C4 Mustang 80 Apnea Review

[billybob@tesco.]

Hi everyone,

I have recently purchased a pair of C4 Mustang 80 Apnea fins. I was very happy when I received them as they looked great, even the footpockets look good in real life.

I am a size 8.5 UK and was recomended a size 45/46 footpocket, having tries them they are a litttle big particularly in the length anf my toes are a long way from the front of the pocket. They are currently sending me a pair of size 43/44 footpockets to try aswell.

I tried the fins in a pool a few days ago and had the following observations:

I currently use Captain Nemo Fins grade 1 and have both the spearfishing fins and the longer powerblades. I am a relative novice dynamic 66m, constant 28m and static 3mins.

My first use of the fins left me confused, reports had said they were effortless but I found them tiring, after a few length underwater I relised that they changed my finning technique starightening my legs out hence different muscles positons were in use. I am currently short of my previous dynamic ability but expecting this to improve as I become accustomed to the fins. I did find that I had some strain to the lower back which these fins are supposed to prevent but again I am unsure if this is du to the radical change in finning style.

I will report again in the near future and welcome anyone elses observations.

Billtbob.

[Mullins]

I've recently gone back to using my C4 80s after a skipper reversed over my Nemo #3s and chopped them up a bit. They're pretty specialised fins but very good at what they're designed for. They're crap on the surface, crap in the pool and crap on shallow dives. They give you crap acceleration from a standing start because the tips just fold. But once you're off the surface and have gained a bit of speed they suddenly start shoving you forwards, more of a continuous push than the brief spurt you get with each kick from regular fins. You need to use quite a full, straight-legged kick otherwise they'll just collapse and ruin their angle of attack. If you get it right though, they're good - I find the effect so dramatic that it's almost worth putting up with the cumbersome bloody things just so I can get that effortless speed on deep dives.