waterway powerblades stiffness

[sql]

Hi

Im about to order my new waterway fins but need an advice about stiffness.
This will be my allround fins, lots of surface swimming and hounting max 20m.
was thinking about 3 and 3.5 kg (#1 and2) stiffnesses.
If anyone has experience with waterway footpockets please let me know, how they are. And wich number to take- have 43, us 9.5 and wearing 3mm socks when diving.
waterway options are 41-43 and 43-45.
thanks..

[Memo]

Hi

I bought waterways 10 days ago and I bought 3.5k ones... After much discussion to get 3.5 or 4 I shoose 3.5 and I think they are perfect for hunting... They are ideal for surface swimming and some deep dives IMO. I used them upto 28m and they were perfect. If you will not dive above 20m choose 3 stiffness as you will be more comfortable.

[gbo]

I bought mine about two weeks ago - I have a 44 size foot and the 43-45 fits just right with a 4,5 mm sock - the blade is great (stiffness no.2) lots of power! I dont use them for hunting, only freediving so maybe you will want to get softer blades. Generally, I like the footpockets a lot - though I only tried Esclapez and Gara before - so I cannot compare to anything else ( I think they are very similar to Sporasub footpockets....)

[portinfer]

I have been using Sporasubs and am thinking about getting more powerful fins - for surface and a little depth too. I posted a Q. on this a while back and waterways came up pretty high - and Eric F. seemed to recomend them from what I remember.

Sooooo - does anyone have the URL for the waterway site.

Would you recommend them for someone progressing from Sporas who wants slightly more powerful fins but doesnt want to drop a heap of cash on C4's (especially as I will be spearfishing too so might break C4's on the rocks) ?

I was thinking 3.5kg (stiffness #2) as I have a pretty strong kick.

Cheers
Ed

[w3ac]

Ed,
How big are you? I emailed Peter from Waterway and he suggested based on my height 5'4" and weight 160 lbs ( over a year ago) that I get the #2 and maybe a #3 at teh most. I opted for the #2 and noticed that surface swimming is really nice but deeper than 20 meters, I want something stiffer. You say that your kick is pretty strong, how strong? Do you weight train at all? Despite being short and stocky, I easily squat 365 lbs and deadlift 455 lbs for reps. I consider my legs strong and can easily overpower the #2 if I'm not careful. When I get some extra cash, I will probably get the #4 as I have learned how to kick with the WW blades and know I can handle the #4. My only concern is that blades this stiff will definitely take its toll on my ankles after long dives. Try this to get to WW Canada http://www.finswimming.ca/ and email them if you have more questions. Peter is a super cool guy and I can't say enough about the service. Hope this helps and enjoy the blades.

Brad

[DeepThought]

Also the european site:
http://www.finswimworld.com/

[portinfer]

Alright Brad - I am 6'2" - no weight training but I cycle and swim (I dont drive so cycle everywhere) - think I weigh about 80kg to 85kg ? Not too sure but I am not a pie-eater....

So from what you are saying maybe a #3 would suit me better.

I looked at my mates C4's (40's) while he was swimming and then looked back at mine - basically his make nice smooth shapes and my Sporas bend wildly sometimes.

In other words I think that although they are good to get to start off with I may have outgrown them in terms of power.

Having said that I really like the comfort of the footpocket and also the fact that they are very good on the surface due to the blade angle. This is important for me and I am not looking for a pure "up-and-down" fin.

99% of my diving is shore-based and on the occasional times I get lucky and go out in a boat then I just count my lucky stars... !

Anyway - I dont go too deep - most I've been to is 14m. but I do notice that the Sporas feel a bit soft when powering up or when swimming against a current (REALLY strong currents here so a fin with good powerfulness on the surface into a current is vital for me). Also when you need the odd burst of speed while trying to sort out a speared fish the Sporas feel soft.

So advice is welcome !

I'll chk out the site cheers Michael and Brad - all very helpful as usual - going to hit the sea today - been a bit hectic with a new job and re-discovering the joys of office work - but hey the bills get paid Ed

[dave]

I am 6'4", and 16stone. I use no2 Waterways for all my spearfishing. I have used all stiffness's at some time or another (well, I do sell them!) I have no problem working 80' with them, and they are great for surface swimming. A stiffer fin does not neccessarily equal more depth . I also find a softer fin is less tiring for holding position in a current. It does need a different kicking style than a stiff fin though
That said, #3 blades (medium stiffness) outsell everything else by about 2;1, and seem to suit most people.
cheers
dave
www.spearo.co.uk
www.eliossub.co.uk

[Memo]

I think 3.5k stiffness is perfect for all around spearfsihing. It gives a comfortable surface ride + enough power to go deep upto 30 or maybe more... If you have a smooth finning style go with the 3.5k if you kick harder I think a hard blade maybe better for you.. (but you maybe exhausted soon) as waterways have rails, the power loss is min. and they cannot be comparable with sporas or other plastic fins...

believe me because I just upgraded from blackteams to waterways

[feign]

Dave,

I checked out your website. "Apnea" are the name for the waterway blades, right? They are only listed as 3 levels of stiffness though. Is there a reason for this? thanks.

[portinfer]

Cheers Dave - so would do you think that #2 WW's will be a better bet or improvement over my Sporasubs ?

Like I say the currents are quite fierce - prob. pretty similar conditions to you in Cornwall.

Cheers
Ed

[dave]

There really is no comparison between plastic and fibreglass or carbon blades, it is a completely different world. This is why some people rave about some fairly average carbon or fibreglass blades as they are comparing them to plastic. I have access to, and have used almost all of the available carbon and fibreglass blades, but only sell those I consider the best; Waterway and C4.
I list 3 stiffness of Waterway (soft #1, medium #3 and hard#5, although I stock all five) so as not to create confusion, as this gives a clear distinction between the models. In practical terms there is very little difference between say #3 and #4, but there is a noticeable difference between #3 and #5.
cheers
dave
www.spearo.co.uk
www.eliossub.co.uk

[portinfer]

Cheers for the info Dave - so for spearing in a granite area do you think that C4's are more susceptible to breakage than a fibreglass blade ?

Any recommendations ?

Cheers
Ed

[cdavis]

portinfer,

Given that you like sporas and swim on the surface a lot, have you thought about specialfins, either fiberplastic kelpies or hybrids?. The blades are angled, like sporas, and fit in their pockets just fine. I had gara 2000s before switching to hybrids in spora pockets. The under water performance is (as expected) much better, but the difference in surface swimming that the angled blade provides was unexpected and really grew on me. There is a lot of discussion in other threads on the relative advantages of waterways, specialfins and c4s. The search function shoud turn them up or just page back through the two equipment areas for the last year.

Connor

[dave]

Waterways are pretty much unbreakable. I have been selling them for nearly 2 years, and have not had a single pair returned. I have not even managed to break my own pairs, and believe me I have tried!
The blade angle thing is a red herring, it really doesn't make any difference, particularly not on the softer blades. The elasticity and durability of the Waterway fibreplastic is far superior to any of the angled fibreblades on the market.
That said, C4s are not particularly delicate (Mark L's video involving the fork lift shows that!) and do not need to be babied. I have seen C4s which are still going strong, but look like they have been attacked with an orbital sander
cheers
dave
www.spearo.co.uk
www.eliossub.co.uk