The best bodyboard fins for most riders are short, pull-on fins in a size that fits your bare foot or fin sock. Of the five pairs here, DORSAL, Churchill Makapuu, DaFin and Ho Stevie! are listed as floating rubber fins; Hydro Tech 2 fins are silicone, and their listings do not say whether they float.
WaterSportHQ editors have not worn these fins. They compared what each brand publishes on its Amazon listing, checked on 2026-10-21, and the fin-fitting advice that eBodyboarding, a bodyboarding retailer in San Clemente, California, publishes on its swimfin guide (read 2026-10-21).
What to look for in bodyboard fins
eBodyboarding’s swimfin guide says bodyboards are “designed to be ridden with swimfins”, and that fins help you paddle out, catch waves and steer. For choosing a pair, it gives these points:
- Comfort first. It says comfort is “the most important characteristic”, because feet differ in width, instep and ankle shape.
- Socks and booties need a bigger fin. Its rule of thumb: a 2 mm fin sock adds 1 shoe size, 3 mm booties add 2, and 5 mm booties add 2.5.
- Stiffness. It says a stiffer fin gives more push if your legs and ankles are used to fins, and a softer fin puts less stress on them if you are new.
- Dropknee. It says dropknee riders usually prefer shorter blades, which are easier to get up on the deck.
- Tethers. It says a fin knocked off in a wave can be held underwater and carried several yards before it surfaces, so it suggests fin tethers.
Editors’ rule of thumb: a fin that floats is easier to find after a wipeout, but tethers still matter, for the reason eBodyboarding gives.
The five bodyboard fins compared
| Fin | Listed sizes (US men’s) | Material | Floats, per listing | Foot shape | Warranty listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DORSAL | 3 to 4 (XX-small) up to 12 to 13 (X-large) | Malaysian gum rubber | Yes | Not stated | Limited lifetime |
| Churchill Makapuu | 5 to 6.5 (small) up to 13 to 14.5 (XL) | Gum rubber | Yes | Not stated | 1 year |
| DaFin | 1 to 2 (XX-small) up to 15 to 16 (XX-large) | Rubber | Yes, in salt water | Either foot | Not stated |
| Ho Stevie! | 7 to 9 (medium) up to 11 to 13 (XL) | Malaysian rubber | Yes | Left and right | 1 year |
| Hydro Tech 2 | 4 to 5 (extra small) up to 12 to 13 (XL) | Silicone | Not stated | Left and right | Not stated |
Each figure comes from the brand’s Amazon listing, linked under each fin. “Not stated” means the listing does not say.
DORSAL bodyboard fins: floating gum rubber, lifetime warranty
DORSAL lists its fins as 100% Malaysian gum rubber, “which naturally floats”, with a slide-on foot pocket, a toe drain hole and three blade rail ridges. The listing names bodyboarding, bodysurfing, swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving. It gives an item weight of 3 pounds and a limited lifetime warranty against defects.
The size menu runs from XX-small (men’s 3 to 4) to X-large (men’s 12 to 13). DORSAL’s sizing chart image adds foot pocket lengths, from 235 mm on the X-small to 282 mm on the X-large.
What they are not for: men’s sizes above 13, and buyers who want sizes in women’s numbers. The listing gives men’s sizes only.
See the DORSAL bodyboard fins on Amazon (men’s 3 to 13)
The link opens the DORSAL listing on the large size. Pick yours from the size menu.
Churchill Makapuu: the dolphin-tail fin, in fewer sizes on the menu
Churchill says it introduced its dolphin-tail swimfins in 1936. The Makapuu listing gives a soft rubber foot pocket, stiff blade rails, a drainage hole and a mesh carrying bag, with a 1 year warranty. Its feature image calls the material “100% floating gum rubber”.
Churchill’s men’s size chart image runs from small (5 to 6.5) to XL (13 to 14.5). On 2026-10-21 the size menu showed only small, medium-large and large.
The listing has two problems. Its women’s chart reads “6-5.8” for small and gives medium-large as 11 to 12 and large as 11 to 12.5, so the women’s rows overlap. Its item weight row says 27.22 grams, which this page does not use.
What they are not for: buyers who need a size the menu does not show today, or who shop by the women’s chart.
See the Churchill Makapuu fins on Amazon (small, medium-large or large)
The link opens the Makapuu listing on medium-large in gum rubber. Pick your size from the menu.
DaFin: the widest size range, and the same fin for either foot
DaFin’s listing says the fins can be worn on either foot and float in salt water. The material row says rubber. The bullets list eight sizes, from XX-small (men’s 1 to 2, women’s 2 to 3.5) to XX-large (men’s 15 to 16, women’s 16 to 17.5), the widest range here, with a women’s size in every row.
The size menu on 2026-10-21 started at small (men’s 5 to 6), so the two smallest sizes in the bullets were not on the menu. The warranty row holds the seller’s returns policy, not a warranty, and the listing gives no weight.
What they are not for: buyers who want a left and right shaped fin, and children who need the XX-small or X-small sizes the menu does not show.
See the DaFin swimfins on Amazon (small to XX-large on the menu)
The link opens the DaFin listing on small in grey and orange. Pick your size from the menu.
Ho Stevie! bodyboard fins: floating rubber, adult sizes only
Ho Stevie! sells these fins for bodyboarding and bodysurfing. The listing gives 100% Malaysian rubber, a foot pocket and heel strap, drain holes on the bottom, and a “fishtail” shape with the long edge on the little-toe side. It says the fins float, gives a 1 year manufacturer warranty, and offers a 30 day return.
There are three sizes, in men’s shoe sizes: medium 7 to 9, large 9 to 11 and XL 11 to 13. A men’s 9 falls in both medium and large, and an 11 in both large and XL. The listing does not say which to pick.
What they are not for: men’s feet under size 7, children, and buyers who want women’s sizes.
See the Ho Stevie! bodyboard fins on Amazon (men’s 7 to 13)
The link opens the Ho Stevie! listing on large. Pick your size from the menu.
Hydro Tech 2: silicone fins shaped for each foot
Hydro lists the Tech 2 as “Bodyboard & Bodysurf Flippers” in silicone, with an asymmetrical shape that Hydro says reduces leg twist, its V-Rail blade and three drain holes. The size menu runs from extra small (men’s 4 to 5) to extra large (men’s 12 to 13). No listing says whether the fins float.
What they are not for: buyers who want fins that float, and anyone who shops by women’s sizes. For the full Tech 2 size chart, the overlapping sizes and the listings’ weight conflict, see our Hydro Tech 2 notes.
See the Hydro Tech 2 fins on Amazon (men’s 4 to 13)
The link opens Hydro’s Tech 2 listing on one size and color. Pick yours from the size menu.
Which bodyboard fins fit which rider
- Small feet: on 2026-10-21 the smallest sizes on the menus were DORSAL XX-small (men’s 3 to 4) and Hydro Tech 2 extra small (men’s 4 to 5). DaFin’s bullets list men’s 1 to 2, but its menu started at small (men’s 5 to 6). For children, check the maker’s chart for the size the menu offers.
- Riders who wear fin socks or booties: size up by eBodyboarding’s rule of thumb above, then check the brand’s chart.
- Big feet: DaFin lists up to men’s 15 to 16 and Churchill’s chart up to 13 to 14.5. The others stop at 13.
- Fins that float: DORSAL, Churchill, DaFin and Ho Stevie! say so. Hydro does not.
Snorkel and travel fins are a different tool
Editors’ rule of thumb: long-blade and open-heel fins are built for snorkeling and swimming, so pick fins sold for bodyboarding if you ride waves. Our Seavenger Torpedo notes cover one such fin. For whether fins help in the pool, see do swimmers really need fins.
Before you buy
- Editors’ rule of thumb: measure your shoe size, then add for socks or booties by eBodyboarding’s rule above.
- Editors’ rule of thumb: try the fins on dry land when they arrive, while a return is still easy.
- Add fin tethers. eBodyboarding suggests them because a lost fin can be held underwater and carried away (see above).
For the board itself, see bodyboard sizes and the best bodyboards by rider size.