Help: Competitor Footpockets (Vs Other Brands)

[The Nerdmaid]

Hi, new mermaid here, hoping to get some input on finis competitor sizing. I'm a women's 8-8.5, and sometimes size up to a 9, which puts me nicely in the medium size range for that fin. The reason I sometimes size up is that the front of my feet are fairly wide. What makes it trickier is that my heels and ankles are narrow, so they easily slip out of certain shoes.

I've heard at least one person say the competitors are unusually tight in that area, which could be perfect for me! Visually they do seem a bit narrower at the back than other brands. Though it's hard to tell for sure just from a photo.

I'm also looking at SpecialFins' Dolphin FRD. It's slightly cheaper, and also has full footpockets, which I imagine would be a bit less strain on the feet. The cons are the international shipping (I'm in Canada) and the back of the foot pockets look a bit wider.

Can anyone share their experience with the fit of a competitor fin? Or how it compares to the Dolphin FRD and other brands?

[suzanne86]

I had a Competitor. Used it for a number of years. Its weak points are the heel straps. When they get old, the rubber there gets brittle and cracks; and the cracks lead to tears. Ultimately the heel straps break. That was reason enough not to pay the high price for another one.

[Hollydell]

the width of the pocket is pretty much the same as the back, its the height that changes. my toes curl in (almost like your bending your toes) and i have to really try to extend them out to get them in the foot pockets. other then that im loving the size. i fit a 7-7.5 shoe and it fits a little loose with the medium. I havent been able to go swimming because i got the monofin for christmas this year.

[Mer-Crazy]

I have (from the sounds of it) the exact same foot sizing as you. I wear an 8-9 with wide feet. I can say certainly that the back isn't unusually tight at all, at least for me. You'd fit a medium perfectly, but personally I'd recommend a large simply because I have a medium and whilst I CAN wear my neoprene booties when I swim in it, it does get a little uncomfortable after a while, feeling maybe a little too tight. I prefer to have the extra room of the large, it's certainly not enough to bother you when you swim and I much prefer to wear my booties (soooo much more comfortable).

[The Nerdmaid]

Suzanne86, what kind of fin are you using instead? Is it holding up better?

[The Nerdmaid]

So just an update, I decided to order the Nemo Wing from Waterways. It's cheaper than a competitor, has full footpockets, and you can choose your blade stiffness. I had originally decided to go with Specialfins, as I'd heard they can do custom footpockets (also they have white translucent fins which are cool). Unfortunately they never got back to me about it, and I've heard the guy who runs it has been having health issues, which may be causing problems with getting work done. The Nemo is well reviewed on deeperblue.com however, and I'm super excited about it! I'll be posting a full review once it arrives :)

[xaccer2]

прош (http://audiobookkeeper.ru/book/1437)

[xaccer2]

151.7 (http://cottagenet.ru/plan/225)