If money was no object

[flying_spanner]

I already own a pair of C4 Flap 30's.

They're an awesome fin. They are in Omer foot pockets.

I think I'd have trouble finding a better fin than the C4's.

 

[DRW]

Blimey, I've never even heard of those DRW. I've got to wonder what they're like too.

Well, they say travel broadens the mind, sunfish, and over the years I've done my share of physical travel and now concentrate on "virtual travel" over the Web. When I started snorkelling back in the 1960s, uncomfortable, stiff plastic fins were for people who couldn't afford comfortable, flexible natural rubber fins. When the 1980s came round and diving equipment companies started telling us that the opposite was now true, I frankly couldn't see the logic and no amount of hype from the industry about the superiority of petroleum-derived "space-age" synthetics could convince me to change my choice of fin material. My explorations of the Web have since revealed that a dozen or more countries, notably Japan, still make quality natural rubber fins, three decades after their demise was being predicted. It's just a pity the distribution systems of the companies making these fins aren't as comprehensive here in the West as those of the companies supplying us with plastic fins.

Bit off the subject but is the "Old George" still open in the big market? I used to go there as a teenager.

I was never a real fan of the town centre on a Saturday night. Teenage boys in white shirts, girls in skimpy skirts, skin blue with the cold on winter nights, long shivering queues for taxis home at the Central Station late at night because public transport had ceased operating.

I'm not familiar with "The Old George" but I looked it up on the Web and the pub appears to be still alive and well in the Cloth Market off the Bigg Market here in Newcastle:

The Old George Inn, Newcastle Upon Tyne : Pubs Galore

 

[Janner]

XXone ANAX blades XXone - Λεπίδες ANAX για Πέλμα Pathos --- diveshop.gr
With Pathos footpockets Pathos - Πέλμα Fireblade για Πτερύγια --- diveshop.gr.
(Blades medium hard).

What he said :inlove

 

[spearheads]

If money was no object.... I would buy a pony!

Oooo talking about fins, i got C4 falcons at the moment, But the new C4 fins without a boubt i would get.

 

[hteas]

My choice would be SpecialFins medium Hybrids in Omer or Dessault footpockets.
I've tried them, and found them just that little bit better than the medium fiberglass Bluewater Specials I have now.

 

[azapa]

c4 25's are perfect for me, and to contradict Cdavis ( i hate to do that as he is bigger than me) the big side rails are no hassle for spearing. I started using them for only deep dives, plastic for short, but now can't stop using them all around. Saturdays spearing was 20 dives in 15 to 20M depth range, Sundays was Abalone collection 80 dives in 5 to 10M depth range, same fin, no complaints.

The placebo effect of wearing and loving a good fin always helps dives

 

[cdavis]

All I can say is spearo technique can be pretty different. I guess it doesn't matter to some folks that they can't turn around as fast as possible or maybe supermen like azapa get used to it. He's little, but one hell of a diver. My kind of spearing needs the quickness to change direction. I tried c4s vs my hybrids and kelpies in the pool and the difference in maneuverability was pretty substantial and very obvious. Shooting freeshaft and chasing fish after the shot needs as much maneuveablity as possible.

Connor

 

[DivingDane]

i'd look around abit more before goin the Beuchat Carbon route, spending that kind of money then C4 are a better option, beuchat aint bad but C4 are better. beuchats i have tried v other fins and found lacking, however have a chat to Erez on the gold coast QLDFreediving - Learn to Freedive and Spearfish - Home and he'll happily point you in a good direction 9ho owns a set of beuchats with Mtechnik blades much better than the factory blades and they are quite nice. but your in Brisbane so Adreno is just down the road and have a huge range of fins with a fair wack of experience just have a chat with Robbie or paul and they'll look after your needs.

DD

 

[aegean]

Exactly what I got...

Mtechnic

best made fins by Marinos of Greece.

Same here

 

[shrek]

if money was no object make your own they'l be more expencive than anything you could buy

 

[shrek]

if money was no object make your own they'l be more expencive than anything you could buy

if your not living on the edge your taking up too much room [my wife]

 

[kokomo]

Report..

I couldnt make up my mind for a while and eventually i got presented with the deal of the year on some C4 mustangs...

Stiffness 30..

and all i can say is WOW.. they are amazing.. much softer and more controlled than the equivalent DiveR fin that i tested the week before.

I have done many dives with them between 5-30m's and they have performed very well. so smoth and effortless.. some times when quite negative

the only problem I have lost two of the screws that hold the blades in. (annoying) supplier happily replaces them...

often it takes two kicks when turning deep and pretty negative to start moving to the surface again!:inlove:martialonce moving they are sex!

 

[kokomo]

[ame="http://s302.photobucket.com/albums/nn103/kokomo_44/?action=view&current=new061.flv"]

[/ame]
[ame="http://s302.photobucket.com/albums/nn103/kokomo_44/?action=view&current=new062.flv"]

[/ame]

 

[titan]

c4 baaah hyperfins of course then go try them to Australia :t

 

[DivingDane]

Titan, Kokomo IS from australia.....

and hyperfins over C4 please, not even in the same ball park.

Hyperfins is a mono and C4's in this case are Bi-fins which for Kokomo are for both freediving and the occasional spearfish as well me thinks.


DD

 

[budleigh spearo]

My choice would be SpecialFins medium Hybrids in Omer or Dessault footpockets.
I've tried them, and found them just that little bit better than the medium fiberglass Bluewater Specials I have now.

i thought the hybrids were only available in hard and ex hard ??

 

[sunfish]

i thought the hybrids were only available in hard and ex hard ??

They keep hard and extrahard in stock but they'll make up any stiffness you ask for.

 

[budleigh spearo]

They keep hard and extrahard in stock but they'll make up any stiffness you ask for.

good to know cheers

 

[Mr. X]

If money was no object what bi-fins would you buy?
c4's?
Beauchat
etc etc...

thanks

I would stick with my current inexpensive Beuchat fins (Competition model I think?) - and buy a pony, as Spearhead suggests. They fit my wide feet real well (and strangely they have a good reputation for fitting narrow feet), with and without neoprene socks and they have been really robust. The only thing I don't like is the blade colour (blue) but I've painted them so not much of a problem now.

I did want a pair of Omer Ice as the foot pockets have a good reputation and transparency seems like the ultimate camoflage but there have been many reports of them breaking recently and I think that could be life threatening in some of the rip currents I have occasionally encountered. They also seem very overpriced for plastic blades (that break). Perhaps somebody will come out with stronger clear blades - perhaps with a tough Kevlar/Spectra/Dyneema/etc. mesh reinforcement?

I find it hard to get real excited by fins. I'd like to try some out (fibre glass is supposed to be good for spearing, carbon - would be nice to have lighter fins, the sporasub clip-on ones) but I suspect I would find most disappointingly similar to my current ones - but you never know. Buying and trying seems a rather expensive and time consuming option -- reading others experiences on the forum seems a good approach but everybody is different, so take opinions "with a grain of salt".

 

[hteas]

Budleigh,
Strangelove custom ordered a pair of medium hybrids. That's how I got to try them.
Howard