How To Avoid Blisters?

[Diving Gecko]

So, I could do with a bit of specific advice on how to avoid blisters from finning but first a little background.

I have a good combo of socks and foot pockets that I don't want to change but this still happens as I don't dive nor spear regularly but only on long vacations and I have such one coming up. I guess, I don't get to toughen up my skin as needed and tend to run into issues with skin coming off the top of my toes after a few days on each trip.
This can become a real issue in the tropics with the heat and humidity and 6-8h spent in the ocean each day - you never really heal and a benign thing like blisters easily end up infected.

So, any tricks? Maybe some long distance runners here know a few?
The only thing I can think of would be to tape up my toes with skin tape every morning.

[SEATUX]

Use a layer of tape on those areas that get irritated, you know, the cloth like medical tape on a row used for bandaging. It will stop the skin from being worn off.

[Diving Gecko]

Originally Posted by SEATUX

Use a layer of tape on those areas that get irritated, you know, the cloth like medical tape on a row used for bandaging. It will stop the skin from being worn off.

Yeah, on my last trip, I did use some of that white, paper like tape and I think it bought me quite a few blister-free days but didn't offer full protection - I think mostly because it doesn't stay put once wet.
After I posted the above, I started researching a bit more and a lot of long distance runners seem to use kinesiology tape. Supposedly it sticks better to skin and some of them might be better when wet, too.
I will be picking some up tomorrow and report back here in a few weeks

[SEATUX]

Sorry, I wasn't referring to the paper kind of tape, but rather the cloth reinforced stuff. It's Much tougher and has Way more staying power, you will be sold!

[Diving Gecko]

Ok. So, I guess you are talking about that flexible sports tape (kinesiology stuff) that I've been reading about, too:-)

Good thing, as I picked up two rolls of it and I have a bunch of the white paper/skin tape, too:





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[jfjf]

have you ever tried wearing a thin nylon dress sock under the dive booty? That has helped me in the past.

Similar to why we wear socks under our shoes.

[Diving Gecko]

Originally Posted by jfjf

have you ever tried wearing a thin nylon dress sock under the dive booty? That has helped me in the past.

Similar to why we wear socks under our shoes.

That might work, too. I've never used it for diving but did do a season skiing in some very tight form fitted boots with only nylon socks. Though form fitted there were still some spots that rubbed but the nylons did help. I guess them being smooth lowers the friction on the skin a whole lot.


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[Timinator]

You can try moleskin, then use the athletic tape over it to reinforce the stick. Usually all I need is the athletic tape, changed daily.

[Gary H]

You could check out finger or toe cots, available at Amazon, Walmart, etc.

Example: https://www.amazon.com/Madholly-Sili...words=toe+cots

[Marco]

Try to get Leukoplast waterproof tape. It works wonders and stays there the whole day.

[Mikel_24]

Not in a diving environment but wet anyways... I usually tape my heels whenever I am going to use a pair of climbing boots for the first time. Or even if using well broken in boots IF it is going to be a multyday climbg... as insurance, you know.

I have always used LEUKOTAPE cloth reinforced tape. Fully covered in glue (carefull because there are some products which only have a few thin lines of glue, you don't want that).

Once put in, sweated and dried a few times... it will only come off with a torch! I promise!

[Behslayer]

Some Fin Pockets are Comfortable and don't blister you up so bad. I really liked the performance of the Pathos Finpockets with my Carbon blades, but those things gave me blisters which lasted for months. Some friends wear them without socks, but for me, those didn't fit my feet right. Other finpockets I use I just use my Finsocks and I never blister. But if I'm ever going for a real long hard dive, I try to remember to tape up first.

[Marco]

Originally Posted by Behslayer

Some Fin Pockets are Comfortable and don't blister you up so bad. I really liked the performance of the Pathos Finpockets with my Carbon blades, but those things gave me blisters which lasted for months. Some friends wear them without socks, but for me, those didn't fit my feet right. Other finpockets I use I just use my Finsocks and I never blister. But if I'm ever going for a real long hard dive, I try to remember to tape up first.

Hi Jon,

Bring water to boil in the largest pot you have, then turn off the heat and leave the footpockets in for 5 minutes. Then, wear them with your socks till they're cold. Makes a huge difference with the Pathos.

[SEATUX]

Originally Posted by Marco

Hi Jon,

Bring water to boil in the largest pot you have, then turn off the heat and leave the footpockets in for 5 minutes. Then, wear them with your socks till they're cold. Makes a huge difference with the Pathos.

Agreed...makes a huge difference with all makes of fins...but it is not a cure all. Even molded to fit fins can cause blisters.

But I agree...a GREAT piece of advice!

[popgun pete]

There used to be very thin neoprene fin socks that you could wear with full foot fins, but they were never very durable as they were easily torn even though they were one sided nylon for reinforcing. Also Wenoka when they had their Reeflex fin provided fin socks that were made for anti-toe and ankle chafing. I used to have foot trouble with hours in the water until I changed to hard sole dive boots and heavy open heel spring strap fins to offset the buoyancy of the boots. The spring heel straps automatically snug up your fins when you dive deep so the fins don't wobble on your feet/boots.

Rubber can be rather grippy, think of a pencil eraser, but maybe a slick finish treatment in the foot pocket may help with a Teflon spray coating. In the old days when fins were actual rubber divers often worked over high points and ridges in the moldings with "wet and dry” paper. They put something in the foot pocket to mark the high spots, same as using carbon paper to track rubbing points by leaving marks where the stuff presses on a plain sheet of paper underneath.