Got a mail the other day about what kind of swim fins are best for shooting in the water... Before I answer that a little bit of history- Leonardo Da Vinci had a concept of swimfins but never made any, Benjamin Franklin made some wooden ones when he was a boy but it was Owen Churchill that patented the fins that we know today in 1940.
Surf photographers favour the short stubby bodysurfing/bodyboarding fin as it's easy to walk on the beach/reef in and allows for fast acceleration in the water and quick movement in and around waves. It's also less liable to be blown off by a lip landing on your feet. Dive fins are unwieldy and designed for slow leg kicks, sure they are faster in the water but the short fins are the boys.
I currently roll with Hydro Tech fins, they float, are symmetrics (as opposed to Churchill Makapuu style asymmetrics which I find twist your knees if you swim a lot) and are really light and yet to split when running across sharp reefs. I also rate the now discontinued grey and yellow Quiksilver fins, probably the best I've used, but sadly thousands of pairs are filling a landfill somewhere in Les Landes as they didn't sell well. Grab 'em if you can find 'em. There's loads of options so it's best just to try them on in the shops and find some that fit your foot shape well.
For the winter I use the same fins and just roll with bare feet. Even up in the Arctic Circle. This is cos I am a) double hard b) have stubby little feet that don't feel the cold c) Can't stand fin socks etc as they give me awful cramp. If you do feel the need for some neoprene in the winter then another pair of fins a size up will do the trick, but again make sure you try on the sock/fin combo before you buy as it's a tricky one to get comfy. Fin tether wise- forget that velcro shite they sell in the shops. Get some rotproof climbing cord (or some hiking boot shoelaces) and two of those widgets that you get on sleeping bag cords (you know the spring loaded plastic things for keeping cords tight, you can buy them for 50p in camping shops) put the widget on to make a closed loop, whack one end thru the strap of your fin, pass the other end of the string thru so its double looped on your fin strap, stick your foot in and tighten the widget... Et voila Pipeline proof fin tethers for a few quid. That said I've not lost a fin in a long time. But it does happen, I've had both fins off and been pinned to the bottom wrapped in the elbow leash on a pole housing before... not fun. Other accessories that are useful- a karabiner and dive belt. For chucking the housing around your waist when swimming out in heavy beachies or wherever it's a long swim. Back in the film days we used to swim out with two housings to maximise water time. A basic dive weight belt can be found in any dive shop and a basic karabiner (no screw clasps or fiddly bits) is fine. As for life vests... Unless you're super skinny and really need the buoyancy then don't even think about it, theres plenty of buoyancy in wetsuits. So there you go. Essential kit for water shooters, thankfully not expensive which makes a pleasant change...
This is where a good pair of swim fins will get you- in the pit with Sunny G...
