Monofin Purchase advice

Fondueset, thanks for sharing that. Very consistent with my observations; my back feels more flexible and stronger than I can remember. I may have started correcting the damage from 4 years of bicycle racing in college ;-) I can honestly say my back feels and moves better than it did 20-30 years ago (I'm 48) and I am in better shape than I have been in years. I'm glad to hear that correct monofin technique is helping you as well! And thanks also for clarifying what I had thought-a hyperfin would be easier but that isn't always the best thing.
Spearo, I had wondered about the Nemo bifins-thanks for the comparison. I still prefer bifins for some applications like spearfishing (though I'm a noob at that!) so I probably will get the Nemo bifins to upgrade from the Gara's there. It helps that I know what to expect with the footpocket size, too. Same ones!

Thanks Spearo. - I have to be careful with that - though I agree it is very good. Mostly now I do active stretches with Yoga asanas - and a spot of taiji here and there (been doing yoga for 30+ years ) Primarily back bends - and avoiding most forward bends - at which I was very adept. Truly spoken - the wave in the spine with good monofin technique is one of the best things. It has echoes in taiji - where there is a very subtle wave - also in taij - fa-jing (explosive movement) teaches how to go from deep relaxation to perfect tension, and back, instantly - very useful for not wasting energy.

I like FaJing, which I'm understanding more in BiuJee. I see we appreciate the underwater kungfu art known as freediving

Fondueset, I've seen a couple of your videos, swimming with the Tropol fin I believe. I would never have guessed you had a history of a back problem as your form is admirable. Nice, smooth, graceful-looks like your whole training routine is working for you! I'm new to Yoga and never sure where to start; any resource/book/video you (or Spearo) could recommend that would be more monofin-appropriate? all they have at our local community center/gym is pretty basic. Thanks!

Big subject, neurodoc. Best is to find a good teacher in the beginning - however if you have a good knowledge of physiology you are probably good to go. There are a number of good books on the asana practice - if you want to get serious Simon-Borg Olivier's 'Applied Anatomy and Physiology of Yoga' is epic. Also any of his videos/dvds. I was fortunate to work with him during Will Trubridge's master class at Dean's Blue Hole and he is superb.

@ Neurodoc I am sure the motion of the monofin is a great long-life exercise movement sure to keep you supple and in good health. Out of the water be sure at least to do daily stretching and basic movements will suffice. Fluid Tai-Chi-like movements will surely benefit your mind, body and blood.

Swimming with good monofin form and efficiently requires a subtle kind of spinal flexibility. Key is to be able to feel into your body and use only what is needed. Feeling the way the spine loads up and releases throughout the movement is wonderful. In the course of working with asanas you break up mechanical obstructions in the tissues that prevent real relaxation. Feeling your way into all that is tremendously liberating.

I use monofinning as a physical yoga/meditation. Always working toward minimizing effort, refining technique. The breath-hold adds another meditative element - and, as CO2 builds the CNS and heart receive a greater blood supply - which is deeply refreshing.

I find the less I use my knees - the more the motion is transmitted in and through the spine. If you look back at my pool Tropol video you'll see my knees bend only as the tendons are stretched a little by the resistance of the blade. As I swim I am aware of the tendency for the movement to localize in various areas of the spine and neck. It is interesting to let these patterns become objects to awareness and correct them. For example - sensing the precise moment when the hips need to engage at the end of the backstroke in order to prevent the movement localizing in the low back and, instead, to have a clean transmission up the spine, through the shoulders and out the fingertips - and back down the front of the body.

Hi Fondueset, since you're describing you monofinstroke, could you please try to put to words how in detail you perform yours?

I happen to have a very poor movements, routine, memory, and consequently I have many different type of monofin strokes, and being consistent and efficient is rare. Sometimes I hit upon a good one, and for that training session it's very nice, but the next session I cannot retrieve it, even though I put it to words and write it up.

Other ideas to remember are very welcome too.
It's annoying me to have to relearn the technique all the time.

Thanks, Fondueset-that sounds like a great resource. I do know physiology pretty well; I'm a Chiropractic Neurologist-so that book sounds like it will be just the thing for me. Thanks for sharing your outlook on monofinning too, as it is nice to hear someone else putting it that way. It has become my biggest stress reducer, the quiet focused point in my day. I consider it my meditation as well! I hope to one day have an encounter with dolphins or whales, as that is what got me into monofinning in a way. It sounds cliche, but here's how it happened: I had experienced a huge amount of stress for most of a year, and could not get to sleep easily at all, every night. One night I had sort of a daydream, vision, which was the most relaxing thing I think I've ever felt. It was out on the ocean, with a huge whale (blue perhaps?) swimming in the evening twilight. After some time feeling the water rush past, hearing the rippling of the water when we took a breath, and feeling the companionship of the other whale, we dove-deeper and deeper, blacker, colder, and yet more and more secure and relaxing. That vision recurred almost every night for weeks, and versions of it still do at times, and always I fall asleep when it is totally black, cold, and I can feel the pressure. The memory of it would carry me through stressful days, and I began to try to look on youtube for some whale videos, and came across that one of Tanya Streeter with some whales, from BBC. I'd never seen a monofin before, but realized this was something I had to get into! Sorry that's so long a reply, but it sounds like you might understand it. Spearo, I agree, the dolphin kick with a mono does feel like it could make us live longer. If not, it surely makes us enjoy life more along the way!

Kars - I got some really good pointers at just the right times. I struggled along with my Nemo for around two years - the Pete Scott (Laminar) came here and told me try swimming on the surface - keeping my arms level and not moving up and down, and to swim by raising my rear out of the water. That immediately changed everything for me - suddenly I was surfacing way past where I thought I was and, for the first time, was able to keep my knees straight.

This last was reinforced by Lubos Polak of Tropol "No Knee bending, ever!!"

(of course - he is coming from a finswimming background) I took this to heart in my pool sessions and began to get more and more of a sense of the spinal/hip movement.

Will Trubridge emphasized something Pete had already pointed out - that is the movement of the shoulders. With proper form (arms locked - biceps gripping the head, head looking down) this happens automatically - the shoulders slide forward with the downstroke. This arm position also really reduced your drag profile - try it just kicking with no fins. You get much more power with your arms with no-fins - and go much faster - but a kick takes you nearly as far because of the streamline.

The things I focus on - when I do focus on something particular within the flow - are keeping my neck relaxed - my head wants to just look slightly forward - arms in proper form - the way the movement cycles through the hips, lower back - middle and upper and shoulders and hips etc..

I do not try to focus on all these at once - but just as they occur to me. In the beginning you have to analyze - but if you do it too much things just fall apart.

I do different drills - most just 25m - some just swimming and feeling how the fin and my body want to work (usually with limited breathe-ups - say 8 breaths) - then usually some on about 1/3 lung - wherein I try to cover 25m with just one kick (see previous video) Then I'll focus on efficiency and deep relaxation while I do 75s for awhile - these are really relaxing - though the 25m glides are probably my fav.

I find different fins like different ways of swimming - so that's part of it. I experiment with amplitude and frequency - but I think it is most important to just let yourself swim - take technical advice - work with it and focus on one thing for awhile - then let the analysis slip into the background and just allow it to come together. Really this is a body/memory thing - not a brain/memory thing - so to start you have to work in a structured way - but then you must stop 'trying' and let it digest and become part of your body. Remember:
Analysis takes things apart/Synthesis brings them together.

For a long time all I focused on was keeping my knees straight - this shifted things into the spine - neck - arms - hips etc.

Fondueset, thank you again for recommending the Yoga book-I looked it up on Amazon, and it looks like exactly what I need to help me understand Yoga and how it can help me monofin better. Perfect!

Neurodoc - you may enjoy this. Complete Spinal Sequence by Simon Borg-Olivier

I think i'll get the GLIDE monofin.

Now I have a decision between Glide Freedive Glide-fin

and the Glide FinSwim: Glide-monofin

My friend who is a 90+ CWT diver uses the yellow FinSwim blade because he doesn't like the taper of the freedive one.

Can anyone advise on the two from experience and thier differences?

I agree with him on the flex characteristics of the finswimming blade being slightly better. The ones with flat laminations can be prone to v-flex, especially when they get older. However I don't think they make very soft fins with the finswimming laminate. Happy to be proved wrong on that, because I'm going to order another one shortly.

Thanks Mullins...what stiffness you using? And do you get the Glide Monofins for free since you're the best DYN in the world?

I have been using a #2 with fairly loose footpockets. I tried a #2 with tight footpockets recently and they made it too stiff. Bogdan convinced me to try another #2 before I get a #1, because he reckons a #1 is too soft. Not entirely free but a good price.

Thank you Fondueset!

A lot of things I recognise, the mental approach is a kind of new, but upon reflection I do recall that it's working. The thing is when I apply to much will to have a better technique, muscles all over tense up. I wonder how much relaxation is truly possible, how much the 200m people can relax, how low their muscle is. For me it seems when I relax the hydrodynamics are totally gone, as is the swimming technique, balance, speed etc.

Oh and btw I don't have much of a biceps, so keeping the arms on the head takes some effort.

Thanks!

Hi welljim,

sorry for the late reply.

we are a company based in China. we develop bespoke monofins since 2002 and many finswimmers and apnea divers swim with Binfins models, such as Carlos Coste, Trevor Hutton etc...

Into product section of our web page you can find all our models, each one is totally customized according to your needs.
you can find there basic models (the so called old style monofins) model Feng, more developed models such as Yang monofin or special apnea diving modele 2deep.

Feel free to contact us if you need more info.

bests
Binfins team.

Spearo - the Glide has a very Solid rep - only ever heard of sizing problems - more than I have with Starfins - but many excellent divers use the Glide. The trick will be to learn good technique - regardless of the fin.

Kars. I think you will benefit by just swimming - forget about other things - such as technique - for awhile in each session take a vacation
After awhile you learn to relax inside proper form - maybe pick one thing to work on at a time.

Do you guys any contributers of monofin in the America it's seems they only sell them out of the country ,,, pls notify me if u can help