GARA 3000 Fin

[ctaut]

Hi all,

I’m a beginner free diver, and I want to buy free diving fins.
Is Gara 3000 softer than Gara 2000?
What model of fins do you recommend for a beginner free diver?

Thank You

 

[Roan]

Welcome to DeeperBlue.
Yes, the 3000 is softer than the 2000. I own and use Gara 3000 and Sporasub H. Dessaults. Both are good fins for beginning to intermediate depths. Gara 3000 is a better fin (than the Dessaults) for deeper depths.

 

[ctaut]

Thank You Roan!

 

[Skywalker]

As far as I know the Gara 3000 are a bit softer then the 2000 and also a tiny bit longer. The Gara product descritpion says that they are a bit more effecient at a at the same time lower powerinput. I can't compare them as I only used the 3000 but they propel me quite nice at dynamics for my low training level

Yours

Sky

 

[BatRay]

I agree about the H. Dessaults as a good fin. Mine are quite soft and comfortable, and they work very well. The DB shop has photos of the Gara 3000, and you get a sense of just how long that fin is. I have no experience with that fin, but the Sporasub H. Dessault is excellent. Also, the footpockets can accept other H. Dessault blades if you decide you want a stiffer fin. Good luck!

 

[stef]

I own both the 3000 and the 2000. If you want to choose among these two, go with the 3000, which are a bit softer and more performant. Both are very confortble, and you can use them also without neoprene socks.
In reality though, neither the 2000 nor the 3000 are good for a beginner, as they both are too hard, and you will have a tendency to bend your knees too much while finning. You need softer fins, like the Omer BAT 20 (a bit expensive) or the Beuchat Mundial Competition (must be the gray Competition, not the black Elite).
Cheers.

 

[miker]

I am using a gara type (it's a blue blade) which is very soft.
Now i just try a carbon fin (made in greece so you probably can't find in your country) in picasso footpocket and i don't like it.
Now i am going to try the gara2000hd(a black blade) it's a bit harder.My opinion is that the cressi fins are really good.I think they are even better than many carbon type.
About the new model i heard that it is a little bit harder than the old types.
As a bigginer i suggest get the softest type.

 

[immerlustig]

as far as i know the blue garas are out of production a long time now. the gara 2000 come in 2 stifnesses, the grey ones (2000ld)are softer, the black ones (2000hd) are stiff. and then there are the 3000, which i believe are comparable in stifness to the grey garas but a bit longer.

i wouldn´t recommend stiff fins for a beginner at all. you spend too much time and effort just trying to bend those blades which will lead to a bad kick plus less relaxation. cressi garas are relatively cheap and last a long time. go for the 2000ld or 3000. those should be plenty for some years. to reap the benefits of carbon or fiberglass one should have a good technique and some experience already.

in my experience a softer fin will always be better than a fin which is too stiff.

have fun

roland

 

[Murat]

gara 3000 is good beginner fin, i know it by experiance


just be sure to right technique for surface swimming, so you will have easiest going fin on the surface and also fin which will perform good for deep divings.

 

[Roan]

Murat,
What is the proper kicking technique for Gara 3000's? I'm liking mine more and more. Yesterday, I went out spearfishing and did some extensive surface swimming. I noticed that the Gara tend to float more than my H. Dessaults, so my swimming was noisier. Fish were leaving the area and laughing at me! I don't really want to add ankle weights. Any tips?

 

[jimbodiver]

Gara 3000 vs Picasso Black Team

Anyone have an opinion regarding how the Cressi Gara 3000 fin would compare with Picasso Black Team fin?

Some background: I'm in the hunt for a good set of freediving fins, and am a relative amateur at this....I'm a master scuba instructor but only a casual freediver (to 15 meters max)...but am planning to enroll in and take the advanced Performance Freediving clinic (from Kirk Krack), and would be using these fins in that course. Hopefully I'll learn to increase my depth by a fair amount, because currently I seem to be limited by inability to equalize when I go any deeper (not enough umph). So, with that in mind, I'd appreciate thoughts on these fin choices....and any others you might suggest I consider. Thanks!

 

[Murat]

Roan,

I post the technique somewhere around here, too lazy to write down now..Had to sleep early, going spearing tomorrw. Just look at few pages back and you will find it in another gara 3000 thread and YOU SHOULD use ankle weight, difference is between day and night, especially for GARA 3000. 0.5kg per ankle is ok.

 

[ripperu]

Hi!
First of all I want to salute Murat, here...
I got a GARA 3000 recently, it's great, I need practice, I don't want to pretend that I can teach anybody to swim with GARA
but...I can wear them on barefoot only
The footpocket it's...not so great
It's a little bit low, it covers only half of my heel
I cannot wear socks, I feel like loosing them underwater



What to do?
It's almost winter time

Shall I go for Sporasub H.Dessault ??

 

[Murat]

ripperu,

i did not understand why you can't wear socks? You will get flue if you dive without one in cold waters. Even using 1.5mm neoprene socks makes very much different. Both isloation and comfort.

 

[Erik]

Re: Gara 3000 vs Picasso Black Team

Originally posted by jimbodiver
currently I seem to be limited by inability to equalize when I go any deeper (not enough umph).

Umph is not what it is, it's a technique that just takes practice. So no worries, when you learn the technique you will come up with some good numbers, especially with Kirk teaching you.
The technique is described in detail by Eric Fattah and can be found on a search here.
Either of those fins are good fins that will work fine to 30 metres.
Cheers,
Erik Y.

 

[jimbodiver]

Thanks Erik...yeah, I figured that learning more about technique will help me overcome this barrier....but as it is, I *don't* have enough oomph (pressure differential) to valsalva any more once I get to 45 feet. So, lookin forward to learning lots from Kirk, Martin, Mandy, etc. And I will definitely do a search for Fattah's explanation in the forum.

BTW, I'm now leaning more toward the GARA 2000 because of the rpice difference between those and the 3000's. Seems like either would be a good fin for me...lemme know if you think otherwise.
Since this site's store doesn't carry the Picasso's, I'm only finding those at high prices (not much discount). Oh, and I also checked out Omer fins...again, pretty pricey for the 30's that people are raving about.


I'm leaning

 

[Adrian]

Originally posted by ripperu


It's a little bit low, it covers only half of my heel
I cannot wear socks, I feel like loosing them underwater

Ripperu,

Try and find some "fin keepers". These are rubber straps that go over your heel and under your feet over the fins, keeping them in place. Theyare inexpensive and probably you can find them in many dive shops. They keep your fins on even in rough waters. Here's a picture:

http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=34747&highlight=fin+keepers

Adrian

 

[ApneaBlue]

When I first started freediving the 2000 is what I bought...I thought I was the cats pijamas, let me tell you....But I have gone through a few fins since then...The HF2000/3000, almost the whole Omer line including the Milleniun Carbon...I have realized now the Sporasub H-Desault is where it's at...It's an older fin/foot pocket design but the heel support is excellet...And if you are using propper kicking technique then you will reaise that alot of your power comes from the heel and you will benefit from a foot pocket with good heel support....I belive buying a fin with a fixed blade is a waste of money...I can't remember how much the Cressi Garas are but i think around 80+USD...Then you are stuck with this fin stiffness...With an interchangable blade system you can upgrade to carbon blade later when money starts flowing...

Just my 2 cents.

P.S. my Garas are used for Scuba only now

 

[Murat]

David, what you want the Fin for???? Diving??rofl :naughty

 

[ApneaBlue]

Originally posted by Murat
David, what you want the Fin for???? Diving??rofl :naughty

Well, in my mind, that's what the Garas are good for...Scuba only