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CW monofin
- Thread starterTRITON
- 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.
CW monofins can generally be divided into three types:
1. Classic style: usually fiberglass blade, with tight open heel flat footpockets -- the classic finswimming fin
2. Hybrid style: fiberglass or carbon blade, with retrofitted full foot pockets taken from bifins and modified for use on the mono. The footpockets are rigid and very heavy.
3. Next generation style: fiberglass or carbon blade, with weird bullet shaped ultrastreamlined footpockets which have bulk to create a penguin/arrow shape. The blade has an angle with respect to the footpocket.
Martin Stepanek & Carlos Coste did their 102m/103m/105m/108m records with #1 (classic style). Carlos used a classic waterway blade with classic waterway footpockets. Martin was using a carbon fin from ?specialfins? with a classic footpocket. In fact all men's CW records starting from Herbert's 95m and ending with Martin's 108m record were done with classic fins. I'm uncertain what kind of fin Guillaume used on his 109m record.
Only one record was ever set with the hybrid style (Mandy 78m 2004). The hybrid style mono is generally regarded as poor efficiency, but comfortable and keeps your feet warm.
The latest records (Herbert 111m and Mandy 88m, Molchanova 86m) were set with #3 (next generation) monofins. Most manufacturers are now making next generation monos.
The last constant weight records set with bifins were Martin's 93m dive (2003) and Tanya Streeter's 70m dive (2001). I know of no divers (men or women) to have dived deeper than those depths with bifins, either officially or unofficially.
I hope that answers the question.
1. Classic style: usually fiberglass blade, with tight open heel flat footpockets -- the classic finswimming fin
2. Hybrid style: fiberglass or carbon blade, with retrofitted full foot pockets taken from bifins and modified for use on the mono. The footpockets are rigid and very heavy.
3. Next generation style: fiberglass or carbon blade, with weird bullet shaped ultrastreamlined footpockets which have bulk to create a penguin/arrow shape. The blade has an angle with respect to the footpocket.
Martin Stepanek & Carlos Coste did their 102m/103m/105m/108m records with #1 (classic style). Carlos used a classic waterway blade with classic waterway footpockets. Martin was using a carbon fin from ?specialfins? with a classic footpocket. In fact all men's CW records starting from Herbert's 95m and ending with Martin's 108m record were done with classic fins. I'm uncertain what kind of fin Guillaume used on his 109m record.
Only one record was ever set with the hybrid style (Mandy 78m 2004). The hybrid style mono is generally regarded as poor efficiency, but comfortable and keeps your feet warm.
The latest records (Herbert 111m and Mandy 88m, Molchanova 86m) were set with #3 (next generation) monofins. Most manufacturers are now making next generation monos.
The last constant weight records set with bifins were Martin's 93m dive (2003) and Tanya Streeter's 70m dive (2001). I know of no divers (men or women) to have dived deeper than those depths with bifins, either officially or unofficially.
I hope that answers the question.
I believe Guillaume used a "Chen Bin" chinese monofin. Haven't heard of anyone else using one for freediving, but in finswimming they are quite common.
Such as this:
Monofin "BIN FIN" Chen Bin Bien
The most advanced next generation fins are basically custom made fins of various "brands", mostly from russia. But of the common brands easily available the Waterway Glide fin and Leaderfins Hyperfin come to mind. They're good fins, even if not quite as good as the custom ones - but still a worthy investment. I guess the "Andronov" is the original concept of which most of these fins are imitations or variants of...For freediving you would ideally want a little different materials and more comfortable footpockets than the standard finswimming fin (which are not very comfortable and very buoyant).
A good monofin is essential for pleasure and performance. However, as you can see from Eric's post, the difference is not that huge, if one has a good technique and knows what they're doing. For recreational diving for example, I would be tempted to go with type 1 as it is cheaper and more rugged - the next gen fins you can break easily and you will be pretty pissed of when that happens cause the price range is 350e and up. More important than having the most cool looking wings etc is that the blade is the right stiffness and the footpockets fit right. As a general rule of thumb, I'd say most beginners simply buy fins that are too stiff and they cannot handle. This is because the fin is such an investment, that you want to be "safe" - leave some room for development. Then they learn the wrong technique and that's really hard to unlearn later (having gone through that process I just like to warn others
) I'd recommend getting first a cheap soft one, such as this: Monofin "BASIC" MF 001. Or for example one of the waterway basic models.
And if you one day outgrow that - then buy an expensive one - once you know what your needs and requirements are.
Such as this:
Monofin "BIN FIN" Chen Bin Bien
The most advanced next generation fins are basically custom made fins of various "brands", mostly from russia. But of the common brands easily available the Waterway Glide fin and Leaderfins Hyperfin come to mind. They're good fins, even if not quite as good as the custom ones - but still a worthy investment. I guess the "Andronov" is the original concept of which most of these fins are imitations or variants of...For freediving you would ideally want a little different materials and more comfortable footpockets than the standard finswimming fin (which are not very comfortable and very buoyant).
A good monofin is essential for pleasure and performance. However, as you can see from Eric's post, the difference is not that huge, if one has a good technique and knows what they're doing. For recreational diving for example, I would be tempted to go with type 1 as it is cheaper and more rugged - the next gen fins you can break easily and you will be pretty pissed of when that happens cause the price range is 350e and up. More important than having the most cool looking wings etc is that the blade is the right stiffness and the footpockets fit right. As a general rule of thumb, I'd say most beginners simply buy fins that are too stiff and they cannot handle. This is because the fin is such an investment, that you want to be "safe" - leave some room for development. Then they learn the wrong technique and that's really hard to unlearn later (having gone through that process I just like to warn others
) I'd recommend getting first a cheap soft one, such as this: Monofin "BASIC" MF 001. Or for example one of the waterway basic models.And if you one day outgrow that - then buy an expensive one - once you know what your needs and requirements are.
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Waterway Glide Fin
These are neuterally bouyant at 5-6 meters depth, which (for me) makes them the ultimate CW fin.
~Snuf.
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Maybe getting good bi fins will be a good idea if it is for recreational . I have to admit that i love swimming whit a monofin i bought one almost 5 years ago. But the problem whit the monofin is that is very hard to rest on the surface .
And it is hard to swim slow for a long time. Bi fins are the way to go for recreational free diving. Monofin is good for speed . Changing direction whit monofin is hard to . So the best you can do is just to get and tray both before you make your decision. Just borrow a monofin and a good pear of freediving fins and test them for a day or 2. After that you will be able to make your decisions. But again Monofin has great speed but Bifins are better for everything else. Whit a monofin you can swim very fast for 40 min but whit bifins you can swim for hours .
And it is hard to swim slow for a long time. Bi fins are the way to go for recreational free diving. Monofin is good for speed . Changing direction whit monofin is hard to . So the best you can do is just to get and tray both before you make your decision. Just borrow a monofin and a good pear of freediving fins and test them for a day or 2. After that you will be able to make your decisions. But again Monofin has great speed but Bifins are better for everything else. Whit a monofin you can swim very fast for 40 min but whit bifins you can swim for hours .
Bi fins and mono fins are two completely different and uncomperable things.
It all depends on the fin your getting.... and how well adapted you are to it.
I can wear my glide fin for about 2 hours no problam, but i can wear the nemo fin for ever:
A fin with footpockets would be my choice for purely recreational freediving.
~ Snuf.
It all depends on the fin your getting.... and how well adapted you are to it.
I can wear my glide fin for about 2 hours no problam, but i can wear the nemo fin for ever:
A fin with footpockets would be my choice for purely recreational freediving.
~ Snuf.
I'm also planning to buy a new monofin and I it will probably be Waterway glide......i've seen so many people use it for dynamics and they were very satisfied.But I don't know how it "behaves" in CW......so for me special fins "Monofin Carbon" is also a possibility.............and Herbert uses them(I think).
i have tried many different mono fins
i use now the leaderfin-flyer and it does a good job..
def. worth to try
www.leaderfins.com/cgi-bin/form.cgi/63eng?id=176&tm=1179660144
wolf
i use now the leaderfin-flyer and it does a good job..
def. worth to try
www.leaderfins.com/cgi-bin/form.cgi/63eng?id=176&tm=1179660144
wolf
Yep, LD and MD.
Im using MD, however some people find it to be too stiff and most prefer the LD. you can see more details if you click the glide fin image on my previous post.
~ Snuf.