Hey Simon,
Yeah there were some obvious problems with that test i.e. I may have been compensating for softer fins. However I actually felt less fatigued when using the softer fins so even if I compensated by changing technique, I appeared (non-scientific test here so being cautious) still to use less energy. The C4 30s felt hard to kick with and I actually moved more slowly despite thinking I was going fast. I reckon they were forcing me to bend my knees more, which created heaps of drag and wasted energy.
I was able to accelerate just as fast and maintain almost exactly the same profile with the soft fins, so even if I did kick faster there was no problem with power not being available leaving the surface and the bottom. This is the thing most people seem to worry about - including me, initially. I would like to do the test a more rigorously at some stage though, it was a bit limited.
After also failing to find any difference in performance between carbon and plastic blades (despite carbon feeling 'snappier') I switched to using Cressi 3000LDs for almost everything. They're still a bit too stiff but pretty good, and I've taken them to 50m with a 6.5mm suit and heaps of lead so they're not short of power. Could go plenty deeper if I was masochistic enough to want to pursue CWT with bifins!
My second choice are my C4 80s as they're about the correct stiffness for me when using a 3mm suit, I just don't use them very often because they're expensive and I don't want to wreck them on rocks. They're also a bit too long, the blade tips stay straight and flop around which indicates they could stand to be a few cm shorter. Actually I'd probably swap them for a pair of Falcon or Flap 25s if anybody in this neck of the woods is keen...
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