Leaderfins Freediving mono quality review

[demasoni]

OK, I don't like complaining about a product, but in light of fact that Leaderfins supplies many freedivers with various monos, I feel I need to inform the community about quality issues with my Freediving with wings mono.

I really like this mono-my first-as its very comfortable and easy to use for hours at a time. It's a great confidence builder and all-around use fin.

However, there are some issues. The OMER pockets are starting to come apart. The footpockets are tearing and separating from the blade in the center where there aren't reinforcing ribs like on the outside of the pockets. Based on what happened to Jon's mono, I wonder if this truly is a design flaw... http://forums.deeperblue.net/monofin...t-how-fix.html

I've been diving with it in the ocean and finswimming/underwater dynamics in the pool. I expected it to be more durable though.

I've also had some coating issues with it where the surface is changing colors and I can see through the blue to the layer underneath. The wings are also shaped proportionally different - the right wing is not the same distance to the bottom of the blade as the left one.

Funny thing is that this mono is still under warranty and is less than a year old. I've been in contact with the US Leaderfins rep. I bought it from for the last few months and nothing has been done. Apparently the rep's e-mails and attempts at contact are falling on deaf ears with the boys over in Estonia.

Anyone out there using traditional open-heel / next gen. monos (i.e. - Hypers, Flyers etc) experience something similar?

[Waterenthusiast]

Hi there,
Maybe I'm wrong but your fin looks more like a Special fins Monofin to me
If it's a leaderfins Monofin then which modell is it?

Christophe

[demasoni]

Originally Posted by Waterenthusiast

Hi there,
Maybe I'm wrong but your fin looks more like a Special fins Monofin to me
If it's a leaderfins Monofin then which modell is it?

Christophe

It's definitely a Leaderfins "Freediving Monofin with Wings" in blue with large wings and blade protection.

LeaderFins.com

Specialfins has a similar one called "Freediving Monofin Colored" here:

specialfins.com

[SnuFPunK]

Originally Posted by demasoni

Anyone out there using traditional open-heel / next gen. monos (i.e. - Hypers, Flyers etc) experience something similar?

Ehm, your using a monofin with bi fin's foot pockets, why are you asking about hypers ?

And no, I've been abusing my Water Way Glide monofin for months now, mostly in open water but in pools too - no signs of anything falling apart.

~ Snuf.

[demasoni]

Originally Posted by SnuFPunK

Ehm, your using a monofin with bi fin's foot pockets, why are you asking about hypers ?

And no, I've been abusing my Water Way Glide monofin for months now, mostly in open water but in pools too - no signs of anything falling apart.

~ Snuf.

Yes I know I'm using bi-fin pockets What I meant was that I think it's time for a change to open heel pockets like those on hypers, flyers, WW Gilde, etc...

[SnuFPunK]

Well, look, I enjoy my dives with the Glide fin very much, and more then with any other fin I've tried before.

However, no one can tell you what you are gonna like best.
The best thing to do would be to find someone who has the fin your interested in and trying it out.

Remember, every experienced freediver has a closet full of fins he doesnt use

~ Snuf.

[demasoni]

Appreciate the advice Snuf,

Its just that it's next to impossible for me to try on various monos here, so I am using DB and other sites on the net as much as possible to get impressions of different fins.

In the long run though, I still don't doubt I will have a "closet full of fins" as well as all the other gear I currently have and no longer use - masks, snorkels, wetsuits, bi-fins, etc.

[Jon]

That looks exactly like my fin that fell apart on me!

I sent it back to Sepcialfins once and they glued it back together for me for free- just cost me $45 to ship it over there. That patch job lasted about a month before it fell apart again.

I have been thinking about sending it back to them with an extra pair of Sporasub pockets that I have and see if they can re-do the whole thing for me. The blade on my blue one still looks good, it's just the pockets that have ripped apart.

I've had OK luck with my carbon monofin from them, with the Sporasub pockets on it, but I haven't taken it in the pool that much and I am very careful about what I bump into with it.

I also have a NEMO fin that seems a bit stronger in this regard as they have not snipped off the inner side rails so there is more area to glue to the blade. I am thinking that this should last a bit longer.

I would REALLY like to try one of those GLIDE fins out, but just can't justify, to my wife, buying another expensive fin without at least trying it first. Maybe Waterway would want to send us a demo fin to Freedive-a-palooza for everyone to try- it worked out pretty well for Specialfins when they did that a few years ago.


Jon

[SnuFPunK]

Jon,
The Nemo has quite a firm construction, I don't own one personally but I have a couple of friends who do, and use it at least 2-3 times a week in pool or sea and are very pleased!

You could try sending Bogdan (from waterway) an e-mail with this Idea of yours, hes quite an open minded guy!

My dad always told me: "smart people get married, but smarter people don't"


demasoni,
If you have made up your mind about trying a "next generation" monofin, the Glide fin is a great way to go, speaking from personal experience, its not as buoyant as most other fins of this type, and is neutral at around 5-6 meters of salt water (red sea - saltiest sea in the world ;P [dead sea is a lake]), which gives it an edge for constant weight freediving (no drastic buoyancy changes at depth).


~ Snuf.

[efattah]

I did an extensive review of the Waterway Glide fin recently. (This was the 330mm footpocket, middle distance stiffness).

The summary of my review:
- If all you are going to do is swim in a straight line for short periods, the waterway glide fin is among the most efficient monofins ever built.

However, if you plan on wearing the fin for more than 20 minutes, or if you plan on doing any type of recreational diving which requires maneuverability, then it is not ideal. The foot pocket crushed both my big toes and Laminar's big toes, to the point of extreme pain, after about 15-20 minutes. The buoyancy change was annoying on FRC dives, and the fin behaves less efficiently at depth, compared to at the surface.

The fin is unforgiving of bad technique. You really need to extend your arms and do a full body undulation, but if done correctly, the result is dramatic.

I was able to cover 25m dynamic apnea in just 4.5 to 5 strokes -- absolutely unbelievable.

In constant weight, here are some comparisons with 1st generation fins:

(all tests in 6.5mm suit with neck weight and weight belt, carrying impulse 2 snorkel in one hand, done FRC)

30m dive, arms extended on the ascent:
Waterway glide: ascent in 14 strokes
Finis/Waterway hybrid W3 custom: ascent in 18 strokes

20m dive, arms extended on the ascent:
Waterway glide: ascent in 8 strokes
Finis/Waterway hybrid W3 custom: ascent in 10 strokes
Chinese record fin (used on my 82m WR): ascent in 11 strokes

However, the 1st generation fins win by far for maneuverability and comfort, and no buoyancy change.

The angle of the waterway glide means you coast for much longer with much less drag, both in dynamic, and hypothetically while sinking in constant weight. Also, the angle means you get a much more powerful 'back' stroke during the monofin undulation.

I'm very interested in the Leaderfins Sport Carbon fin with classic footpockets but an angle on the blade:
LeaderFins.com

Has anyone tried it?

[Jon]

Eric,

You said that your were wearing a 6.5mm suit, but you didn't say how thick a socks you were wearing. What do you wear for a sock- especially in winter?

I'm wearing a 3mm sock in my summer fin and a 5mm-6mm sock with my winter fin. All of my, current, monofins have bi-fin pockets on them. I know that they aren't as efficient, but being able to wear a thicker sock allows me to wear them for hours on end when it gets cold outside.

Thanks,

Jon

[demasoni]

demasoni,
If you have made up your mind about trying a "next generation" monofin, the Glide fin is a great way to go, speaking from personal experience, its not as buoyant as most other fins of this type, and is neutral at around 5-6 meters of salt water (red sea - saltiest sea in the world ;P [dead sea is a lake]), which gives it an edge for constant weight freediving (no drastic buoyancy changes at depth).


~ Snuf.


Ideally I would like one fin like my now crippled Leaderfins OMER-pocketed mono for recreational diving and all around fun use as well as a "next gen" open heel mono for performance diving.

However, I secretly hope to find an open-heel mono that I can use for more than one hour. I know you said you when you first got you WW Glide it was torture, but with training you can now wear them for much longer. Point is, yes, in the end I will most likely get an open-heel mono. WW Glide sounds nice as well...

[efattah]

I use 3mm socks in my monofins.

I have tried monofins that have bi-fin footpockets. However, in my opinion, you are better off using high quality bifins (i.e. C4 Falcon 40), rather than using a mono with bi-fin footpockets... however don't take that as a fact, since I have only tried a couple of monos with bi-fin footpockets.


I think it is possible to get open heeled footpockets that a large enough for a 5mm sock, but I'm not sure which company makes them (not waterway or finis), but maybe Mat-Mas, leaderfins or specialfins.

[Jon]

Eric,

How long can you last, warmth wise, in your area in the middle of winter with only a 3mm sock on? What kind of socks are you using?

Jon

[efattah]

In 8C water and 3mm MEC socks (and finis footpockets), my feet last for about 50 minutes before I need to get out... otherwise I will risk tendonitis if I stay in the water. I have designed an electric footpocket warming device, but haven't had time to build it yet.

Keep in mind that I don't do much kicking -- on the surface I swim with my arms, on the descent I just sink, on the bottom I swim or grab mainly with my arms, and then I kick on the ascent. The more kicking I do, the faster my feet get cold.