Scubapro Seawing Nova Gorilla Open Heel Scuba 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.

The Seawing Nova Gorilla is identical in design to the standard Seawing Nova, but its Monprene compound includes a special additive that adds stiffness and snap to the blade. That extra stiffness translates into more power, more control and clearer feedback through the kick. Both share the G4 articulated joint, wing-shaped blade with Pivot Control Technology and the marine-grade bungee heel strap.

Yes. Scubapro states the Seawing Nova Gorilla excels at both high- and low-speed maneuvering, including frog kicks and reverse or back kicks, with improved small directional adjustments. The G4 articulated joint lets the whole blade pivot to generate thrust, while Pivot Control Technology holds an efficient 45-degree angle of attack no matter how hard or softly you kick.

This listing offers the Seawing Nova Gorilla in Army Green and Orange, each in XS, S, M, L and XL. Dimensions scale with size: the Army Green S is 18.78 in long with a 9.5 in by 3.5 in foot pocket, while the Orange XL is 25.2 in long with an 11.5 in by 4.5 in foot pocket. Size around your dive boots.

No. It ships with a self-adjusting marine-grade bungee heel strap for easy donning and doffing. The re-engineered footplate also adds an extended sole plate with co-molded Grip Pads for non-skid footing when you are walking a wet deck or climbing a ladder.