Scubapro S-TEK Open Heel Diving Fin

Open-heel fins have an adjustable heel strap and are worn with dive boots, which protect your feet on shore entries and add warmth. Full-foot fins slip on like a shoe against bare skin or a thin sock, and are typically lighter and easier to pack. Most scuba divers choose open-heel fins with boots, while full-foot fins suit warm water, snorkeling, and pool use.

Open-heel fins should be sized around the boots you will actually wear, snug with the strap set so your heel stays seated and your foot does not slide forward in the pocket. Full-foot fins should fit like a firm shoe, with no heel lift, no pinched toes, and no gap that lets water pump in and out. Too loose causes heel blisters and lost fins in current, and too tight causes foot cramps.

Choose your boots first and size open-heel fins around them, because sole thickness changes the foot-pocket size you need. A thin warm-water boot and a thick cold-water boot with a rugged sole can easily be a fin size apart. If you already own fins, bring them along when you buy boots so you can check the combination.

Spring straps replace the adjustable rubber strap with a stainless spring that stretches on and off, so there is nothing to buckle with cold or gloved hands and no rubber strap to perish and snap mid-dive. They hold constant tension, which many divers find more comfortable and consistent. They are sized rather than adjustable, so match the length to your foot pocket and the boots you dive.

For travel, length and weight matter most, so shorter blades and travel-specific open-heel or full-foot models pack more easily and save baggage allowance. Some fins have removable blades or compact foot pockets designed for luggage. Pack fins along the outside walls of your bag, where they also act as protection for softer gear.

Paddle fins use a solid blade that transfers power directly, which many divers prefer for precision, control in current, and non-flutter kicks such as the frog kick. Split fins have a slit down the blade that lets water pass through, which generally makes flutter kicking easier on the legs but gives up some control and works less well with other kick styles. Neither is inherently better, so let your kick style, leg strength, and conditions decide, and try both if you get the chance.

Rinse them in fresh water after each dive day, paying attention to buckles, springs, and strap channels where salt collects, and dry them out of direct sunlight. Store them flat or hanging from the foot pocket rather than standing on the blade tips, which can take a permanent bend. Check straps, buckles, and any screws before every trip, since a failed buckle is the most common fin problem.

It is SCUBAPRO's technical diving fin, molded from Monprene in a two-piece modular design where the blade and the open heel foot pocket are separate parts joined by the Sure-Lock Connecting System. It uses a 30 degree pre-angled Clean Water/Vented Blade with a Hydra-Loop reinforced leading edge, a marine-grade bungee heel strap, and a removable stainless steel weight plate system. It comes in Black in sizes XS through XL.

The S-Tek Fin includes a removable stainless steel weight plate system that ships with the fin. By installing or removing the plates you choose between a positively buoyant, neutrally buoyant or negatively buoyant fin, so you can adjust trim for different exposure suits and boots. The included Modular Fin System Multi-Tool and two sets of lock plates are used for assembly and changes.

The blade size is tied to the fin size. Sizes XS, S and M are supplied with Midi blades, while sizes L and XL are supplied with Maxi blades. Replacement S-Tek blades are available separately if you need to swap one.

Yes, if you add the Modular Fin System Full Foot Pocket, which is sold separately and designed for warm-water diving without a dive boot. As supplied, the S-Tek Fin is an open heel fin with a heavy-duty marine-grade bungee strap meant to be worn over a boot, and the strap allows micro-adjustments to accommodate different boot types.