Hollis F1 LT Vented Blade 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.

Hollis offers the F1 LT in three sizes: Regular for 7 to 9, XL for 10 to 12 and XXL, shown here as 2XL, for 13 to 15. It is an open heel fin worn with dive boots; Hollis lists Regular (7-9), XL (10-12) and XXL (13-15). The multiple strap mounting positions and spring strap let you fine-tune heel position after the boots are on.

The vents reduce stress on the blade while accelerating water over it, which pairs well with the short blade length. Combined with the lightweight SEBS compound, Hollis designs the F1 LT for hydrodynamic efficiency and extended dive duration.

Yes. The F1 LT uses a short blade specifically so the fin tips avoid contact with obstructions in tight, confined spaces such as wrecks and caves, and Hollis lists technical diving in confined spaces as its intended use. The angled strap mounts transfer power efficiently for controlled kicks, and the spring heel straps make donning and doffing quick in restricted staging areas.

The Hollis F1 LT is available in Gray, White and Yellow, and each color is offered in Regular (7 to 9), XL (10 to 12) and XXL/2XL (13 to 15). That gives nine total variants.