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Tropol Monofin - a Fondueset Review
- Thread starterFondueset
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
, There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
Tropol-monoploutve
Not cheap - around 350e right now. They plan to have a new model with more blade angle around the middle of next year.
What I know is - should be slightly positive with buoyancy that does not change with depth.
28 degree blade angle
Heel Strap may be molded into the footpocket
Not cheap - around 350e right now. They plan to have a new model with more blade angle around the middle of next year.
What I know is - should be slightly positive with buoyancy that does not change with depth.
28 degree blade angle
Heel Strap may be molded into the footpocket
Depends what you want to use it for.
My Tropol has quite large footpockets - So I can wear it with 6 mil socks. In the Bahamas I used it with no socks and there is some slop in the footpockets. You would not want this in a competitive fin - where you would sacrifice comfort for efficiency. That said - this is the most comfortable and durable hyper style fin I've used. I found it better for depth than my other fins - which are similar to the Glide - because, while it is negative at the surface and my other fins are positive - this one does not change with depth - so it was actually easier to stay aligned below 30m with this fin than with my other one. Power is not an issue - but the blade is quite stiff - #2 on the tropol chart is definitely a sprint blade. Its stiffer than my other fins and has zero V bend.
As a recreational diver my reasons for going with a Tropol would be comfort and durability. I've worn this one up to six hours barefoot. The material in the footpockets and leading edges will outlast rubber and conforms to the contours of you feet better with less friction. It does not seem to degrade in salt, sun or Chlorine either.
But the waterway will have more angle than the M4 - The M4F will be a dedicated freediving fin and will be out sometime next year.
I really like this fin, and I've been pounding on it relentlessly since I got it.
By the way - your hawaii videos rock
My Tropol has quite large footpockets - So I can wear it with 6 mil socks. In the Bahamas I used it with no socks and there is some slop in the footpockets. You would not want this in a competitive fin - where you would sacrifice comfort for efficiency. That said - this is the most comfortable and durable hyper style fin I've used. I found it better for depth than my other fins - which are similar to the Glide - because, while it is negative at the surface and my other fins are positive - this one does not change with depth - so it was actually easier to stay aligned below 30m with this fin than with my other one. Power is not an issue - but the blade is quite stiff - #2 on the tropol chart is definitely a sprint blade. Its stiffer than my other fins and has zero V bend.
As a recreational diver my reasons for going with a Tropol would be comfort and durability. I've worn this one up to six hours barefoot. The material in the footpockets and leading edges will outlast rubber and conforms to the contours of you feet better with less friction. It does not seem to degrade in salt, sun or Chlorine either.
But the waterway will have more angle than the M4 - The M4F will be a dedicated freediving fin and will be out sometime next year.
I really like this fin, and I've been pounding on it relentlessly since I got it.
By the way - your hawaii videos rock
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Hi Fondueset,
The things you mentioned in your 122th post, 28 degree angle, slightly positive NON CHANGING buoyancy are very nice improvements, really making it a freediver's choice!
I wonder if Martin Stepanek would like to do his CWT record with it?
The things you mentioned in your 122th post, 28 degree angle, slightly positive NON CHANGING buoyancy are very nice improvements, really making it a freediver's choice!
I wonder if Martin Stepanek would like to do his CWT record with it?
Fondueset; said:By the way - your hawaii videos rock
Hey Chris, thanks but they are just OK at most.
I am not happy with them because they lack professional look.
And that's because when I dive I don't think of the video. But dolphins would be so much nicer to watch if picture didn't shake like Chihuahua in December.
Back 2da fin
Are You coming to ICE dive this winter? Maybe I could try this fin before I make my final decision, I will need good fin when I am back on Big Island..
Hi Nostres,
I normally don't associate with people who get to go diving in Hawaii, but since I used to live near Chicago I'll make an exception
What size are your feet? I doubt I'll make it over there but I may send the fin for you to try.
The only problem I've had with this fin is the footstraps coming unglued. This is common to pretty much all these kinds of fins - on this one it's actually less of a problem than my others - I've also been really brutal on the footstraps. They've never actually come off - so my reglueing was proactive. FYI I also have a couple of very nice triton fins - about size 44 - one of which is for sale. (hurts my daughters feet) These are Max's newer fins with screws holding the blade/pocket together.
While I think the Tropol m4 is a fantastic fin - you might be happier if you wait for the M4f - which is due to start testing next april.
I normally don't associate with people who get to go diving in Hawaii, but since I used to live near Chicago I'll make an exception
What size are your feet? I doubt I'll make it over there but I may send the fin for you to try.
The only problem I've had with this fin is the footstraps coming unglued. This is common to pretty much all these kinds of fins - on this one it's actually less of a problem than my others - I've also been really brutal on the footstraps. They've never actually come off - so my reglueing was proactive. FYI I also have a couple of very nice triton fins - about size 44 - one of which is for sale. (hurts my daughters feet) These are Max's newer fins with screws holding the blade/pocket together.
While I think the Tropol m4 is a fantastic fin - you might be happier if you wait for the M4f - which is due to start testing next april.
I hope they mold the strap to the pocket- Fondueset's glue problems scare me , I have a waterway glide and nothing has come unglued so far after almost a year of heavy useage, will wait to see what the new tropol looks like and then decide between that or getting a higher angle glide, the gear junkie in me wants to try something new
I was extremely hard on the footstraps - I used 6 mil socks nylon out with no lube in 7c water. Since then I figured out its much better to turn the socks inside out - so the neoprene is out - and lube them.
I'm pretty sure they'll be molding the straps in.
I'm pretty sure they'll be molding the straps in.
Here is an Update -
These are pictures of the rough mold for the M5F freediving fin - note the two pockets are molded as a single unit. Angle is 28 degrees.
Tropol M5f mold
Also - Lubos has put up an excellent finswimming tutorial - with special exercises - very useful. It is packaged as a series of .swf files - there is a flash player in the package. Create an association between the player and the .swfs and then you can run it as a menu-driven tutorial by clicking on the pp.bat file - or you can just watch the .swf files individually. It's definitely worth checking out.
Finswimming Tutorial Download
These are pictures of the rough mold for the M5F freediving fin - note the two pockets are molded as a single unit. Angle is 28 degrees.
Tropol M5f mold
Also - Lubos has put up an excellent finswimming tutorial - with special exercises - very useful. It is packaged as a series of .swf files - there is a flash player in the package. Create an association between the player and the .swfs and then you can run it as a menu-driven tutorial by clicking on the pp.bat file - or you can just watch the .swf files individually. It's definitely worth checking out.
Finswimming Tutorial Download
looks great, allot less bulk then how they build up the waterways for the extra angle, very smooth, should be indestructable with the single mold, I want one
I use my M4 almost every day in the pool - and several times a week in open water. It is the most comfortable monofin I've ever used (The C4 monoflap is just as comfortable). For some reason the material in the footpockets will not chaff my feet - even with no socks. I never get foot pain with this fin - Which is amazing to me. I used one of my other fins yesterday and was amazed by the difference - It also has roomy footpockets but the rubber chaffs and feels hard compared with the Tropol.
Also - my M4 has a quite stiff blade - stiffer and with less angle than the hyperfin I was using yesterday - but I also noted the blade on the Tropol has a more symmetrical and precise return and feels more directionally stable in the water.
Both fins glide well - though I do think the one with more angle may be a little better - hard to tell because the Tropol is negative - which makes it nicer for slow swimming in the pool. The softer fin (medium stiffness according to the manufacturer) wants more amplitude while the tropol seems to like a smaller undulation.
Also - my M4 has a quite stiff blade - stiffer and with less angle than the hyperfin I was using yesterday - but I also noted the blade on the Tropol has a more symmetrical and precise return and feels more directionally stable in the water.
Both fins glide well - though I do think the one with more angle may be a little better - hard to tell because the Tropol is negative - which makes it nicer for slow swimming in the pool. The softer fin (medium stiffness according to the manufacturer) wants more amplitude while the tropol seems to like a smaller undulation.
educated guess on time frame for the M4F fin to be available?
have the triton (old one) and the blade is cracking so need a new fin soon. talking with the guys at Rocketfin but do much prefer the idea of a one piece footpocket for longevity sake.
i was even thinking of getting a leader fin Hyper pocket setup and mount it with a blade with angle built into the blade, which would reduce the overall bulkof the footpocket (less weight variation and be more hydrodynamic i would think) while still having the angle of choice. figure a blade with 18degree angle attached to a footpocket with 12 degree angle would provide a very compact fin with 30 degree angle?
DD
have the triton (old one) and the blade is cracking so need a new fin soon. talking with the guys at Rocketfin but do much prefer the idea of a one piece footpocket for longevity sake.
i was even thinking of getting a leader fin Hyper pocket setup and mount it with a blade with angle built into the blade, which would reduce the overall bulkof the footpocket (less weight variation and be more hydrodynamic i would think) while still having the angle of choice. figure a blade with 18degree angle attached to a footpocket with 12 degree angle would provide a very compact fin with 30 degree angle?
DD
They are talking week 17 of 2010 for testing and optimization. They also say first size produced will be size 41 I'm guessing maybe mid-summer?
I also have a correction - the Tropol pocket - with no socks - is more comfortable than even the C4 monoflap - with or without socks - which is not to say the monoflap isn't comfy - but the tropol is better on my feet. (just did 17 50 meter laps with the C4)
The only problem I've had with the Tropol is one footstrap came loose - easily fixed with the binary adhesive they sent me. I think the reason for this is I have been extremely hard on this fin - particularly the footstraps - pulling it on over six mil socks in very cold water, leaving it to bake in the hot Bahamian sun, etc. etc. Theres none of the 'blade coming loose' business though.
The blade on this fin is really nice - I have a level 4 blade on their 1-5 system - It is the stiffest fin I've ever used - stiffer than either of my Tritons and stiffer than my hard waterway nemo. If you want a soft blade better get a 1 or a 2.
Also, according to the site - the new fin is called M5f.
I'm guessing maybe mid-summer?I also have a correction - the Tropol pocket - with no socks - is more comfortable than even the C4 monoflap - with or without socks - which is not to say the monoflap isn't comfy - but the tropol is better on my feet. (just did 17 50 meter laps with the C4)
The only problem I've had with the Tropol is one footstrap came loose - easily fixed with the binary adhesive they sent me. I think the reason for this is I have been extremely hard on this fin - particularly the footstraps - pulling it on over six mil socks in very cold water, leaving it to bake in the hot Bahamian sun, etc. etc. Theres none of the 'blade coming loose' business though.
The blade on this fin is really nice - I have a level 4 blade on their 1-5 system - It is the stiffest fin I've ever used - stiffer than either of my Tritons and stiffer than my hard waterway nemo. If you want a soft blade better get a 1 or a 2.
Also, according to the site - the new fin is called M5f.
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The tutorial is indeed excellent. I posted a link to it also to other forums, but some people (especially with Macs) have problems viewing it, and also ask me for some translations. Although the flash files are available on multiple places on the web, I did not find any, where it would run online, hence solving the problem of compatibility. Therefore I decided installing it on my server, allowing so all users with a Flash-enabled browser to view it. I also added the translations of the chapter titles. Although, as I wrote, the files are available on multiple Czech servers freely, I asked the authors for permissions. I did not get any answer yet, but should it be negative, I'll remove it, of course.
So if you did not install the tutorial locally yet, you can have a look at it here: APNEA.cz - Monofin Training Tutorial Just be aware that the videos were not optimized for online viewing, hence are quite long to load - you need to be patient when loading each individual chapter. I hope my server can handle the load