Float tube fin selection

[Mike O]

Second on the Scuba Fins (mares plana avanti) and scuba booties. You can find the fins everywhere, including garage sale (I got mine for like 5 bucks) and dive shops regularly have bins of clearance booties (last year's model). I have used Force fins in the surf, and while they do work, I can't get used to their flippy-ness. Plus, they are WAYYYYYYY overpriced for what they are...not to say I wouldn't buy a pair at a garage sale on the cheap.

The Dive fins have the added advantage of being useful when I get abalone on the coast, as well as diving in the streams to see where the fishies hang out. I have probably picked at least $100 worth of spinning hardware out of the South Fork American. One of these days, I am going to dive below some of the "rapids" on the lower American after a holiday weekend...gotta be sunglass/money/etc heaven in there.

[Scott V]

the force fins are good for going in one direction and the kick real easily, BUT. They are heavy, cost alot and I mean alot of money. Turning in them is not as easy as I would have hoped, trying to move forward is not possible, maybe a tiny but not really. The weight is the real issue, especially for hiking in.

The main reason I started looking for another type of fin was due to the fact that my swim fins would give me blisters on the top of my toes, I never thought of wearing my wading socks before putting them on. Well I put my wading socks on to see if that would fix the blister issue, and low and behold bingo, no more blisters. So I will stick with my swim fins and use my wading socks, they weight next to nothing and that comes in real handy when you are hiking in with a float tube and really do not want to add any extra weight. I do believe I will be getting a set of Hogden wading boots since they can be used to walk in and my wading socks can't.

Thanks to everyone for all the information and assistance.