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Fin Lineup - Any Questions?
- Thread starterunirdna
- 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.
I bit the bullet, and bought a set of Hybrid Pro Hards From Specialfins, Their customer service in a word, Fantastic.
I mailed Jyri and got an answer to my questions almost immediately.
I transferred the payment via Eurobank transfer cost only 0.75c so that is the way to go in EU.
I tried them twice the first impression was that I was moving faster for less effort compared to the Black Teams that I have used up to now.
Full report to follow.
Huan
I mailed Jyri and got an answer to my questions almost immediately.
I transferred the payment via Eurobank transfer cost only 0.75c so that is the way to go in EU.
I tried them twice the first impression was that I was moving faster for less effort compared to the Black Teams that I have used up to now.
Full report to follow.
Huan
These are not the "old" Matrix/Waterway blades. This is a totally new design. The blade appears to be one piece fiberglass instead of layered pieces glassed together. Note the heel part of the blade now has a bend in it changing the angle of the blade. Also note the end of the fin, it differs from the scalloped shape of the "old" blade. I saw this today at a spearfishing expo here in Hawaii. The one I saw was a 3.5 stiffness, super cool blade and appears to be better made. I'm interested to see how the new angle of the blade changes how the fins perform. Anyone know when they will be available in USA? Hanapa'a Hawaii did not know when they will be available.
After last weekend I came to realize a few things about fins.
First, the footpockets DO make a difference. Even though the new omer pockets are softer than the old ones, they are still much stiffer than the Sporasub and Spetton footpockets. So much so, that they can even effect how a fin feels and works. One pair of blades, the Special Fin's Kelpies, came in a medium, but kicked much harder than Ted's Stereo Pro's- which are hards. I thought that there must be some kind of miss-labeling, but it was just a difference in the foot pocekts. Once I switched the Kelpies into an extra pair of Sporasub pockets they softend right up.
I have about half my fins with OMER pockets and the other half with Sporasub's. It really comes down to the individual which pocket you like best- just like comparing Nike's to Addidas. I will say that it doubles your choices in fins stiffness. Now you have the choice of 4-5 different stiffnesses in a single brand of fin, plus the ability to change the stiffness of each blade by the addition of a specific foot pocket.
The second thing that I learned is that I like softer fins- it must be because I am getting old.
When I first got my C4-40's I thought they were the best thing going. Of course, 20+ years of using stiff scuba fins might have had some influence on that. I now find that my C4- 30's are much more comfortable and have done my deeper dives with my softer fins. I know that there is another thread on here about divers getting softer (fins ) and I would have to include myself in that group.
The last thing that I realized is that I pretty much suck at monofinning. I even have a nice Specialfins mono that is so comfortable that I can wear it for hours on end, but I still can dive deeper and feel much more comfortable with the bi-fins. Maybe one day I'll be able to do one of those monofin clinics with the Solomons, but for now I guess I'm just a bi kinda guy- go ahead Sven that was an easy one pitched right up the middle.
Here are a FEW of the fins that we had out there this weekend. There are still more than another dozen that aren't pictured.
Jon
First, the footpockets DO make a difference. Even though the new omer pockets are softer than the old ones, they are still much stiffer than the Sporasub and Spetton footpockets. So much so, that they can even effect how a fin feels and works. One pair of blades, the Special Fin's Kelpies, came in a medium, but kicked much harder than Ted's Stereo Pro's- which are hards. I thought that there must be some kind of miss-labeling, but it was just a difference in the foot pocekts. Once I switched the Kelpies into an extra pair of Sporasub pockets they softend right up.
I have about half my fins with OMER pockets and the other half with Sporasub's. It really comes down to the individual which pocket you like best- just like comparing Nike's to Addidas. I will say that it doubles your choices in fins stiffness. Now you have the choice of 4-5 different stiffnesses in a single brand of fin, plus the ability to change the stiffness of each blade by the addition of a specific foot pocket.
The second thing that I learned is that I like softer fins- it must be because I am getting old.
When I first got my C4-40's I thought they were the best thing going. Of course, 20+ years of using stiff scuba fins might have had some influence on that. I now find that my C4- 30's are much more comfortable and have done my deeper dives with my softer fins. I know that there is another thread on here about divers getting softer (fins ) and I would have to include myself in that group.The last thing that I realized is that I pretty much suck at monofinning.
I even have a nice Specialfins mono that is so comfortable that I can wear it for hours on end, but I still can dive deeper and feel much more comfortable with the bi-fins. Maybe one day I'll be able to do one of those monofin clinics with the Solomons, but for now I guess I'm just a bi kinda guy- go ahead Sven that was an easy one pitched right up the middle. Here are a FEW of the fins that we had out there this weekend. There are still more than another dozen that aren't pictured.
Jon
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About the footpocket stiffness
Surely this affects overall blade performance for two reasons - the rail stiffness AND the foot section stiffness. I'd think theorise that the ideal footpocket would have a stiff foot section with soft rails.
No footpocket will affect the stiffness of a blade beyond the rails attachment point, so by changes footpockets, you only affect the first half of the blade. Therefore, if the blade is designed without a specific footpocket in mind, you will never get a perfect flex of the fin.....
Perhaps the specialfins guys could tell us how they deal with this?
Surely this affects overall blade performance for two reasons - the rail stiffness AND the foot section stiffness. I'd think theorise that the ideal footpocket would have a stiff foot section with soft rails.
No footpocket will affect the stiffness of a blade beyond the rails attachment point, so by changes footpockets, you only affect the first half of the blade. Therefore, if the blade is designed without a specific footpocket in mind, you will never get a perfect flex of the fin.....
Perhaps the specialfins guys could tell us how they deal with this?
The "new" fins.
To Memo.
Just FYI. Concerning the fins you are asking above. The blades are made of fiberglass and have the different thickness. This blades made in Ukraine by Andrey Lagutin and been sold to XXOne. There are several models which differ by the lengths, widths and the angle of the blade (15 - 21). Check this link http://fishhunter.org.ua/g04/lasteklo.htm (unfortunately this site is only Russian language). I know for sure that more than 70% Ukrainian fishhunters / freedivers are using these blades and a few blades were sending to Imersion (France) for testing. IMHO this is the very good blades. The overall performance is comparable to the carbon but the durability and the price are unbeatable.
I know that it is absurdity to make any suggestions looking only at the pictures (see link above), but I would like to us everyone what do you think about these pictures.
All the best.
To Memo.
Just FYI. Concerning the fins you are asking above. The blades are made of fiberglass and have the different thickness. This blades made in Ukraine by Andrey Lagutin and been sold to XXOne. There are several models which differ by the lengths, widths and the angle of the blade (15 - 21). Check this link http://fishhunter.org.ua/g04/lasteklo.htm (unfortunately this site is only Russian language). I know for sure that more than 70% Ukrainian fishhunters / freedivers are using these blades and a few blades were sending to Imersion (France) for testing. IMHO this is the very good blades. The overall performance is comparable to the carbon but the durability and the price are unbeatable.
I know that it is absurdity to make any suggestions looking only at the pictures (see link above), but I would like to us everyone what do you think about these pictures.
All the best.
Your right about the rails Ben.
I would even go so far as to divide the footpocket into three parts:
1- the rail
2- the mid section
3- the heel cup
I know some fins are very soft in the heel cup, like Esclapez, and tend to fold over in my arch- this doesn't happen with my Picasso's.
Other fins are much stiffer across the mid section, like Omer's vs. Sporasubs.
The rails make a huge difference on how well the blade flexes, as I said earlier when I switched foot pockets back and forth between the same sets of blades and got different results.
In the end it still comes down to personal preference. I know that Fred, and his brother, both liked the Cressi fins, while Ted and I found them to be quite uncomfortable with socks on. Fred does have a wicked high arch, at least compared to my foot, and am sure he would prefer a different pocket, or running shoe, than I would as a result.
Jon
I would even go so far as to divide the footpocket into three parts:
1- the rail
2- the mid section
3- the heel cup
I know some fins are very soft in the heel cup, like Esclapez, and tend to fold over in my arch- this doesn't happen with my Picasso's.
Other fins are much stiffer across the mid section, like Omer's vs. Sporasubs.
The rails make a huge difference on how well the blade flexes, as I said earlier when I switched foot pockets back and forth between the same sets of blades and got different results.
In the end it still comes down to personal preference. I know that Fred, and his brother, both liked the Cressi fins, while Ted and I found them to be quite uncomfortable with socks on. Fred does have a wicked high arch, at least compared to my foot, and am sure he would prefer a different pocket, or running shoe, than I would as a result.
Jon
I first saw that when Matrix joined with Waterway... maybe its a matrix waterway thingy...? Smack me if im wrong!
I didn't know which Hybrids to get extra hard or hard. Jyri sent me both to try. I found that the extra hards were too stiff for my liking. They didn't have that snap to them like the hards. I was really impressed with the hards. They are the best fins Ive used so far.
Jyri was very helpful with everything. He answered all my questions immediately. He must live on the computer!
All responses credited to a 5'8", 150lb, 30-year-old man-diver.
Can't speak for 30's, but 40's are waaay stiffer than Dessaults. If you are a beefy fella, you might do well with BATs. But for small-medium divers, I would recommend Dessaults. I say again, there is NO better fin for the money.
Too stiff for my liking (green or black - if it makes a difference). Again, they might do better for a tank-of-a-man. I took em to 25m last year, and did not enjoy the trip back to the surface.
Jon has a pair (if they are the standard plastic fin - maybe he will chime in). As I recall, they have a softer footpocket than sporas or omers. But not as soft as Garas. He hasn't used his for a few years, since he got his C4 40's.....and C4 30's.....and C4 80's......and....
mishu1984 said:
Can't speak for 30's, but 40's are waaay stiffer than Dessaults. If you are a beefy fella, you might do well with BATs. But for small-medium divers, I would recommend Dessaults. I say again, there is NO better fin for the money.
JimmyB said:
Too stiff for my liking (green or black - if it makes a difference). Again, they might do better for a tank-of-a-man. I took em to 25m last year, and did not enjoy the trip back to the surface.
fly said:
Jon has a pair (if they are the standard plastic fin - maybe he will chime in). As I recall, they have a softer footpocket than sporas or omers. But not as soft as Garas. He hasn't used his for a few years, since he got his C4 40's.....and C4 30's.....and C4 80's......and....