another which fin to buy thread!!!!

[rigdvr]

Alright guys, Ive been diving with a pair of c4 flaps for 2-3 seasons now and they arent going to last forever(cant believe they have lasted this long around the rigs!) They are 30 stiffness and I really like them. Im thinking of moving down to a fiberglass blade due to the nature of our diving and after looking around heres what Im thinking....
1. c4 VTR 30's - I know the 25's were super soft but how do the 30's stack up? Same profile as my beloved flaps.

2. xxone Pro Mimetic - really sweet looking but Ive never kicked one yet.

3. Carbon Tec "carbon glass" fin - 70% carbon 30% glass. They also have full glass and full carbon models.

4. Omer Pegasso - really only being considered because of the outstanding service Mark L. at technosport has given me in the past. Nice to know your gear comes from a stand up guy like mark!

5. Fisher Power blades - my buddies getting a pair so we could have them shipped together.


I know there alot of fin junkies on the board and I'll make a deal.....give me some good feedback and I'll post some of our latest rig exploits - maybe even pictures

[trux]

If you are looking for fiberglass fins, you may have a look at Beuchat's Mundial Fibra too: Beuchat International

5399mundial_fibra-large.jpg

Very nice fins. I tested them and they feel quite close to my C4 Flaps 30. And, especially, I like Beuchat footpockets.

[demasoni]

Have you considered the Matrix Edge fins?

20 Fathoms - Matrix Fins

They have an angled blade and side rails. The rails aren't as tall as C4 rails though so that you can still scull. They come in 5 different stiffnesses.

I have used the Edge's predecessor - the standard Matrix - in stiffness #3.

When compared to the C4 blade, the Matrix will be wider, and they can be put in various footpockets - Sporasub, Omer, Picasso.

Very durable and reliable - never had to worry about them breaking of getting damaged unlike my C4 flap 25's.

[rigdvr]

83 views but only 2 opinions?

[sunfish]

I've ordered a pair of these specialfins.com which I want to put on a pair of Fireblade footpockets I bought from here Παρελκόμενα Πτερυγίων --- diveshop.gr
Expensive but the pockets are supposed to be the best currently. Lightest weight but still with good power transfer. Blades are supposed to be nearly indestructable with the reactivness of carbon.
The blades have been around a while and there are reveiws of them on this forum. Twice they've been tested in fin lineups, one of these times the reveiw was by Sven and the other by a group of divers also well known on this forum.

[kjflyfish]

I'll give you my perspective on Gary Fisher Powerfins. They rock. The kick stroke is longer and easier and I found myself kicking slower to get the same propulsion, which is great for conserving energy. Unfortunately, I cracked my barely used Fishers at the screw holes. I have heard of very few incidences like mine, so I don't think it's prevalent. Just be careful to make sure the screw holes are drilled ever so slightly oversized. I would also check out Sask's fin review on Spearboard, where he talks about the DiveR fins. These are the same concept as the Fisher fins and apparently, they have never recieved a complaint about breakage and come with a lifetime warranty.

All that said, if your carbons are still going strong, it seems like new carbons would be a good idea.

[azapa]

Originally Posted by demasoni

Very durable and reliable - never had to worry about them breaking of getting damaged unlike my C4 flap 25's.

(THREADJACK ALERT)
demasoni: i'm just about to click and buy som C4 falcons 25's. I weigh 65Kg and am 1.79. I will use them for deeper spearfishing (15 to 25M) and freediving CWT to 40m. Sometimes pool DYNs too.

What do you think of yours and why did they get so beaten up?

Thanks

[Jon]

Nice to see you back on here Rig!

After all of the problems I had with my Sporasub Pure carbons, I switched to C4's and my Falcon 30's are still going strong. I like them a lot, but have added a pair of ICE fins for summer time spearing.

Ted is still using his Special fins and has only had one problem with them so far- a tip got smashed going through baggage claim in the airport. He glued it back together and it's still holding up strong. I believe that Sven sold his Specialfin Hybrids a while ago. I had a chance to use them and they seemed pretty nice to me- although a bit pricey.

Not sure about some of the newer fins as mine have held up so well I haven't thought much about switching- except maybe selling my monofin and going back to a pair of C4-80's.

Jon

[sunfish]

Jon, stiffness wise, how would you say the specialfin Hybrids compared to your Falcon 30's ?

[Jon]

I think the 30's compared to the Specialfin Medium with an OMER pocket on it. The fin flex changed when I put a Sporasub pocket on it- they became softer.

The one advantage the Special fins offer ,for spearfishing, is that you can scull and frog kick a lot easier in them because they have no side rails. The 30's are better for pure depth diving.

Jon

[sunfish]

Thanks for the quick reply Jon. They should be softer again in Fireblade pockets, which have very soft side rails, designed to let blades work over the full length. Because of this, I couldn't decide between medium and hard, so Karmo said he'd make me medium/hard blades.
Can't wait to try the combination!

[Janner]

Rigdvr, i have just ordered a pair of medium/ hard xxone pro mimitec blades (rebranded kaleidos for sale in italy) from Totemsub in Italy im going to fit the blades on Omer footpockets. I decided on these blades after reading a few good reports about them. They are apparently extremely hardy (no need to worry about rocks) and very responsive to dive with. I have a pair of c4 40's but there no good for the rocky areas i tend to dive around as im allways wary of scraping or hitting them.

I imagine its a bit of a numbers game really mate, just like buying anything if you can't try before you buy. I just went for a reputable make that sounded reasonable in the end.

He who dares . . .

I'll let you know how i get on with my fins when they arrive.

Cheers Ian

[strangelove]

Originally Posted by Jon

I think the 30's compared to the Specialfin Medium with an OMER pocket on it. The fin flex changed when I put a Sporasub pocket on it- they became softer.

The one advantage the Special fins offer ,for spearfishing, is that you can scull and frog kick a lot easier in them because they have no side rails. The 30's are better for pure depth diving.

Jon

That is correct,

I have two pairs if hybrids one hard and one medium (btw they can order on medium as well), the medium would be similar to the C4/30 (but they have more snap then the C4). I am 6 feet 175 lb, the hybrid hards are way too hard for me, can't do any surface swiming with them. The medium are the best fins I've ever tried, in my opinion

[rigdvr]

thats more like it! A teaser report....went today and got a 3 man limit of red snapper(six fish) - 5 of them went over 20# and three of those were over 25#! The diving has been really good lately.

[Mullins]

My honest opinion is, get the ones that look coolest. C4s are the shiniest I've seen but Fisher fins might also be in the running as you can send him a .jpeg and he'll print it onto the fibreglass.