Caring for your fins
Your fins are an investment that should easily last a decade or longer. In fact, with proper care, you will be replacing your fins only to take advantage of newer technology, not because they wore out.
The keys to proper fin care can be summarized in three steps:
- Rinse thoroughly
- Dry completely
- Store flat
Let’s take a look at each.
1 Rinse thoroughly
This is really the same advice as we would give for any piece of dive equipment — especially if used in salt, chlorine, or around mud, sand, or silt. When rinsing, be sure to thoroughly flush out the buckle area to prevent the buildup of salt or other contaminants.
2 Dry completely
As with other equipment, you do not want to store your fins in a closed container unless they are completely dry. Air drying out of direct sunlight is best.
3. Store flat
If you store your fins with the blades anything but perfectly flat, you may discover that a bent fin blade can become a permanent feature. Lying flat on a shelf or similar surface, out of direct sunlight, is best. Avoid the temptation to hang the fins up by their straps, as doing so can cause strap damage.
Your fins came with foot-pocket inserts designed to help the pockets from deforming over time. Don’t lose them. Put these inserts back in the foot pockets before storing for any period of time.
What to remember
Properly caring for fins is easy. Just keep these three things in mind:
- As with all equipment, rinse your fins thoroughly in fresh water if diving in or around salt, sand, silt, mud, or other potential contaminants.
- Do not store your fins in a closed container until they have had the opportunity to dry thoroughly.
- Store the fins lying flat, out of direct sunlight, and remember to replace the foot-pocket inserts before doing so.
A great place to help ensure you get the maximum return on your investment in all your gear is the SDI Equipment Specialist course. For information on this and other SDI continuing education courses, contact your local SDI Dive Center.
For more tips on your scuba fins
Check out our post – Everything you need to know about your scuba fins »
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