’s still doing its job.

Which Side of the Head Do Snorkels Go On?

You might not think which side of the head you wear the snorkel on makes a difference, but this can actually affect your ability to breathe as well as how comfortable the snorkel feels on your head.

If you are right handed, your natural instinct is to wear the snorkel on your right. However, in this case the “right” side is typically the wrong side.

Most snorkels are designed to be worn on your left side. This design decision was made with scuba divers in mind, who often also wear a snorkel in addition to using a regulator. By having the snorkel on the left, it does not interfere with tubes hanging over their shoulder which are often on the right side.

For snorkelers, it should not matter whether a snorkel is worn on the left or right, however due to the possibility of it being used for scuba diving, most snorkels are designed to be worn on the left side.

Essentially, there are snorkels that are worn on the left side only (this is the most popular design, since it works well with scuba diving as well as snorkeling), but there are snorkels that can be worn on the right side as well. The issue arises when someone tries to wear a left-sided snorkel on their right side.

In this article, we will do an in-depth discussion on which side to wear your snorkel on, the consequences of wearing the snorkel on the wrong side, and how to wear the snorkel properly.

Can you wear snorkels on the right side?

The “right” side, in this case, means the literal right side (i.e. not the left side).

The snorkel clip and dive mask allows you to wear a snorkel on either side, however since many snorkels are designed to be worn on the left, if you try to wear a left-sided snorkel on the right side, it may cause the tube connected to the mouthpiece to twist awkwardly just to reach your mouth.

There are some possible downsides to this. First, this may place undue stress on the tube and may cause it to wear down much faster.

Second, depending on how it’s bent, it may become severely constricted and decrease your airflow, making it hard to breathe. This can make the snorkel functionally unusable since you are not able to get enough fresh oxygen.

Third, even if the mouthpiece can reach your mouth, if the tube is forced into that position, then you might feel a tug in your mouth as the mouthpiece tries to bend in the other direction. You will need to flex your lip muscles to hold it in place, but this is tiring and the mouthpiece might not even feel comfortable like this. It’s probably more effort than it’s worth.

Lastly, the tube may not even be able to be twisted into a position such that the mouthpiece can reach your mouth when worn on the wrong side. This will probably make you realize that you’re wearing the snorkel on the wrong side.

That said, there are snorkels that are designed to be worn on either side. However, most snorkels bought from dive shops and online stores will cater to scuba divers who wear the snorkel on the left side.

If you’re lucky, you may be able to wear a left-sided snorkel on your right and force the tube to bend the other direction without damaging it or restricting your maximum airflow at all, but don’t bet on it.

Why are most snorkels worn on the left side?

Even though snorkeling does not require a snorkel to be worn specifically on one side, we have scuba divers to thank for the popularity of left-sided snorkels.

This seems counterintuitive for most people, the majority of which who are right handed, who would think the snorkel should be worn on the right.

However, if you ever take up scuba diving, it will become clear why they prefer left-sided snorkels.

For one, scuba divers have a lot of tubes already. They will have the regulator hose, as well as pressure gauge and various other equipment hanging over their right shoulder.

Having a snorkel also on the crowded right side will just lead to possible entanglement with your air supply and increase difficulty reaching the other equipment.

Furthermore, by having a standard setup that all scuba divers abide by, then when there is an emergency, the rescuer can easily figure out your setup (or vice versa) because it’s similar for all divers. Time is of the essence, so there should not be any time wasted guessing on which tube connects to what.

So as you can see, snorkelers have been influenced by scuba divers because it doesn’t hurt to have the snorkel on the left side, however scuba divers have much to gain.

By focusing on left-sided snorkels, manufacturers can serve both groups. Plus, it’s highly possible that a scuba diver could also snorkel or vice versa, so you are covered for both activities by just using a left-sided snorkel.

That isn’t to say that you can only wear your snorkel on the left, just that it’s rarer to find a snorkel that can be worn on the right.

Snorkel placement: why left is right and right is wrong

Snorkeling is meant to be a calm, relaxing activity. So that you can snorkel for as long as possible, you need to make sure you are comfortable and not wasting much energy.

Thus, if you’re struggling to breathe, your lips are hurting, and you’re constantly fiddling with your snorkel, then it’s going to negatively impact your snorkeling experience, perhaps ruin it outright.

So, one of the possible reasons you might be having problems with your snorkel is that you are wearing a left-sided snorkel on the right. When you do that, you may encounter a whole slew of problems which we detailed in the section above.

Snorkels are designed to be worn on the left for good reason – both snorkelers and scuba divers can benefit from it, whereas a right-sided snorkel cannot also be used for scuba diving.

If you have no intention of ever taking up scuba, then fair enough, you can use a right-sided snorkel for snorkeling exclusively. However, a left-sided snorkel is more versatile and leaves you with more options for other water sports.

Whatever the case, if you’ve never gone snorkeling before and are confused about which side to wear a snorkel, the answer is: left is right, and right is wrong.

Split Fins vs. Blade Fins: Which Design is Better?

If you were asked to picture a pair of fins, the image you’ll likely conjure up in your mind is a pair of paddle fins. These “regular” fins are also known as blade fins, paddle fins or full fins.

However, in recent years there has been a new blade design that has become more popular: the split fin. As the name suggests, split fins have a split down the middle which is designed to mimic the shape of whales and dolphin fins.

Historically, paddle fins were the only fins available, so both beginners and pros alike had to use them. Now, an argument is being made that for beginners, split fins may be the better option because they are easier to kick with.

In this article, we will be discussing the pros and cons of using split fins vs blade fins, and why you might prefer one over the other.

Similarities

First, let’s start this discussion off with the ways in which they are similar, just so we are clear that there is not that big of a departure between these two fin designs.

If you really think about it, the only difference is that split down the middle. That split changes how the fins work mechanically (the only major difference), but pretty much everything else is the same.

For starters, if you have a preference for open heel or closed heel designs, don’t worry; both split fins and paddle fins offer both heel types.

Next, the other factors that you’d want to consider such as the price, weight, stiffness, etc., are all about the same whether you are going for a split fin or blade fin.

Differences

If so much is the same between these two types of designs, then what’s different about it? What exactly does having a split down the middle do?

The argument in favor of wearing split fins is that they are much easier to kick with. Some divers and snorkelers struggle to use paddle fins which can be hard to kick with.

Split fins have a split in the middle that allows some water to pass through and they are generally less stiff which makes kicking smoother (we’ll go more in-depth about the exact mechanics in another section).

The advantage of easier kicks is that it helps the diver or snorkeler conserve energy if they have weaker leg muscles. It also helps you psychologically when you feel that each kick is much smoother. However, since split fins are not stiff enough, it cannot generate as much power as paddle/blade fins.

As for blade fins, each kick is harder to perform, but each kick will generate much more thrust than a split fin can due to its stiffer blade and no split down the middle.

Blade fins are also great for propulsion efficiency, power, and air conservation assuming you have the leg strength to kick with them.

What do we mean by this? Well, the propulsion power of a paddle fin is a function of the strength of the kick. Said another way, the harder a diver kicks with a paddle fin, the more propulsion is generated. This allows experienced divers to adjust the strokes to attain a higher level of control.

To summarize this section:

Split fins are good for beginners to use in calm waters because they offer decent propulsion and are easier to kick with . However, they are not ideal for stronger currents because they cannot generate enough thrust.
Paddle fins offer better propulsion and control, however due to how stiff they are, beginners may find them hard to kick with. Experienced divers and snorkelers say that they have more control when kicking with paddle fins.

In the next sections, we will cover each fin type in more detail so you can better decide which one is better suited for you.

Overview of split fins

Split fins are easy to identify because they are the only ones that have a split down the middle. As mentioned, this was inspired by the split in the fins of whales and dolphins.

The theory is that the split can help to create a vortex in the water, which assists with propulsion and increases your speed.

Another advantage of the split is that on an upward stroke, water can easily pass through it. This is ideal because the upward stroke provides the least propulsion power, so in a blade fin it is costing a lot more energy and not providing much movement.

This is the reason why split fins are much easier to kick with and helps you conserve energy with each kick. It also helps that split fins are not as stiff, so they do not create as much resistance against the water.

That said, this strength is also the split fins’ weakness. Since it is flimsier, it does not provide as much thrust per kick. Even if you have powerful leg muscles, you will feel that your strong kicks are simply not providing you enough thrust relative to the strength you put into the kick.

Furthermore, split fins are also not ideal for some kicking styles such as the frog kick, nor are they good at backing up due to the lack of stiffness in the design.

For these reasons, split fins have an ideal group they can be used by: beginners and those with weak leg muscles.

Split fins are fantastic to learn on. Use them as a stepping stone to give you the confidence you need when you first start learning a water sport. They can help you develop your leg muscles, or help those with knee or hip issues work around their pain.

Since they are easier to kick with, split fins let you practice the correct kicking motion even if you don’t have strong leg muscles.

Overview of blade fins

Blade fins are what most people consider to be the “regular” fins. They are referred to by many names: blade fins, paddle fins, full fins, and so on.

They do not have a split down the middle and are much stiffer than split fins. You can find paddle fins in every single dive shop, but not necessarily split fins.

Since the blade is stiffer, it gives you the most powerful stroke. With split fins or when kicking without fins, even if you have strong leg muscles with a powerful kick, it can feel like you’re not generating the full amount of thrust.

With blade fins on, you can maximize the thrust generated per kick. Thus, they are great for experienced divers and snorkelers who want more control over how much thrust they can generate.

Full fins have a proven track record, being the original fin type that has been in use for decades. This type of fin design is used in practically every sport that uses fins; from snorkeling, scuba diving, to freediving and swimming.

Since you can generate the most thrust with a blade fin, they are the ideal option for scuba divers wearing bulky scuba gear and people who will swim against the strongest currents. Split fins will struggle to generate enough propulsion in these tough situations.

Furthermore, paddle fins provide exceptional maneuverability, provided you have the technique. They let you have greater control over every aspect of diving: angle, pitch, direction, and so on. You can easily swim forwards or backwards, spin around in place, and handle strong currents.

The primary downside of blade fins is that they can be difficult for beginners or for those with weak leg muscles. Due to how stiff they are, they can be hard to kick with since there will be enormous water resistance.

However, if you take the time to perfect kicking with paddle fins, you can attain more control and propulsion than kicking with split fins.

Which fin is right for me?

Unfortunately, there is no correct answer because everybody’s situation is different. We mentioned that split fins are ideal for beginners and paddle fins are better for veterans, but the truth is you can be experienced and still use split fins, or a beginner and use paddle fins.

Split fins are great when used leisurely because of how easy they are to kick with. You might also have an injury that you are working around which prevents you from using the much stiffer blade fin, so split fins are a viable option.

On the other hand, you may be a beginner that is ready to tackle any challenge. Even if starting out with paddle fins is more difficult, if you know that it’s what all the pros use, then why waste time learning to kick with another fin type? Let’s just get right into it.

With that said, if you simply do not have the leg strength to efficiently kick with a paddle fin, then you may have no choice but to wear split fins to start with. You can think of split fins as a stepping stone; something that will build you up to the next level.

If you have kids that are just starting out and they do not yet have strong leg muscles, then you can start them off with split fins.

Since split fins and paddle fins are similar in many respects, such as in price, heel types offered, weight, and so on, the biggest difference is in how they affect the way you kick. That is often the biggest factor – how you prefer to swim and how much thrust you need to generate.

Depending on your skill level, what kind of water you will be swimming in, and your leg strength, you can pick the fin type that is most suitable for you.

How Much Faster Can You Swim with Flippers?

Whether you’re swimming, snorkeling, freediving, or scuba diving, you will be able to do it more easily thanks to the fins you’re wearing.

You may not necessarily need fins (scuba divers excepted), but they help you propel yourself through the water quickly while conserving more of your energy.

One question that is often asked is: how much faster can you swim with flippers on? With fins on, will you glide through the water as easily as fish do? Or is it only a minor difference, and if so, is it even worth it to wear fins?

Most swimmers would estimate that their swimming speed increases by 30-40% while wearing fins. However, this is highly variable depending on the type of fins you’re wearing as well as your kicking style. That said, it’s basically a forgone conclusion that you will improve your speeds while conserving your energy, which is why fins are such a useful piece of equipment.

In this article, we will go over how exactly fins can help you improve your swimming speed, what types of fins there are and how they benefit your swimming style, and why you should wear fins while swimming.

How do fins improve your swimming speed?

Helps you generate propulsion

In order to answer this question, we need to first discuss the mechanics behind how fins work. Fins, or flippers, were inspired by the webbed feet of frogs and ducks.

Various aquatic creatures have webbed feet to help them propel themselves more easily through water, and we land dwelling humans don’t, so naturally we are not very fast swimmers.

To give ourselves a similar benefit to having webbed feet, fins were invented to increase the surface area and flexibility of our feet to improve propulsion.

Now you may be asking, how exactly do webbed feet help improve swimming speed? Keep in mind Newton’s Third Law which states that any force is met with an equal and opposite force.

Each time we kick or push against the water, the water pushes back. By increasing our feet’s surface area (by wearing fins), this amplifies the force we generate and therefore we receive an equally powerful force back from the water pushing us in the opposite direction, thereby generating thrust. This ultimately leads to us swimming faster.

Without fins, even though you may have very strong legs, your feet don’t have much surface area and your kicks will slice through the water with little propulsion generated.

Improves speed even when not wearing them

There has been a plethora of research looking into the performance benefits of fins in the sport of Olympic swimming.

You may not know this, but many Olympic swimmers train with swim fins on (even though competitions don’t allow them) because it can improve their ankle and leg strength. They’ve found that training with fins can benefit swimmers even when not wearing them.

In these studies, a number of interesting discoveries were made. First, while the exact increase can vary, fins tended to increase most swimmers’ speed by 30-40%.

Furthermore, wearing fins drastically reduces the frequency of kicks. This is because each kick, having greater surface area, propels the swimmer faster and farther than without fins. For most swimmers, their kicking frequency decreased by about 40%.

Lastly, since they are kicking less, most swimmers also conserve more energy, estimated to be about a 40% decrease in energy expenditure.

Of note, the groups that benefit the most from these studies’ findings are probably scuba divers and freedivers, where the goal is not necessarily speed but how to decrease energy expenditure and conserve air.

Which fins are the fastest?

There are many different types of fins, and some fins are specially designed for their sport. For instance, freediving fins are not necessarily the best option for swimmers to use, nor are swim fins a good idea for scuba diving, and so on.

In this section, we will discuss the various types of fins broadly to give you an idea of their pros and cons. To be clear, we are not discussing brands, but characteristics of each type of fin.

To start off, you probably know about long fins and short fins. Of these two types of fins, which is the faster type?

Based on what we said in regards to surface area and propulsion, you might think longer fins are faster because they have significantly more surface area. However, that’s only taking into account the thrust of each kick, not the frequency.

Due to their length, long fins take much longer to complete a kick cycle than short fins. Short fins allow one to kick much more rapidly while still increasing the thrust of each kick relative to someone without fins. As a result, the combination of frequency of kicks and additional thrust tends to make short fins the faster option.

Where long fins excel is in energy conservation. It may not seem intuitive since each kick with long fins feels harder to do. However, the amount of thrust generated per kick and the low frequency of kicks to cover the same distance as short fins means that it’s energy efficient.

Hence, you will notice scuba divers and freedivers prefer longer fins because they are both sports in which energy conservation is crucial. On the other hand, swimmers and snorkelers tend to prefer short fins for the raw speed it can provide.

Lastly, a newer fin type is the split fin (most fins are paddle fins). Split fins have a partial split in the middle of the fin to mimic a fish’s tail. Many people report that they feel faster swimming with split fins because it feels effortlessly to kick with them.

However, split fins do not improve speed by much because if you feel like your kicks are too easy, then you are probably not generating much thrust and therefore your top speed isn’t going to be that fast.

Benefits to swimming with fins

Improve your kicking technique

Olympic swimmers often train with swim fins on even though they are not allowed to wear fins during competition.

The frequency and power of their kicks is often the limiting factor for swimmers, and they find that training with fins can help them improve their kicks.

Since the best way to kick with swim fins is to perform rapid, short kicks instead of big and powerful ones, they are training the exact areas they need to improve.

With flippers, not only will swimmers strengthen their leg muscles, but they reinforce the movement patterns they need to do.

Thus, even after they remove the fins, they will have improved their swimming performance overall by being stronger, faster, and more consistent with their kicking motions.

As for swimming with long fins, such as freediving or scuba diving, you will need to perform slow and powerful kicks. The purpose here is not speed, but energy conservation by traveling the greatest distance with the least amount of energy.

Give your shoulders some rest

Even though swimming is a low-impact sport, one area of your body that will take a beating is in your shoulders.

Shoulder injuries are the most common type of injury for swimmers and it can end their careers. If they have not learned how to properly perform their swimming strokes, then over months and years, they can hurt their shoulders.

Maybe you are recovering from an injury or just want to give your shoulders some time to rest, but you don’t want to stop swimming. In that case, fins can give you the boost you need to train with mostly your legs so that your shoulders don’t get aggravated.

Swim faster and farther

At this point, it’s no secret that wearing fins gives you a boost in your swimming performance, otherwise nobody would be wearing them.

By increasing the surface area of your feet, you can generate more thrust as explained by Newton’s Third Law.

One difference that initially throws a lot of people off when they wear fins initially is that it seems to be harder to kick.

That’s because the increased surface area of your kicks will be met with greater water resistance. Each kick you make with fins on will use more energy than usual.

However, each kick you make will also generate more thrust than usual, propelling you through the water faster and farther for the energy you spent compared to without fins.

So initially, you may struggle to swim with fins as your muscles may not be used to working so hard to overcome the water resistance.

That said, once you have gotten used to it, you will notice a significant improvement to your speed, distance traveled, and a decrease in overall energy spent.

Between the fin types, short fins will help you achieve faster speeds than long fins. While long fins have a larger surface area, meaning it should help you generate more thrust, they are also heavier which means it takes longer for your legs to complete a kick.

On the other hand, short fins have less surface area but are significantly lighter for it. They allow you to complete faster, smaller kicks that generate less thrust but, due to the frequency of your kicks, help you achieve greater speeds.

That said, long fins have the advantage over a longer distance. Short fins are faster for short bursts, whereas long fins can help you reduce overall energy output by propelling you further with each kick.

Swimming with fins vs. without

Now that you know about some of the benefits of swimming with fins, you can find many practical applications for fins:

To train for competitive swimming.
To cover a larger distance when snorkeling, open water swimming, spearfishing, scuba diving, etc.
To overcome rough currents.
For overcoming the water resistance when carrying lots of heavy equipment while scuba diving.
To allow you to dive even deeper while freediving by assisting with the ascent.
Gives you extra buoyancy to stay afloat while swimming or snorkeling.

And so on. These are just some of the most popular examples of what you can do, and I’m sure there are more applications than even this.

That said, do you have to wear fins? No, of course not. With the exception of scuba diving, where you need to carry around plenty of heavy and bulky equipment, I would say you don’t need fins at all.

However, if you like the underwater world then wearing fins is a no-brainer. They provide many advantages, are relatively affordable, and can help you enjoy the sport and keep you safe.

Downsides to wearing fins

In the interest of full disclosure, we need to discuss some downsides to wearing fins. After all, nothing is perfect, and even something that offers plenty of advantages has some pitfalls you need to watch out for.

For starters, it can be really awkward to walk on land with fins on. Particularly with long fins, the extreme length of the fin makes it a tripping hazard. You will either need to walk backwards into the water with fins on or wear your fins in the water so as not to trip on them.

Next, fins can rub painfully against your skin. There are open-heel fins and closed heel fins. An open-heel feel requires you to wear neoprene water socks to protect your feet which are an added cost. A problem that fins have is that they can rub painfully against your heels, giving you blisters.

Furthermore, if you are not used to wearing fins, you may not realize that your feet are about an extra foot longer than what you’re used to. You need to think of fins as extensions of your feet. If you don’t, you’re going to end up kicking and breaking coral reefs, and damaging your fins in the process.

Parting words

By increasing the surface area of our feet, fins can help propel us through the water up to 40% faster.

That said, the main purpose of wearing fins is not for speed, but rather for efficiency. For instance, in scuba diving, fins are mandatory to help divers lug around all of their heavy and bulky scuba equipment while conserving energy.

They are also extremely beneficial for freedivers and spearos that also need to conserve their energy so that they can stay underwater for longer.

As for swimmers wearing fins, it can help them train their leg muscles and perfect their kicking technique. Even after taking off the fins, they notice an improvement in their speed and technique.

Between short fins and long fins, short fins are faster in short bursts. They allow you to generate more thrust while still letting you kick relatively quickly, whereas long fins take longer to perform a kick cycle. Split fins feel easier to kick with but do not give you much top speed.

Whether you’re snorkeling, scuba diving, or swimming, fins can offer you many advantages. They’re quite affordable as well, so if you love the underwater world, you should definitely consider getting a pair or two.

Are Sharks Attracted to Bright Colors?

Your safety should be your number one priority when scuba diving. That means doing plenty of buddy checks, bringing redundant gear, doing a safety stop, and generally erring on the side of caution.

However, one question you might not think to ask is whether or not the color of your wetsuit could affect your safety while scuba diving.

Specifically, does the color of your wetsuit attract predators, namely sharks, and make you susceptible to shark attacks?

Looking at the statistics for shark attacks, you’ll find that shark attacks are rare, especially for scuba divers. Furthermore, it is believed that sharks are colorblind, and what they are noticing is the contrast between colors. That said, just because a shark takes notice of you doesn’t mean it wants to attack you.

Conversely, another question is whether wearing certain colors could act as a deterrent to sharks or other predators, thereby increasing safety? We also need to consider the benefit of wearing bright colors has on your fellow divers.

These are all excellent questions, and in this article, we will discuss in more detail whether you should be paying more attention to the color of your wetsuit or not.

Do bright colors attract sharks?

There is a very popular myth that bright colors attract sharks. It doesn’t help that at some point, a researcher even referred to the color yellow as “yum yum yellow”, implying that it was very attractive to hungry sharks.

If you are feeling paranoid, you could avoid bright colors if you want. However, research has provided little evidence to support the claim that specific colors attract sharks.

It is believed that sharks are actually colorblind, so the colors of your wetsuit makes little difference.

Instead, what you should be worried about is the contrast of your wetsuit against your surroundings. Bright colors will make you stand out more, meaning it will make you stand out more to a shark, but does not necessarily make sharks want to bite you.

Furthermore, the current theory is that you should wear wetsuits with patterns that are similar to poisonous fish to deter sharks from taking a bite. But, even this might not be necessary.

We have already written a few articles on the topic of shark attacks on scuba divers, specifically how astronomically rare shark attacks are. Please read these articles for the exact numbers and other points of comparison.

Instead of worrying about shark attacks, you should be worrying about more pressing dangers like what to do in case of a free flowing regulator or if you get caught in a net, etc.

To close this section off, we would like to remind you that sharks are not interested in humans. They don’t even seem to care about human blood, though you shouldn’t go diving with an open wound for fear of an infection.

Most of the time when a shark does attack a human is when it mistakes it for a seal. Most shark attacks end after the first bite once the shark realizes its mistake, but unfortunately that single bite is typically fatal.

What attracts sharks?

So if the color of your wetsuit is not attracting the shark, what is? It is believed that shiny objects and splashing is what attracts sharks’ attention.

Many dive centers will warn divers to remove all jewelry before entering the water. You should keep your dive computer under the cuff of your wetsuit for similar reasons.

Any shiny objects that reflect light may confuse a shark because it is similar to the reflection of light off a fish scale.

Splashing, thrashing, or any strong movements will also attract sharks because it is reminiscent of a fish thrashing about.

To protect yourself, you should swim slowly (mostly to conserve your oxygen, but this is yet another reason) so that you do not attract sharks in any hotspots.

Next, even though sharks do not see color, it is believed that sharks are attracted to high contrast colors. Yellow, or “yum yum yellow” seems to stand out to sharks because of how much it contrasts with the environment around it, generating more interest.

Lastly, fish blood will absolutely send sharks into a frenzy. You are not supposed to feed sharks, so don’t bring any food with you.

If you are a spearo carrying a bunch of fish around, be on the lookout for sharks circling you. It’s not there for you, but rather the tasty net full of lunch you’re carrying around.

What role does color play underwater?

This is an interesting topic for many reasons.

First, color serves a purpose for humans to help quickly identify one another. If you want to stay with your buddy and vice versa, then there should be some easily identifiable feature on both of your kits, and a specific color or pattern could be that thing.

Second, sharks are not the only predators in the ocean because other marine life can possibly pose a danger to scuba divers. How do they perceive color?

Third, in the ocean, color plays an important role in communication. It is believed that fish can change color depending on their age and if they are ready to mate.

Fourth, color is also used for camouflage, and it is believed that some fish are a certain color because it makes them invisible to their predators yet somehow they are able to detect members of the same species.

There are also some marine creatures that can change color on demand to match their surroundings, or they might have a permanent “fake eye” to fool predators, and so on.

Lastly, color can also be used as a warning. It’s believed that fish that are brightly colored tend to be venomous, and other fish know it too. Hence, there was/is a popular belief that a brightly colored wetsuit might act as a deterrent for sharks, but so far no evidence supports that claim.

Should I wear bright colors while scuba diving?

What colored wetsuit you wear is entirely up to you. Perhaps you are not happy with how boring black wetsuits are and want to wear something that shows off your personality and fashion sense a bit more.

Whatever choice you make, don’t let the fear of shark attacks have too much of an impact on your decision. The reality is that while a bright wetsuit might attract some wildlife, the chances of it leading to an attack is slim to none.

In fact, perhaps you do want to attract as much wildlife as you can on purpose for the most exciting scuba diving experience. Many species of marine life are notoriously shy, and perhaps a bright wetsuit can make them curious enough to leave their hiding place.

Also, let’s stop thinking about how color affects marine life for a moment and think about how it affects your fellow divers. Bright colors make it easier for others to find you in low-viz conditions, and for you to find them. You don’t necessarily need to be as colorful as a clown, but having one easily identifiable object like yellow fins or yellow tanks can make a world of a difference.

With how astronomically rare shark attacks are, the truth is that wearing bright colors is probably better as a safety feature for your fellow divers.

If you’re truly worried about shark attacks, then don’t dive with any reflective objects, dive with a group rather than alone, and don’t bring any fish food with you. What color your wetsuit is will make little to no impact on the likelihood of a shark attack.