Hey Everybody,
Got my feet into a C4 monoflap this weekend. What I've primarily heard about this fin is that its 'too soft'. This is certainly true if you are thinking of it in terms of other freediving monofins. But I think this fin is designed with a different emphasis.
About the Fin:
Build Quality: Non-issue. The fin is simple and extremely tough
Comfort: You don't even know you're wearing it. THE most comfortable monofin I've ever worn - more comfortable even than the Lunocet with its bike shoes.
Power: Obviously - it's not a power fin. My dive buddy, who used the monoflap, says there is no question it is much more powerful than dolphin kicking with his falcon 40s - but you'll overpower it if you treat it like a hyperfin.
Drag and blade angle: The C4 monoflap has very low drag and glides well. I don't know the exact blade angle - but it's substantial. It would be interesting to see someone do long dynamics in this fin. You might have to kick a little more, but energy expenditure would be slight. The fin is slightly negative in the water - and has no compressible materials.
Swimming technique: It gives an okay return against a strong kick - but seems to come into it's own in cruise mode. Here you can maintain speed with less energy output than a conventional mono. Likewise with surface swimming. I felt no lack of power in the vertical - but we did not have a chance to go deep.
I think if you are going for speed you would want to increase frequency to exploit the whip-like wave this fin has - rather that overpowering it with hard kicks. For cruising its best to feel into the fin and find a nice groove that utilizes it's flexibility and responsiveness. Once you do that its pretty efficient!
What I think its good for: Better than a normal mono for sustained cruising, holding station in current, violent surf entries, spearfishing, u/w photography.
You can really maneuver with this fin. Its so easy and relaxing to swim with - I think it would be great for long open water dives down to 30m or so.
Conclusion: The C4 Monoflap is a unique and extremely well-made monofin. To me it seems geared to recreational freediving with an eye toward endurance, maneuverability, comfort and durability. I did not expect to like this fin, but I do. In fact I wish I'd had it in the Bahamas when we went out through and intense surf entry to visit the reef sharks. In my opinion it's the perfect fin for that kind of diving.
In short - an excellent open water recreational freediving fin - but you need to retool your technique to exploit it's strengths.
(ps - I don't work for C4 or anything)
Coming soon!! My in depth review of the Tropol Non-axial (aka 'hyper') fin!!
Attached are some shots of my dive buddy, Jason, playing with the C4 Mono.
Got my feet into a C4 monoflap this weekend. What I've primarily heard about this fin is that its 'too soft'. This is certainly true if you are thinking of it in terms of other freediving monofins. But I think this fin is designed with a different emphasis.
About the Fin:
Build Quality: Non-issue. The fin is simple and extremely tough
Comfort: You don't even know you're wearing it. THE most comfortable monofin I've ever worn - more comfortable even than the Lunocet with its bike shoes.
Power: Obviously - it's not a power fin. My dive buddy, who used the monoflap, says there is no question it is much more powerful than dolphin kicking with his falcon 40s - but you'll overpower it if you treat it like a hyperfin.
Drag and blade angle: The C4 monoflap has very low drag and glides well. I don't know the exact blade angle - but it's substantial. It would be interesting to see someone do long dynamics in this fin. You might have to kick a little more, but energy expenditure would be slight. The fin is slightly negative in the water - and has no compressible materials.
Swimming technique: It gives an okay return against a strong kick - but seems to come into it's own in cruise mode. Here you can maintain speed with less energy output than a conventional mono. Likewise with surface swimming. I felt no lack of power in the vertical - but we did not have a chance to go deep.
I think if you are going for speed you would want to increase frequency to exploit the whip-like wave this fin has - rather that overpowering it with hard kicks. For cruising its best to feel into the fin and find a nice groove that utilizes it's flexibility and responsiveness. Once you do that its pretty efficient!
What I think its good for: Better than a normal mono for sustained cruising, holding station in current, violent surf entries, spearfishing, u/w photography.
You can really maneuver with this fin. Its so easy and relaxing to swim with - I think it would be great for long open water dives down to 30m or so.
Conclusion: The C4 Monoflap is a unique and extremely well-made monofin. To me it seems geared to recreational freediving with an eye toward endurance, maneuverability, comfort and durability. I did not expect to like this fin, but I do. In fact I wish I'd had it in the Bahamas when we went out through and intense surf entry to visit the reef sharks. In my opinion it's the perfect fin for that kind of diving.
In short - an excellent open water recreational freediving fin - but you need to retool your technique to exploit it's strengths.
(ps - I don't work for C4 or anything)
Coming soon!! My in depth review of the Tropol Non-axial (aka 'hyper') fin!!
Attached are some shots of my dive buddy, Jason, playing with the C4 Mono.
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