Gara 3000 breakage?

[Ted Budion]

Have any of you experienced breakage at the foot plant ribs on the Gara 3000?

I was pretending to buy a pair, but heard from an unusual high number of buddies that their Gara 3000 broke at that points in few months. And they're experienced spearfishers.

What gives?

Ted
Rio

 

[donmoore]

Sorry, I don’t know anything about breakage, but last weekend one of the guys I dive with used his new Gara 3000’s for the first time. He is a muscular guy and usually has no problem keeping up with me on the surface. We where at a lake and swam out to a buoy about 200 meters from shore and then we came back and I swam a buoy and a 15lbs anchor out there and eventually back. It’s a good thing there was no current, because he was so slow it was ridiculous. He tried on his front and his back, using his arms and without.

Even with me swimming the buoy and the 15lbs weight I had to slow my kick down to crawl for him to stay up. Maybe he will get better with them. For now though, I can’t see the logic why anyone would want fins that don’t work well on the surface.
don

 

[Ted Budion]

For good performance at depths below 70ft. Usually those fins, including the Gara 3000 are more suited for boat diving.

Ted

 

[Murat]

i swim on the surface with gara3000s as long as 7 hours non stop for 1 year.... You have to know the correct tehcnique for surface swimming with them. Bcyles kick is leg killer with these fins, this does not mean i don't do it when i need to.But the most proper technique is the pushing your legs horizontal straightly without and cycling movement, with doing this you use the flexibility property of fin and feel no fatigue...


I also heard ripping at that area but never had one or encounter one

 

[w3ac]

This is a common problem with Cressi fins in general. I had a pair of blue Cressi and Gara 2000 HF that eventually cracked at the ribs. This didn't seem to affect the performance of the fin but was a little disturbing to see.

Yes all of my Cressi fins were a beast on the surface; kinda stiff and slow. They're okay to around 80 feet but after that I wanted more. They felt kinda soggy down deep. Switched to a Waterway (Matrix blade) #2 with OMER pockets and have not looked back. I did notice that my surface swim was a little faster because of the good snap in the blade but I tended to overpower them past 40 feet. After slowing and opening up my kick they are very nice. I will probably get a pair of #4's later this year as I like to kick hard off the bottom them then open up and slow down as I ascend. Can't say enough about these fiber blades though, really good stuff.

Brad

 

[Ted Budion]

I wonder if those guys swim properly. I know for a fact that one of them. Besides, they're on the competition circuit (15 meets a year), a killer for fins.

Ted

 

[ajwaverider]

I was reading an ad by Cressi Sub for there gara 3000 fins in HSD
mag and they said the 3000s are less stiff than the 2000hf.I was under the impression that the 3000 would be stiffer than the 2000 and that more stiffness equaled more power.What is the price difference between the two?

 

[Adrian]

AJ,
The gara 3000 are longer than the 2000 and end up being (for me) much stiffer. I use them and when a friend lent me his 2000 to try out it felt as if I was overpowering them or as if I didn't have any fins on. They are not made for surface swimming but more for getting an impulse at depth.

Adrian

 

[ajwaverider]

thanks Adrian!I like the pic you put in in the beach bar , the water at that spot looks great.

 

[Adrian]

Thanks AJ,
It's one of my favorite places. The landscape is awesome also. The water there is generally clear as it's all rock coastline and there are no rivers nearby. You can see some pictures on my site if you go to http://www.art-centre.com/sea/freedivingfriends_kars_1.html.

All the pictures on that page are from there. It'll give you an idea.
There aren't half as many fish as in your area but on the other hand I don't have to worry about hurricanes! (Understatement of the year for you guys!)

Good luck with Jeanne! :martial

Adrian