Lunocet progress

[Kars]

Hi Okane!

Thanks for sharing your personal observations!
Have talked to users?
Were the users used to and good in regular monofinning?

If you are able to get through to one user could you ask him to share his personal first hand observations with the Deeperblue community?

Using a regular monofin I know that a full body indulation is much more efficient than just merly using the legs. Does the same apply to the Lunocet design?

Is there any video shot of these lunocet CW dives?

Also seeing someone with a good technique using their whole body is realy beautifull to watch, I would regret and miss the disapearance of such a gracefull, beautifull underwater ballet.

Herbert Nitch seems to mostly use only legs, I think this could become his new favourite CW propulsion.

Keep the information comming, I'm hanging on to your lips!

Love, Courage and Water,

Kars

 

[Nikoman]

Hi everyone,
I brought the Lunocet prototype (titanium version not the latest design) to the Mexican championship, I had both Martin Stepanek and MT Solomon try it. And to tell you the truth although both of them have an excellent monofin stroke, they were having a hard time with it at first as you need to rethink the way you kick with an hydrofoil. MT was surprised by the absolutely no shimming behavior of the fin (no side to side movement that leads to a lot of inefficiency)."It is easy to use" said martin, "it is so different..."
The "it is so different" is a good thing it is called change and Ted Ciamillo at Lunocet will, I believe take us for a ride. Make sure to keep your eyes out for a DB full interview of Ted and the Lunocet Factory.Further details on the latest improved designs will be unveiled.
In the meantime here is a short video with the Lunocet titanium prototype in the blue water of Santa Rosa Blue hole in new mexico.
[ame=http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1610678091&channel=687582942]Lunocet - Brightcove[/ame]

Best,

nico danan

 

[freeshark]

Hi
It has been a while since the last post. How is the Lunocet progress going? Has it been released - so we can buy one? Or should we buy an Aqueon? (If that is still around)
I do think a new design in (mono)fins is the way to go - I got inspired by hydrofoils like the pumpabike - and the guy with the "dol-fin" fin [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdmCoeWuuhw]YouTube - Introducing the Dol-fin[/ame] (Another one for the weird fin thread)
Any news out there?

br.
FS

 

[purple squid]

Concerning Lunocet >>> Pay attention to the front, too. I suspect efficiency and speed can be increased with the addition of a handheld hydrofoil: www.fastacraft.com/moulded_foils.html

recall: www.janploeg.nl/english/waterwing.html

 

[trux]

I've received some updates from Ted. He's sent me the link to the following video, and also an information that Lunocet was featured on 10/19/09 on the Science Channel. I do not have access to it, so missed it, but perhaps some of you have seen it.

[ame="http://vimeo.com/7319373"]HybriDiving on Vimeo[/ame]
.

 

[DivingDane]

EPIC! looks like alot of fun! good to see that it looks like Hollis is involved in some way or another with the air part of the system, if fred has backing from a large company like the Oceanic group then we could see development moving alot faster!

 

[Ol Dirty Diver]

I've received some updates from Ted. He's sent me the link to the following video, and also an information that Lunocet was featured on 10/19/09 on the Science Channel. I do not have access to it, so missed it, but perhaps some of you have seen it.

HybriDiving on Vimeo

Thanks for sharing. Even though the Lunocet didn't earn the nod from the freediving community I still think it has potential and hope that this potential will one day be realized.

For a bunch of divers who don't know how to dolphin-kick it still seems to propel them fairly well? (at least as good as a conventional monofin would...)

One thing I noticed is that one of the individuals' knees seem to bow out during the kick, which I recently learned from Martin Stepanek limits back flexion (which is also one of the main problems that happens when using monofins with traditional foot pockets, e.g., Nemo). Trux, has this been observed with the Lunocet in general?

 

[trux]

Well, Fondueset can comment better - he tested it, I just saw the same videos as you did. But I'd tell yes, the Lunocet construction with the foot plates being inclined rather strongly outwards, it makes pretty difficult keeping knees together. Dave Mullins criticized it several times. I am not sure if the angle of the plates is adjustable at the new Lunocet, but it looks like it should.

 

[Fondueset]

Funny you should mention it - my obsession lately has been keeping my knees together while monofinning. :vangry

The lunocet I have does have an outward angle on the shoes which makes the knees want to spread - particularly on the backstroke. It puts subtle strain on both ankles and knees.

The one in the video, however, while it still has some angle - does seem to have less. Ted also took our recommendation and moved the blade down toward the toes - reducing drag and, in theory, increasing efficiency. I also notice the blade is flexing less. In the older version the blade tended to slam into position when the direction of the kick changed - creating ankle stress and an area of zero thrust about the width of the blade's throw at each end of the kick. In the video it appears to have a somewhat more organic motion - though I notice they seemed to use their feet quite a bit. The divers in the video have poor monofin technique and are wearing scuba - which makes it appear quite inefficient.

I would be interested to try one of these new ones. I really cannot tell anything about performance from the video.

 

[DivingDane]

what do we think of the Hybridiving concept? looks kinda fun for just playing around and would mahybe bring "monofinning" to the masses hopefully meaning more RnD money for new monos?

looks like a pretty cool mid ground between scuba and freediving.

not sure about the taking air at depth and comingup thing, i would have thought increased rsik of both DCS and lung baratrauma?

still looks like fun though.

DD

 

[jome]

Reminds me of this cool video: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3iS9F-osEo]YouTube - Underwater Orienteering[/ame]

(hmm I wonder if that kind of "torpeedo" thingy without the scuba would work in dynamic to replace neckweight and to improve streamlining and momentum)

Looks fun, but obviously the safety concerns are a-plenty. And why would you want to take out the only fun component from freediving - the breath hold? Personally the whole "hydrotouring" without the scuba is more appealing to me.