Self-adjusting fin straps are one of the best ways to don and doff your fins. It also makes it easier to use different size booties. Steel spring straps are a relatively new product for fins. It was invented by cave divers that didn’t want their rubber straps breaking on them in the middle of a cave. So, they took screen door springs and made fin straps out of them. Typical rubber straps also have a chance of breaking at some point. If you are lucky, it will happen when you are putting them on before a dive, not in the middle of one. I had a strap break on me in the middle of a dive. Lucky the suction between the fin and my booties kept the fin on.

I noticed that the fin was slightly lost, but we only had about 30 minutes left in the dive, so I just went with it. I was also lucky that I wanted to drive and hang out and make sure we didn’t run into anything. I did have a very small bungee that I used to hold the fin on. It wasn’t great, and I should have tried it in the pool before I was out doing a combat swimmer dive. It would help if you always carried a spare strap on you. Replacing a strap can be a pain in the middle of a dive. So, as I said before, and I have said this a lot in the articles I post, always practice things before you are in the field.

The self-adjusting strap helps avoid most of these problems. You can find them for almost every type of open-heel fins. The spring straps typically attach using rust-resistant metal hardware. SCUBAPRO Steel Spring Straps are available for SCUBAPRO Jet fins, Twin Jet Max, Veloce fins, and the Seawing Nova fins. They are made from High-grade marine steel. These straps can replace the traditional fin strap with the added benefits of being easier to don and doff, and they will compensate at depth for the pressure underwater. The flexible nature of the spring strap tightens as you descend to compensate for the crush on your boots, meaning your fins stay on at the exact tension you set them to at the surface. They are also a lot less likely to break when entering the water from a helicopter. The Steel Spring strap for the SCUBAPRO Jet fin has also been added to the 2020 Naval Aircrew Systems State of the Art Catalog. This allows SAR swimmers the ability to start using the Spring heels on their fins.

Spring straps are strong springs with a rubber or nylon heel cover for comfort. Instead of adjusting the tension every time you put them on like with traditional straps, you simply stretch the spring over your heel. This decreases your time and energy spent putting on and taking off your fins before and after a dive. Several fins models now come with pre-installed spring straps, but they can also be added to many other fin models.

The other type of self-adjusting straps is made from quality marine-grade bungee designed for years of reliable use. Marine-grade bungee is design and construction, making it ideal for prolonged exposure to saltwater, sunlight/UV radiation, and the general wear and tear that fin regularly go through. A denier Dacron polyester cover is thick and long-lasting, repelling water and resisting abrasion better than nylon.

This bungee is made from a top-quality first extruded latex rubber with a consistent 100% stretch and high modulus that won’t lose its elasticity as many others do. Like the steel spring, the bungee is self-adjusting at depth. Upon ascent, they decompress, keeping fin straps comfortable throughout the dive. Straps have a large rubber finger loop to aid in donning and doffing. Marine bungee is highly reliable and has a very low percentage of breaking. All this being said, I know you can break it if you “test it” to try and prove me wrong. They come standard on the SCUBAPRO Go (Barefoot fin) and GO Sport fins (Boot fin).

They are made from 100% Monprene construction avoids de-lamination problems, broken blades, and torn foot pockets that tend to plague average thermoplastic fins. This enables the Go Sport to stand up to long-term, heavy-duty use.

The Go fin excels in strength, comfort, and convenience, but where it shines is in kicking performance. The Go is built with a 25° pre-angled blade with a central power panel that provides longitudinal rigidity and channeling effect. Power bars on the underside of the rails prevent over-flex; this helps maintain the optimum angle of attack under high load conditions. The result: you get a lightweight fin that delivers speed, power, stability, and maneuverability with a minimum of effort.

The Go Sport fin is genuinely one of the best fins I have ever used. I have giving them away to a lot of people. This is because when I let someone uses them, they usually won’t give them back. I have used them diving in a strong current, swimming over the beach, pushing a ruck, and for surface swims. I have never had a cramp while using them. They are light and do not take up too much room, making them the ideal river and stream crossing fins. I am 6’2″ 225, and they push my big butt around.

When it comes to your gear, there are two primary schools of thought. It should sink, so if you lose it going over the beach or during a river and stream crossing, someone won’t find it. The other is that it should float; the main reason for that is so you won’t be pulled down, but if you are going over the beach, doing a river and stream cross or taking a ship down and you go overboard and are knocked out it can help float you. So, what is the correct answer?

Well, they both are for different operations. You have to take everything into account. If you are conducting a ship attack and coming up behind it on a High-Speed Assault Craft (HSAC) or Combat Craft Assault (CCA), you will want your stuff to float or be able to float (yes, there is a time when you fall in depending on where it happens, you might want to go underwater to avoid something). If you are doing a two-stage ladder-climbing onto an oil platform and you fall and get knocked out, you want to float or at least have a life vest that will inflate automatically.

You should look at it like this, your gear should float itself or be neutrally buoyant, and if you want to float, you need to have something on you for that. Think of you and your gear as two different things. If you go into the water, your kit should be neutral, and you should have some type of Personal Flotation Devise(PFD) for yourself. Still, you should always be able to go underwater if needed, like for going under a wave or if you need to avoid someone/ something. 

So how do you make your gear neutral buoyant? The best way to start is by knowing how much everything you are carrying weights. I will go old school, so let’s use 100rds of 7.62 x 39 weights 7 pounds. You should have a list of what things weigh or have a good idea of everything you might take out in the field with you. Keep in mind that if you are using a hard water bottle, like a canteen or Nalgene bottle, as you drink from it, it will start to float. It won’t be so bad as to affect you that much but keep it in mind as you stay out in the field, things weights will change. The same goes for needing to float. You can always use them in an emergency. MSR makes water storage bladders that are great to have in your pack. They can be used as flotation if needed and water. Even in the jungle in the rainy season, it never hurts to have a way to store extra water. When you come across water, always take as much as you can carry.

If you have other things that might float like your fins, chemical light, or rucksack liner (and never go anywhere without that old school ruck liner). Try using the lead weights that are made for balancing a car tire. Most come with an adhesive side. You can put it anywhere you need. They also come in black. You can put them on the side of the fins; this way, it doesn’t affect the way the fin performs, and if for some reason it falls off, or you drop it, it will sink. If you have chemical lights on you to use for signaling, or as an old school frogman flashlight (when you have it all taped up for use underwater and you have the end open so you can use it for your compass) if you put lead solder on them and drop it, it will sink and not float away.

Remember that packaged food (MREs, Mountain house meals) will float.

If you are taking a new piece of gear out, let’s say it’s a new pack make sure you take it to the pool and see how it acts in the water, put some weight in it and see what it takes to make it sink, don’t just throw it in and say “yup it sinks” leave it in there so it is nice and soaked so you can also see how  it drains, do you need to add more drain holes? How heavy will it be when it is wet and how long will it take to dry. With today’s technology almost everything can float or even be close to neutral to include body armor plates.

So, what is the right answer, float or sink? I think they both are the correct answer depending on the situation. But the key is to make sure you are ready for whatever might happen during any giving case. Have your gear set up so it can float itself if needed. So do your homework, or at least hang out with someone that does.

Most people wear something under their wetsuit to help with getting their wetsuit on and off easier. The other reason for wearing something under your wetsuits is that the extra layers can help keep your body warmer. Instead of wearing a thicker wetsuit that will restrict your movement, it allows you to wear a thinner suit that will give you more flexibility. You can wear a short sleeve top or bottom to help keep your core warmer. The other thing to think about is the air temperature/ wind on your way to the dive site. Suppose you are worried about the air temp/ wind when you are traveling to the dive site. In that case, you can wear heavyweight GoreTex or a linebacker jacket (the kind made for helo’s flights/ football players wear on the sidelines) is excellent to have as you can take it off before the dive and put it on when you are done.

SCUBAPRO 1.5mm Everflex SS top

For colder temperatures, adding layers underneath the suit is the way to go. You have several options to choose from. If you already have a thinner wetsuit that you usually use for warmer environments, a 1mm rash guard, or any other type of garment that’ll provide you with the added warmth around your chest will help. SCUBAPRO makes a great 1.5mm top and bottoms in short and long sleeves, shorts, and long pants. This 1.5mm is very warm, and to me, it feels like I am wearing a 2-3mm.

SCUBAPRO 1.5mm Everflex long pants

When you have to worry about the wind, most surf wetsuits or wetsuits glossy like surf suits are made to stop the wind. That all-suit surf suits are not great for diving as most are not made from a material (yes, surfing is different than diving) that is designed to be used underwater for long periods. Some people like to wear nothing between them and their wetsuits. This can be painful after wearing a wetsuit for a long time, especially on a long wet Zodiac ride. Due to the constant rubbing against their skin, it begins to chafe ( AKA Baboon a$$). Usually, the neck, armpits, behind the knees, and the crotch are the first to go. You can apply anti-chafing gel/ Vaseline to help with this on long dives and rides. There is also stuff like Butt Paste, Triple paste, or Anti monkey butt paste.

SCUBAPRO 1.5mm Everflex LS top

You can also wear dive skin or bike shorts; this will help with donning and doffing your suit on and off also. I have started to use Under Armor UA RUSH™ compression shorts. (They make tops also) They are made with a material called Celliant; it is a mineral-infused fabric to take the energy you give off when you work and reflect it into your muscles, increasing blood flow and helping them work harder. As your body emits energy, the mineral-infused fabric absorbs & reflects it, improving endurance. (I know this sounds crazy, but I am a big believer in Celliant)

Whatever you decide to wear, keep in mind the water/ air temperature, duration of the dive, and what you will be doing. Also, one reason you should make sure to keep a logbook of all your dives. That way, you can look up what you have used in the past for this situation. That should put you at a good starting point. Now that you’re aware of your options, it’s time to get to specifics. What type of undergarment is right for your needs, or do you even need to wear anything under your wetsuit at all?

SCUBAPRO 1.5mm Everflex

Well, that depends on you. In warmer waters, you can get away with wearing undergarments with minimal coverage (swimsuits, trunks, and other similar items)—or even nothing at all. Many people prefer to go commando under their wetsuits, but it’s all a matter of preference. If you plan to rent the suit, however, you’re probably going to want to wear something underneath.

SCUBAPRO 1mm Topical wetsuit

For colder temperatures, adding layers underneath the suit is the way to go. You have several options to choose from. Suppose you already have a thinner wetsuit that you usually use for warmer environments. In that case, you can opt to add a jumpsuit, rash guard, or any other type of garment that’ll provide you with the added insulation you need. This way, you won’t have to purchase another suit.

SCUBAPRO Hybrid Hood Vest

Or, if you’d instead go naked warrior underneath, you can get a thicker wetsuit. Deciding what to wear ultimately depends on the environment (and temperature) you plan to dive in, how sensitive your body is too cold, and many other variables. Make sure to consider all factors before you buy anything, and always try it in training before you use it for the first time when it matters the most.