Quote:
Originally Posted by jome
Now the question is - is that automatically a bad thing? I mean weren't world records broken with that fin?  |
Yes, as long as the bending keep the blade in the right angle, or better told as long as it keeps the blade running through the optimal curve, it is not bad, of course. You just need to find the optimal kick style for it, so that the negatives do not overweight the positives.
The V-bending is another cup of tea, though. Although it has also some positives (better directional stability), a big part of the input energy is directly lost on moving water to the wrong direction (sideways instead of backward). So here too, the kick should be adjusted to minimize the V-bend and the resulting energy loss. Strengthening the blade accros the fin under foot-pockets and/or on the trailing edge might help too avoiding the V-bend.
