carbon special fins

[holdown]

anyone tried the carbon special fins? I'm using c4 30's and they are a little stiff for my legs/needs.

[strangelove]

I am interested to know about those fins as well, I've just bought two pair of hybrids, one medium one hard.

[samdive]

I've got a Carbon Monofin Hard Blade Dolphin and I love it. A friend has the hard bi fins but they are a bit too hard. People seem to prefer the M Technics or C4s.

[hteas]

What Streangelove failed to mention is the performance of the hybrid fins he just got. We used a local pool to test his new hybrid mediums in Omer footpockets, stiff hybrids in Omer pockets, medium bluewater specials in Omer pockets, and my medium bluewater specials in picasso pockets.
(BTW: footpockets DO make a difference. My Picassos are the stiffest, the Omeras fit better, and Sporasubs are softer)
I got 1/2 less kick/length (14) (counting each left foot kick as one) on the bottom with the hybrid mediums than with my medium Bluewater specials (an excellent fin). Kick counts were the same on the surface (14). The stiff hybrids were another 1/2 less kick/length on the bottom, but were too stiff for both of us on the surface. About 2 more kicks/length and slower. The test of the Omer vs Picassso fooptpocket with the same blades showed no difference in performance, just in feel. The Picassos were stiffer, so the energy felt like it was focusing off the tip of your toes (good), compared to the Omers, wich felt more comfortable in fit. Performance was the same (both were great).
It's going to take a very good fin to surpass either the hybrids or the bluewater specials by enough to notice.
Howard