a serrious question...?

[vali]

for the first time i will go freedive with both mono and bi-fins...
untill now i used only bi-fins in imersions
because i will go for the first time in grece with my car, i-m able to take with me the monofin this year
the question is:
what surprises will i encounter if i will dive with monofin instead of bi-fins?
untill now i used the mono only in dinamic apneea....never in CW
should i propose for myself a goal greater that the one i maded with bi-fins?
my question may be annoyed, but i know that a man normal mouvement is rather with bi-fins than with monofins, and i don-t wanna be taken by surprise

 

[Fondueset]

Hi Vali,

I ONLY dive with a monofin - for everything. First - you never have to wait to get someplace Second, I think the fish like me better with a monofin - seriously - I get much closer and also swim with them at times.

It depends on how good your technique is but, in general, I seem to do everything better with a monofin. In the begining though, I was used more energy than bifins.

I do my photography and everything now only with a monofin. I cannot say for sure but I think fish find the bifin movements much more frightening.

 

[vali]

i totally agree with you and i must say...you made very beautyfull pictures
my question was posted because i want to go down with mono [not particullary for fun, but for some new PB]
i know that i can do 17m with bi-fins because i did it....do you think that it will be safe enough for me to go at same depth or at least 15 with monofin?
i also know that with the monofin i can do 50 m in dynamic more easely that with bi-fins....will this aplly also in CW???

 

[Fondueset]

In my experience, yes. I hope you will have someone to dive with you! Where I dive most it is not very deep but it was very easy for me to go 22m with a monofin even when the water is only 6C. Easier than 15m with my very soft ice fins. Just be careful going for PB I have not used bifins for a couple of years - since I got a mono. I do know divers who say they can go longer with bifins but for me it seems the monofin is best. I think if dynamic is easier for you than cw probably will be too - and I think you are right to start conservatively and see how 15m feels.

 

[vali]

ok
when i-ll come back from my vacation i will tell you if the mono woak better in CW than bi-fins
an i hope there will be a lot of pictures

 

[vali]

....not with me:t:t

 

[fcallagy]

Vali im more of of a bi fins fan at present but also have a mono but the wrong one i think. anyhow two things to think of in my opinion one you will probably be faster so watch your equalisations they may come up on you faster than with bi fins and two I at least found it difficult to do a practice rescue with a mono from depth so practice these a few times first.
Enjoy and give us a full greece report please.

 

[DivingDane]

Vali i agreee with fondueset on this one, i can go average 5m deeper on recreational dives than with my bifins and also stay down for longer. mono gets me to the bottom much faster (so have more time left) and also much faster to the surface. if yo have not tried CW with mono do some shallow dives to get used to the feeling of the fin at depth and then progress deeper (slowly slowly is always the safest) but i think you will break your PB after a couple of practice dives.

DD

 

[vali]

thanks guys

 

[Kattie]

Hi Vali,
You might have left already but in case you see this here is my experience. The first time I did CW with a monofin I really enjoyed it. I had practiced in pool only twice and the monofin that I used was too big for me so I did not master the movement quite well. My performances did not change. Actually I managed to go a bit deeper. The problem I faced was with the duck dive. I found it quite different to duck dive with the monofin as both feets have to go exactly at the same time and I had the tendency of bending my legs so it took me precious seconds to straith up my legs in the water. Try not to bend your knees at all when duck diving and to raise your legs all together. With a good duck dive you should be able to go even deeper.
Have fun,
Kat