CressiRondinella, Blue, 37/38

Superior fins and the best for the price if long life comfortable snorkel fins are what your after. Excellent quality and fit is consistent. I do not use socks and after hours of use my feet are still ready to keep going. If you like socks I am sure you'll be just as happy. Very blue, lol, but they are a good color that is easy to spot if gear gets thrown together plus they look cool underwater! Enjoy these great fins.just back from 2 weeks of abuse and they look brand new.

I already had a set of these but unfortunately lost one so I knew exactly what I was getting. I am a licensed diver and have owned Cressi Fins for over 30 years; enough said.

Let me start by saying I have very finicky feet. It's difficult for me to be comfortable in just about anything that goes on my feet, but the rubber boot on these flippers has just the right amount of stretch to be tight enough for good power transmission but flexible enough to conform to your foot. I agree with others, definitely get one size smaller than your "street shoes". Besides the boot, I loved the fin design. Activating them slowly uses very little energy for a longer breath hold, but when you need a burst of speed, they respond very well to more power.My wife and I used these on a trip to the Caribbean where we snorkeled about 2hrs per day. On our previous trip we both used the adjustable style flippers (US Diver) and they were fine, but it was only after using these that we could immediately see the benefit. In the adjustable, there is always a little bit of "play" in the toe box area, so you lose a bit of efficiency, not to mention extra rubbing and friction points, and the need to constantly readjust. With these Cressi's there is no movement of your foot relative to the boot, so no friction points, and great efficiency - at least for me (and my wife). make sure you buy from a buyer who allows returns in case you need to get a different size. Try them on wet and remember that salt water will make them feel even a tiny bit more loose than fresh (is this for real, or was it just my perception?). In any case, tighter is better, the rubber stretches.

I rated these 4/5 stars rather than 5/5 because after 6-5 uses, the rubber is just starting to peel on the edges of the blade. Other than that, I am very pleased with them. I should mention that they did NOT break when I got the front of the blade bent under the toe box and I stepped on it with part of my weight (trying to stand in rough water). I normally wear a size 43 shoe and the size 43/44 fins fit great! I was able to wear them on bare feet OR with 2.5mm water socks (which I did nearly every time). I felt like they had good power transfer. While they were initially a little tiring to use due to their length, I got used to it quickly and they saved me so much energy (and helped me swim me pretty fast). I did carry them in a large checked bag - I cannot imagine trying to fit them into carry-on luggage.

This review is based primarily on fit prior to using them for snorkeling. I tried the Cressi Rondinella, Agua and Palou Long Fin Adjustible. I wear women's Size 9 athletic shoes (8.5 dress shoe).Rondinella (blue) - Favorite! Most comfortable by far. Light weight. Flexible. Size 41/42. And, I think it's big enough to wear a water sock, if I want. I only wish it were available in pink (to easily identify mine vs my husbands). I like the full foot and feel more confident that it will stay put while snorkeling.Palou Long Fin Adjustible - Comfortable. I liked the idea of the adjustable, so I could opt in and out of water socks. The strap did feel secure enough that I don't think it would come off; although it was easy to get on and off. The foot part fit a little tight on top of the foot; which I think helped it from moving around. It was tight, but not uncomfortable. This definitely felt heavier than the Rondinella. I did like this one though.Agua - Size 39/40. Fit fine, but it did rub on the top of my toe near the cutout. The fin part was a harder plastic, so I was nervous about how durable it would be. This was definitely my least favorite.

Update:After more than five years these fins have held up flawlessly to summers in the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas and I have no intention of upgrading them any time in the near future.After another three weeks of daily snorkeling these fins are going strong. They go on effortlessly and are easy in the feet.I bought thee fins for my Honeymoon to Amalfi, Italy. I used them for a week straight with no issues. They fit perfectly, with no discomfort (i did wear neoprene socks to avoid a repeat of sores from the rubber rubbing on my feet tht i experienced with other fins). I glided effortlessly through the water whie snorkelling.

I have small feet (size 5 - 5.5) and cannot rely on renting equipment that will fit. These are wide enough to be comfortable yet snug enough to not allow for movement on a medium width foot. They are lightweight, thin enough to pack, yet have a long enough fin to give me good forward movement in the water. The color is beautiful and matches some of the skins on Amazon.

Very comfortable, but wore out in a few years. They tear at the top of the toe hold on both side defective design