FINS - Again, but do help please.

[Iyadiver]

Guys,

I have a Mares Quattro full pocket/foot. The best fins I have used so far for scuba diving and freediving ( still learning ). I can't use other than full foot, most open heel will kill me my feet.

I have a few question I wanted to ask. I been reading the available thread up and down and still confused. I want to get a good/popular freediving fins. I tried getting information even from Peter of Waterways Canada, a very special fins company for world champions. I am not after any record or anything, I am after the lightest kick, no cramp but the most propulsion possible.
I am short 167cm, my legs not that tough and weight at 70kg.

What I gather from the available post is that Cressi Gara LD is a good choice. Carbon fins break a part...so no no. I also do not want to experiment with new fins because shipping any fins is US$50 to me plus +-30% of tax (minimum ) on the price+shipping. So a US$60 fin will come down to US$ 160 landed at my door step, a painful mistake if I order wrong one. Based on Deeperblue store. The next closest supply is Australia because freediving is not common here.

Now I need to bother you nice people with the followings :

01. Have anyone out there experience or compare a Quattro to a Cressi Gara LD ( I probably need a soft one ) extensively, I mean own both ? What kind improvement is to be expected. For freediving of course.


02. Riffe sells Omer fins, two types. Is this special order or just re-branding ? I know Chief Anderson prefer Cressi Gara to the Omer Millenium. I was hoping Riffe asked Omer to do a special design for them. Since Riffe products been mostly good ones, I was again hoping the same for the fins ? I kind of like Riffe goods.


P.S. I already made a mistake buying a Scubapro Split Twin Jet Full Foot a few months ago. Sold it after 3 hours of use. It is good like the Quattro in terms of propulsion but the weight of this heavy fin is a bother. So no improvement in my opinion. Probably I am wrong.


Thanks A Lot,

IYA

 

[Griff]

Originally posted by Iyadiver
I am after the lightest kick, no cramp but the most propulsion possible.

arent we all buddy

Iya, i used mares avanti for a while before i got my freediving fins. i thought that the mares gave good thrust, untill i tried the longfins. the difference is very big and the longfins have the power. but, for quick acceleration, obviously the mares come out on top. the stroke is different with longfins as well. much slower and more deliberate. with the mares you just kick without thinking, but with the longfins, i need to concentrate more.

cheers
mark

 

[Skindiver]

Even tho you were ugly to me...

05. SKINDIVER, can't you see we are having fun dreaming here ? Don't get too excited lad, we can always throw a stick of TNT on a feeding tuna if meat is all we are purely after.

...I'm still going to give you the lowdown on the two kinds of fins you described. Cressi LD and Mares Quattro. :t

Cressi LD is a freediving fin. Mares Quattro is not.
Mares Quattro is an all rounder rubber fin. Cressi LD is not.
I use Mares quattro ( Sporasub cruise ) six times a week, three of which are for underwater hockey. I wouldnt dream of trying LD's in that capacity, nor be allowed.
Cruises have a soft foot pocket nice and comfy and Cressi's have a hard footpocket. Cressis either fit or they dont.
Cruises will take most feet.
LD's are softer than HF's but you would not notice it unless you were 30m down( LD's dont return well if you want to get home now), or on the surface. (HF's dont surface swim well and LD's swim ok.)
Cruises are nice for shore entries ( im not referring to sissy mediteranean ones )and faffing in shallow water. Cressi's end up sticking out of the water when your head is in the sand in shallow water.

I witnessed someone hit 30m in Cruises and i take my hat off to him for withdrawing from the competition next round.

Cruises kick smoothly and bend into the footpocket some whilst kicking. Ld's and HF's will only bend your ankles if you have noodle legs.
I prefer Cruises for dynamic. Hf's and Ld's dont seem to give power unless you put power on especially HF's and i dont need power in dynamic. When you put power on Cressi HF's you make a wake on the surface. When you put power on cruises you still get a wake but smaller for more kicks per length. Even cruises chop up soft carbon fins in the power stakes. When you power up soft carbons they fold around your hamstrings.

I suspect even LD's will hurt noodle legs. Rather try the blue Cressi reflex, or work out and get HF's. You grow into everything eventually.

Cressis dont really break. Cruises do not break.

Personally HF's Rule for diving deep. :wave
Cruises rule for everything else. :wave

So wah. :t

Skin.

 

[Iyadiver]

Thanks Griff,

YEP I seen people use long fins and they swim a different way than my riot style with Quattro. They swim smooth big kick. If I ever hit 20 meters, I am more than happy. I'll see how I will get one from Singapore if they do have it.



Hello Skin,

He he he. Still carry the vengeance my man... OK I owe you one strong remark + long term interest = 2 shots. U are then entitled to shoot me twice. Wha ha ha . I wasn't trying to be rude just very excited over the frankegun.... Ok OK, I'm sorry but hell a lot of thanks 4 the fins info.

Most probably I'll get the softer LD first cause u said it swim on the surcace better...........my favourite depth !!!! It will probably take me years to hit 20 Meter, let alone 30M. I think I fall in the noodle leg catagory...must be. I just want to be able to shoot fish on freedive cause they are so less shy then when I blow bubbles. It opens up more opportunity and I can be in the water much longer........ I mean on the water surface . No way I am dreaming of going deep .... no no. I just want to be rigged correctly.

Well, thanks again 4 the info, much appreciated. Can u flush that vengeance away.....

IYA

 

[rigdvr]

IYA, any longblade fin is going to make a world of difference in your diving! Some good fins I have tried are the Picasso Black Teams but they didn't feel as comfortable(foot/pocket disagreement!) I am currently using the Mares attack fin which many people say bad things about but I love them. They have a Sporasub foot pocket, which is the most comfortable to me, and they have withstood the abuse of the rigs somehow. I have a pair of Sporasub Radicals on the way, also a discontinued fin, that I found in a shop in Sweden. I have used the cressi's before and liked them as well. I am like you in that there is no freediving market in my area so I have no chance to try things on before I order them. In fins the most important thing is FIT. Do you have a wide or narrow foot? That will help us help you!

 

[Iyadiver]

Hi Rig,

Great help thanks. Me feet is 7 1/2 and wide. This is the size I order if I buy hunting boots. For Nike sport shoe I get 8 sometime. My Mares is 7/8 or 8/9 , it is in the boat I almost never remember the size but I need to put on socks, cause it is rather loose. I use at least 2-3 fins in 2 years, they keep breaking at the pocket, mostly at the heel or where the rubber pocket part meet the plastic part of the blade. My wife buy all the gear cause she used to work for a dive shop so she knows people and I get good price. Only Mares, Scubapro and US Diver/Aqua Lung are avaialble in Jakarta. I have always had trouble buying party shoe cause my feet is quite wide for its short length. Wide at the toes area. U know she just told me that my fin now is Mares Tire not Quattro. Damn this Mares look a like. 4 channel is the Quattro.

What is a Mares attack fin ? I been searching the web but never heard of "attack". I talk to the dealer today and they told me they have freediving fin ( so they say ) called Mares L something but a discontinued model and look different from Quattro. I never seen Sporasub even though they are suppose to be another name for Mares fins...correct ?

Whatever long fins I will buy, I will buy the Quattro Power too, I just love their fins.

Thanks Rig,
IYA

 

[andrsn]

hey iya,

i think i told you this before but of all our world searches for better freedive fins, both aquiles and i came back to our original cressis. i don't think there's a better fin for warm water diving, honestly.

if you're in the pool a bit w/ your fins, the garas are one of the best fins to react well to a dolphin kick. lynn, who used to compete back in belgium in monofin races, uses the gara ld's in her training routine. she actually tought me how to use them properly in the dolphin technique. now, that's the only way i come up from depth. even w/ a speargun or camera. one hand's over my head and the other's holding on to whatever at my side. it kinda feels like i'm pulling myself up w/ my neck. but, i get to the surface in almost half the time w/ a lot less energy used to do so.

i even stepped down to the softer of the two versions(LD) because i like the less ankle-stress while surface swimming and i like the softer blade on descent so i don't have to kick as hard(which scares fish, too). anyways, i'll be out spearing in the keys this weekend and i'll try to have aquiles get some footage of me coming up from the deep w/ the dolphin kick and gun in hand. i'll send it to you.

anyways, i think the garas offer the best of all worlds. comfy foot pocket, excellent blade response(especially to the dolphin kick), and great durability. also, i think that since they are virtually one piece construction, i think they are more solid than the changeable blade fins.

i have the mares quattro and avante tres. quattro are great for hockey, but lack in speed/efficiency over a greater distance compared to the garas. the avante tres are just like butter to me now. they make it seem like i don't have anything on my feet.

also, the mares attack fins were a somewhat knockoff of the sporasub radicals where they have carbon fiber inserts coated in a rugged fiberglass surrounding. they were endorsed by pipin, but were kinda a flop because they're like planks of plywood on your feet and they were way too pricey.

later,
anderson

ps. oh yeah, i've had the soft cressis down to 40m and they got me up w/ no trouble whatsoever, although i was dolphin kicking on the way up.

 

[Vodouch]

Hi andrsn,
it is nice to hear your defense of garas LD. They were only longfins I could find in scuba shops here in Czechia so I bought them last year. One week ago I saw HF`s in one shop and thought about upgrading. If you say LD`s are good up to 40m, then I think they are good enough for my 10m as a newbie ,
and I will spend my money some better way.
Thanks,
Petr

P.S.: If you will have some pics of dolphin kicking with garas, will you post them to this thread?

 

[andrsn]

will do. i'm not sure what the visibility will be like tomorrow, but we'll have the cameras out any how.

later

 

[Murat]

I have fin problems also i`ll be glad if you help me too.

I am 1.85cm 80 kilos.Powerfull legs great endurance (i am a bodybuilder ).My diving range is from 3 meter up to 12 meter but i can`t dive 12 m deep with my loosy cressi clios.
I want to buy long blade fin. Available models here is Cressi gara HF i don`t know if Ld is available. Other one is OMER Millenium Winter. I am thinking about Millenium standart green or black but not available:waterwork .I am wondering which one is softer Millenium Winter or Cressi LD (if it`s available). I think Winters is too soft for me even i can`t dive deep.Any comments or help will be apriciate.

 

[Murat]

I forget to write the prices. 100 bucks for Millenium and 120-130 for the Cressi Gara HF

 

[Murat]

For u Iya i have few advice to you. It`s looks like you are in same dive conditions with me.If i were you i don`t pay extra 60 dollars for Riffe Fins its looks like pretty same with Milleniums even blades. you may want to buy either OMER Millenium Standart Green or Black or Cressi Gara LD. But DON`T FORGET you can change the blades of Milleniums bot not in Cressi. That means if you don`t like the stiffnes of Milleniums you can upgrade it or if it brokes you can buy new blades

 

[Iyadiver]

Thanks Anderson.



Hi Murat,

It is tough to live in a city where certain items are not available on the shop ( like freefiving fins ) and the worst part u can hardly borrow from anyone to test it . I think u r right about the Riffe Omer , it is only re branding, so not worth it. Like Riffe knife is also re branding........but I like it.

My main headache are fins and mask. I bought a Cressi Sphera long ago, I think this is what they call it, look like Dacor bandit, low profile and twin lens but plastic. I bought it not for freediving but because it look so cute. I just saw it in my friend's boat few days back ( most of my gear is in it not at my home ), I then recalled why I stop using it after only 3 minutes of dive. The image is distorted, it gave me headache and the overall image is smaller than my usual mask. The mild curve on the lens somehow create a funny image. I really hate it 100%. Even the boat boys refused to wear it when cleaning the hull, they said the same thing...headache !!! The prefer the normal Tusa Liberator which I gave to them cause it leaks a lot when I laugh underwater or make funny faces on scuba.

This is why I am still very confused about mask. I think the Cressi Minima looks like the Sphera. I logged 2,000+ dives on scuba and I get very very sensitive with my gear. I been pampering myself with what are comfortable in my opinion, I am not a gadget freak but I try to stay within a top 3 reputable brands for insurance. If my boat boy even accidentaly place 1 kg of extra lead into my BCD/weight belt, I can feel it immediately.

There are so many so called "good new scuba gears" I tried many but never like them. I changed my US Diver Micra regulators every 2 years but I go for the same model and brand for the last 3 times........ I just like what I am used to. Only lately I switched to Scubapro UL S600 because my good friend bought it for me as a present and I use it as a form of respect....but it is nice.....very nice but I know the all aluminum first stage will never last like chromed brass... for sure.

Man !!! I sound like a bitch when it comes to comfortable gear.

Enjoy,
IYA

 

[Murat]

Yea Iya its good to be a sensetive to your dive gear if you want to live long.
I went to the our local cressi dealer today and looked for the gara 2000 LD. I found them for 115 bucks. Still waiting for comments for previous post.

 

[icarus pacific]

If you can fit in a pair of cressi LD's go for 'em, otherwise try to get a pair of Picasso BT's and plan on spending some time getting used to either of them. The OMER/Riffe's are a hybrid blend I've been told, as well as having special coloring...whatever. After a while, I mean a long while, if you decide to step up o the plate, then you can go score a pair of OMER ICE's.

All this from a guy that can't fir in any full pocket fin...

sven

 

[Iyadiver]

This is funny, my reply dissapeared ??? here we go again...........

Thanks Sven. I was under the impression that some sort of positive buoyancy somewhere at 15-30 feet is a must have for freediving. Like an octopus to our reg.

Shall see in a year time how much I can improve. I do notice I feel better after an hour in the water. I don't think 28 * Celsius water can induce any mamalian reflex on my heart beat.


IYA