Scuba Diving Fins – Determining What Type, Cleaning, and Maintenance

 When you plan to finally get yourself your own scuba gear, always keep in mind that most of them cost an arm and a leg. In order to cut cost on purchasing a new pair of fins from time to time, here are a few things that you can do to clean and maintain your scuba diving fins.

Determine What Type Your Fins Are

Before proceeding to cleaning your scuba fins, you need to determine what type of fins that you have. This is also to prevent any type of damage or mishandling while doing the cleaning process.

-          Are they the flexible or the stiff type?

-          Are they the scuba fin types with closed or open heels?

-          Do they contain different strap attachments to the fins?

-          Is it a blade-shaped fin or a split fin?

-          Are they the fins fit for snorkeling only?

-          Are they the turtle fin types or the free-diving ones?

If you have a hard time determining your fins, you can seek advice from your local dive shop. Also, ask if they can provide you specific cleaning and maintenance instructions on the fin that you purchased.

Buy Cleaning and Maintenance Tools

Check out your local dive store for cleaning or maintenance kits that are available. Buying these from reputable sources will lessen the risk of damage to your fins due to two reasons: 1. Using cleaning materials not meant for diving gear might damage your fins and 2. You’re sure to get quality cleaning products specifically engineered for your diving fins.

Cleaning

Always bear in mind that saltwater is the number one enemy of your dive fins. Every time saltwater dries up on the surface of your dive fins, it weakens the material’s durability. Chances are you wouldn’t be able to use them again like you used to. After you dive, be sure to immediately rinse the fins with fresh clean water because aside from saltwater, sand and algae will also affect the durability of your fins.

Keep Them out of the Sun

If you dried your fins under the sun, chances are it would only cause your fins to crack. Be sure that the fins are dried in normal room temperatures and not in a humid area. Mold might form on your fins.