The best scuba diving fins of 2023

Substance, style or streamlining? Here’s a look at some of the best scuba diving fins – from entry-level to technical – on the market today

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There is such a broad selection of scuba diving fins on the market that it can be difficult to know where to start looking for the set that is best suited to you, especially if you are about to make your first equipment purchase. An army of web experts will proclaim that only their particular choice of fins is the ‘right’ fin to have, but what feels right to one person may feel distinctly uncomfortable to another.

Fins are about comfort, utility and – very often – style and colour. A diver’s choice of fin will depend on the arena in which they are diving and some fins are better suited to certain types of diving than others.

Here’s a look at some of the best options for scuba diving fins on the market today. We’ve split the categories into ‘entry-level’, ‘advanced’ and ‘technical’, but it should be noted that there is a great deal of crossover between those broad descriptions.

The entry-level category is aimed at those divers who don’t have a great deal of underwater experience beyond their beginner-level certifications. This is the type of fin that is often used during training programmes and as part of the rental gear offered by dive centres. They tend to be basic with little in the way of extra features, and are usually the least expensive.

This does not mean that they are only suitable for novices; indeed, they are multi-purpose fins that would serve many divers well in most circumstances. If you’re new to the market and not certain what to buy, it’s difficult to go wrong with a general-purpose paddle fin.

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Aqualung Storm MAX £90

Aqualung’s Storm Max are long fins made from a single material Monprene construction for durability and strength, with an automatically adjusting bungee strap for ease of donning and doffing. Each size has its own colour coding to help distinguish it from other divers’ fins. Aqualung also produces the Storm fin (not pictured), priced between £60-£81, a similar single-material fin which is smaller and lighter in weight but not suitable for use with boots. Travelling divers who enjoy full-foot style fins may like the Storm’s ‘barefoot open heel’ design, but those who dive with boots should go for the Storm Max.

Sizes S, M, L
Colours Black, orange, white, blue and brick (red)

www.aqualung.com

Check them out on Amazon

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Atomic Aquatics BladeFin £199.95

Atomic’s ‘Power-Loop Monocoque’ means that the top part of the foot pocket is actually part of a single structure which includes the frame rails running the length of each side of the blade. The lower half of the pocket – or ‘Power Plate’ – connected underneath, gives divers what Atomic describes as the feeling that the fin is ‘bolted’ to the foot. Vertical stabilizers on the fin tips keep the blade tracking in the right direction during kicking. The strap and side-clipped buckles rotate 180 degrees and are of the standard ‘pull to adjust’ design.

Sizes S, M, L
Colours Blue, yellow, silver, red, pink, purple

www.atomicaquatics.com

Check them out on Amazon

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Mares Avanti Superchannel £92

The Mares Avanti series has some of the most recognisable fins on the market, and there is little to fault them. The various channel designs allow for controlled deformation of the otherwise fairly rigid blade, allowing a higher volume of water to be displaced with every thrust. They will work in pretty much all conditions, and function across all kicking styles. The Superchannel is slightly more compact and a little lighter than the popular Avanti Quattro +, but comes in at a budget price. No-nonsense, rugged and multi-purpose, the Superchannel comes with a rubberised bungee heel strap as standard (ABS buckle versions are still available).

Sizes S, R, XL 
Colours Blue, yellow, black

www.mares.com   

Check them out on Amazon

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Northern Diver Power Fins £22

Northern Diver’s Power Fins are a classic twin-bladed design with a soft inner section allowing for independent movement of each blade, generating powerful thrust while remaining highly manoeuvrable. The fins come with an adjustable strap and have proven popular amongst travellers with the pair of L/XL sized fins weighing in at 2.8kg

Sizes S/M, M/L, L/XL, XXL
Colours Blue, yellow, silver

www.ndiver.com

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Scubapro Go Sport £129

Scubapro’s GO series of kit is aimed at the entry-level travelling diver – lightweight, robust and at the lower end of the price point scale. The Go fins come in three different styles: Go, Go Sport and Go Sport Gorilla. The Go (RRP £74) is, essentially, an evolution of the full-foot-fin with an elasticated bungee but not suitable for booted feet. The Go Sport fulfils this need, with a foot pocket and self-adjusting bungee, plus the blade has been modified for the attachment of ‘skegs’ which sit perpendicular to the fin to minimise sideslip, all weighing ad just over 1kg. The new Go Sport Gorilla (RRP £140) is made with a stiffer blade and heavy-duty bunggee but comes at a higher price and larger weight penalty of more than 4kgs.

Sizes S/M, M/L, L/XL
Colours Black, white, blue, green, yellow, pink

www.scubapro.com   

Check them out on Amazon

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Seac Propulsion S £53.99

The Propulsion S is the evolution of Seac’s popular propulsion, with ‘S’ standing for sling-strap over the traditional buckle style of fin. The Propulsion S is a dual-compound fin with an integrated rigid frame, semi-rigid blade and soft-rubber channel inserts that allows for increased water displacement, with relatively wide side-rails to prevent water spilling off the edge of the blade, which is longer than most other paddle fins, at 68cm in the large size.

Sizes S/M (37-39), M/L (40-42), L/XL (43-45)
Colours  white, blue, yellow, black

www.seacsub.com 

Check them out on Amazon

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TUSA Imprex Duo £75

Tusa’s Imprex Duo features the Italian marque’s patented 20-degree angled blade design and multi-compound foot pocket, packaged in a dual-material design with reinforced side rails for increased stability. TUSA’s ‘EZ Strap and Buckle System’ is a fairly standard pinch-clip design which allows the straps to be tightened or loosened while being worn, for easy adjustment and removal.

Sizes S, M, L
Colours Black, blue, yellow

www.tusa.com 

Check them out on Amazon

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Hollis F2 £115

Hollis is primarily a technical diving manufacturer but the unusual design of the F2 is targeted at all divers, of any level. The fin is injection-moulded monprene, with a short blade for ease of packing and use in tight spaces. The vented blade reduces some of the strain of finning and is designed to accommodate all kicking styles. The steel-spring straps have angled mounts for comfort and have multiple mounting points to ensure the wide foot pockets are a good fit for different styles of boot.

Sizes S, R, L
Colour Black

www.hollis.com    

Check them out on Amazon

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Mares X-Stream £179

The latest evolution of the Mares X-Stream fins retains the use of its Channel Thrust and Optimized Pivoting Blade (OPB) technologies. First seen on the older Volo Power model fins, the X-Stream’s blade flexes close to the foot pocket, but with a more enhanced pivot point, designed to provide the wearer with maximum thrust but minimal leg fatigue. The fins are made from three different materials for high elasticity, durability and resistance to wear. The foot pocket is perforated to reduce drag from the ‘parachute effect’, and the straps and buckles of the original X-Stream have been replaced with bungees.

Sizes XS, S, R, XL 
Colours Blue, pink, red, black, white, yellow 

www.mares.com

Check them out on Amazon

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Northern Diver Coda Dual V2 £137

Northern Diver’s Coda Dual V2 fins are designed to deliver high power with less effort – a balance between lightweight, soft, short split fins and long, stiff blades making the V2 Coda an easy-kicking, high-thrust fin. Semi-rigid panels in the blade provide control over how it flexes during the kick cycle, creating a pair of ‘wings’ to provide thrust while reducing drag, with a high surface area for improved directional control. Constructed from heavy-duty thermoplastic vulcanizate, the fins are ideal for Miltary use, yet weigh in at just 2.6kg for a pair.

Sizes M, L, XL
Colours Black

www.ndiver.com

Check them out on Amazon

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Scubapro Seawing Supernova £145

Scubapro’s Seawing Supernova is an evolution of its popular, award-winning Seawing Nova, awards. It is designed to maximize the thrust of a paddle fin with the ease of use of a split fin. The Nova has an articulated joint around which the blade pivots, and the extra-wide trailing edge adds extra propulsion, while ridges and winglets on the blade channel water in the right direction. It can be used with all styles of kicking, including reverse, and is suitable for the technical as well as the recreational market. The single-material, monoprene construction has been tested to one million kicks with no material fatigue. Grip pads on the heels reduce slip and bungee straps are standard. A stiffer ‘Gorilla’ version is available.

Sizes XS, S, M, L, XL 
Colours Black, white, yellow, blue, pink, purple 

www.scubapro.com

Check them out on Amazon

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TUSA Solla £89.50

Tusa’s Solla uses the same patented 20-degree angled blade design as its Imprex Duo. The Solla has a three-channel blade with a crescent tip to help maximise propulsion, with reinforced side rails and vents along the blade to fine-tune its performance. The foot pocket and blade use Tusa’s proprietary ‘Forcelast’ compound to make the most efficient transfer of energy while kicking, and is secured to the diver using Tusa’s patented ‘EZ-Lock’ strap and buckle system.

Sizes XS, S, M, L/XL
Colours Black, Cobalt Blue, Fishtail Blue, Flash Yellow, Hot Pink, Metallic Red, Pearlescent Pink/White, Light Blue/White, Ocean Green, Rose Pink

www.tusa.com

Check them out on Amazon

These are fins that are geared towards the technical diving market, which has more stringent demands for fin performance than recreational diving. The material and design may be stiffer, heavier and shorter, so that they can be used in all environments, with all equipment configurations, and with the thickest of exposure suits. This does not mean the fins are only for tech, and many recreational divers enjoy using these fins.

Apeks RK3/RK3HD £162

Designed with and used by the US military and coastguard, the Apeks RK3 is a rugged thermoplastic rubber fin featuring an oversized foot pocket to accommodate drysuit boots, with a spring strap for ease of use. The blades are short, wide and heavy, but vented to reduce resistance, and have grommet holes at either end to fit clips and carabiners to aid carrying them. The HD version is constructed froma higher-density rubber for extra negative buoyancy. The RK3 weighs 1.19kg per fin (in the large size) and comes in a range of colours; the RK3 HD weighs in at 1.4kg, and is available in black, orange or dark grey. Voluminous foot pockets will accommodate all types of boot, but try them out with your own boots before you buy.

Sizes S, M, L, XL
Colours Black, white, dark grey, orange, yellow, ping (RK3) /black, orange, dark grey (RK3 HD)

www.apeksdiving.com

Check them out on Amazon (RK3)

Check them out on Amazon (RK3 HD)

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Hollis F1/ F1 LT £165.95

Constructed from high-grade, heavy-duty rubber, the F1 – aka the ‘Bat Fin’ – is demonstrative of Hollis’s commitment to the technical diving market. The generous foot pockets with multiple angled mounts for the steel spring strap cater for all sizes of boot, although they are some of the heaviest fins on the market. The F1 LT is lighter and shorter, specifically engineered for tight, confined dives, and comes in three different colour schemes, as opposed to the F1’s singular black.

Sizes One size
Colours Black (F1); white, yellow, grey (F1 LT)

www.hollis.com 

Check them out on Amazon (F1)

Check them out on Amazon (F1 LT)

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Mares Power Plana £192

Negatively buoyant and designed from natural rubber, Mares’ heavy-duty tech fin is suitable for all divers, especially those wearing thick exposure suits and drysuits. The broad blade and large sidebars, combined with a length of only 55cm make this a compact, sturdy fin which will suit all kicking styles – and especially frog kicking. The large vents at the base of the blade help to reduce stress on the ankles and calf muscles, and the full-foot pocket with bungee strap will accommodate most types of boot, although the bungee strap is not adjustable, and may need swapping depending on which size boot is being worn.

Sizes S, R, XL, XXL
Colours Black. grey

www.mares.com

Check them out on Amazon

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Northern Diver Jet Fin £55

Northern Diver’s Jet Fins are made from high-quality rubber, originally designed for the military and commercial diving sectors, where they have been extensively tested in some of the most extreme diving conditions. The Jet Fins are equally suited to wreck, cave and technical diving where shorter fins are preferred, and are available with a clamp style metal buckle or quick-release Fastex strap (subject to availability)

Sizes M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL
Colours Black. grey

www.ndiver.com

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Scubapro Jet Camo £215

Scubapro’s Jet Fin was first introduced more than 50 years ago; its distinctive design now recognisable the world over. The rubber construction is renowned for its durability, and the vents reduce drag on the upstroke and provide more thrust on the downstroke. Among the favourites of technical, military and commercial divers, Scubapro’s Jet Fins are available in the classic black, or the latest white, green and blue camo versions, with steel spring straps as standard.

Sizes M, L, XL, XXL
Colours Black, white/grey, green/blue, blue/white camo

www.scubapro.com

Check them out on Amazon

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X-Deep EX-1 £125

Tech specialist X-Deep has evolved the traditional vented jet fin design, utilising an advanced polymer instead of rubber which means the EX-1 is not as affected by temperature. X-Deep makes the fin available in hard, medium and soft compounds. The hard is for dedicated technical divers, while recreational divers may prefer the softer compound as they master their finning technique. A neutrally buoyant version will be available for 2018. Foot pockets have been moulded around a variety of boots with a slightly softer compound around the opening to increase feel. Steel spring straps are standard. 

Sizes L, XL
Colours Black

www.xdeep.eu

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The advice that’s often given to people buying diving equipment is ‘buy the best that you can afford’, which may be the case for gear such as regulators and exposure suits, but is less true of fins. A high-end regulator will work everywhere, but an expensive set of fins, for reasons of experience and diving environment, may not always be the best choice.

If you are a novice looking to make your first purchase, stick with what you know, and consider that the general-purpose type of fins used as rental gear by most dive centres are basic, inexpensive, hard-wearing, and suitable for all – which is why the dive shops use them. They may not be perfect, but if you’re not sure where to begin looking, they are a great place to start.

Personal physique, prior injury or age may affect your choice: harder, stiffer and heavier fins may be more powerful, but can be hard on the ankles and calf muscles; others are designed to reduce the effort involved in their use, but there may be a trade-off in terms of a reduction in power. Some claim to make the best of both worlds.

Most fins will cater to the basic up-and-down flutter kick, but some of the more ‘advanced’ designs may not be so great for frog-kicking and even less so for back-finning. You will only ever really know by trying, so if you have the chance to dive in a set of finis before parting with your money, go for it.

Open-heel of full-foot?

We have only included open-heel fins for use with boots in this article, as most dive professionals would recommend this setup to give you the broadest range of dive possibilities. Traipsing barefoot over hot sand, rocks, broken glass, stinging hydroids and sea urchins is no fun at all, and the waters around even the warmest of tropical islands can be decidedly chilly at times. Boots protect you from the physical environment and offer thermal protection that full-foot fins cannot.

Size guide

Sizing guides vary between manufacturers. Some will label their products as S, M, L, others as S/M, M/L, L/XL, some have Small, Regular and Large. It depends on your personal shoe size, naturally, but also on the size of the boots you are wearing. As a rough guide, you can expect the following sizes to be relevant, in this table based on a 5mm boot. Buy online if you’re sure you know what you need, but there is no substitute for a proper fitting at a dive shop.

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