Genesis Coronado Open Heel Scuba Fin Lightweight, Powerful, Full Length

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 Coronado is built for scuba. Genesis describes the blade as lightweight, durable and optimized for scuba applications, and it is a traditional paddle blade with full length side rails rather than a long blade freediving fin. It is also an open heel design meant to be worn with dive boots. Freedivers who want a long blade fin should look at a dedicated freediving model instead.

Genesis publishes three sizes: SM fits US 5 to 7 (Euro 37 to 39), M/L fits US 7 to 11 (Euro 39 to 45) and L/XL fits US 11 to 13 (Euro 45 to 47). Genesis publishes three size ranges: US 5-7, US 7-11 and US 11-13. Contact us to match a range to the size you select. Because the pocket is open heel, size around the dive boots you will actually wear rather than your bare foot.

The Coronado foot pocket is sized to be used with 3mm to 6mm neoprene boots, and both soft sole and molded sole boots will fit. The open heel design and adjustable strap let you set the exact strap length so your heel stays seated in the pocket. If you are between sizes with a thick molded sole boot, call or chat and we will help you choose.

Genesis publishes the Coronado in four colors: Black, Ice Blue, Lemon Yellow and Ultra Violet. Availability of each color depends on the size you select, since not every color is stocked in all three size ranges. Genesis publishes part number PF6210BK for the Coronado; our Black Small SKU is PF6210BK.