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Fins


Fins are an essential piece of diving kit, with every diver having a personal preference to the style which suits them best. Some divers opt for the traditional 'jet fin' style, which are large and fairly rigid, where as some divers like the more modern style 'split fins' which offer less water restriction whilst improving the power ratio.

A jellyfish is faster and more graceful than you are without fins underwater. Fins transform you from a slow moving, limbs flailing, underwater creature into a true denizen of the deep. They enable you to dart about with speed, mobility and efficiency.

How do you choose the right scuba diving fin for you?

When you walk into your local dive shop, or look online, the sheer variety of diving fins can seem overwhelming.

Flex fins, split fins, force fins, closed heel, open heel, the list goes on and on.

When it comes down to it there are really only 2 basic types of scuba diving fins. All fins are just variations on either one of these themes.

Types of Scuba Fins

Paddle Fins

The most common type of fin used in diving. Paddle fins can be cheap or expensive depending on the style, make and model. Different features, like flex points, can add significantly to the price.

A paddle scuba fin offers good mobility and agility. Overall it's a great choice for any diver.

A downside to the paddle style fin it that it has the most resistance and requires big strong leg kicks, which can tire a diver out and result in more air consumption.

Features like flex or pivot points can alter how much effort it takes, and when it comes to buying these more expensive fins I would suggest trying before buying if possible. At lest do as much homework as possible before laying out the cash.

Split Fins

The split fin has a blade which is split in half down the middle. When a scuba diver kicks, the split blade acts like a propeller to push the diver forward.

Split fins require less effort to kick and are good for divers whose leg strength might not be very strong, or who prefer short flutter style kicking.

Some divers feel that split fins aren't as effective when diving in strong currents.

Other Features of Scuba Fins

It's the features that manufacturers add to their specific fin design that makes the price start to rise.

Go on any scuba forum, or anywhere divers are talking, and you'll hear debate for or against any particular design feature.

It's always a matter of individual comfort and preference combined with each divers particular style whether a certain type of fin 'works' for them or not.

Things to consider before buying scuba fins

Comfort

Are they comfortable? Comfort is paramount. Wear dive boots when trying on any fin you are considering to see how it feels.

Size

We recently read that zappos.com, a giant online shoe retailer, has a 30% return rate for improper fit, so the size question is not limited to swim fins. The question may be even more difficult with fins because a 'shoe' size is only part of the answer. The brand and type of neoprene boots you wear, particularly heavy soled or rock boots, will have as much effect on the selection of fin foot pocket as the shoe size. Some people, especially those with high arches, prefer a loose fit in their fin and others prefer a snug fit. Our recommendation is to make your 'best guess' following our size guides and rely upon The Scuba Doctor no hassles return policy.

Price

Any fin will get you through the water. High performance racing tires and cheap discount store tires both let a car roll.

Buy what you can afford, and upgrade when you can.

Open or Closed Heel

A closed heel fin is usually used for snorkeling, however if you are doing very easy dives with minimal equipment in warm water, you can definitely use them.

Otherwise an open heel used with a bootie is better for most scuba diving.

Traveler or Drifter

Do you travel a lot when you dive, moving from spot to spot, always swimming? If so a dive fin designed to help you cover a lot of distance easily would be best.

Leg Strength

If you have stronger legs you should be able to use a stiffer more robust fin, If that's what you want.

The 2 biggest considerations in our opinion are comfort and price.

There's a lot of debate over fins. This is more agile than that, this is harder to kick than that, this makes me move faster than that, blah blah blah.

Yes the different features do affect performance. But if a fin isn't comfortable your dive will suck. If it's too expensive, you'll be too broke to buy air to dive with.

Think about what type of diving you mostly do and make a checklist of what you are looking for in scuba fins.

Try out a few different styles. If you rent gear, ask the dive shop if they have different style fins available, or ask other divers if you can try theirs.

For more information about Fin features please read our advice on choosing the right Fins for you in our Trusted Advice section.

Then buy the best pair you can afford from The Scuba Doctor.



Melbourne Drift Dives

Melbourne Drift Dives by The Scuba Doctor

Drift diving can provide you with some of the most exhilarating dives of your life. Especially in Melbourne where at the right time of the year, the currents can be very strong.

Some Melbourne drift dives are about the thrill of being swept effortlessly along in fast current. Others are about cruising along slowly taking in the spectacular underwater terrain. And in Melbourne, some are about covering an area of the sandy sea bed floor of Port Phillip while gathering a feed of scallops.

Drift diving in Port Philip is a little different to drift diving in other areas of the world because of our strong currents and the amount of boating traffic. Divers are typically split into separate groups depending on numbers and are given a long length of rope, around 50 metres, with a buoy and dive flag attached to one end. The idea is to descend as a group spaced along the line keeping parallel to the current. It sound tricky but it isn't. This is really the easiest form of diving as very little kicking is required or navigation. You just go with the flow! Your air supply lasts longer and the terrain is always changing.

Before you undertake a drift dive in Melbourne, please read our guide to Diving in Melbourne Currents.

Safety Tip: We recommend you read our Boat Diving Safety and Using a Dive Float and Flag pages and use the described Cray/Drift Buoy Line Diver Freedom System when drift diving from a private boat.

Melbourne Drift Dive Site Locations

You can see where the popular Melbourne and Victorian drift dive locations are via our Melbourne Dive Sites Map. The GPS marks for these drift dives are also listed here, plus on our Melbourne Dive Site GPS Marks page.

Here are some Melbourne drift dive sites where you might get to fly underwater.

Artefacts Flood

Drift Dive
Drift Dive
Boat access
Boat access
Drift Dive Site Inside Port Phillip Open Water Rated
Latitude: 38° 17.995′ S   (38.299917° S / 38° 17′ 59.7″ S)
Longitude: 144° 41.287′ E   (144.688117° E / 144° 41′ 17.22″ E)
Datum: WGS84 Google Map
Added: 2012-07-22 01:00:00 GMT, Last updated: 2022-04-28 17:41:02 GMT
Source: GPS
Nearest Neighbour: Quarantine Station Reef, 563 m, bearing 221°, SW
Ticonderoga Bay, Port Phillip.
Depth: 10 to 15 m.
See the Artefacts Flood dive site page

Boarfish Reef Drift

Drift Dive
Drift Dive
Boat access
Boat access
Advanced Open Water Rated Crayfish Dive Site Drift Dive Site Inside Port Phillip Reef Dive Site
Latitude: 38° 16.915′ S   (38.281917° S / 38° 16′ 54.9″ S)
Longitude: 144° 39.275′ E   (144.654583° E / 144° 39′ 16.5″ E)
Datum: WGS84 Google Map
Added: 2012-07-22 01:00:00 GMT, Last updated: 2022-04-06 11:45:36 GMT
Source: GPS
Nearest Neighbour: Shortland Bluff Bommie, 102 m, bearing 49°, NE
Depth: 6 to 32 m.
Dive only on: SWF, SWE.
See the Boarfish Reef Drift dive site page

Catch Bag Reef Drift

Drift Dive
Drift Dive
Boat access
Boat access
Abalone Dive Site Crayfish Dive Site Drift Dive Site Inside Port Phillip Open Water Rated Reef Dive Site
Latitude: 38° 17.144′ S   (38.285733° S / 38° 17′ 8.64″ S)
Longitude: 144° 37.981′ E   (144.633017° E / 144° 37′ 58.86″ E)
Datum: WGS84 Google Map
Added: 2012-07-22 01:00:00 GMT, Last updated: 2022-04-29 04:44:13 GMT
Source: GPS
Nearest Neighbour: Lonsdale Wall Shallow, 207 m, bearing 265°, W
Depth: 12 to 24 m.
See the Catch Bag Reef Drift dive site page

Cattle Jetty Drift

Drift Dive
Drift Dive
Boat access
Boat access
Drift Dive Site Inside Port Phillip Open Water Rated
Latitude: 38° 18.095′ S   (38.301583° S / 38° 18′ 5.7″ S)
Longitude: 144° 40.825′ E   (144.680417° E / 144° 40′ 49.5″ E)
Datum: WGS84 Google Map
Added: 2012-07-22 01:00:00 GMT, Last updated: 2022-05-07 15:34:58 GMT
Source: GPS
Nearest Neighbour: Quarantine Station Reef, 380 m, bearing 128°, SE
Depth: 8 to 18 m.
See the Cattle Jetty Drift dive site page

Geoffs Scallop Hole

Drift Dive
Drift Dive
Boat access
Boat access
Drift Dive Site Inside Port Phillip Open Water Rated Scallops Dive Site Spearfishing Site
Latitude: 38° 21.549′ S   (38.35915° S / 38° 21′ 32.94″ S)
Longitude: 144° 47.781′ E   (144.79635° E / 144° 47′ 46.86″ E)
Datum: WGS84 Google Map
Added: 2019-02-17 05:35:16 GMT, Last updated: 2022-03-27 07:54:34 GMT
Source: Geoff Rodda GPS
Nearest Neighbour: JLs Scallop Beds, 673 m, bearing 86°, E
Depth: 10 to 17 m.
See the Geoffs Scallop Hole dive site page

JLs Scallop Beds

Drift Dive
Drift Dive
Boat access
Boat access
Drift Dive Site Inside Port Phillip Open Water Rated Scallops Dive Site Spearfishing Site
Latitude: 38° 21.525′ S   (38.35875° S / 38° 21′ 31.5″ S)
Longitude: 144° 48.243′ E   (144.80405° E / 144° 48′ 14.58″ E)
Datum: WGS84 Google Map
Added: 2019-02-17 14:09:35 GMT, Last updated: 2021-05-14 13:47:10 GMT
Source: John Lawler GPS (verified)
Nearest Neighbour: Geoffs Scallop Hole, 673 m, bearing 266°, W
Depth: 10 to 17 m.
See the JLs Scallop Beds dive site page

JLs Scallop Drift

Drift Dive
Drift Dive
Boat access
Boat access
Drift Dive Site Inside Port Phillip Open Water Rated Scallops Dive Site Spearfishing Site
Latitude: 38° 20.238′ S   (38.3373° S / 38° 20′ 14.28″ S)
Longitude: 144° 51.091′ E   (144.851517° E / 144° 51′ 5.46″ E)
Datum: WGS84 Google Map
Added: 2019-02-17 13:53:57 GMT, Last updated: 2021-05-14 13:47:33 GMT
Source: John Lawler GPS (verified)
Nearest Neighbour: Rye Scallop Drift, 450 m, bearing 343°, NNW
Depth: 15 m.
See the JLs Scallop Drift dive site page

Kelp Beds Reef Drift

Drift Dive
Drift Dive
Boat access
Boat access
Abalone Dive Site Crayfish Dive Site Drift Dive Site Inside Port Phillip Open Water Rated Reef Dive Site
Latitude: 38° 17.008′ S   (38.283469° S / 38° 17′ 0.49″ S)
Longitude: 144° 39.584′ E   (144.659729° E / 144° 39′ 35.02″ E)
Datum: WGS84 Google Map
Added: 2012-07-22 01:00:00 GMT, Last updated: 2022-04-29 04:50:58 GMT
Source: GPS
Nearest Neighbour: Hot Spot, 275 m, bearing 39°, NE
Depth: 10 to 21 m.
Dive only on: Flood.
See the Kelp Beds Reef Drift dive site page

Quarantine Station Reef

Drift Dive
Drift Dive
Boat access
Boat access
Advanced Open Water Rated Drift Dive Site Inside Port Phillip Reef Dive Site Slack Water
Latitude: 38° 18.222′ S   (38.3037° S / 38° 18′ 13.32″ S)
Longitude: 144° 41.030′ E   (144.683833° E / 144° 41′ 1.8″ E)
Datum: WGS84 Google Map
Added: 2012-07-22 01:00:00 GMT, Last updated: 2022-04-29 05:41:41 GMT
Source: GPS
Nearest Neighbour: Cattle Jetty Drift, 380 m, bearing 308°, NW
Depth: 12 to 22 m.
Dive only on: SWF, SWE.
See the Quarantine Station Reef dive site page

Rye Scallop Beds

Drift Dive
Drift Dive
Boat access
Boat access
Drift Dive Site Inside Port Phillip Open Water Rated Scallops Dive Site Spearfishing Site
Latitude: 38° 20.812′ S   (38.346867° S / 38° 20′ 48.72″ S)
Longitude: 144° 47.684′ E   (144.794733° E / 144° 47′ 41.04″ E)
Datum: WGS84 Google Map
Added: 2019-02-17 14:16:00 GMT, Last updated: 2021-05-15 00:19:59 GMT
Source: GPS
Nearest Neighbour: Geoffs Scallop Hole, 1,373 m, bearing 174°, S
Depth: 10 to 17 m.
See the Rye Scallop Beds dive site page

Rye Scallop Drift

Drift Dive
Drift Dive
Boat access
Boat access
Drift Dive Site Inside Port Phillip Open Water Rated Scallops Dive Site Spearfishing Site
Latitude: 38° 20.005′ S   (38.333417° S / 38° 20′ 0.3″ S)
Longitude: 144° 51.003′ E   (144.85005° E / 144° 51′ 0.18″ E)
Datum: WGS84 Google Map
Added: 2012-07-22 01:00:00 GMT, Last updated: 2021-05-15 00:20:16 GMT
Source: GPS
Nearest Neighbour: JLs Scallop Drift, 450 m, bearing 163°, SSE
Depth: 15 m.
See the Rye Scallop Drift dive site page

San Remo Bridge

Drift Dive
Drift Dive
Shore access
Shore access
Advanced Open Water Rated Drift Dive Site Inside Western Port Slack Water
Latitude: 38° 31.116′ S   (38.518605° S / 38° 31′ 6.98″ S)
Longitude: 145° 21.866′ E   (145.364429° E / 145° 21′ 51.94″ E)
Datum: WGS84 Google Map | Get directions
Added: 2019-05-05 02:36:27 GMT, Last updated: 2022-03-22 06:16:17 GMT
Source: Google Earth
Nearest Neighbour: San Remo Jetty, 220 m, bearing 172°, S
San Remo, Phillip Island.
Depth: 3 to 13 m.
See the San Remo Bridge dive site page

Sponge Garden Drift

Drift Dive
Drift Dive
Boat access
Boat access
Drift Dive Site Inside Port Phillip Open Water Rated Reef Dive Site
Latitude: 38° 16.501′ S   (38.275017° S / 38° 16′ 30.06″ S)
Longitude: 144° 39.971′ E   (144.666183° E / 144° 39′ 58.26″ E)
Datum: WGS84 Google Map
Added: 2012-07-22 01:00:00 GMT, Last updated: 2021-12-20 09:45:08 GMT
Source: GPS (verified)
Nearest Neighbour: Torpedo Reef, 286 m, bearing 215°, SW
Depth: 12 to 20 m.
Dive only on: Ebb.
See the Sponge Garden Drift dive site page

Total of 13 dive sites.


DISCLAIMER: No claim is made by The Scuba Doctor as to the accuracy of the dive site coordinates listed here. Should anyone decide to use these GPS marks to locate and dive on a site, they do so entirely at their own risk. Always verify against other sources.

The marks come from numerous sources including commercial operators, independent dive clubs, reference works, and active divers. Some are known to be accurate, while others may not be. Some GPS marks may even have come from maps using the AGD66 datum, and thus may need be converted to the WGS84 datum. To distinguish between the possible accuracy of the dive site marks, we've tried to give each mark a source, e.g. GPS, Google Earth, or unknown.

If you don't understand the differences between the different ways coordinates are given, plus how different datum come into play, you might find the article GPS Conversions by Lloyd Borrett a useful read. It describes the problems associated with locating dive sites using a GPS receiver.

GPS latitude explained


Scuba Doctor Dive Map KML File

In the true spirit of making it easy to obtain, utilise and share the information for non-commercial purposes, you can now Download/view the Scuba Doctor Dive Map GPS Marks (KML file | 427.19 KB | 24-May-2022) in the Keyhole Markup Language (KML) file format used to display geographic data in an Earth browser such as Google Earth or Google Maps.

Some marine GPS units can import the information from a KML file. For others you can use use a file translate program (e.g. GPSBabel) to convert the KML file into an import file format (e.g. GPX) supported by your GPS unit.


Please Help Us To Correct GPS Marks and Add More Melbourne Dive Sites

If you have have information about other dive sites you'd be happy to see added to the information available here, or any corrections and/or updates to the diving site GPS marks listed here, please feel free to Contact Us. See also, Dive Site Help.

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