Fins with straps instead of pockets

[Coops]

Can anyone advise where/if I can buy free diving fins with straps instead of foot pockets. I have tried a few of the standard foot pocket style fins and find the pockets too narrow leading to cramp. Since swapping to Oceanic Vortex V12 and decent boots for scuba I dont get the cramp problems anymore.
Thanks in advance for any advice.

Tim

[fcallagy]

Tim were you using socks with the fins?
I have not seen any long fin with an open heel/strap generally you lose too much power that way so they are all closed heel.

[octopus]

You can ask these guys:
LeaderFins.com
They custom made small footpockets for my sister, classic blades, open heel - like footpockets on monofins.

[Coops]

Thanks for the advice, sounds like I need to borrow and try a few different types. If the strap type will lose power it sounds like I might not gain to much over standard fins.
Thanks
Tim

[salibandy]

I think Riffe makes long fins with open heels.

[BatRay]

JB Esclapez also used to make an open-heel longfin.

[NiallFlinn]

You could probably hack the back of the footpocket off a pair of longfins and attach a scuba fin - style strap without too much trouble.

N

[Jon]

Esclapez is now owned by Immersion and they sell a few different models- different colors for different stiffness in blades. I happen to own a pair of the Black open heel fins for scuba diving- I can fit their XL size over a drysuit boot with my size 43 foot. They are decent fins for plastic, but you do loose some of the efficiency of a full foot pocket. Still, there are sometimes when an open heel pocket works better- like while scuba diving with a drysuit.

Other companies that make, or used to make, and open heel fins are Sporasub, Cressi sub and Zeagle- although he Zeagle ones were just re-branded Esclapez fins. You can find these on Ebay from time to time and I've owned all of them at one time or another- for scuba diving and not freediving.

I, believe, that you can order the Immersion open heel fins through Jimdoe2you- as he's the Immersion rep for the USA.

Jon

[Coops]

Thanks for the advice, time to have a look around.

Tim

[Bill McIntyre]

Originally Posted by BatRay

JB Esclapez also used to make an open-heel longfin.

And that provided an excellent comparison. Those were my first long fins and I thought they were great. Then a guy diving from my boat had the exact same fin but in closed heel. I tried them out, and after about three drops, I felt that the difference was so dramatic that I bought myself a pair with closed heels the very next week.