Comfort, adjustability and acceleration are all key when evaluating the best scuba diving fins. ScubaLab's team of test divers put 13 pairs of new open-heel, barefoot and freedive fins to the test, providing ratings and comments for this real-world review of the best scuba fins for 2021. Check out the fin reviews below and visit our gear page for more on the latest ScubaLab reviews.

2021 Scuba Fin Review

• Tusa Imprex Duo
• Dive Rite XT
• Genesis Flow
• Gull GT
• Gull Super Mew XX Dry
• IST Sports Safari
• Oceanic Viper 2 Open Heel Fin
• XS Scuba Phenom
• Aqua Lung Storm
• Cressi Gara Modular Sprint
• Oceanic Viper 2 Full Foot Fin

Jump to Review

How We Score

Testers scored each fin from 1 to 5 for each category. They also recorded comments about their experience using each fin, and ranked their favorite fins from the test.

The scoring is:
1=poor
2=fair
3=good
4=very good
5=excellent

How We Test

Ease of Donning Both in and out of the water, how easy is the fin to put on?
Adjusting for Fit If straps and buckles are adjustable without tools, how effective and easy to use are they? Are they intuitive, or complicated to operate?
Fit and Comfort How comfortable and secure is the fin on the foot? Does it slip/slide/pinch, etc., during hard kicking?
Stability Do the fins have a ­tendency to wobble, slice side to side, or strike each other while kicking? Do they track straight?
Power Versus Stress Propulsion produced during the kick ­cycle relative to the amount of ­effort being put into the kick.
Flutter Kick The ease, efficiency and stability of the fin in flutter kick.
Frog Kick The ease, efficiency and stability of the fin in frog kick.
Other Kick Style The ease, efficiency and stability of the fin in dolphin, ­scissor or other kick style.
Acceleration How ­efficiently do the fins ­allow you to quickly ­increase speed?
Maneuverability How well do the fins allow you to get in and out of tight ­locations, including spinning, backing up or reversing ­directions?
Swimming While on the surface on scuba or snorkel, how efficiently do the fins ­propel you relative to the ­effort?
Ease of Removing Fin How easily can you remove the fins, in and out of the water? Are the straps or buckles easy to grasp? Is it unusually difficult to slide your boot out of open-heel pockets?

Fins also were evaluated for weight and buoyancy (in fresh water), construction and durability, and the effectiveness of nonslip material on the bottom of the foot pocket.

Tusa Imprex Duo

MSRP $79 | CONTACT tusa.com
This well-rounded kicker took excellent and very good scores in every test category. The blade is angled 20 degrees from the foot pocket and has two soft channels that helped it kick easily and efficiently, taking very good scores in all kicking styles, including dolphin. Reinforced side rails kept the blade tracking straight during hard kicking and gave the fins the top score for stability in its category. The 14-inch blade (in size medium) proved to be highly maneuverable and scored very good for power versus stress.

“Control and responsiveness like an extension of my own foot,” one tester commented. Outfitted with an easy-to-use adjustable strap, testers found it quick to don and doff. The ergonomic foot pocket took the only excellent score for fit and comfort in the test, and inspired tester comments like “super comfortable,” and “light and comfy.” With exceptional comfort and solid performance across the board, it’s no wonder this fin was a favorite among test divers. What is surprising is that it offers all this at a cost below any other fin in its category. The Tusa Imprex Duo is our Testers Choice and Best Buy for open-heel fins.

Dive Rite XT

MSRP $169 | CONTACT diverite.com
The familiar XT has been updated with a new buckle that allows its stainless spring strap to swivel out of the way, making it much simpler to get the fin on and off. There’s also a new low-profile heel pad with notches to grasp with thumb and forefinger, eliminating the potential snag point of a finger loop. The blade has a soft monoprene center that extends from the foot pocket to the tip, but it’s otherwise on the decidedly stiff side, with stout, tapered side rails that provide just a bit of flex. The XT was the champion frog-kicker of the test, earning an excellent score for its almost effortless drive, and was rated very good for maneuverability, with its shape and stiffness allowing precise turns and direction changes. “Efficient reverse gear,” one test diver commented. In flutter kick, testers found the effort required a little greater, and scored the fin just good for surface swimming.

Genesis Flow

MSRP $115 | CONTACT genesisscuba.com
The Flow delivered good all-around performance but was particularly well-suited to the flutter kick. This kicking style took advantage of the blade’s multiple channels and soft central scoop to create a kick cycle that one tester described as “super smooth.” At lower speeds the fin cruises easily and effortlessly. It still kicks easily when churning hard, but only seems to build up so much speed. “Not much stress, not much power,” one test diver mused. At any speed, large lateral ribs help the fin track straight, earning very good scores for stability. The fin performed especially well on the surface, where it scored very good for efficiency. The foot pocket is true to size, making it easy to find the right fit. But some divers felt the pocket was a bit uncomfortable, with hard plastic on the interior where the strap is attached rubbing on the side of the foot. The Flow tied top score for ease of doffing thanks to its large finger loop.

Gull GT

MSRP $390 | CONTACT gull.kinugawa-net.com
This jet-style fin has a long, wide blade stiffened by vertical sections that concentrate the flex point near the tip of the foot pocket. The spring strap attaches directly to the fin with a threaded shackle that limits the flex of the strap. That makes it a bit of a chore to don and doff, but also makes the fin feel like an extension of your foot, allowing it to generate an impressive amount of power. “These move a ton of water,” noted one tester. Made of rubber, the GT is heavy (3.4 pounds each in size large), and while testers rated it very good for power versus stress, they found it better suited for powerful frog strokes than flutter kicking, where fast strokes can be tiring. “Can cruise at a good clip using frog kick,” commented one tester. The stiff, wide blades help them stop, turn and back up with precision, and testers rated them excellent for maneuverability. Though the foot pockets are sized for drysuit boots, we tested them both wet and dry, with similar scores.

Gull Super Mew XX Dry

MSRP $290 | CONTACT gull.kinugawa-net.com
As the name suggests, this blade fin is aimed at drysuit divers (there are also barefoot and wetsuit versions available) though we tried them both wet and dry. Made of high-density rubber with stainless spring straps, they weigh 3.2 pounds each in medium and are negatively buoyant. Their design uses varying degrees of stiffness, with a pliable material in the foot pocket and stiffer blends in the long tapered side rails and blade, which has dimples on the bottom, intended to reduce turbulence. Their progressive flex and narrow shape made them easy to move through the water with little effort at a respectable pace, helping them take high score for efficiency in the flutter kick. “Easy kick” and “surprising power” were typical tester comments. A bit less effective in frog kick, they were still rated good, and were rated very good for overall comfort and stability. Multiple divers named them among their favorites.

IST Sports Safari

MSRP $90 | CONTACT istdivingsystem.com
Made of soft, lightweight thermoplastic rubber, the Safari weighs just 1.8 pounds each (size medium/large). It’s flexible enough, including in the foot pocket, that you can easily bend both sides in to touch in the middle. But once it’s on your boot the foot pocket firms up to form a suitably stable base, and the tapered side rails give the blade a progressive flex that was more effective in the water than we might have expected. While it was still quite limber, the fin was able to clip along at a decent pace in flutter kick with little effort, earning a very good score from testers. “Easy to cruise quickly without much effort,” wrote one tester. The wide, scalloped blade and modest length of the Safari also made it easy to maneuver. The adjustable straps are old-school but had a progressive adjustment and stayed in place once set, earning an excellent score. The Safari was also rated very good for comfort and surface swimming.

Oceanic Viper 2 Open Heel Fin

MSRP $89.95 | CONTACT oceanicworldwide.com
As the 2 suggests, this is a sequel to the original Viper, with a redesign that adds long stiffening ridges top and bottom along most of the length of the blade to improve water channeling toward the soft central pocket. Beefing up the longish blade gives the fin a noticeable boost in power, while the blade’s progressive flex and a pair of vents just below the tip of the foot pocket reduce stress when accelerating hard. That helped it take very good scores for power versus stress, acceleration and efficiency in both flutter and alternate kicks. “Great in dolphin-like flying,” noted one tester. Scores dropped to just good for frog kicking, where testers found the long blades less responsive. Quick-release adjustable strap buckles were rated very good for operation, and the fin was rated very good to get on and off. It scored very good overall for fit and comfort, though some testers found the foot pocket a bit boxy, with a bit of up and down movement at the toes.

XS Scuba Phenom

MSRP $124.95 | CONTACT xsscuba.com
This fin has a wide, soft central channel with a narrower channel on each side, joined by stiffer finger-like webs that let it dig in on both upstroke and downstroke. Its design joins the blade to the side of the foot pocket rather than the tip, to take stress off the ankle and toes. Test divers found the design effective, making the fin feel, as one tester said, “like an extension of my leg.” While the blade is not especially stiff, the big scoop formed by the blade gave it a decent turn of speed in flutter kick without undue stress and allowed steady, low-effort frog kicking with a high degree of control. The highly elastic stretch strap provides a firm, secure fit, and scored excellent for donning and doffing. Testers rated the fin very good overall for comfort, though some noted a bit of discomfort from hard spots inside the foot pocket near the strap attachment. A good performer in a variety of kick styles and easy on the legs, the Phenom was among the favorites of test divers.

Aqua Lung Storm

MSRP $89 | CONTACT aqualung.com
Constructed of durable Monprene and positively buoyant, this open-heel fin is meant to be worn barefoot. A silicone bungee strap holds the fin perfectly snug for a very good fit, which helped the fin perform well in all kicking styles, including frog and back kick. “Surprisingly efficient and powerful,” noted one test diver. It also scored very good for acceleration and stability. The silicone bungee strap features a large grip that helped the Storm take top score for donning and doffing in its category. Though the fin fit testers well, the stiff edge of the foot pocket tended to rub the sides of testers’ feet, prompting many to note they’d opt for neoprene socks during longer dives. The short blade measures 11 inches in size medium, helping take a very good score for maneuverability. The compact design and lightweight construction make the Storm easy to pack for warm-water getaways.

Cressi Gara Modular Sprint

MSRP $129.95 | CONTACT cressi.com
Essentially a shorter version of Cressi’s Gara Modular Impulse freediving fin, the Sprint is only 28 inches long (in size 8/9 U.S.), making it more practical for scuba use. Testers were impressed with its performance, scoring it excellent in stability, power versus stress, acceleration and flutter kick. The razor-thin blades track “straight as an arrow,” as one tester put it. Flutter kick is where this fin really shines, gliding easily with a small amount of effort and providing plenty of propulsion when kicking hard. “Strong swimmers in open water,” one tester commented. Sizing runs large, and even with multiple sizes to choose from, testers had issues finding a good fit without the use of neoprene socks. This left many divers wondering if they might prefer an open-heel version. Despite a less-than-perfect fit, the fin still showed strong overall performance and was a favorite of test divers. The Gara Modular Sprint is our Testers Choice for barefoot fins.

Oceanic Viper 2 Full Foot Fin

MSRP $54.95 | CONTACT oceanicworldwide.com
This barefoot version of the Viper 2 has a blade design very similar to its open-heel sibling (minus the pair of vent holes). Lacking the open heel version’s stiffer foot pocket, it felt much more limber in the water. But it still retained a bit of speed, with a noticeable spring in the action that helped propel it without much stress in flutter or dolphin kick, although testers noted that once you reach top speed, kicking harder has little effect. Testers scored it good for efficiency in flutter and dolphin, but just fair in frog kick, where the large, soft blades were less effective. It excelled at surface swimming, where it took top score in the test for the way it drove along at a steady clip without excessive effort. “Easy to churn hard while staying just below the water,” as one tester commented. Even with seven sizes, some testers felt an in-between size would have fit them better, but it still scored very good for comfort thanks to its very soft, supple foot pocket.

Ask Robby

Q: Why did you award one fin both Testers Choice and Best Buy?
A: To be considered as a Testers Choice, gear must show outstanding performance during our head-to-head testing. Additionally, it must be chosen by a majority of test divers as a favorite over the competition. When designating a Best Buy, we look for gear that provides above-average performance at a below-average price that gives divers the best bang for their buck. In the case of the Imprex Duo, not only did it score excellent and very good scores across all of our performance categories and get picked as a favorite by an overwhelming majority of test divers, but it was also the least expensive fin in its category.

CHECK-OUT DIVE

While not fully tested, we did have a chance to dive with these freediving fins to evaluate their use for scuba diving.

Cressi Gara Modular Impulse

Part of Cressi’s Gara Modular system, which allows users to remove and exchange standard fiberglass and carbon-fiber long blades in order to tailor performance for specific dives and skill levels, the Impulse is outfitted with a long 24-inch blade with a 29-degree bend. Anti-slip side rails provide incredible stability. The fin accelerates very quickly, but it can take a lot of energy to keep those long fins churning hard. Very efficient in flutter and dolphin kick, the Impulse allows a fully-outfitted scuba diver to cruise along without too much effort. The foot pocket uses different materials, combining soft, supple materials around the opening for enhanced comfort and stiffer compounds under the foot pocket and heel area to maximize power transfer.

Oceanic Predator Free Dive Fin

Thirty-five inches long from heel to blade tip, the Predator provides plenty of power for freedivers and scuba divers alike. The long, rigid blade has just a bit of flex, providing a springboard-like burst of speed at the beginning of every kick. The fin provides a snug and secure fit but was liable to rub the top of testers feet when worn without neoprene socks. Like most freedive fins, the Predator is very well-suited for powerful flutter strokes. However, the rigid blade and snug pocket also helped it perform surprisingly well in frog kick for such a long fin. It also provided good propulsion relative to the amount of effort put into the kick, allowing users to easily modulate their speed and effort.

Are you a new diver? We'll show you all the scuba gear you're going to need: Your First Set of Scuba Gear: A Buyer's Guide.