With her shinfinTM fins, Nan can snorkel again in comfort, without the bad foot cramps that regular foot fins give her. She finds it easy to kick with more power from her hips, to see the underwater beauty again. Because the fins are so adjustable, she could fit them at a range of heights on her legs. Initially, she fitted her fins too high. This made it harder for her to strap them on, as the regular straps were only just long enough to go around her calf. Fitting the fins lower, in the usual place with the straps crossing over just above the ankles, solves this.
Nan’s review from East Wallingford, USA
“I just really want to thank you for saving my vacation! Seriously, we’ve been going snorkeling on St. John for many years. In the last few, I’ve been getting bad foot cramps after being in the water a while. To the point of having to remove one or both fins and flailing my way back to shore. So I tried my new shinfinTM fins. Those fins were great! They didn’t take much getting used to, and your instructions to kick from the hip were easy to follow. So, thanks for inventing the shinfinTM fins! I wouldn’t have been able to see all the underwater beauty without them.”
Nan’s review: Snorkeling fins that avoid bad foot cramps
“I just really want to thank you for saving my vacation! Seriously, we’ve been going snorkeling on St. John for many years. In the last few, I’ve been getting bad foot cramps after being in the water a while. To the point of having to remove one or both fins and flailing my way back to shore.”
“I googled alternatives like crazy, and came upon shinfinTM fins. I didn’t know if they really worked, and in fact rented regular fins to see how it would go. First trip out I knew I couldn’t use them, so I tried my new shinfinTM fins. I will say that getting that strap through the second slit proved challenging but once in place, those fins were great! They didn’t take much getting used to, and your instructions to kick from the hip were easy to follow.”
“So, thanks for inventing the shinfinTM fins! I wouldn’t have been able to see all the underwater beauty without them.”
Reply
I’m very pleased to hear that you found your shinfin™ fins great for your snorkeling and you got used to them quickly, so they saved your vacation. Yes, you are right, they don’t cramp your feet like regular foot fins.
I’m sorry you had challenges getting the strap through the second slit. Here are some tips that help with that. When feeding the strap through the second slot, did you bend the top of the fin 90 degrees from your leg, so that you could see where the strap came through to pull it? Also, did you wet the fins and straps first before putting them on? Please let me know.
Can I ask a favour please? Would you mind if I put some extracts from your emails on the website? I like the way you have written and I think it would be useful for other people to read what you have said.
Nan
“To answer your questions, I didn’t bend the fin in the way you suggest. But I did wet them and the straps before putting them on. I felt that the problem was that I couldn’t get the second slot open enough, and keep it open long enough, to feed the strap through with enough length to pull it out. I know the slot needs to be tight, but that made it really hard to get the strap through.”
“Just now I looked at a picture of the fins being worn by someone in the water, and I think I tried to wear them up too high; the straps didn’t cross behind my ankle as the picture shows, so I’ll need to work on that.”
“If you still have any interest in using anything I’ve written, please feel free. Thanks so much for being in touch!”
Reply
Yes, when feeding the strap through the second slot, bend the top (knee end) of the fin 90 degrees from your leg, so that you can see where the strap comes through to pull it. I think that will make it a lot easier to do the straps. Maybe give it a go to get used to it before you go snorkeling with your fins again next year. I’d be interested to hear your feedback.
Thank you for your kind permission. Personal recommendation is very important to help a new product like this along, so I really appreciate it. The shinfin™ word is spreading well thanks to people like you.
Nan
“I’ll try your recommendation. Thanks again.“
Reply
Please have a look at step 7 in the fitting tips. Does that help?
Nan
“In step 6, you see that tiny bit of strap sticking out? That’s all I have to work with. In step 7, the length of the strap he’s feeding through is greater, and that would indeed make it easier. So maybe I just need longer straps? I’m not sure what length I originally purchased, but maybe a longer pair would help. Or maybe I just need to play around with crossing them over closer to my ankle. I’ll work on it. Thanks again, Marc.”
Reply
Yes, that is the issue. It will be solved by wearing the fins lower, in the designed position shown on the website photos, so the straps crossover just above your ankle. Then you and you will have more strap sticking out behind the buckle to pull through more easily.
Conclusion
With shinfinTM fins, you can snorkel again in comfort, without the bad toe pain, foot cramps and calf cramps that regular foot fins often give you. Kicking with more power from your hips, you can see the underwater beauty again. You can fit the fins at a range of heights on your legs because the fins are so adjustable. However, if you fit them too high, then the regular straps might not be long enough to go around your calf. Fitting the fins lower is the solution, in the usual place with the straps crossing over just above your ankles. Or you can buy a pair of longer straps.
Other reviews show that, as well as being great for snorkeling, shinfinTM fins avoid foot pain for other activites such as kneeboarding, lap swimming and swim workouts.