Jim,
They are the best fins that I have ever had.
When I did Kirk's clinic a couple summers ago I had Picasso Black teams, and thought that they were pretty good. During the clinic I saw all of these people with carbon fiber fins. I decided to get a pair when I got home. I bought a pair of Sporasub PUue's and couldn't believe how easy they kicked. I also got a good deal on a pair of Radical's, in a larger foot pocket size for winter use, and thought that they worked better than the BT's but not as well as the Pure's, but they are a LOT more durable than the PURE's.
This past winter I sold off a couple stage bottles and decided to take the plunge on the C4's that everyone raved about. They are awsome, even if the footpockets do pop off now and then.
I had to teach a scuba class a couple weeks ago and went back to using my Black Teams for the openwater dives. I guess I am now totally spoiled, because my once prized Black Teams now suck! It felt like I had two heavy boards strapped on to my feet. I would have rather had on my smaller rubber hockey fins than put those things back on! I also tried out the Pure's in the pool the other day, just to compare them to the C4's, and they felt like toys. I didn't feel like I could move in them becasue they are so light and floppy. This might make them great for a looong surface swim, but the C4's could just push me so much further underwater with less, overall, effort.
Now, I am waiitng for Ted to get his new Sebak fins in to give them a try. I love my C4's, but a fin that you can acutally abuse, but stills gives a great performance, would really interest me.
For now I will use my C4's all the time, and lend out the others to people that go diving with me.
It could be my crappy kick, but my C4's seem to bring me back up a lot easier than my monofin too, plus they are comfortable enough to actually wear for more than 20 minutes.:waterwork
Jon