U.S. Divers Sea Lion Flotation Fins for Swimming and Diving

Chuckles: I bought these for my wife. She was surprised by how comfortable they were, since she's never had a "proper" pair before. She said they didn't rub or chafe, and they let her really power through the water.

Canada on Dec 14, 2020

RL: These fit well and are easy to use. I enjoy them.

Canada on Dec 20, 2019

Graybeard: Every few years I have the opportunity to go someplace to snorkel for a few days. As such I do not need the more high end fins. This year I needed to replace my last pair of fins, which were similar to these. As I have M11 wide feet I ordered the XL size. They fit well. Comfortable without slippage. They measure slightly more than 22" in length. This is a little too long for my carry on, but no problem with the checked duffel. If you snorkel quite frequently a better pair that are both longer and have more "give" in the actual fin part might be a better bet. For me, they are just dandy.

United States on Dec 10, 2019

Jalil JacallenJalil Jacallen: I use these fins daily for open water swimming and freediving in the Caribbean, and they are my favorite fins.

FIT: perfect. Mine are marked "LG 10-11 44-45". My shoe size is 10.5 (US), 44 (EU). These fins felt a bit loose when I first put them on, but they feel very comfortable and work perfectly. I have worn them for up to 8 hours at a time with no discomfort whatsoever.

QUALITY: After 6 months of daily use in open water (Caribbean), the soft blue rubber is starting to show checking - presumably from UV exposure - but performance and comfort are unaffected. The harder yellow rubber is fine and keeping its shape well.

United States on Mar 01, 2017

Sally: I just returned from a week long vacation to St. John (USVI). Figuring out my size was tricky at first, but thanks to the person who said they were an 8.5 in women's (that's my size) and chose the 8-10 size, I decided to follow their advice and I'm happy I did. They fit perfectly and are so comfortable compared to the strap on ones. They are not too tight, but not too large either. They are just right. While snorkeling in the water these short fins really help you swim along quickly. I was able to keep up with some sea turtles during one snorkel sessions with no struggle. I swam right along with that turtle thanks to these fins! One more bonus is that they fit perfectly inside my carry on bag, perfect if you're trying to avoid checking in a bag.

Overall, great fins. I'm very happy with these!

United States on Apr 13, 2015

linda908: These are very nice fins, except the sizing is very difficult. I wear a women's size 8 or 81/2 shoe, and after reading the reviews I was not sure which size to order. I ordered 2 - the Medium (7-8) and the Medium large (8 - 10). The ML were so big they would never have stayed on my feet in the water. They were so loose I had a couple inches gap between my heel and the back of the foot pocket. The Medium was so tight I could barely get them on with dry feet, but when wet they weren't quite so bad, so I decided to try them. It seems there's too much of a difference between one size and the next. I have to wonder if the sizing is not consistent, maybe they have more than one manufacturing facility?

They work great! They do a good job of moving you, very nice for a compact fin. During the time I was in the water they still felt tight, but not terribly uncomfortable. However, when I took them off I could see red marks on my feet from the tightness across the top of my foot. I used them quite a few times over the course of several days, and they did not stretch at all, as I was hoping they might. So they really are too small for me, but they weren't so...

United States on Nov 16, 2014

JBJB: This is a really durable fin and perfect for having fun with! With typical use, you should get years of enjoyment with this product. I would say it is appropriate for youth splashing in a pool and adults looking for a better workout while swimming laps. These are buoyant and if they accidentally come off, they will bob at the surface, not rocket to the bottom!

As for design, the fin is very flexible which means it won't "shred" your calf muscles like a stiff SCUBA fin will. On the flip side, the small size and flexible blade means you don't get the thrust and power that a bigger SCUBA / snorkel fin will deliver. A size comparison can be seen in "user submitted images" between an Oceanic V6 SCUBA fin and the US Divers Lion Fin. This has a "slipper fit" foot pocket that doesn't require neoprene socks like open back fins which have a heel strap.

As was stated by others, these are sized small. Choose the fin one size bigger than what the fitting chart suggests and you'll be set!

United States on Jul 31, 2012