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Old 02-01-2019, 12:14 AM   #16
jfjf
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Re: How To Avoid Blisters?

I generally go barefoot. I read on this forum many years ago the idea of placing Vaseline on the inside of the pockets. It helps a lot, but you have to be careful not to use too much and you have to reapply after a few dives. Never tried it with socks, since I assume it would make a mess.
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Old 02-01-2019, 08:20 AM   #17
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Re: How To Avoid Blisters?

IMO, If you're getting blisters it's because your fit ain't right.
Try thicker socks or a smaller foot pocket.
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Old 02-01-2019, 01:36 PM   #18
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Re: How To Avoid Blisters?

Hi Marco, Thanks for the tip. I feel like these particular Pathos Pockets are a lot stiffer than my friends. Can I put the Pocket in the Boiled Water without removing the fin blade if I don't put the fin blade into the water?
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Old 02-01-2019, 04:07 PM   #19
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Re: How To Avoid Blisters?

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Originally Posted by Behslayer View Post
Hi Marco, Thanks for the tip. I feel like these particular Pathos Pockets are a lot stiffer than my friends. Can I put the Pocket in the Boiled Water without removing the fin blade if I don't put the fin blade into the water?
Yes Sir. I did it that way. It works wonders.

Pathos pockets are made of EPDM instead of natural rubber. That's why they are lighter and stiffer. And that's why you can mold them easily to your feet.
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Old 02-01-2019, 04:08 PM   #20
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Re: How To Avoid Blisters?

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Originally Posted by diveincanada View Post
IMO, If you're getting blisters it's because your fit ain't right.
Try thicker socks or a smaller foot pocket.
That would cut your blod circulation. And you don't want that to happen.
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Old 02-08-2019, 07:33 PM   #21
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Re: How To Avoid Blisters?

Do you use lined or open cell booties. I used to get blisters from the lined ones but once I switched to booties with open cell inside (and lined outside to walk on rocks, etc) I stopped having that problem. I think the Lycra-like material in the liners is enough to damage your skin if you dive for several hours.
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Old 02-16-2019, 03:28 AM   #22
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Re: How To Avoid Blisters?

A bit of an update now that I have had 8-9 days of diving.
I am using Pathos footpockets as I like how light they are yet feel stiff enough to not loose too much energy. But like Jon, on previous trips they have given me blisters that have literally taken months to heal, hence why I wanted a good taping solution for this trip.

So, I brought two different brands of kinesiology sports tape, I also had some of the white skin tape and then I found some regular brown Leukoplast in the first aid box of a local dive shop, so snatched some of that, too.

Here are my findings;-)

White skin tape (Micropore)
Sticks well to itself but has no give so it's easy to end up taping too tight.
Cheap but doesn't stick well when wet. Normally doesn't last a long day of diving.

Kinesiology Tape (Sports Tape)
Sticks well to itself. Fairly easy to cut to size. Strecthes well, so no risk of taping too tight and restricting blood flow - the easiest to apply. But it doesn't stick super well to skin once you start diving. It sticks just about alright for a day or two but sometimes comes off during the day.

Leukoplast (brown)
Sticks really well to itself and sticks well to skin, too - even when wet. I couldn't find the white, waterproof version but the brown one seems to be everywhere to be found in Indonesia and it did the job the best out of the three. Not as stretchy as the kinesiology tape but perhaps slightly more flexible than the white skin tape. Will stick for days and is the clear winner for me. Also, substantially cheaper than the kinesiology sports tapes.

Overall, I can say that taping up really does help and I have only had one small blister almost about to develop so far - whereas on a similar trip last year where I only had micropore skin tape I was wrecked after 3-4 days.

I have read about the boiling water tip on other forums as well but thanks to Marco for reminding me. I'll see about doing that, too.

Thanks for all the tips:-)

Last edited by Diving Gecko; 02-16-2019 at 03:43 AM.
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Old 02-16-2019, 03:40 AM   #23
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How To Avoid Blisters?

Quote:
Originally Posted by diveincanada View Post
IMO, If you're getting blisters it's because your fit ain't right.
Try thicker socks or a smaller foot pocket.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco View Post
That would cut your blod circulation. And you don't want that to happen.
I agree with Marco. I have fairly wide feet but my first set of fins were Cressis and they are slim (which I didn't know when I ordered them). While they were snug, they were too snug and often resulted in foot cramps.
Also, and less important to some, but I like to dive with the thinnest possible socks that'll keep me warm. Anything thicker is just going to waste power during the kick.

Next footpockets were Omer Milleniums and they are much wider and really comfortable but rather heavy. Then I tried the Pathos and that's what I have had on my latest two sets of fins.
It's a lot like masks - you have to choose a footpocket than fits the general shape of your foot.

Last edited by Diving Gecko; 02-19-2019 at 06:33 AM.
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Old 02-17-2019, 11:40 PM   #24
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Re: How To Avoid Blisters?

I'm glad it worked for you
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Old 02-19-2019, 03:48 AM   #25
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Re: How To Avoid Blisters?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gerifalte View Post
Do you use lined or open cell booties. I used to get blisters from the lined ones but once I switched to booties with open cell inside (and lined outside to walk on rocks, etc) I stopped having that problem. I think the Lycra-like material in the liners is enough to damage your skin if you dive for several hours.
Bad idea in my opinion. If you put the wetsuit like almost everyone does (with soapy water), some of that soapy water will get inside the sock no matter what you try to avoid it.

Then the inside of the sock will get slippery and your feet will slide arround and roll inside the sock. The ouside of the sock will stick well to the rocks, etc but your feet will roll inside... It happened to me. Never used those socks again. If you only dive from a boat, it "might" work... but for sore diving and walking in and out of the water... no way!
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Old 10-09-2020, 01:01 PM   #26
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How To Avoid Blisters?

Ok, a belated update on this subject.
Back in spring, before we closed down my friend’s freedive shop due to Covid, I trained with a guy who also had problems with rubbing the skin off of his toes.
But he had had good results using small athletic “finger supports”. Think of the ones you’d use to support a knee or elbow just a lot smaller. Supposedly, some basketball and volleyball players use them.

I finally saw some in a local sports equipment shop in the Philippines and snapped a few pics:




Now, since then I have, literally, become more thick skinned so I didn’t buy the finger supports and not sure whether the thin or thick version would work best. I feel like the diver who showed them to me had the thinner ones but not 100% sure.
But thought I’d at least report back here as an option for others.



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Old 06-28-2021, 02:43 PM   #27
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Re: How To Avoid Blisters?

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Originally Posted by Mikel_24 View Post
Bad idea in my opinion. If you put the wetsuit like almost everyone does (with soapy water), some of that soapy water will get inside the sock no matter what you try to avoid it.

Then the inside of the sock will get slippery and your feet will slide arround and roll inside the sock. The ouside of the sock will stick well to the rocks, etc but your feet will roll inside... It happened to me. Never used those socks again. If you only dive from a boat, it "might" work... but for sore diving and walking in and out of the water... no way!

Reviving an old thread as I just saw this (yep, not much going on on spearboard!).

Different feet, different experiences, my blisters have been solved now and I'm in my third pair of open cell booties. But I can see how it would be annoying if soap gets in them, it just hasn't happened to me as I tuck my wetsuit over (not under) the booties. I do shore and boat dives.
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