2014 lunocet

[cdavis]

Free shipping after a certain time lag is a great idea. Delays are a screw up and should cost the business. That's what I do, in a different way. Amazing how effective costing me money can be when it comes to minimizing screw ups. It also lets your customers know you are serious.

Beautiful pics.

 

[neurodoc]

As a doctor of chiropractic I have seen many people who have leg length inequalities. Sometimes this is not obvious, as in the case of people with a lateral spinal curvature such as scoliosis. With this type of condition, the legs may seem equal when standing, but in the water one leg will "draw up" and seem shortened due to the curvature in the spine. The upcoming Lunocet Pro will provide a mechanism to adjust for differences in leg length as part of the attachment system from peduncle to foot plate. As I have a degree of lateral curvature as well, this is great news! I have always noticed, ever since my first monofin, that when I get tired during a swim workout I can have a tendency to start slipping sideways as I fail to correct for a slight functional short leg. Being able to correct for this ahead of time will make this fin work better for me than any others could. Leg length differences are far more common than most would realize, and easy to check for in the water. I'm also looking forward to being able to fine-tune the angle, as all of my previous fins have no angle or a fixed angle. Everyone's ankles are different; mine started out quite stiff from years of road cycling, and while they have improved tremendously from finswimming they may never bend the way some people's ankles do. Optimizing the angle for a collinear alignment with the rest of my body can only help improve my swimming! I think it may help on the upstroke too, as I have a tendency to bend my knees to get more force on the upstroke, and more angle would make this unnecessary. I see all of the adjustment options as a chance to make the fin work more as an extension of my body, while adjusting for my body's particular condition. It's an exciting time to be swimming!

 

[REVAN]

...As I have a degree of lateral curvature ... Being able to correct for this ahead of time will make this fin work better for me than any others could....

FYI: The DOL-Fin X-20 has had all these adjustments available for the past 2 years. The Classic, HP and Orca accommodate variations in leg length and foot sizing with the strap adjustments. They have been around for over 4 years. So, there are others that could.

 

[neurodoc]

Sorry about the ambiguous reference; actually was indicating that none of my other, previous fins could adapt to these needs.

 

[Chipswim]

FYI: The DOL-Fin X-20 has had all these adjustments available for the past 2 years. The Classic, HP and Orca accommodate variations in leg length and foot sizing with the strap adjustments. They have been around for over 4 years. So, there are others that could.

Revan!

Beyond all the adaptations you mentioned.....I saw what you've done for amputees by centering your fin attachment for one foot!

Ingenious!

As a vet myself..... Much appreciated!!!!!!!

 

[REVAN]

Revan!

Beyond all the adaptations you mentioned.....I saw what you've done for amputees by centering your fin attachment for one foot!

Ingenious!

As a vet myself..... Much appreciated!!!!!!!

That design is still a work in progress, but I think it may be able to help some people out. The prototype is overseas with a leg amputee diver who should be providing some feedback fairly soon. Getting everything to balance out is tricky and the fin has some strange angles to it. We'll have to wait and see if it gets a thumbs-up, or a thumbs-down.

 

[Ted Ciamillo]

Another wet dream from Kurt...

 

[Ted Ciamillo]

Man look at that ... ray.

 

[Ted Ciamillo]

And these ... fish.

 

[Chipswim]

WOW!

I guess that fin can make anyone look good !?!?!?

 

[neurodoc]

I am enjoying this new direction the thread has taken ;-))

 

[Fondueset]

As a doctor of chiropractic I have seen many people who have leg length inequalities. Sometimes this is not obvious, as in the case of people with a lateral spinal curvature such as scoliosis. With this type of condition, the legs may seem equal when standing, but in the water one leg will "draw up" and seem shortened due to the curvature in the spine. The upcoming Lunocet Pro will provide a mechanism to adjust for differences in leg length as part of the attachment system from peduncle to foot plate. As I have a degree of lateral curvature as well, this is great news! I have always noticed, ever since my first monofin, that when I get tired during a swim workout I can have a tendency to start slipping sideways as I fail to correct for a slight functional short leg. Being able to correct for this ahead of time will make this fin work better for me than any others could. Leg length differences are far more common than most would realize, and easy to check for in the water. I'm also looking forward to being able to fine-tune the angle, as all of my previous fins have no angle or a fixed angle. Everyone's ankles are different; mine started out quite stiff from years of road cycling, and while they have improved tremendously from finswimming they may never bend the way some people's ankles do. Optimizing the angle for a collinear alignment with the rest of my body can only help improve my swimming! I think it may help on the upstroke too, as I have a tendency to bend my knees to get more force on the upstroke, and more angle would make this unnecessary. I see all of the adjustment options as a chance to make the fin work more as an extension of my body, while adjusting for my body's particular condition. It's an exciting time to be swimming!

Hi Neurodoc. In my experience bending the knees on the upstroke will not give you more power - it will give you more drag. Only on the downstroke is a slight knee bend efficacious - and then only slight. Reference Alexei in the video I posted - note that he gets power in every aspect of the stroke - but does not bend his knees on the upstroke. The upstroke must be stopped at a certain point and the movement shifts up the spine in a wave that turns into a sort of 'diving in' motion - which ripples back down from the solar plexus as the downstroke. This 'stop' begins in the hips - where you stop letting the legs rise and transition the movement forward - it's kind of hard to explain - but is a wonderful wave through the spine. It's very common to 'stall' on the upstroke with bent knees and an overextended lower back.. No fins dolphin kicks are a great drill to start feeling this - as is swimming very slowly with a mono fin and focusing on keeping the knees locked.

 

[Philip Fennell]

Hi Guys,

I'm sorry for the delays. I will have every order on the books filled by the end of next week. The problem with the Pro was that the core was being pushed to one side of the mold during the molding process. When the pressure was released, not only was the core off center inside the rubber fluke, the springback caused a ripple in the surface. The flukes are functional but I am a bit of a perfectionist and I want the production models perfect. I tried a couple of attempts to solve the problem and then had success with jacking the core in the opposite direction in the mold such that when it does yield to the pressure it ends up on center.

During the debugging of the fluke molding process, I have kept my 6 CNC machines pumping out peduncle parts and I now have close to 200 units waiting for flukes. I will send some process pics shortly. I do everything in house so I have little time to write here or on my own website but I hope to change that soon. I have been CNC machining since the machines were paper tape driven and that's over a quarter century ago... my prices are a result of that experience. I know production and I know machining. I have diverted my 6 CNC machines away from cycling components to a large extent lately with the intent on take over completely at some point to doing all luno work. I have one million dollars of equipment that I have been feverishly setting up for streamlined, efficient production. This is how I get my price down. I built my own custom compression molding presses, machined my own molds, machine all parts but hardware, and anodize in house as well. This is how I get the price down. My shop is like an orchestra ... when all the machines are running I make music.

I sincerely hope that my silence has not come off as being disrespectful. I have been hard at work setting up proper production... tooling, fixturing, building presses, programming and debugging. After April 15, all lunocet orders will have an active tracking number within 48 hours or shipping will be free.

Lastly, there is an adjustable angle kit that will be included with the Pro and a new price of $399 on April 15th. The angle kit may be purchased as an upgrade. The angle kit will allow three different angles 31, 35, and 39 (subject to change by popular demand). The current angle is 31. The Pro solves the need for speed and acceleration so to push the envelope... It is my belief that huge improvements in DYN can be achieved with getting the flukes neutral with a straight and streamlined diver. I see a lot of divers compensating with arch in their backs to make up more angle and get the fin neutral. This arch is creating a lot of drag in glide mode (which is sometimes the majority of the dive). The Pro will allow you to dial in your best angle for your best glide.

I appreciate all the feedback and support.

More to come..

Ted

Hello,

I love the concept of the Lunocet and look forward to ordering one one day.

Can I ask a question about the shoe mounting on the Lunocet?

Having used quick release cycling shoes from the early days I know that after a few years they realised they had to introduce a degree of rotational 'play' into connection between the shoe plate and the pedal to prevent knee problems caused by having the foot's alignment fixed during the pedal revolution.

Is there any 'play' in the connection between the shoe and the fin or would this cause it's own problems?


Philip

 

[neurodoc]

Hi Neurodoc. In my experience bending the knees on the upstroke will not give you more power - it will give you more drag. Only on the downstroke is a slight knee bend efficacious - and then only slight. Reference Alexei in the video I posted - note that he gets power in every aspect of the stroke - but does not bend his knees on the upstroke. The upstroke must be stopped at a certain point and the movement shifts up the spine in a wave that turns into a sort of 'diving in' motion - which ripples back down from the solar plexus as the downstroke. This 'stop' begins in the hips - where you stop letting the legs rise and transition the movement forward - it's kind of hard to explain - but is a wonderful wave through the spine. It's very common to 'stall' on the upstroke with bent knees and an overextended lower back.. No fins dolphin kicks are a great drill to start feeling this - as is swimming very slowly with a mono fin and focusing on keeping the knees locked.

Fondueset, I think you're absolutely right about more drag. It's part of my point; I find that when I use one of my fins that does not have enough angle, I find myself bending knees and arching back to try to find more propulsion, but it really doesn't work. Right now the Lunocet I have (the one in my avatar) has more angle than my other fins, and I find this makes it easier for me to approximate the stroke you describe (and demonstrate well, I might add). Every time I swim now I feel like I can sense the spinal movement better and smooth out the stroke more. Your previous advice has been helpful on this! It still seems to take me 30 minutes to loosen up and do/feel the wave optimally. I think, at least for me, that having a "neutral glide mode" of totally straight/linear body with the fin aligned perfectly on that axis should help me even more. I'm pretty close right now, maybe a few more degrees would be just right. Thanks for the feedback and advice!

 

[neurodoc]

Hello,

I love the concept of the Lunocet and look forward to ordering one one day.

Can I ask a question about the shoe mounting on the Lunocet?

Having used quick release cycling shoes from the early days I know that after a few years they realised they had to introduce a degree of rotational 'play' into connection between the shoe plate and the pedal to prevent knee problems caused by having the foot's alignment fixed during the pedal revolution.

Is there any 'play' in the connection between the shoe and the fin or would this cause it's own problems?


Philip

Philip, I too have been a cyclist for years, and know exactly what you mean. In this case, the foot plate of the Lunocet bolts directly to the shoe, in the same manner as the cleat would attach to the shoe for a Look-compatible pedal. So, the interface is not like cleat to pedal, but really cleat to shoe. This means there is no slack at all, and assuming the hardware is torqued properly they do not seem to move at all even after many swims for me.

 

[Fondueset]

Fondueset, I think you're absolutely right about more drag. It's part of my point; I find that when I use one of my fins that does not have enough angle, I find myself bending knees and arching back to try to find more propulsion, but it really doesn't work. Right now the Lunocet I have (the one in my avatar) has more angle than my other fins, and I find this makes it easier for me to approximate the stroke you describe (and demonstrate well, I might add). Every time I swim now I feel like I can sense the spinal movement better and smooth out the stroke more. Your previous advice has been helpful on this! It still seems to take me 30 minutes to loosen up and do/feel the wave optimally. I think, at least for me, that having a "neutral glide mode" of totally straight/linear body with the fin aligned perfectly on that axis should help me even more. I'm pretty close right now, maybe a few more degrees would be just right. Thanks for the feedback and advice!

Hi Again,

The upstroke with a mono fin will fool you - it's a bit like these foil-type fins - where you don't really feel it. The upstroke is also a place where you can really use your ankles - this applies to the luno as well as dol-fin and mono fins.

 

[Chipswim]

Hello,

I love the concept of the Lunocet and look forward to ordering one one day.

Can I ask a question about the shoe mounting on the Lunocet?

Having used quick release cycling shoes from the early days I know that after a few years they realised they had to introduce a degree of rotational 'play' into connection between the shoe plate and the pedal to prevent knee problems caused by having the foot's alignment fixed during the pedal revolution.

Is there any 'play' in the connection between the shoe and the fin or would this cause it's own problems?

Hi Philip,
As a cyclist the same questions you expressed occurred to me. Strangely, with the fins being bolted in solid to the foot pads....... no cleats between is simple, brilliant and causes no problems. It is a great idea that just works!

If you read back a little ways in this thread you'll find discussion about Noa originating the idea and Ted and Revan applying it! Everybody is here! Incredible....

Also strangely I prefer looser shoes on the bike to the point that I've gone to sandals. Exact opposite with the fin. I feel most secure, efficient and COMFORTABLE with the shoes very tight! Who would guess?? Welcome to the quest!

 

[Apneaddict]

I've been using tri-shoes and a 2mm neoprene sock.

I put them on and tighten them up at the bottom of the deep end. Nice and snug when nearer the surface.

I used to do something similar with my tight-fitting Starfins when it got unbearably uncomfortable. I'd do a -10m hang to let the neoprene compress and give me some blood flow back.

Re: angle, I would have loved more on my Starfins and I'll gladly take a few more degrees on the LunoPro as well. I would further benefit from it in glide and up-kick and I could glide in a more relaxed lower-body position without having to maximally flex my calves in the glide.

 

[Ted Ciamillo]

Okay off topic ... but awesome. Kurt, I want your job brother...
http://caw-designs.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/lp6.jpg

 

[Ted Ciamillo]