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2014 lunocet
- Thread startermonkeyhatfork
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
, There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
- Status
Guys, loving the discussion, videos and posts from afar.
Testing protocol: my silly ideas...
For sea hiking: swim in an elite endless pool on the surface for an hour non-stop, stepping up the swim pace from slow to unsustainably fast every five to ten minutes or so and record heart rates throughout. Rest 20 minutes. Repeat same thing with other hyperfin and dolfin. Repeat the test day 18 times with adequate rest days or so changing the order of the fins in sequence.
Results: for each individual we would see how he or she could maintain a given pace (slow, medium, or fast) for a significant period time and the effect on heart rate. We'd also see which fins perform best at low speeds and fast paces.
The only challenge would be getting permission to use non rubber fins in an endless pool. The liner would be toast!
What do you guys think?
Still thinking about the apnea test....
Hope everyone is staying warm this winter!
Testing protocol: my silly ideas...
For sea hiking: swim in an elite endless pool on the surface for an hour non-stop, stepping up the swim pace from slow to unsustainably fast every five to ten minutes or so and record heart rates throughout. Rest 20 minutes. Repeat same thing with other hyperfin and dolfin. Repeat the test day 18 times with adequate rest days or so changing the order of the fins in sequence.
Results: for each individual we would see how he or she could maintain a given pace (slow, medium, or fast) for a significant period time and the effect on heart rate. We'd also see which fins perform best at low speeds and fast paces.
The only challenge would be getting permission to use non rubber fins in an endless pool. The liner would be toast!
What do you guys think?
Still thinking about the apnea test....
Hope everyone is staying warm this winter!
How uniform is the flow in an elite endless pool? The small ones I've seen looked like there was a swift flow in the center that tapers off toward the edges with a lot of turbulence in the flow. If the flow is not uniform and smooth, it would not be a valid test.
The apnea test is easy... Get in a pool and see how far you make it on a single breath!
For sea-hiking / hydro touring, it's equally simple.... Have 3-4 freedivers of equal ability with different fins start at shore and head out into the ocean in the same direction and see who makes it the furthest!
Flukes attempted delivery today, but I was working for a living...
I'll get them tomorrow and take them for a spin in the evening.
I'll get them tomorrow and take them for a spin in the evening.
Hmmmmmm.......... In the spirit of the conversation I plan to hold my breath until apneaddict posts tomorrow night!
Deja vu indeed. And as you must have read, this is what I also stated in my previous post. This time however the initial reports on the basic model are that it works, and quite well. So the pro model certainly has promise.
Let's wait and try it out before getting judgmental...
Exactly! Months after the evaluation of the 2014 Lunocet, we still have not seen a detailed performance report on it, and now it seems everyone is getting hyped up over a new version already. If I'm not mistaking, the people who are expressing accolades for the 2014 have been comparing it to the original Lunocet (which got a very poor review) and a WW Glide with a #5 sprint blade (an inappropriate blade stiffness for freediving applications that requires exceptional physical conditioning and technique to use properly for sprint swimming). I am not surprised that the 2014, feels good against these comparisons. However, I think the bar is much higher than this.
Fin evaluation is difficult and it takes a very well trained diver with disciplined tactics and techniques to get accurate results. As for the Pro model, it seems like many have cast their verdict based on their desires for it to work before the prototype has even gotten out of the box.
So, I agree with you; "Let's wait and try it out before getting judgmental". This applies to both positive and negative judgement.
I think the monofin community has lots of room to grow........ Much of the new swimmers may be enthusiasts like myself. Don't expect to ever go the fastest or the farthest, but for me I go fast and far.
To evaluate a fin I have to buy one and take it to the pool. After a couple of months I look in the garage. If it has joined the collection of fins that no longer go to the pool with me...... That's a bad sign!
By that measure my last two Lunocets have been winners! They have won the trip to the pool 250 consecutive mornings!
Guys like me count on those of you that are competitors and the ingenious designers and manufacturers to sort this all out and create a fin that keeps us smiling!
I see I've stumbled into such a group! My sincere gratitude to each and every one of you! Keep the cool stuff coming!
My 2014 swam beautifully this morning. Yes! I actually expect the Pro will displace it. Then I expect something to emerge that is even better than that.
The excitement may say that monofinning is about to be noticed by the masses! That's what I hope.
Best evidence so far....... The Go Pro looping videos in Wall Mart and Cabellas featuring three beautiful monofin swimmers having a great time!
To evaluate a fin I have to buy one and take it to the pool. After a couple of months I look in the garage. If it has joined the collection of fins that no longer go to the pool with me...... That's a bad sign!
By that measure my last two Lunocets have been winners! They have won the trip to the pool 250 consecutive mornings!
Guys like me count on those of you that are competitors and the ingenious designers and manufacturers to sort this all out and create a fin that keeps us smiling!
I see I've stumbled into such a group! My sincere gratitude to each and every one of you! Keep the cool stuff coming!
My 2014 swam beautifully this morning. Yes! I actually expect the Pro will displace it. Then I expect something to emerge that is even better than that.
The excitement may say that monofinning is about to be noticed by the masses! That's what I hope.
Best evidence so far....... The Go Pro looping videos in Wall Mart and Cabellas featuring three beautiful monofin swimmers having a great time!
Oh man, what a poor attitude you're exhibiting. Real pity. Nothing more I wish to add or exchange.
All the best to you...
Over reaction Noa. REVAN is an engineer. He wants to see data. Can't blame him for that, me too. His point is well taken, attitude aside. Plus, he has been very proactive in getting his fin into the hands of world class competitors for testing and use. Ted has not done that. If REVAN is a bit frustrated with some of the above comments, I can fully understand
The Lunacet looks gorgeous, but it almost certainly has a good bit more drag than a Dol-fin, simply from the shape of the blade. Should be closer to a hyperfin or bifins. How that will affect overall performance, I have no idea, but it looks to me like the Lunacet is starting with a disadvantage relative to the Dol-fin. Some hard data and comparisons from good divers who have used all three extensively is going to be required to get a grip on how well it really works. Awful lot of hype here, before a real test.
Connor
The Lunacet looks gorgeous, but it almost certainly has a good bit more drag than a Dol-fin, simply from the shape of the blade. Should be closer to a hyperfin or bifins. How that will affect overall performance, I have no idea, but it looks to me like the Lunacet is starting with a disadvantage relative to the Dol-fin. Some hard data and comparisons from good divers who have used all three extensively is going to be required to get a grip on how well it really works. Awful lot of hype here, before a real test.
Connor
Hmmm... I thought I was agreeing with you. So, I'm not sure how you took my comment in such a negative way, but I am sorry that I seem to have offended you. It is a nice looking piece of kit, but on the performance side my message was to remain neutral until the evidence is in, as it has not been shared with the public. But, if my observations are unwanted, I can stay off this thread.
Peace
I would prefer you continued to contribute...
let's get some fins moving and then talk about them
Hello,
I am new to this forum, happy to see that so many people actively are discussing mono fins
Sorry to conclude that my first post in the forum are on the negative side.
I ordered a Lunocet 2014 almost 3 months ago, but am still waiting for the delivery
What are the expected delivery time for shipping of these fins?
I've emailed Ted twice, but have received zero replies so far. Customer satisfaction seems to be put to the side here.
I understand the time constrains that can occur when running a company (I've been running my own business for +10 years),
but not beeing able to respond (on valid questions), after received payment within ~3 months?
In addition, I made my payment based on the price that was stated in December (399$).
Just to realize that price dropped by 100$ after year end
Ordering these from Sweden, will add additional import/customs duties and tax, so the price difference will be even more in the end.
So, some questions for those of you that are lucky owners of Lunocet fins:
1. What are your experience in regards of delivery time after order?
2. What are your experience in regards of support and lead time on questions asked, until you've received replies from Ted?
//Best regards Marten
I am new to this forum, happy to see that so many people actively are discussing mono fins
Sorry to conclude that my first post in the forum are on the negative side.
I ordered a Lunocet 2014 almost 3 months ago, but am still waiting for the delivery
What are the expected delivery time for shipping of these fins?
I've emailed Ted twice, but have received zero replies so far. Customer satisfaction seems to be put to the side here.
I understand the time constrains that can occur when running a company (I've been running my own business for +10 years),
but not beeing able to respond (on valid questions), after received payment within ~3 months?
In addition, I made my payment based on the price that was stated in December (399$).
Just to realize that price dropped by 100$ after year end
Ordering these from Sweden, will add additional import/customs duties and tax, so the price difference will be even more in the end.
So, some questions for those of you that are lucky owners of Lunocet fins:
1. What are your experience in regards of delivery time after order?
2. What are your experience in regards of support and lead time on questions asked, until you've received replies from Ted?
//Best regards Marten
Hello,
I am new to this forum, happy to see that so many people actively are discussing mono fins
Sorry to conclude that my first post in the forum are on the negative side.
I ordered a Lunocet 2014 almost 3 months ago, but am still waiting for the delivery
What are the expected delivery time for shipping of these fins?
I've emailed Ted twice, but have received zero replies so far. Customer satisfaction seems to be put to the side here.
I understand the time constrains that can occur when running a company (I've been running my own business for +10 years),
but not beeing able to respond (on valid questions), after received payment within ~3 months?
In addition, I made my payment based on the price that was stated in December (399$).
Just to realize that price dropped by 100$ after year end
Ordering these from Sweden, will add additional import/customs duties and tax, so the price difference will be even more in the end.
So, some questions for those of you that are lucky owners of Lunocet fins:
1. What are your experience in regards of delivery time after order?
2. What are your experience in regards of support and lead time on questions asked, until you've received replies from Ted?
//Best regards Marten
Hello Marten,
Thanks for joining the forum even though I am sorry this had to be your first post. I also sincerely apologize for the problems with your order. We have had some growing pains... much larger number of order than expected. We are scrambling to get more tooling online as fast as possible and toward this we are gaining momentum every day. Regarding the lack of response on your emails, there again, most of my time lately has been on the shop floor and I have been getting around 200 emails per day and it has been difficult to keep up with them; I'm sorry about that as well. Your order is quite old at 3 months, however, and it may have shipped. Please send me another email with "URGENT" in the title along with your invoice number and I will look into it immediately. With the new tooling we have recently brought online, I expect to be completely caught up with all the orders we have within the next ten days but I will make sure you are taken care immediately.
Regarding what you paid, we sent an email out when we reduced the price which announced to each customer who had not yet received their unit that they would have the option of a refund for the difference or an upgrade to the Pro model. Please let me know which you prefer.
Again, I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.
Took the LunoPro to the pool today.
Some comparo pics:
Good news:
It generates a lot more force.
Bad news:
It generates a lot more force.
See pics below.
Gotta do some shopping before I can tell more. I got 4x25m before they let go.
In racing, crappy tires were called "diff savers". As soon as you put sticky gum ball tires on... differentials, trannys, driveshafts and clutches start exploding.
Some comparo pics:
Good news:
It generates a lot more force.
Bad news:
It generates a lot more force.
See pics below.
Gotta do some shopping before I can tell more. I got 4x25m before they let go.
In racing, crappy tires were called "diff savers". As soon as you put sticky gum ball tires on... differentials, trannys, driveshafts and clutches start exploding.
Hi Everyone, This is my first post on db but I've been reading this (and other) threads with much interest. I was hoping to see more reviews but there doesn't seem to be many.
I ordered a Lunocet last year and have recently received it. I've had a chance to test it out a couple of times in pool and would like to share my experience. Bear in mind that this comes from a single (and possibly narrow) point of view so feel free to take it with a pinch of salt. Adhering to the scientific method, I believe that replica-bility is important. i.e. 10 people saying it's good/bad is more valid than one review. Ideally these should come from people with different focuses. i.e. competitive pool, depth and/or recreational. Therefore, I'm hoping more people could share their experience exactly like what AA has done in his review. (good review by the way AA). My write-up here is based on 6x 1-hr sessions on the Lunocet.
First Impressions out of the box and in the pool
AA did a great job here so I'll leave these out. One thing left out however, was how to set the stiffness settings! I'm not an engineer (nor very clever) so it took a decent amount of brain juice to figure this out. For anyone out there who's in the same boat, here's what I've done. To change the stiffness settings, push the black round pins out (my fin came with 2). I've left one pin in the hole closest to the shoe, I've found that this makes the fin less 'sloppy'. The placement of the other pin varies the stiffness, closest to the fin for 'hard' and move it towards the shoes to make it softer.
When I first got in the pool, the first 4 50m laps felt weird. It took awhile for me to get used to the fin. It felt like there was almost nothing there! One I felt that I 'kind of' understood the fin, I began to vary the parameters.
A couple of other freedivers tried it or one lap and said it felt weird. Ergo, it takes some getting used to,
What I did in the pool
I varied the following 'settings' in pool (50m). Every single combination was tested twice (2 x 50m).
Fin stiffness : Hard, medium, soft
Amplitude: large, medium, small, tiny (ankle flicks)
Kicks: Constant, double kick-glide, single kick-glide
Cadence/pace: Fast (sprint), medium, slow
Source of energy: knees(thighs), undulation starting from hips, undulation starting from chest/shoulder area.
*note: definitions here of large/fast/slow are subjective
What worked best for me
My definition here of 'what worked best for me' is 'What I feel was the most efficient'.
Fin stiffness : Hard
Amplitude: small or tiny (ankle flicks). I couldn't feel a difference here but I preferred small kicks because I'm more used to it and it gave me more power.
Kicks: Single kick-glide
Cadence/pace: medium
Source of energy: Undulation starting from hips
Comparison with Rocketfin, Stiffness 2 (hyper-type fin)
I rotated with my Rocketfin. i.e. day1: rocket then luno, day2: luno then rocket. This was just to ensure that my impression of the fin was not subjected to how I felt during the day or the order of which fin I used first.
Glide: The Lunocet has an insane glide phase. no kidding. After each kick I'm able to glide for another 2-3s without any deceleration. My rocket on the otherhand, I start to feel some deceleration after about 1s.
Power: The Lunocet simply doesn't seem to generate as much power as my rocket no matter how hard I push it. That said, I'm guessing the Pro version should be better in this department. With the Lunocet you'll also want to kick off wall. I feel that I don't get as much acceleration with it as compared to my rocketfin. Drawing from this, I'm guessing that if I was coming up from a deep dive I may have some issues with my first few kicks.
Resistance: The Lunocet has very low resistance. i.e. you almost can't feel it there. When I put on my rocket after swimming with the Lunoet, I feel like I've strapped on a massive piece of wood to my feet. When I put on the Lunocet after the rocket, I feel like I don't have any fins on (this feels weird too).
Reactivity: The Lunoset doesn't seem to be as reactive as my rocket. With my rocket fin, I move my toes around in the foot pocket and I can feel something in the fin tips. The Lunocet seems to be a little sloppy but I think that's because of the way the peduncle is designed. If you look at AA's review picture of the peduncle(attached below), you'll see about 5-7mm of rubber from the last pinhole closest to the shoe(red circle). I'm guessing that this is causing that 'sloppy-ness'. The peduncle rubber also does not sit nicely on the metal bit holding the fluke(white circle). Not sure if that's in the design or a manufacturing fault. (Note that I'm not an engineer so my guesses may be coming out of my arse here, feel free to comment here experts!).
Oxygen/Power Efficiency: I can't really comment here as I haven't tried to do any long swims with it.
Speed: I compared the Lunocet against my rocket using what I felt were the best 'parameters' for the fin. On average, the Lunocet was about 6 seconds slower per 50m.
My experiences with the deliveries
In relation to Marten's (and others posts), I thought I could share my 'shopping' experience.
I ordered my Lunocet pre-X'mas and was expecting to receive it in a month: 2 weeks manufacturing + 2 weeks shipping. Didn't receive any communication from Ted. I emailed him (with an Urgent in the subject) after getting impatient and he replied 1 day later explaining that he was having large orders and machine related issues, which he has apologized for on this forum before. 2 days after my Lunocet was sent, the Pro model was announced. A little sad about it since I could have waited a little longer for the pro model after having waited so long. Seems like Ted was (and still is) experience issues with keep up with the orders following his marketing campaign. Email communication also seems to be an issue. Fair enough seeing that they're facing large orders.
Conclusion: For those who thinking about ordering or have already ordered, be prepared to be patient with receiving your Lunocet.
I ordered a Lunocet last year and have recently received it. I've had a chance to test it out a couple of times in pool and would like to share my experience. Bear in mind that this comes from a single (and possibly narrow) point of view so feel free to take it with a pinch of salt. Adhering to the scientific method, I believe that replica-bility is important. i.e. 10 people saying it's good/bad is more valid than one review. Ideally these should come from people with different focuses. i.e. competitive pool, depth and/or recreational. Therefore, I'm hoping more people could share their experience exactly like what AA has done in his review. (good review by the way AA). My write-up here is based on 6x 1-hr sessions on the Lunocet.
First Impressions out of the box and in the pool
AA did a great job here so I'll leave these out. One thing left out however, was how to set the stiffness settings! I'm not an engineer (nor very clever) so it took a decent amount of brain juice to figure this out. For anyone out there who's in the same boat, here's what I've done. To change the stiffness settings, push the black round pins out (my fin came with 2). I've left one pin in the hole closest to the shoe, I've found that this makes the fin less 'sloppy'. The placement of the other pin varies the stiffness, closest to the fin for 'hard' and move it towards the shoes to make it softer.
When I first got in the pool, the first 4 50m laps felt weird. It took awhile for me to get used to the fin. It felt like there was almost nothing there! One I felt that I 'kind of' understood the fin, I began to vary the parameters.
A couple of other freedivers tried it or one lap and said it felt weird. Ergo, it takes some getting used to,
What I did in the pool
I varied the following 'settings' in pool (50m). Every single combination was tested twice (2 x 50m).
Fin stiffness : Hard, medium, soft
Amplitude: large, medium, small, tiny (ankle flicks)
Kicks: Constant, double kick-glide, single kick-glide
Cadence/pace: Fast (sprint), medium, slow
Source of energy: knees(thighs), undulation starting from hips, undulation starting from chest/shoulder area.
*note: definitions here of large/fast/slow are subjective
What worked best for me
My definition here of 'what worked best for me' is 'What I feel was the most efficient'.
Fin stiffness : Hard
Amplitude: small or tiny (ankle flicks). I couldn't feel a difference here but I preferred small kicks because I'm more used to it and it gave me more power.
Kicks: Single kick-glide
Cadence/pace: medium
Source of energy: Undulation starting from hips
Comparison with Rocketfin, Stiffness 2 (hyper-type fin)
I rotated with my Rocketfin. i.e. day1: rocket then luno, day2: luno then rocket. This was just to ensure that my impression of the fin was not subjected to how I felt during the day or the order of which fin I used first.
Glide: The Lunocet has an insane glide phase. no kidding. After each kick I'm able to glide for another 2-3s without any deceleration. My rocket on the otherhand, I start to feel some deceleration after about 1s.
Power: The Lunocet simply doesn't seem to generate as much power as my rocket no matter how hard I push it. That said, I'm guessing the Pro version should be better in this department. With the Lunocet you'll also want to kick off wall. I feel that I don't get as much acceleration with it as compared to my rocketfin. Drawing from this, I'm guessing that if I was coming up from a deep dive I may have some issues with my first few kicks.
Resistance: The Lunocet has very low resistance. i.e. you almost can't feel it there. When I put on my rocket after swimming with the Lunoet, I feel like I've strapped on a massive piece of wood to my feet. When I put on the Lunocet after the rocket, I feel like I don't have any fins on (this feels weird too).
Reactivity: The Lunoset doesn't seem to be as reactive as my rocket. With my rocket fin, I move my toes around in the foot pocket and I can feel something in the fin tips. The Lunocet seems to be a little sloppy but I think that's because of the way the peduncle is designed. If you look at AA's review picture of the peduncle(attached below), you'll see about 5-7mm of rubber from the last pinhole closest to the shoe(red circle). I'm guessing that this is causing that 'sloppy-ness'. The peduncle rubber also does not sit nicely on the metal bit holding the fluke(white circle). Not sure if that's in the design or a manufacturing fault. (Note that I'm not an engineer so my guesses may be coming out of my arse here, feel free to comment here experts!).
Oxygen/Power Efficiency: I can't really comment here as I haven't tried to do any long swims with it.
Speed: I compared the Lunocet against my rocket using what I felt were the best 'parameters' for the fin. On average, the Lunocet was about 6 seconds slower per 50m.
My experiences with the deliveries
In relation to Marten's (and others posts), I thought I could share my 'shopping' experience.
I ordered my Lunocet pre-X'mas and was expecting to receive it in a month: 2 weeks manufacturing + 2 weeks shipping. Didn't receive any communication from Ted. I emailed him (with an Urgent in the subject) after getting impatient and he replied 1 day later explaining that he was having large orders and machine related issues, which he has apologized for on this forum before. 2 days after my Lunocet was sent, the Pro model was announced. A little sad about it since I could have waited a little longer for the pro model after having waited so long. Seems like Ted was (and still is) experience issues with keep up with the orders following his marketing campaign. Email communication also seems to be an issue. Fair enough seeing that they're facing large orders.
Conclusion: For those who thinking about ordering or have already ordered, be prepared to be patient with receiving your Lunocet.
Attachments
Re: Lil Jon's comment about "slop" as a result of the area circled in white, I took off the retaining plate and put 2 small washers underneath it (in between the bolts, not over them) to act as spacers to remove the free play.
Ted has addressed this in the most recent iteration of the pendecle with a raised "island" built into the retaining plate. Either solution will work and eliminate the "dead spot" and make the fin feel more reactive.
With the classic flukes, I only use 1 pin (nearest the shoes) in the softest position and have even softened it up a little more beyond that.
I think it would vary person to person based on technique, strength, kick frequency, etc. the key is to allow it to articulate somewhat, but not overly so.
Ted has addressed this in the most recent iteration of the pendecle with a raised "island" built into the retaining plate. Either solution will work and eliminate the "dead spot" and make the fin feel more reactive.
With the classic flukes, I only use 1 pin (nearest the shoes) in the softest position and have even softened it up a little more beyond that.
I think it would vary person to person based on technique, strength, kick frequency, etc. the key is to allow it to articulate somewhat, but not overly so.
Great pictures! Too bad about the shoes. I liked the red. That happened in 100 meters. Amazing you pulled the tops of the shoes right off.
My 2014 Also broke a pair of shoes. Snapped the sole. They did last about 100 hours though. New ones waiting for Pro are carbon sole. I really like the shoes with the ratcheting top fastener for a secure fit and no wasted movement.
"A lot more force" Sounds OK so far. Looking forward to hearing more! Thank you for posting.
My 2014 Also broke a pair of shoes. Snapped the sole. They did last about 100 hours though. New ones waiting for Pro are carbon sole. I really like the shoes with the ratcheting top fastener for a secure fit and no wasted movement.
"A lot more force" Sounds OK so far. Looking forward to hearing more! Thank you for posting.
Lil Jon! I really enjoyed what you wrote and AA's reply. You got right to the heart of the biggest variables that we as Lunocet users can adjust: fin flex and tightness or call it responsiveness! Isn't it cool that we can adjust those things in the field!
Everyone wants instant responsiveness. AA already answered that. What he wrote gently preloads the spring. I did the same thing by glueing a quarter coin under the rubber spring point top and bottom in that white circled area. Lunocets made today have a small ramp manufactured into that area... Problem solved! The spring should never be at rest. The idea is like opposing muscle groups keeping our limbs from flopping.
Flexibility looks like a much more complex and personal variable. Fascinating to me that AA settled on a softer setting and Lil Jon settled on a bit firmer. I'm convinced that if everything else is perfect but you can't get the flex profile personalized to your liking you will never truely fall in love with your fin.
I like mine very stiff but it still has to flex and set the proper angle for propulsion. I started with a pin in every hole. I use 3/8" wooden dowels that come in a small package from a hardware store... Like you woud use for a wood working project. They fit perfectly and have endured many swims and even reassembly to install fresh springs. Now they are ugly but they still work fine.
I was happy with that set up but found that it would gradually become more flexible if I kicked off of pool ends on starts and turns. Fortunately the rubber spring is easily replaced. I suggest keeping at least one extra one on hand.
My own Lunocets have endured many more modifications striving to get the flex pattern just like I want it and to keep the flex from softening during hard use. The result is that my Lunocet will be just right for me when we slip under the water in a few minutes.
Everyone wants instant responsiveness. AA already answered that. What he wrote gently preloads the spring. I did the same thing by glueing a quarter coin under the rubber spring point top and bottom in that white circled area. Lunocets made today have a small ramp manufactured into that area... Problem solved! The spring should never be at rest. The idea is like opposing muscle groups keeping our limbs from flopping.
Flexibility looks like a much more complex and personal variable. Fascinating to me that AA settled on a softer setting and Lil Jon settled on a bit firmer. I'm convinced that if everything else is perfect but you can't get the flex profile personalized to your liking you will never truely fall in love with your fin.
I like mine very stiff but it still has to flex and set the proper angle for propulsion. I started with a pin in every hole. I use 3/8" wooden dowels that come in a small package from a hardware store... Like you woud use for a wood working project. They fit perfectly and have endured many swims and even reassembly to install fresh springs. Now they are ugly but they still work fine.
I was happy with that set up but found that it would gradually become more flexible if I kicked off of pool ends on starts and turns. Fortunately the rubber spring is easily replaced. I suggest keeping at least one extra one on hand.
My own Lunocets have endured many more modifications striving to get the flex pattern just like I want it and to keep the flex from softening during hard use. The result is that my Lunocet will be just right for me when we slip under the water in a few minutes.
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