Best Fins for Diving in 2024 [UPDATED]

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This guide to the best dive fins is by expert marine biologist, Dr Clare Prebble, Senior Scientist at the Marine Megafauna Foundation. Clare is also a divemaster and an underwater photographer. She’s done thousands of dives across the world.

 

Hey, I’m Clare. I’ve been a diver for over two decades, working as a Divemaster, whale shark biologist, and underwater photographer. My dive gear is a professional tool, and my diving fins are one of the most important parts of the system. For those of you who are seeking to get quality gear yourself, we decided to create this independent guide to the best fins for diving in 2024.

I chose the Mares Avanti Quattro Plus as my current (2024) top choice as the best fins for diving. These are well-tested underwater, and great all-rounder fins for people that dive in a range of conditions. Mares Avanti Quattro Plus keep coming in at the top of diving fin listicles year on year (I checked) and they’re still the favorite of dive professionals the world over (I asked them!).

This extensive guide covers split fins, travel fins, cold water fins, and many more options. You can click on the dive fin name below to read more customer reviews, and to check the current price, or keep scrolling to read our detailed reviews and our full Buyers Guide to the Best Fins for Diving in 2024.

The Best Fins for Diving in 2024 are:

  1. WINNER: Mares Avanti Quattro Plus Dive Fins

  2. EFFICIENCY: Scubapro Seawing Nova 2 Dive Fins

  3. TRAVEL: Tusa Highflex Switch Dive Fins

  4. COLD WATER: Apex RK3 Military Dive Fins

  5. SPLIT FINS: Atomic Aquatics Dive Split Fins

  6. FULL-FOOT: Cressi Reaction Pro Dive Fins

  7. ENTRY LEVEL: Oceanic Viper Dive Fins

  8. SPECIAL MENTION: Oceanic Manta Ray Dive Fins

+ Contents

QUICK COMPARISON of the Best Fins for Diving 2023

OUR REVIEWS: The Best Fins for Diving 2023 (click to read user reviews)

  1. Best All-Round Fins for Diving
    Mares Avanti Quattro Plus Dive Fin 

  2. Best Diving Fins for... Physicists, I Guess?
    Scubapro Seawing Nova 2 Diving Fin 

  3. Best Diving Fins for Travel
    Tusa Highflex Switch Dive Fin 

  4. Best Fins for Diving in Cold Water (& With Drysuits)
    Apex RK3 Military Dive Fin 

  5. Best Split Fins for Diving
    Atomic Aquatics Diving Split Fin

  6. Best Full-Foot Fins for Diving
    Cressi Reaction Pro Diving Fins

  7. Best Entry-Level Fins for Diving
    Oceanic Viper Diving Fins

  8. Best Fins for Diving - Special Mention
    Oceanic Manta Ray Diving Fins

THE RESEARCH: Buyers Guide to the Best Fins for Diving 2023

  • Why you can trust this guide

  • How I identified the best fins for diving

  • Things to consider when choosing a top dive fin

  • The different types of dive fins

  • Foot pocket styles on dive fins

  • Closed heel / full foot fins for diving

  • Open heel fins for diving

  • Heel straps on open heel dive fins

  • Ratchet strap heel straps

  • Bungee heel straps

  • Metal spring heel straps

  • Specialty dive fin blade types

  • Hinged sections

  • Detachable blades

  • Split fins

  • Vented fins



 Quick Comparison of the Best Dive Fins for 2024

Click through to see color options, price, and read user reviews, or keep scrolling for my full review.

 

Mares Avanti Quattro Plus Dive Fins
WINNER
Best All-Round Fins for Diving

Scubapro Seawing Nova 2 Dive Fins
Best Diving Fins for... Physicists, I Guess?

Tusa Highflex Switch Dive Fins
Best Diving Fins for Travel

Apex RK3 Military Dive Fins
Best Fins for Diving in Cold Water (& With Drysuits)

 

Atomic Aquatics Dive Split Fins
Best Split Fins for Diving

Cressi Reaction Pro Dive Fins
Best Full-Foot Fins for Diving

Oceanic Viper Dive Fins
Best Entry-Level Fins for Diving

Oceanic Manta Ray Dive Fins
Best Fins for Diving - Special Mention


Our Extended Reviews.

The Best Fins for Scuba Diving in 2024


Best All-Round Fins for Diving
Mares Avanti Quattro Plus Dive Fin

$ $ $ • Built to last • Open or Closed foot • Bungee heel strap • 7lb • 17”

 

or, check the latest price here

Why the Mares Avanti Quattro’s are my top all-round dive fin.

The Mares Avanti Quattro are reliable, tough fins, and last for a long time even with heavy professional use. Given their durability, they’re surprisingly lightweight (~1.8kg per pair) making them great travel fins, too.

These fins are well-tested underwater, and great all-rounder fins for people that dive in a range of conditions. Mares Avanti Quattro Plus keep coming in at the top of “Most Popular” lists year on year, and they’re still the favorite of dive professionals the world over.

What makes them so popular? The Quattro Plus are a dual-material channel fin that works for all fin-kick styles. Us marine biologists (and dive professionals) tend to prefer dive fins like this, with a deceptively simple design, as they can take the abuse we put them through, diving year after year.

I asked one of my dive professional friends about them and their take was “They’re amazing, they last for years, and they’re cheap for what they can do. The full-foot version is good for snorkeling as well.” 

These fins come with a bungee heel strap as standard, and they have a large thumb loop so they’re easy to get on and off (even when your hands are numb after a cold dive).

They provide good control, speed, and precision in the water, so the Quattro Plus are a good choice for underwater photographers. They’re even good for people with small (3–4) foot sizes as well, which can be hard to find. They have a good balance of stiffness and flexibility that will suit most divers and most dive conditions. 

The Mares Avanti Quattro also come in a full-foot version for warmer water diving which receives just as much praise as the open heel fins, and will also perform very well while snorkeling and freediving (as seen in Simon’s Guide to the Best Snorkelling Fins).

The Mares Avanti Quattro’s are also a genuinely reasonable price and come in lots of color options, with the softer rubber sections sticking with black.

Downsides of these Mares dive fins:

I really haven’t found any downsides to the Quattro Plus. Go ahead and buy a different colored pair for each day of the week!


Best Advanced Diving Fins
Scubapro Seawing Nova 2 Diving Fin

$ $ $ $ • High performance • Open or Closed foot • Bungee heel strap • 4.4lb

 

or, check the latest price here

Why I like the Scubapro Seawing dive fins:

The Scubapro Seawing Nova 2's are lightweight and very efficient, as they have been designed to incorporate modern know-how on fluid dynamics, but very weird-looking, as they incorporate modern know-how on fluid dynamics. They’re definitely a unique style of dive fin.

The Nova 2’s are heavily hinged, between the foot pocket and the blade, and are the product of several design iterations and improvements over the years. 

The result? Despite their relatively short blades (24 inches, versus an average of 32–39 inches), the Seawing Nova 2’s are a stiff fin that provides a lot of power underwater. This makes them very useful if you’re likely to be diving in strong currents a lot.

They come with a marine-grade bungee heel strap as standard, so are easy to don and doff, and they’re built to last. Scubapro boasts that the Nova’s are indestructible, as they’re made of a single molded design of monoprene – a material developed by Scubapro themselves. They back that up with a lifetime guarantee, which is genuinely pretty great. Excellent to see a manufacturer really stand behind their products. 

The Nova have large foot pockets, meaning your whole foot fits in the foot pocket, which helps to avoid the possibility of a foot cramp. The holes in the foot pockets reduce drag while you’re finning, and stop the vacuum effect when you are removing your fins.

The underside of the foot pockets also has large detailing to provide enhanced grip on the boat deck if you need to shuffle over to your entry point on a larger liveaboard-style boat. 

Downsides of the Scubapro Seawing dive fins:

These fins aren’t inexpensive. Though the hinge in the fins allows them to be easily packed for travel, reviews suggest they can (very occasionally) break at this point of weakness, so take note of that if you’re someone who really does high giant-stride entries. They do have that lifetime warranty, though. 

Their unique design, and stiff blades, means these are probably not the best choice for inexperienced divers. These fins might be seen as a bit showy by other divers – be prepared for some sideways glances from your divemaster – but the science does say they’re super efficient, and they have *lots* of positive reviews on Amazon. I’m torn.


Best Diving Fins for Travel
Tusa Highflex Switch Dive Fin

 

or, check the latest price here

Why the TUSA Highflex Switch is my top travel fin:

The main plus point for these fins is that you can separate the foot pocket from the blade to make them easier to pack for travel. These also come with a universal bungee heel strap, the length of which is adjustable to get the best fit. The strap has a large thumb loop so that you can easily put them on and take them off. 

This fin is quite ‘snappy’ for a quick response and more precise movements in the water. This is great for fine-tuning your body position in the water, so the Highflex Switch fins are a good choice for underwater photographers. The fine control makes them good for shallow/macro dives, and muck diving, as you can avoid stirring up silt. These fins also work well for snorkeling. If you prefer a stiff blade, the ‘pro’ version of these fins has you covered.

Downsides of these TUSA Highflex dive fins:

These fins are also quite pricey. These can also be underpowered for finning in a current (the ‘pro’ version should be an improvement). The foot pocket sizes can run a little large, according to some of the Amazon reviews, so bear that in mind if you order them.


Best Fins for Cold Water Diving
Apex RK3 Military Dive Fin

 

or, check the latest price here

Why the Apex RK3 are the top cold water dive fins:

When “bomb proof” might not just be an adjective. These macho beasts are a military-style vented fin. They have shorter blades than a standard vented dive fin, but they’re wider too, so actual kicking power is about the same. 

These are very tough dive fins. There are no moving parts to break or bend, and they are made of a single piece of thermo-molded rubber. They come with a metal bungee as standard, with reinforced buckles. Carabiner holes on both ends allow for easy storage and for complex exits from the water; they’re ideal fins for divers that regularly do cold-water shore-entries through rough terrain. The short blade also makes them a good choice for cramped conditions like wreck or cave diving. They have a flat profile so pack down easily. 

Despite all this, the Apex RK3’s float in saltwater, so they’re easy to retrieve if you drop them during removal. The RK3’s come in two different stiffnesses: the stiffer pair gives you more power, but the standard version is lighter for travel. 

These are very popular with drysuit and tech divers.

Downsides of these Apex RK3 dive fins:

These fins are quite bulky, and not ideal for people with smaller feet, as the foot pockets are comparatively large and boxy. Short fins aren’t great in currents, or for longer dives, as your legs can tire faster.


Best Split Fins for Diving
Atomic Aquatics Diving Split Fin

 

or, check the latest price here

Why the Atomic Aquatics are my top split fins:

Floppy but fast. As with all split fins, the major benefit of the Atomic Aquatics is that they’re much gentler to use, and therefore great for people that have issues with their knees or backs. They are also good for longer dives for the same reason. They can handle strong currents well, if you use a normal scissor-kick. 

These split fins come with a metal coil bungee as standard, so they’re easy to put on, and should hold up to a lot of use well. You can also buy bungee straps in different sizes if the standard length doesn’t quite work for you. As a nice bonus, these are genuinely good-looking fins, but not just at the surface (lol); they’re high-quality. The blades on these fins are a little shorter than average, which makes them easier to pack for travel too.  

Downsides of the Atomic Aquatics split fins:

The ‘soft’ blades on split fins make them a poor choice if you prefer a frog-kick style, or if you need to make precise movements (such as diving over coral a lot, or for photography). For these reasons split fins are generally not popular with dive professionals. When asked about split fins my friend Nadia (a long-term dive professional) said “[you] might as well stick soggy cardboard to your feet”. 

Split fins aren’t great for beginners as you need to adjust your finning technique for them to function efficiently. These aren’t cheap fins, so I’d suggest them for advanced divers who prefer split fins (that’s cool, no judgement, you do you) or people who need to give their knees an easy life. If you do like split fins, you should love these.


The Best Full-Foot Fins for Diving
Cressi Reaction Pro Diving Fins

 

or, check the latest price here

Why the Cressi Reaction Pro’s are my top full-foot dive fins:

These are the fins I use myself. Full-foot fins are designed to be worn with bare feet, or with fin socks (which I’d recommend; protect your feet!). These are excellent all-round fins for warm-water diving and travel. They have a slightly increased blade area than most other full-foot models, ensuring they have plenty of power in currents or for quick acceleration (trying to catch up to whale sharks, for instance) without being too stiff. As a bonus, the Reaction Pro’s also work well as snorkeling fins (they are actually considered entry-level freediving fins). 

The shallow blade angle and the rubberized, textured sole mean they are nice and grippy for moving around a wet boat deck. They are also lightweight and easy to pack, and I greatly prefer them to open heel models for travel, as you don’t need booties to use them comfortably. The foot pockets are very comfortable on bare feet. However, if you (like me) get cold feet in even the warmest water, or to avoid rubbing, you can buy a size up and opt for some neoprene socks. These are inexpensive and good value for money. 

Warm-water dive professionals see the Cressi Reaction Pro as an excellent, affordable fin for most diving activities. 

Downsides of the Cressi Reaction Pro dive fins:

These fins don’t allow for the use of dive boots, which are common in cold-water diving and for shore entries. These fins don’t float, so they can be hard to recover if you lose them on the surface. The soft and flexible foot pocket, though comfortable to wear, means these fins are not as robust as some of the open heel alternatives. Simon had a pair in which the foot pocket started splitting over time (he’s switched to Avanti Quattro Power fins).


Best Entry-Level Fins for Diving
Oceanic Viper Diving Fins

or, check the latest price here

 

Why the Oceanic Viper’s are my top entry-level dive fin:

If you’re just getting into diving, and don’t want to splurge on gear quite yet, the Oceanic Viper’s are a good choice. These fins are excellent value, but still very good. The flexible polypropylene construction and vented blades make them easy to move around in, great for beginners who are building up their fin-kick muscles. They are lightweight (1.6 kg per pair) and bendable, so they travel well. The foot pocket accepts most styles of bootie and neoprene socks, and they come in lots of colors.

Downsides of the Oceanic Viper dive fins:

They aren’t tough fins (you get what you pay for here), so they won’t be a “buy once for life” kinda purchase. The sizes tend to run large, to accommodate 5 mm booties, so factor that in if you order them.


Best Specialty Fins for Diving
Oceanic Manta Ray Diving Fins

 

or, check the latest price here

Why I included these Oceanic Manta Ray dive fins:

These don’t fit into any particular category, but they’re really pretty so I included them anyway because oceanic manta rays are excellent. These aren’t well-known fins, but they’re well-reviewed. They’re somewhat similar to the Scubapro Seawing Nova 2’s mentioned above, but perhaps easier for newer divers to get used to, and I think they look better.    

The blades on these fins are quite stiff to maximize propulsion in the water, so they’re good for moderate to strong current dives. They also have a large finger loop on the heel strap so it’s easy to get them on and off. The boxy shape of the foot pocket makes these a better fit for people with wider feet, or for the thicker booties used in cold-water diving. A bonus is that the easy buckle adjustment system means you can adjust the strap size, without tools, for different bootie thicknesses.

Downsides of the Oceanic Manta dive fins:

Stiff blades can get tiring on longer dives, particularly if you’re not used to them. ‘Too pretty to use’ say some reviews. These are expensive fins, but a good choice if you like good design, want to be Insta-ready underwater (top tip: also get a mask with a clear skirt so people can see your eyes properly), and have a lot of dolla’ billz.


The Research.

Buyers Guide to the
Best Fins for Diving 2024


Why you can trust this guide > Dr. Clare Prebble

Dr. Clare Prebble is a marine biologist who dives, snorkels, and freedives for a living. She is a Senior Scientist at the Marine Megafauna Foundation, where she is part of the global whale shark research and conservation team, and has a PADI Divemaster qualification. Her research, opinions, and photography have been featured in major media outlets, including National Geographic, The Guardian, and Travel Africa. Clare has done over 1000 dives so far in a multitude of conditions for research and recreation, including hectic research dives in heavy currents to study whale sharks in the Galapagos Islands, quarry diving in the UK (ever so briefly, brrrrrr), some outstanding macro photography muck diving in Tulamben, Indonesia, and liveaboard diving in Komodo National Park. Not least, she lives and dives most regularly in Mozambique.

Clare’s frequent travel to remote locations, and pioneering scientific fieldwork, gives her gear a thorough test on a regular basis. That provides her with a lot of practical experience in the benefits and drawbacks of various dive and snorkel gear features and innovations. She is not sponsored by any dive gear manufacturers, isn’t incentivized to promote any particular brand, and uses a variety of gear herself. Expect her opinions to be delivered dry, pointed, and unvarnished, and generally in a rather sarcastic tone.

The Nature Tripper team has been featured by:


How I identified the best fins for diving:

  • My own practical experience over 1000 dives.

  • Dive professional and other marine biologist’s opinions on my top picks (who use and destroy a lot of gear themselves, as well as hearing their customer’s and colleague’s views).

  • Various online reviews of dive gear to help create and confirm my shortlist.

  • Buyer comments and reviews on shortlisted gear to broaden the sample size, and particularly to search for evidence of equipment failure.

Things to consider when choosing a top dive fin:

  1. Quality construction and durability (you want your fins to last!)

  2. Comfort is paramount; without it, you won’t kick effectively, or enjoy the experience.

  3. A blend of flex and stiffness is needed. Your experience level and leg strength will affect your preference here. I often dive in current, and need to move fast at times for my research work, so I prefer stiffer fins.

  4. A medium-length blade is convenient to travel with, and performs well under most conditions. Longer blades are worth considering if you’re typically diving in currents.

  5. Personally, we prefer full foot fins. We often snorkel for work too, so our fins do double-duty on some trips. Full foot fins have better power transfer when you’re kicking hard, they’re ultra-comfortable when paired with neoprene socks (as long as you buy the correct size), and they are lighter, and more compact to travel with. They also have less parts to break. However, most divers prefer open heel fins as they’re easier to get on and off, and they’re much better for shore dives.

  6. and finally, Price. A good diving fin shouldn’t cost more than $250 (and you’d certainly want that fins to last for years at that price). Anything under $50 is likely to be lacking in quality and comfort.


The different types of fins for diving:

There are a plethora of diving fin styles and models. I mean it’s pretty endless, to be honest. We looked at a hell of a lot of them for this review (you’re welcome). Almost all fins fall into a handful of categories though, each aiming to increase the practicality, efficiency, durability, and comfort of the fins in different situations. There are three big things to look out for, and I go through each in detail below:

  1. Foot pocket style: open or closed

  2. Heel strap type: ratchet, bungee, or metal.

  3. Blade type: hinged, detachable, split, or vented.


Foot pocket styles on dive fins:

There are two main categories that describe the style of the foot pocket of the fins:

  1. Closed heel / full foot fins (for use with bare feet or fin socks), and

  2. Open heel fins (for use with dive booties, with soles).

Open-heel fins then have varying types of heel strap. Both closed- and open heel types come in varying blade styles.

Recently on a whale shark snorkeling trip, the boat offered guests short fins, while Simon and I had our longer fins. We had no trouble keeping up with the shark compared to the short finners who were kicking hard and getting nowhere fast. In addition, their hard kicking created excess whitewash and noise.

Simon’s current snorkeling and dive fin is our pick for Expert snorkelers – the longer blade Mares Avanti Quattro Power Snorkeling Fin. When we need serious freediving power we use our long blade freediving fins.

Closed heel / full foot fins for diving

These fins have a foot pocket that encloses your heel. They are designed to be worn barefoot and are therefore sized according to your foot size. If you get cold feet, or want to ensure your feet are protected from rubbing you can wear fin socks made of fabric or neoprene (if you’re planning to do a lot of diving or multi-day dive trips, this is strongly recommended), do remember to buy a (slightly) larger size.

These generally have a flatter blade angle, and they’re lighter, so they’re easier to pack for travel. While they’re designed for warm-water diving, you won’t have much of a problem in cool water as long as you can keep your feet warm. This style can often double up as snorkeling and freediving fins (stiffer blades are better for freediving). 

Open heel fins for diving

The default choice for many scuba divers. These are worn with either neoprene socks or (more often) booties. These fit a broader range of sizes, as there’s an adjustable heel strap, so they tend to be a ‘S, M, L’ kinda-sizing rather than for specific foot sizes. In general, the open heel versions of diving fins are slightly larger, but they have slightly less efficient power transfer than full-foot fins. Open heel fins are usually preferred for cold water divers, as the socks or booties insulate your feet, and booties make shore entries a lot easier as your feet are protected. Open heel fins aren’t as good for snorkeling and freediving if you both snorkel and dive regularly.


Heel straps on open heel dive fins:

There are a few different types of heel straps in the open heel dive fin category. Some are better than others and you do tend to pay more for the best options. Some brands/models do allow you to buy the straps separately, so you may be able to ‘level up’ if you’re not happy with the standard straps.

Ratchet strap heel straps

These are the standard strap that you get on most open heel dive fins. The clips and straps can be fiddly for kitting up on smaller boats. They are generally considered more challenging to get on and off in most situations, and they aren’t as tough as more expensive options. As the straps are adjusted at the surface your fins can become loose as you descend and your neoprene boot shrinks. 

Bungee heel straps

These straps make it much easier to get into and out of your fins. Some even have a handy loop so you can pull them on with one finger! This is particularly useful for boat-based diving, where you’re usually taking your fins off in the water, or for shore entries where you’re trying to balance. These straps will automatically adjust to your boot size as you descend so they’re less likely to become loose.

Metal spring heel straps

These are definitely an upgrade from bungee heel straps as the marine grade metal doesn’t degrade in the sunlight, so they will last a lot longer. They do need to be washed thoroughly to avoid rust.


Specialty dive fin blade types

Some unusual variations on regular fin blades:

Hinged sections

This feature allows for maximum hydrodynamic efficiency with each fin kick - but they can also be a super ugly design feature, and add a significant point of weakness. Hinged fins feel very floppy in the water, so they take some getting used to. Very popular, but not recommended for beginners.

Detachable blades

Blade and foot pocket can be detached with an Allen (hex) key. This allows longer fin blades to fit in a smaller travel bag, which can be very useful. (See Tusa Highflex Switch.) 

Split fins

Inspired by marine mammals (e.g. seals), split fins are designed to minimize the energy expenditure per fin kick. They’re a good choice for people with bad knees or backs. You are restricted to a scissor kick with split fins, otherwise the blades flop about everywhere, but they can still be speedy when you get used to them.

Vented fins

More techy and macho. Short, wide blades; very tough. Good for small spaces like wrecks or in larger dive groups. They really come into their own for rough entry shore diving and cold water diving with booties. Also, you’ll look like a Navy SEAL or whatever.


Snorkel fins vs dive fins

Fins come in a range of flex and rigidity: 

  • Divers like a rigid more powerful fin to move all their equipment through the water to swim against strong currents at depth and when surfacing. 

  • Snorkelers like a more flexible easy-kick fin that cuts through the surface easily. Our top picks are ideal for snorkeling, even if they can also be used for diving.


We love a full foot dive fin in warm water

Over the years we have come to love closed heel fins with neoprene socks, over open heel with booties.

  1. Lighter and smaller to travel with than bulky open heels and booties, which are as bulky as a pair of sneakers.

  2. The fin is firmly secured against your foot so they’re immediately responsive to your movements and finning power.

  3. Fin socks are super comfortable to wear, and won’t rub like the zip and heel on a bootie can.

  4. Provide a streamlined in-water experience. The bulkiness of booties and their zips, along with the size adjuster on open heeled fins tend to cause unnecessary drag.

If you’re diving in cooler areas or with rocky entries where you’ll want to protect your feet then go open heel with booties, but we find it’s almost never needed. Even on the odd rubble shore dive we can hack the few steps it takes to get deep enough to sit and put on our fins.


The Best Fins for Diving in 2024 are:

  1. Mares Avanti Quattro Plus Dive Fins - WINNER Best All-Round Fins for Diving

  2. Scubapro Seawing Nova 2 Dive Fins - Best Diving Fins for... Physicists, I Guess?

  3. Tusa Highflex Switch Dive Fins - Best Diving Fins for Travel

  4. Apex RK3 Military Dive Fins - Best Fins for Diving in Cold Water (& With Drysuits)

  5. Atomic Aquatics Dive Split Fins - Best Split Fins for Diving

  6. Cressi Reaction Pro Dive Fins - Best Full-Foot Fins for Diving

  7. Oceanic Viper Dive Fins - Best Entry-Level Fins for Diving

  8. Oceanic Manta Ray Dive Fins - Best Fins for Diving - Special Mention


Simon J Pierce

Dr. Simon Pierce is a co-founder and Principal Scientist at the Marine Megafauna Foundation, where he leads the Global Whale Shark Program.

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