Mat-Mas 'Freediver'

[Stuart]

Hi,

I have been following the monofin discussions for some time, and while there have been a fair amount of threads for LeaderFins and a fair amount for SpecialFins (in all their various guises) there is little - especially over the last year or so - about Mat-Mas fins.

Does anyone here have experience of their fins? In particular the Evolution Freediver seems to be a good choice for constant weight. Mat Mas Monofins

Also in the previous threads there was some concern about the footpockets - does this information still stand, or has this issue been addressed?

Finally how does the stiffness of the Mat-Mas fins compare to other makes?

Looking forward to your responses!

Stuart

 

[Stuart]

This is a sad state of affairs when a grown man has to reply to his own post! Six days and no reply - was it something I said?

 

[Pastor]

That's what you get for putting North Wales as your location, suddenly the competition seems all to stiff Take up spearing Stuart we are much more helpful :friday

 

[Mullins]

The first fin I used was a Mat mas, just a basic one but it did have an angle below the footpockets so it was pretty decent. The material was good, a mix of carbon and kevlar. Nice and snappy. It was a relatively soft fin. The footpockets were comfortable but they seemed to stretch over time, more than the waterway ones did. Also the blade was a fair bit larger than a waterway fin. However my memory of the fin isn't so good and I was just starting out so wasn't in a good position to evaluate it properly

I think Giacomo De Mola was using a fin very similar to the Evolution Freediver in Egypt last year. I don't know what stiffness it was on the Mat mas scale, but it was very soft - softer than the waterway LD for instance. He had built up a rubber wedge under the footpockets to give the fin more angle.

Not very detailed or reliable information, but the best I can do. I just don't think many freedivers are using mat-mas monos for some reason.

 

[laminar]

Eric Fattah bought over 20 mat mas fins many years ago in search of a monofin to match the one he used to set the record back then (no luck) and while there was a boggling array of stiffnesses and flex characteristics, the main thing I noticed was that the foot pockets were really uncomfortable for use more than a few minutes. They just had the wrong shape in my opinion. It would appear that they haven't changed the footpocket at all. I guess it works well for finswimmers.

In case you are wondering, Eric mostly bought the blades only and then we glued Finis footpockets onto them. Also tried Breier Brut (bad footpocket, too, too sloppy).

Pete

 

[Mullins]

What in particular were the characteristics he was trying to replicate, Pete?

I found the mat mas pockets strangely wide in the toe area which led to my big toes always getting wedged painfully in the corner, but otherwise pretty comfortable.

 

[sanso]

...
I think Giacomo De Mola was using a fin very similar to the Evolution Freediver in Egypt last year. ...

I'm pretty sure I took a picture of him with the fin on last fall .. let me find it...

There we go. Picasa Web Albums - Richard - Dahab '07 sadly, one can't see too much, but it is a mat-mas looking at the footpockets.