2014 lunocet

[Chipswim]

Divenick,

If I remember correctly the description you just wrote has some parallels to AA's first impressions of the 2014 which I think has contributed to Ted's inspirations for designing the Pro.

That said. I'm so happy you have a functional fin to swim now! As more of us get swimming the rate of discovery will continue to increase. I hope you will greatly enjoy your current fin and value your experiences with the state of the art it represents.

I've noticed Ted is less attentive to shipping when he is moving a major advancement from the drawing board to the shop......... Fortunately and Unfortunately that is pretty much all the time.

Many of us have had a go at making our own fins so we can empathize from that stand point. I'm glad we have Ted. I'd have never gotten this far on my own.

It was very interesting to read your observations about your 2014 compared to your previous fins. I expect you will dial it in more to your preferences. AA likes his with low stiffness. I like very stiff. So you have to find your own favorite setting.

If it feels like there is nothing back there I'd add stiffness. If there seems too much stroke resistance for the thrust you create I'd lower stiffness a bit.

You are not the first to notice the 2014 likes a continuous stroke. It is the same for me. Based on AA's teasers I'm guessing the Pro may also kick and glide well.

 

[Chipswim]

Sir, what do you mean "Maybe"?!?!
Please do so ASAP

Hmmmmmm.......... Thought I'd take a little different approach to this and show one that DOES work. So yesterday I reassembled the immediate ancestor of my current 2014 Lunocet.

This is the one with a home made peduncle of mild steel and a spring of military grade heater hose.

I swam both fins this morning and was tickled that it still swims pretty well. The ancestor likes one particular stroke. The 2014 rewards a wide variety of strokes. The ancestor usually needs adjustment of stiffness before the hour is up. My 2014 has held its adjustment now for several weeks.

With my 2014 I discovered that rolling on my side and arching my back created a nice smooth curve. Then I came out of such a curve stayed on my side and was able to swim quite comfortably like a shark instead of like a dolphin. This morning I noticed the ancestor is not nearly as stable as the 2014 on its side, That was a surprise.

 

[Apneaddict]

Let's post some pictures of an actual production model... unmolested... in use....

 

[Sarcomere]

Is that the pro?

 

[Apneaddict]

yes... look at the shadow.

 

[Sarcomere]

Nice! Any prelim thoughts to hold us over for the complete review?

 

[Apneaddict]

From the surface....

 

[Apneaddict]

Nice! Any prelim thoughts to hold us over for the complete review?

Full reviews (part 2 - Classic flukes and part 3- Lunocet Pro) will be ready in the next week+

Until then...
I can't reveal too much... otherwise you won't bother to read them....

In the meantime... here's a project for you for the week....
Go try on some footwear at your local cycling / triathlon store.

 

[Sarcomere]

We need just the trailer edition, enough to get us excited to read the full review

The pics are nice in the meantime.

 

[lil jon]

Shame there's no where in Aus to try one out. They look interesting, more portable and seem much cheaper than a normal monofin to be shipped from overseas. Don't know that I'd be brave enough to pay that sort of money for something I might dislike using though, looks like the technique is different. Might have to wait until it's been out longer I guess, or move overseas (*Goes back to trying to glue back together the old and trusty, if very uncomfortable Model 1 waterway mono*)

If you're in brisbane, you're welcome to try my classic Lunocet Jac

 

[lil jon]

woah this thread has ballooned. So I've been on a depth trip for a week and had the chance to test the classic Lunocet in depth. (I've decided to call it classic like a few others so that it's not confused with the Pro).

Here's the summary:
I had to switch from a bifin to the Lunocet between safety-ing and diving.
*note* Putting on cycling shoes is much harder than a monofin while trying to keep yourself afloat. I'm not denying that it's fantastic sitting at the side of the pool but putting it on with some waves? meh.

The negative buoyancy of the Lunocet seems to interfere with my 'glide phase' such that it's difficult to maintain a straight vertical position. i.e. my body starts to "tilt"

Coming up from depth I varied between 1) constant kicks all the way up, 2) double kick glide (the glides were short) all the way up and 3) constant kicks then switching to kick-glide @ 25m.
Constant kicks seemed to be the most comfortable. As with my previous post, I found the lack of power coming up to be the biggest downside.

I think the million dollar question is: How does it compare to a hyper-fin in depth?
I didn't have the chance to test it multiple times so I can't really say if oxygen consumption to power-output ratio is more efficient. 7 swims doesn't really justify it IMO.
I didn't really use it very deep (~35m) either so I can't really say if the swims were better. I did feel more tired after the dives as compared to using a hyperfin but I can't say if it was because of the fin, or me not hitting that sweet spot of the fin yet (i.e. my fault).
However, that lack of power coming up from depth was the main killer for me.

A mate brought a camera to the pool 2 weeks ago. Here are some swims in the pool




p.s. the Lunocet plus cycling shoes weighed only 2kg and fit easily into my backpack. bloody awesome for travelling.

Cheerios.
Jon

 

[PoseidonSv]

I ordered a Lunocet Pro and paied on 25th of February. Is the shipping and making of the fin taking more tha a month? No replies at all from Ted. How long time have you who bought one have to wait for the fin to arrive?

 

[marginatus]

I ordered a Lunocet Pro and paied on 25th of February. Is the shipping and making of the fin taking more tha a month? No replies at all from Ted. How long time have you who bought one have to wait for the fin to arrive?

I ordered one day before you...
I talked with Ted some times and got to know some causes of the delays:
the issue mentioned previously about the flukes having some play, when changing direction, was addressed; after that they were very limited in the flukes production due to the time it took to make each (mainly due to the temperatures in injection and in the cooldown). They now have a cooled press to speed it up. I was told that in 2 weeks (was 1 week ago) every order sould be shipped and from that point on, be on time...
I'm trying to be patient but I'm not good at it... will see

 

[Sarcomere]

I'm wondering if changes are still being made to the fun in which case patience may pay off with a more refined end product. It would be nice if Ted would provide some updates tho. If he put updates somewhere centrally such as on the Lunocet website, he would probably have happier customers. I'm happy to be patient for now, I too ordered the Pro, but I don't want to wait forever.

I'm excited to see how the fun works, I like Revan's fin from an engineering standpoint because I'm sure the efficiency of the high AR foil is great. I like the idea of Ted's fin for maybe more maneuverability and possible added trust from the flexibility of the flukes? I'm just talking here cause I have neither in my hands. I'd would like to buy and try Revan's fin at some point, but financially it'll have to wait for now.

Ted, some updates??

 

[neurodoc]

Having mine (see avatar) I can say it's worth the wait. It isn't like ordering from a department store or Amazon, more like dealing directly with the person who engineered it and manufactures it. The bad news? well, it is also the good news. Speed of delivery and communication suffer because he is always trying to improve on it and seems to prefer/need to spend time on the shop floor to time on the phone and email or forum. I've spoken with him several times and know he is working his tail off getting things in line to be able to fill orders more promptly. It's a pretty unique product and has several advantages so I know it's worth the wait and frustration. The fin is "done," as it works great as-is and looks incredible. That doesn't mean he isn't constantly improving it-one of the benefits of waiting is that you'll get a better fin. I get lots of oohs and aahs at the pool, and usually a few kids that would rather watch me swim laps than play. Whole thing fits in a normal bookbag/knapsack and seems really tough so far. My son tried it out first time today and could just fly with it. Literally; he did a couple of laps of butterfly and a couple underwater. He is a much better swimmer than I am, but still it was impressive to see a zero learning curve to that kind of speed. I will try to get some video of him tomorrow so I can post it. He does around a 25 second 50 yard freestyle (ie no fins classical/competitive swimming) and is getting faster and faster so it was fun to see how he did with the Lunocet. Let's just say, faster!

 

[PoseidonSv]

Thanks all for the replies. I guess Ted could communicate that each fin is individually made and that delivery and manufacturing time can vary. I can understand he has no time answering individual mails and hanging on freediving boards on the net. But so far I had zero communication other than the order confirmation email and receipt email which was automatic sent to me on paying the order.

Neurodoc, which bike shoes do you use for your Lunocet Pro?

 

[noa]

Thanks all for the replies. I guess Ted could communicate that each fin is individually made and that delivery and manufacturing time can vary. I can understand he has no time answering individual mails and hanging on freediving boards on the net. But so far I had zero communication other than the order confirmation email and receipt email which was automatic sent to me on paying the order.

Neurodoc, which bike shoes do you use for your Lunocet Pro?

I'm on the same boat as you guys. Ordered mine on the 18th of February and still waiting. I did get some replies from Ted in the beginning but it has now been several weeks that I no longer receive replies to my mails. To be frank I don't feel all that good about being left in the dark like this.
Don't get me wrong, I am not questioning if this new fin is worth the wait as I firmly believe it is. My issue, as is with most here, is the no communication from Ted.
I appreciate the fact that he is hard at work perfecting the fin before he ships it out to us. Like everyone else, I would much rather wait and receive a great working fin.
It is also completely understandable that he would want the new fin to have most, if not all small issues fixed, as there are high expectations with this model.
What I do not understand is the lack of communication. He has at times gotten on this thread and posted various comments (but no updates to us), and from what some members here say, he does speak to some of you.
Since I believe most of those waiting for the Pro model are on this forum and following this thread, all it would take is for Ted to maybe once a week post an update of where we stand and how things are progressing. That would reassure us and make us feel a bit respected as customers.
Anyway, I'm hopeful in due time we will all have our fins, happily swimming and diving with them, with all of this behind us.

 

[neurodoc]

Thanks all for the replies. I guess Ted could communicate that each fin is individually made and that delivery and manufacturing time can vary. I can understand he has no time answering individual mails and hanging on freediving boards on the net. But so far I had zero communication other than the order confirmation email and receipt email which was automatic sent to me on paying the order.

Neurodoc, which bike shoes do you use for your Lunocet Pro?

Poseidon, I use Specialized carbon sole shoes. I don't remember the specific model, but as I recall they were one of the better shoes. Specialized has made a bigger attempt than most cycling shoe/part manufacturers to offer sizing options. Their shoes are available in many sizes and widths to accommodate different feet, as are their cycling seats. This was a pair that the local shop had on sale around 5 years ago. They seem to handle the soaking/drying quite well. I take the insoles out, pull the tongues back, and sit them in my bathtub with a small fan aimed at the tub after swimming. I figure leaving them soaked would encourage mold/mildew growth and that kills synthetic materials. I also use Armor All, or a Turtle Wax copy of it, every few swims. They still look new so it must be working ;-)

 

[marginatus]

I'm on the same boat as you guys. Ordered mine on the 18th of February and still waiting. I did get some replies from Ted in the beginning but it has now been several weeks that I no longer receive replies to my mails. To be frank I don't feel all that good about being left in the dark like this.
Don't get me wrong, I am not questioning if this new fin is worth the wait as I firmly believe it is. My issue, as is with most here, is the no communication from Ted.
I appreciate the fact that he is hard at work perfecting the fin before he ships it out to us. Like everyone else, I would much rather wait and receive a great working fin.
It is also completely understandable that he would want the new fin to have most, if not all small issues fixed, as there are high expectations with this model.
What I do not understand is the lack of communication. He has at times gotten on this thread and posted various comments (but no updates to us), and from what some members here say, he does speak to some of you.
Since I believe most of those waiting for the Pro model are on this forum and following this thread, all it would take is for Ted to maybe once a week post an update of where we stand and how things are progressing. That would reassure us and make us feel a bit respected as customers.
Anyway, I'm hopeful in due time we will all have our fins, happily swimming and diving with them, with all of this behind us.

I totally agree with you! I can only get some sort of communication (except for 2 emails at first) by phone. The "urgent" thing doesn't work too.... I've gotten the "one more week" a few times (as you can see from one of my previous posts, one of which I was happy my fin would be shipped on Wednesday) and have considered cancelling. I'll see how this cycle works out.
As you, I don't mind waiting (a litle) for a better version but having no estimate of when it will be shipped, or having a very inaccurate estimate doesn't work well for me.

 

[HydroApprentice]

A possible strategy to resolve some issues would be: "Standard delivery time: 2-3 months". There would be a boatload of people being really happy when the fin arrives after six weeks of waiting, rather than being pissed that it took more than a month

If customer satisfaction and sales number go up after this, am I eligible for a serious discount on a fin?

(BTW: Is there any way to test one of the hydrofoils (incl. X-20) somewhere here in Europe?)