I’ve been running around with Ron Smith’s Dol-fin Pilot for awhile now. Pool sessions, open water, etc. etc. I’ve formed an impression of this device as a recreational monofin.
The problem is I am accustomed to hyperfins. Most all my diving is with my Starfins hyperfin and, while the Dol-fin Orca can be reasonably compared to such a fin, the Pilot is a recreational fin and best A/B’d against the industry standard Waterway Nemo.
My perspective is insatiably biased.
It was not until I saw my dive buddy Jason (a long-time Nemo aficionado) swim with the pilot a few times, and got his feedback, that I felt ready to write this review.
(The Nemo, by the way, is an excellent recreational fin. The overall quality, and quality of the blade itself, is pretty much impossible to beat for the price. Jason uses one of my old Nemos – which is on it’s third owner and is more than 10 years old. The Nemos are comfortable, durable and have excellent performance. )
Lets start with the basics:
Durability:
Not even a question. The Pilot will outlive any other recreational fin.
Travel:
No contest. It breaks down way smaller than any other monofin.
Comfort & Fit:
The cycling shoe interface means excellent comfort – even in very cold water.
Ease of Use:
Well yes – it’s easy to use; but it does not reward bad technique as well as a Nemo. However, it rewards good technique better.
Design:
The Dol-fin Pilot is a study in form-follows-function elegance and minimalism.
Support:
Absolutely top notch.
For this review I’ve focused on both of our observations during Jason’s dives with the fin. He’s been using a Nemo exclusively for a number of years and is very picky and impatient with substandard equipment. Dive Time is Sacred – we will not-for-long be burdened with gear we don’t like.
I gave Jason the fin in October – water temps are now down around 10C and less – viz is awesome and some of the fish are stultifyingly difficult to get next to. In addition to the cold water, we have to swim a long ways to get to some of our favorite sites. It’s the best time of year to dive around here.
We both pull substantial floats – mine is a Banks Board, Jason’s; an OMER Shardana ( a most rocking float, btw – no longer in production). We both have big flags on long masts that catch the wind like sails, so it was good to test the fin on a couple of very windy days.
Our dive site was about 1/3 mile out – with the wind behind us on the trip out (8-12 knots).
At these temps (air maybe 8 C, water; 10 - aka 49.2f, according to the famous Liquivision Xen) and with that wind, it’s a balance of enough exertion to stay warm and saving something up for the longish dives required to make Lake Trout comfortable with us. (They mosey on over at a very leisurely pace after you’ve been down at least 1:45 – which means 2:30 to 3 min if you want a reliably close encounter - except for this one, which was napping on the bottom).
Perhaps the most striking thing I noticed was during the trip back in:
Jason was moving along very well on the surface – wind against him and trailing a float that he could pretty much ride with the wind on the way out.
Interesting.
I kept a lid on it – I wanted his unvarnished observations after a couple more sessions.
So:
We found the pilot superior to the Nemo for surface swims – less energy – plenty of speed – more distance. I expected really good dynamic performance, but this was a surprise.
Most of our dives during these sessions were only just past 10 meters. (earlier in the year I did a number past 20) At these depths and wearing 5 mil suits we found the Pilot inferior to the Nemo on the trip down.
I think this is because it weighs less; hence does not drive you down as well on a duck dive, and because 10m is really not enough distance for the foil’s efficiency and reduced drag to make a difference. At greater depths I suspect the efficiency curve would change in the Pilot’s favor.
The trip up was no problem, but is difficult to judge since the buoyancy of our cold-water suits kicks in pretty quickly in such shallow water. My deeper tests with the Pilot showed it nominally inferior to my hyperfin. It feels lame coming off the bottom – but once you relax into the flow with it, it moves along quite well (Same past the first 10 or 15 feet on the way down.)
Jason whined a little about maneuvering with the fin – this is just because he is accustomed to the feedback of that big blade. Sensing right alignment with these foil-based fins takes a little time: “Demonstrate some adaptability” said I.
Conclusions about performance:
Our consensus is that the Pilot exceeds the Nemo in horizontal swims – surface or submerged.
We’re not so sure about depth, but hypothesize it will match or exceed.
Things not liked:
It’s negative at the surface, not super-negative; but more so than the Nemo – even with a 5 mil suit. We’d like some kind of float to make it slightly positive.
I don’t particularly like cycling shoes. I don’t like the way they lock my feet in and I don’t like the rigid arches. I think Ron should make an adapter for bifin foot pockets such as Omer and C4. Most people will probably like the shoes just fine though, and they do have several advantages (force transmission; tight or loose fit for different socks; sizing).
The straight foil can get tangled with your floatline. This is pretty picky really, since it is easily avoided by paying attention, but reviews that don’t say anything bad sound cheesy to me.
The Big Picture: The Dol-fin Pilot is a high-performance, very practical recreational monofin. Easy to travel with, durable, and with overall performance somewhere between a Nemo class monofin and a competitive Hyperfin.
Odds are it’ll fit in your luggage.
I think the thing is a masterpiece.
For what it’s worth, while the Waterway Nemo will always have a warm place in my heart, since I’ve got used to hyperfins, it feels hopelessly awkward to me. Not so the Pilot.
In fact, in terms of feel, I like the pilot better than the better-performing Dol-fin Orca. It has less mass and swims more easily on the surface.
Things You Should Know: As I’ve said of the Orca – if you have experience with bifins and monofins you will need to rework your feedback thing.
You do not feel the power in the same way with these foil-based fins
Instead; Relax and watch the bottom going by. Explore how well you move with very little effort and motion.
You can work as hard as you want to – but these fins are all about minimizing effort. They feel almost like cheating compared with conventional fins.
Dol-fin Pilot: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Disclaimer: I have no financial relationship with Ron Smith. He doesn’t give me free stuff or money.
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