Blister Prevention on Multi-Day Dive Trips

Blisters while freediving are often not considered by most divers until they become a big problem. It makes sense that putting out large amounts of force from kicking on our feet can cause blisters, which are painful and take a while to heal, especially during multi-day trips. The long fins that freedivers use can compound this problem. There are a couple important ways to ensure blister prevention while freediving, and we will be going over some of those strategies in this post.

 

Booties - Designed for Blister Prevention

Dive booties help prevent blisters and fill in your freedive fin foot pocket. They can also help on long walks to and from your dive site. Booties prevent blisters by adding an extra padded, protective layer between your foot and the sometimes abrasive rubber of a foot pocket. A good neoprene bootie will help keep your feet safe from the environment around you, which can be anything from an underwater rock to shells walking along the beach to fire coral grazing your ankles on the reef. Booties are the single biggest piece of equipment that can prevent blisters from diving. Make sure to always have a spare pair of dive booties in your dive bag to prevent skipping a day of diving, or ruining your week or month. If you have particularly sensitive feet, you should consider wearing a thicker neoprene bootie. If booties are too expensive or too hot, consider wearing a normal athletic sock to protect your heel.

 

Properly Fitting Foot Pockets

After dive booties, properly fitting foot pockets are critical to blister prevention. Foot pockets for freedive fins should be like an extension of your foot. They should be snug, but not tight. If your foot can easily move back and forward in the foot pocket, then they are too loose and can likely cause blisters. Make sure to get a comfortable pair of foot pockets that fit your foot well. If you are having a hard time finding a good pair of foot pockets that fit you, another good option is to use a pair of Fin Keepers to hold the foot pocket to your foot better.

 

Know When to Get Out of The Water

It is amazing how quickly your feet can go from completely normal to looking like ground beef from blistering and water exposure. If you are on a multi day trip, it is critical to make sure you are taking care of yourself. That means staying hydrated, cleaning your wetsuit, and moisturizing your feet! One of the toughest calls you can make on a trip is to know when to get out of the water. If you forgot your booties up in your room, just stay out of the water for a day. It is brutal to miss a day, but it beats missing the rest of the trip and having to heal up for over a month with foot injuries. We speak from experience when we say it is not fun to spend more time than necessary in clinics halfway across the world trying to pick up antibiotics for blood poisoning.