Tropol Monofin - a Fondueset Review

[jome]

Some additional photos (new post as 5 attachments per post is max)

#1 on top of each other, blade edges aligned. The blade dimensions are pretty much identical, little difference in the shape and corners.

#2 side view, interesting detail that the footpocket of the tropol is shorter/close to blade. But I haven't decided yet if this is a positive or negative. First instinct would be negative, but it does seem to work quite nice. Maybe because the bottom of the footpocket is so well supported, the extra length is not needed

#3 Illustrates the angles of the Hyper, the bottom of the foot pocket seems to go actually the "wrong" way, ie towards the blade, making the angle smaller.

#4 in the Tropol this is opposite, the pocket it self is slightly angled against the blade in addition to the angle in side the footpocket.

 

[Fondueset]

That Leaderfins is a real beauty If the blade is softer I think it would work quite well having it out a bit further.

I've gotten used to my tropol - and I really like they way it works. But I also like my softer fin.

 

[trux]

Simo, you can try talking to Lubos - unlike rubber, polyurethane can be thermoformed, so you could possibly adjust the width after heating the footpockets up. Of course, you could mess it up too So you better ask Lubos, it it is possible, and practically doable. If it is, he should be able giving you the best temperature for doing so. But I am not sure if there is not some additivum in the polyurethane stabilizing the form after it was molded, so you really need to consult it directly with Lubos.

Perhaps it shows up that the solution is quite easy, and that putting the monfin on while having feet in boiling water would solve the problem rofl

 

[Fondueset]

Or you could make shoes from 8cm PVC pipe and wear them all the time - balancing, of course, on the toes. Or simply have the little toe removed all the way back to the ankle - you probably don't use it anyway.

 

[jome]

Heh, yeah. I've tried to whole "reshaping the foot pocket" as well as "reshaping the foot" solutions with previous fins, with not so good success.

But it is an interesing fact that it could be heat molded? I've contacted lubos already but he seems to be on a trip or something (got out of office reply until 16th or something).

It would be a good excuse to go dive in some really warm place Just put the fin on and lay in the sun for a couple of hours and you're good...Just cool it in the ocean afterwards.

Scary enough, I do have plaster molds of my feet that I could maybe stuff in there and heat it up a little...

 

[Fondueset]

I think Lubos got married last weekend

 

[Fondueset]

Just received this about the M4 line from Tropol. Lubos would like comments - particularly about the sizing.

Tropol M4 .pdf Catalog

 

[Herup]

Hi Fondueset

Thanks for posting the .pdf and for the review of this supercool fin; looks rock-solid! Very close to ordering one myself, but of course it would be nice to be as sure as possible about the fotpocketsizes and stiffness of the blades before ordering, and so avoid loosing in the "order-new-monofin-lottery". So great thanks to all of you for your posts. :wave

I´ve just tried measuring my feet in accordance with the sketches in the Tropol .pdf. Of course feet are very, very different and naturally it is impossible to make everybody fit perfectly within the geometries of a limited amount of footpockets (moulds).

Well anyway here is what I found:
L=240mm W=90mm H=65mm
(Length measurement done with ankle stretched out and width measurement I pressed hard on the sides of my foot)

This will put me in a size 3 / EUR 42,5-44, but in fact my street shoes are size 40-41 and rockclimbing shoes even size 39.
Apparently I also have a quite high and wide feet according to the Tropol measurements. The funny thing here is, that in reality I would probably be considerate to have narrow feet.
But perhaps it would be equally relevant to look at circumferences instead of just hight and width, and perhaps also elasticity of the material (you say its quite elastic right?).

Another thing: When I saw the picture with the measurements, it seemed there was something wrong. So after extracting the picture from the .pdf, importing it into a CAD program and scaling it to 730 mm in width I found, that the length is not 680 but 610 mm. A difference which can hardly be explained by neither footpocket sizes nor perspective/angle in the photo of the fin. Not that this particular length is very interesting, but it would of course be interesting to know weather Tropol plan to change the geometry of the fin, or it is just a simple mistake in the measurement.

And by the way, what happened to the 25-30 degree angle?

Very best regards :friday
H!

 

[Fondueset]

Good Questions, Herup. I'll let you know when I hear back from Lubos - on the sizing I would definitely talk with him when you get ready to order - though you may want to wait for the fin with more angle.

I'm hoping my fin will act as a sort of reference for blade stiffness. I've asked Lubos where mine is on the scale and will let you know.

Had mine out today in 7c water for a couple of hours. I don't notice any change in the footpockets at these temps.

 

[jome]

Well I guess it's no secret that I'm voting for at least 10mm more width on the 45 size footpocket

 

[Fondueset]

Will T remarked he thought the pockets were narrow. I have pretty wide feet and find them less narrow than my other fins - but I'll be sure and mention this.

 

[salibandy]

Chris, does Tropol make custom footpockets? Far as I know, all the other monofin makers will take foot measurements and make a footpocket in that size.

People like me with tiny feet will find fitting in Tropol's footpocket impossible.

 

[DivingDane]

Salibandy,you really are on a mission to buy a fin! hahahaha goog to see its not just me who is a gear addict.

because these footpockets are moulded rather than made by hand it is VERY unlikelyn they will do custom sizing. this is always the limitation ofmoulded products, custimization is VERY difficult if not impossible but on the pro sid the pcoket ecause it is 1pce will be very robust and not require glueing.

DD

 

[salibandy]

Haha yeah, you're not the only gear addict. If only I had more money to spend, do you know much much gear I'd have? I'd need a whole garage to house them!

I'm looking for a new fin for myself and some others, so right now I'm looking at other options.

I wonder if the foot pocket strap can be cut off and readjusted? This would help with reducing the length of the footpocket, but not width though...

 

[DivingDane]

....... sad thing is i DO have a whole room full of diving gear.... and the space under the stairs..... and the office......hmmm and there is normally some gear in the back of the subaru as well.

maybe my partner has a point, i may just have an issue.

BAAAAAAHHHH what would she know i NEED all my gear...... honest i do.

DD

 

[Fondueset]

My list of gear is and endless source of shame and remorse, particularly when I think of poor little Salibandy - starving for monofins.

The Tropol pockets are not custom - but they are the most comfortable I've used on any monofin. I literally never have any discomfort caused by the footpockets - whether I'm barefoot or wearing socks.

As a primarily recreational diver I'm impressed by the relative sturdiness of the Tropol fins. I don't feel qualified to really evaluate performance in a very exacting way - but its the only fin I've used since I got it -other than the monoflap - and i think it rocks. (you'll notice how that cleverly rhymes with 'socks' in the previous sentance. It really doesn't matter that others don't appreciate my genius - I do)

 

[chrismar]

Chris, does Tropol make custom footpockets? Far as I know, all the other monofin makers will take foot measurements and make a footpocket in that size.

People like me with tiny feet will find fitting in Tropol's footpocket impossible.

While you can send footpocket measurements to many of the manufacturers, there seems to be little correlation between what you ask for and what they deliver. I know a number of people across a variety of manufacturers that received 'custom' fins that flat-out did not fit. Mine was out by probably only one size, so I consider myself lucky.

 

[Fondueset]

I've got the stiffness of my blade and the size of the pockets on mine from Tropol - so we have something to go by. I'll measure my feet at some point and put that up here.

The thing with the molded footpockets is that you defnitely know what your dealing with. They'll be consistent and if you get the wrong size they don't have to hand make them again from scratch.

Tropol's new freediving fin will have some design improvements - in addition to the blade angle.

 

[TimoP]

When I saw the picture with the measurements, it seemed there was something wrong. So after extracting the picture from the .pdf, importing it into a CAD program and scaling it to 730 mm in width I found, that the length is not 680 but 610 mm. A difference which can hardly be explained by neither footpocket sizes nor perspective/angle in the photo of the fin. Not that this particular length is very interesting, but it would of course be interesting to know weather Tropol plan to change the geometry of the fin, or it is just a simple mistake in the measurement.

It's seems to be the perspective thing, because the pic hasn't been taken just above the middle point of the monofin. It has been taken from the direction of the blade edge or even outside of it. 730mm wide blade edge is in the foreground on the pic. 610 is about 0.9X680, so probably just a very typical optical illusion due perspective.

But i agree in general - I'm a planning engineer - that if there are measured figures in the pic, the pic should be taken so that there wouldn't be a misleading perspective error like 10 %. Anyway, there is often little error if taken by a camera, but in most cases it's easy to get the error to as little as 0-1%. Some basic easy things to do that: if possible take the pic from the straight middle direction, don't go too close and don't use wide angle objective (with a zoom objective use normal/neutral position). One simple means to use with digital camera when not time to write down or just to be sure: put a measuring tape on the items when taking the pic. So you can check later the measurements from the pics e.g. with 1 mm accurancy, because on a display it's easy to zoom in to the tape.
.

 

[Herup]

@TimoP

Just checked with some other picts of the fin. You are right, it´s perspective. Sorry.:duh

H!