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Sporasub Variant Fins
- Thread starterGreg
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
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hi
Mate I recently tried out a pair of Sporasub varient Grafibre blades. These are the greenish brown blades.
The footpocket is extremely comfortable for me much more comfortable than my omer pockets. Surface swimming with these blades is excellent they are the best surface blades I have tried so smooth and easy to push. Diving down is also excellent with these blades I was able to effortlesly dive to the bottom at 17m with plenty of Oxygen saved compared to my Omer millenium comps. But thats where it ends, ascending from dives with these is very hard. I was only wearing the top part of my cressi 3.5mm suit with 7lbs of lead and it was quite an effort to come from the bottom. I would hate to use these fins for dives over 60ft or if wearing a thick suit with lots of weight.
If you are into shallow spearing with lots of surface swimming these fins are tops, but not so good for deep dives.
cheers
Mate I recently tried out a pair of Sporasub varient Grafibre blades. These are the greenish brown blades.
The footpocket is extremely comfortable for me much more comfortable than my omer pockets. Surface swimming with these blades is excellent they are the best surface blades I have tried so smooth and easy to push. Diving down is also excellent with these blades I was able to effortlesly dive to the bottom at 17m with plenty of Oxygen saved compared to my Omer millenium comps. But thats where it ends, ascending from dives with these is very hard. I was only wearing the top part of my cressi 3.5mm suit with 7lbs of lead and it was quite an effort to come from the bottom. I would hate to use these fins for dives over 60ft or if wearing a thick suit with lots of weight.
If you are into shallow spearing with lots of surface swimming these fins are tops, but not so good for deep dives.
cheers
Ivan.....
I have been looking for someplace that sells the Sporasub Pure Grafibers (Not the Variant Grafibers). Did you get them locally? Do you know if who has them will ship to the US? We do not have them here yet. Only the team guys here got em....Im jealous!! Let me know who to contact!!!
Regarding the Variants, alot has been said about them on the different boards, unfortunately not too much that is good. There seems to be a reliability issue with them. Apparently they are prone to breaking right around where the fin joins the footpocket. I myself have a set and have never had a problem. They are the softest pair of fins I own. They are definitely a shallow water fin. One good thing I will say for them that because of the ease of breaking the fin down, they are great for traveling, or a spare set of fins....hope this helps....
I have been looking for someplace that sells the Sporasub Pure Grafibers (Not the Variant Grafibers). Did you get them locally? Do you know if who has them will ship to the US? We do not have them here yet. Only the team guys here got em....Im jealous!! Let me know who to contact!!!
Regarding the Variants, alot has been said about them on the different boards, unfortunately not too much that is good. There seems to be a reliability issue with them. Apparently they are prone to breaking right around where the fin joins the footpocket. I myself have a set and have never had a problem. They are the softest pair of fins I own. They are definitely a shallow water fin. One good thing I will say for them that because of the ease of breaking the fin down, they are great for traveling, or a spare set of fins....hope this helps....
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hi
Mate the guy who has the fins that I tried said he got them in somewhere in Sydney. Not sure exactly though I can probably find out tommorow for ya.
Im not too sure about what fins they are. These are the ones that you can take the blades off fairly easily and they look weird when assembled. The only other Sporasub fin I have used other than this is the Black plastic versions more similar to the older Omer tuna competetion fins.
cheers
Mate the guy who has the fins that I tried said he got them in somewhere in Sydney. Not sure exactly though I can probably find out tommorow for ya.
Im not too sure about what fins they are. These are the ones that you can take the blades off fairly easily and they look weird when assembled. The only other Sporasub fin I have used other than this is the Black plastic versions more similar to the older Omer tuna competetion fins.
cheers
Hi Greg
I've had a pair of Variant fins for about a year now, pool training once or twice a week and going freediving on holiday for about 4 weeks in that time. I initially bought the soft carbon fins and then found that Sporasub make a stiffer pair, and bought those too. I only go down to about 20 m but I'm much happier with the stiffer fins coming off the bottom. I also find the standard black plastic fins better than the Cressi 2000 LF fins I was using earlier, needing less effort for greater push. I found the Cressis really hard on my (puny) ankles.
But after only a year both foot pockets have cracked badly on the left hand side around about where your toe is, so I can confirm that they don't last particularly well - and I'm only a little guy (65 kgs for 175 cm)
Have people with C4 fins and Omer Millenium pockets had any problems with the pocket cracking?
Cheers
Simon
I've had a pair of Variant fins for about a year now, pool training once or twice a week and going freediving on holiday for about 4 weeks in that time. I initially bought the soft carbon fins and then found that Sporasub make a stiffer pair, and bought those too. I only go down to about 20 m but I'm much happier with the stiffer fins coming off the bottom. I also find the standard black plastic fins better than the Cressi 2000 LF fins I was using earlier, needing less effort for greater push. I found the Cressis really hard on my (puny) ankles.
But after only a year both foot pockets have cracked badly on the left hand side around about where your toe is, so I can confirm that they don't last particularly well - and I'm only a little guy (65 kgs for 175 cm)
Have people with C4 fins and Omer Millenium pockets had any problems with the pocket cracking?
Cheers
Simon
i have the sporasub variant, both with plastic and carbon blades (not fiber glass). My fins broke too after a few months. the problem arises when you use carbon blades, which cut into the foot pocket side. The carbon blade is quite sharp on the side and eventually it just tears the foot pocket apart. after replacing my foot pockets, i put on rubber pieces where the blade connect to the foot pocket, but i havent used the fins since doing so, so I cannot say if this worked or not.
with the plastic blade, you shouldnt experience any breaking on the foot pocket if my theory is correct.
apart from the breaking issues, i can say that this fin is soft, as stated above, and very comfortable for surface swimming. I have used the fin down to about 80 feet, and i was fine coming up.
if you like stiff fins, i wouldnt recommend this one. but if you like soft, smooth fins with the most comfortable foot pocket out there (i've tried sporasub regular and omer), this one is worth looking at. if you choose to use carbon, you are going to have to glue some kind of softening rubber onto the blades or else they will probably break. if you use plastic, your fin should last a long time.
Erik
with the plastic blade, you shouldnt experience any breaking on the foot pocket if my theory is correct.
apart from the breaking issues, i can say that this fin is soft, as stated above, and very comfortable for surface swimming. I have used the fin down to about 80 feet, and i was fine coming up.
if you like stiff fins, i wouldnt recommend this one. but if you like soft, smooth fins with the most comfortable foot pocket out there (i've tried sporasub regular and omer), this one is worth looking at. if you choose to use carbon, you are going to have to glue some kind of softening rubber onto the blades or else they will probably break. if you use plastic, your fin should last a long time.
Erik
Simon,
I bet my omer pockets will still be going 20 years from now. Maybe they will be broke in by then!
They are the hardest, thickest rubber pockets I have ever seen. I used to admire people with Sporasub pockets, but after reading your cracking problems, I guess I will keep mine.
Bobby
I bet my omer pockets will still be going 20 years from now. Maybe they will be broke in by then!
They are the hardest, thickest rubber pockets I have ever seen. I used to admire people with Sporasub pockets, but after reading your cracking problems, I guess I will keep mine.Bobby
Bobby,
Just to clarify, The problems discussed above refer soley to the Variant footpocket. The Sporasub Variant footpocket is not the same as the standard Sporasub footpocket. As Jon said, the Standard Sporasub footpockets that I own are just as tough, durable, and reliable as the Omer Footpockets. Having had both, the Sporasubs just fit me better.
Just to clarify, The problems discussed above refer soley to the Variant footpocket. The Sporasub Variant footpocket is not the same as the standard Sporasub footpocket. As Jon said, the Standard Sporasub footpockets that I own are just as tough, durable, and reliable as the Omer Footpockets. Having had both, the Sporasubs just fit me better.
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John and Wabostyle,
Thanks for clarification. But I was just getting content with Omer pockets and now I’m back to wanting the standard Sporasub pockets!:head
Bobby
Thanks for clarification. But I was just getting content with Omer pockets and now I’m back to wanting the standard Sporasub pockets!:head
Bobby
simonhc said:
do you own cressi 2000 HF (the stiffer ones) or 2000 LD (softer) ?
I envisage buying a pair of variant comp - possibly a pair of carbon blades too...
I've also heard of their fragility...
kirehe said:
Your theory isn't correct, I'm afraid... a good friend of mine used the plastic blade and had his footpocket torn down twice...
:waterwork Yeh i got the variants with the plastic blades and i still managed to break them .I dont think the problem is where the blade hits the footpocket but the the design of the fin itself .Where the hard plastic ends and turns into the rubber. The flex that you get here is just to much for the rubber to withstand .I got mine off ebay at a great price and i emailed the guy and i will be getting some replacments :duh .Ive also got some waterways bifins #2 and they are great I would highly recomend them to others. :wave Heres a pic of my variants :mute
I sell Variant Comps on my online Store down here in New Zealand & I was interested in what Kirehe was saying about the carbon blades cutting into the foot pocket.
With that said I can only source the Variant Comps with standard black thermoplastic blades.
about two weeks ago I tried three different blades.
Omer Bat30s, Grade 4 Waterways fins, Sporasub Variant Comps(thermoplastic blades).
The Bat 30s have a hard foot pocket & as mentioned earlier I feel they are still changing shape to my foot(spraying with silicone helps heaps). The are very good for verticle drive of the bottom especially dives over 20m but a bit hard on the legs when theres a lot of surface swimming invloved. The Variants are really comfortable & pretty good for suface swimming but not as much ascending drive.
The Waterways grade 4 I would have to say are the best all rounders, with a very constant drive.
With that said I can only source the Variant Comps with standard black thermoplastic blades.
about two weeks ago I tried three different blades.
Omer Bat30s, Grade 4 Waterways fins, Sporasub Variant Comps(thermoplastic blades).
The Bat 30s have a hard foot pocket & as mentioned earlier I feel they are still changing shape to my foot(spraying with silicone helps heaps). The are very good for verticle drive of the bottom especially dives over 20m but a bit hard on the legs when theres a lot of surface swimming invloved. The Variants are really comfortable & pretty good for suface swimming but not as much ascending drive.
The Waterways grade 4 I would have to say are the best all rounders, with a very constant drive.
I just discovered cracks on the outside of my variant foot pockets. I purchased them about 12months ago, and have only used the black technoplastic blades. The crack seems to originate from the constant flexing of the rubber . Does anyone know what is the warranty on the fins? I hope to get this rectified through warranty, otherwise it is an unacceptable problem and I will be very dissapointed.