Monofin Purchase advice

[Mullins]

Tried my new #2 yesterday. It should make a good CWT fin but could still be a bit on the stiff side. The tight footpockets do make it a faster fin. Definitely more than I need in the pool, so I'll get a #1 for DYN.

Sandyguzman - I think PFI sell Waterway monos.

 

[REVAN]

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

FYI: I build and sell DOL-Fin monofins in the USA.

 

[twentytwomonk]

Thanks for all the good advice, guys. It's great to hear from all of you about how you feel about all the different fins. I have one of Chris' old Nemo's, but I'm thinking about picking up something a little more serious when I get back from deployment next spring. With as difficult as it is to find monofins in the States, it's nice to be able to come somewhere and at least read about what you guys think about what's currently available. I'm pondering 2 different fins at the moment, the Tropol, and the other I won't mention for fear of sending Dave into a rage.

 

[Mullins]

A #7 stiffness Starfin? Hellfire and brimstone!! Naa they're ok, though I'd err on the softer side because their stiffness scale seems to be quite hard. E.g. I'd go with a #1 for CWT, vs a #2 on the waterway scale.

 

[Fondueset]

As a relatively inexperienced and non-Mullins purchaser of monofins, 22monk - if you do go with Starfins - just tell Alex what he asks and let him decide the blade. Be sure and let him know if you want it to be comfortable. Comfort comes at some cost to performance - but is well worth it for us recreational types - and the fins perform very well regardless.

I had mine out in the bay today and am impressed how easily it swims - very long underwater cruises - and excellent on the surface.

PS - The Dolfin rocks - according to no less an authority than Eric Fattah.

 

[twentytwomonk]

I'm intrigued by Alex's fins, although the trouble that a lot of people have with Hyper style fins is a turn off, as opposed to the Tropol or the C4. But most of the reading I've done about Starfins tells me that they hold together pretty well. But then again, Chris could tell me I was supposed to wear my monofin on my hands, and I'd probably take it into serious consideration...

 

[Mullins]

Erm, isn't the Tropol a hyper style fin? They do use a mould though, so I suppose the sizing is standardised.

Starfins are quite a robust, 'massy' design. Quite a bit of reinforcing at the footpocket end, lots of neoprene (the wings extend a long way towards the trailing edge).

 

[Fondueset]

The tropol is quite heavy - but has a very comfortable pocket. It is long - so on mine my toes never touch the end. My Tropol has a fairly stiff blade and a lot of 'authority'. When Will T. tried it he did not like the mass of the fin, but liked the blade. The tropol has, functionally, around a 19 degree angle - the newer Starfins have about 28-30.

 

[Mullins]

My starfin has significantly less angle than my Glides - and I asked for heaps

 

[Fondueset]

That is interesting - I can pretty much glide flat with mine.
We measured - which is a little difficult - but got something like between 28 and 31.
I know the glides are good, of course, but I'm surprised if they have more angle than this.

 

[twentytwomonk]

Dave, I did mean more then hand built Hyper style fins. I'm new at the monofin game, and with my measly paycheck and a little one to take care of, I'll be limited in the numbers of fins I'll be able to get my hands on.

And Chris, I'm very interested to hear about that fin you told me about in your last pm. While not best for performance, I think I could handle diving with my 4mm Argos socks....

 

[Fondueset]

If our feet are about the same - You'd probably like it. It is a fine fin - just not as much angle as the newer ones.

 

[twentytwomonk]

We both fit into the Nemo about the same, so we shoul dbe pretty darn close. While the extra angle would be nice, I'm not to a level where I'm going to be competing with Dave for depth or distance any time soon, so I think the effect will most likely be minimal. Just let me know how much you'd like, and I'll figure out how much plasma I need to donate.

This would be a good week too. I'll be diving near Chicago next weekend, and can't take the Nemo with me.

 

[Fondueset]

Come on up to Traverse City and try it out

 

[twentytwomonk]

I wish I had the time. I'm dropping the offspring off with the parents, and there's an entire weekend of fun already planned. I trust your judgement as my own personal monofin guru. As long as I don't have to trade my child for it, I think I can work something out.

 

[Mullins]

I'm not to a level where I'm going to be competing with Dave for depth or distance any time soon.

Still, I'm not willing to take any chances. Buy a monoflap.

 

[twentytwomonk]

Don't forget, Dave. Chris is trying to sell me the handicapped fin. I'm sure it'll cause enough extra drag to take at least 150-200m off my dynamics...

 

[efattah]

Tried my new #2 yesterday. It should make a good CWT fin but could still be a bit on the stiff side. The tight footpockets do make it a faster fin. Definitely more than I need in the pool, so I'll get a #1 for DYN.

Sandyguzman - I think PFI sell Waterway monos.

#2 starfins or glide?

 

[Mullins]

It's a glide Eric.

 

[Fondueset]

Yes, now worries, Dave. The fin I'm trying to pawn off on Twentytwomonk is complete crap. In fact you have to work really hard not to swim backward with it. The only way I had any success with it at all was to bend my self into a 'C' shape and swim backwards like a crayfish. I was able to rig up a a rear view mirror using an old tank periscope.

Twentytwomonk - it's the one on the left (the other one is my daughter's)