Congratualtions on your new purchase mauiman! I have the exact same fin (soft stiffness) and bag but the fin has OMER footpockets. I love it in both the ocean and pool.
Regarding the push off in the pool, I found that I could push off with the heels of my feet and this protects the blade most of the time. When I first got the mono I was very worried about scratching the blade, but as time went on, especially with long pool sessions, I came to the conclusion that some scratches here and there were inevitable.
If you have the blade protection option, that helps too.
Just be sure to store the fin properly because the blade seems to have a "memory" to it and will keep that shape for a while if for example you store the mono with pressure on the blade causing it to bend. I have found though that the "memory" is temporary and the shape goes back to normal after I use the mono.
