Waterway Glide LD (long distance) monofin review

[PoseidonSv]

Today i recieved my new Waterway Glide Monofin.

After being allowed by Fenvalter to borrow for a week and testing a Waterway Glide in size 290mm 44-44 i decided to buy myself a Waterway Glide LD with size 310mm 45-46 footpocket.

I only tried it on just now and they slide on the feet and sit comfortable when using smooth neoprene socks in 4mm. The only trick was that the soles are some nonslip fabric and is a bit less slidy than the smooth uperside but they were remarcably easy to put on with just a little soap.

Here is a few pictures of the wellmade fins:

http://images4.fotopic.net/?iid=ym93v8&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1

http://images5.fotopic.net/?iid=ym93vc&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1

http://images1.fotopic.net/?iid=ym93va&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1

http://images2.fotopic.net/?iid=ym93vb&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1

http://images3.fotopic.net/?iid=ym93v9&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1

http://images4.fotopic.net/?iid=ym93vd&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1

http://images5.fotopic.net/?iid=ym93ve&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1

http://images1.fotopic.net/?iid=ym93v4&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1

http://images2.fotopic.net/?iid=ym93vg&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1

http://images3.fotopic.net/?iid=ym93vh&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1

I will write about my experience when trying them in pool if there is any interrest for this.

 

[SanderP]

Hmm, it's really difficult to believe that swimming long distances with those footpockets is comfortable. But let us know about your experience with the fin in the water and how long are you able to use it comfortably.

Good luck!

 

[Kars]

I also would like to know what the angle of the feet/legs are compaired to the blade. This because I've just learned that different brand use different angles.

And also compare this fin to what you're used to and what you've tested.

Third, how does it behave below 20-30-40 meters, does it become heavy? Or is the weightlos just minimal or hardly noticeble?

What is the pricetag for this sweet fin?

Thanks already for you pictures!

Kars

 

[PoseidonSv]

The the angle of the feet/legs are compared to the blade i did not measure but when swimming slower and gliding between the kicks the fin is in line with the legs and body when straight like an arrow.

I will try the fin tonight in the pool more and see how long time it will be comfortable.

I borrowed a waterway Glide before that was one size smaller and was sitting butch tighter nad pushing the feet from all directions.

My new fin has the same kind of footpockets and are one size bigger that is very good tight fit but not the cramp warning feel after just a few minutes.

Before i had only my Finis Competitor that is basically a finis footpocket on a waterway blade.

When i compare the new Glide fin with the Finis the finis seems less stable and have more tendency to slip sideways when biting the water on the downkick.

The first Waterway Glide that i borrowed seems to have softer wings (the neoprene under the rubber covering them and also on the small wing part between the shoes on the blade. This i find very good since the compressible neoprene is kept to a minimum.

There is other fins with a few degrees more angle from underside of foot to the blade and maybe this is better if you will do long distance finswimming in open water like a kilometer or more.

I did not try the fin deep yet but bet it will behave good and since it has not as thick and soft neioprene as the previous Glide it must behave better than the Glide fins used in the world cup in red sea by some competitors.

The fin is floating slowly towards the surface at the surface of the pool and might get neutral or a little heavy at very deep depths.

You will have more loss of boyancy in your suit than the small neoprene used for the wings. This will be a very small fraction of lost boyancy anyway.

The price i payed is 4700 swedish but it is priced from about 350 euros at Polyorg website.

Some more photos here also:
Monofena Waterway Glide, foton på dykarna.nu

The last 7 photos is of my new fin.

Enjoy.

 

[Tbird]

Hi there. I have this fin and have used it for constant weight down to 66m. I can tell you it holds togther really well at depth and you get good propulsion coming off the bottom. You have to experiment a little with your weights because of the buoyancy change (very buoyant on the surface, then very heavy on the glide) but that is typical of most Russian 'Andronov-type' fins, not just the Glide Fin. I found this fin better for CW than for dynamic which is strange, but that may be just my opinion. Enjoy!

 

[PoseidonSv]

interresting input i will try it for some deeper freediving then in open water and find out how i like it. i managed to swim 25 meters underwater on 6 kicks!

 

[Kars]

Hello Poseidon,

Nice to hear from your experiences, keep it comming!

Today I went training agian, and it went pretty good. I've got a new sort of stroke with a lot more gliding in it, though I'm using a WW model2 middle distance. It's too bad I have no camera to see myselve swimming. The comments of my friend, my own observations, some internet films of monofinners are the only things I can to learn from. I'm sure like many I've viewed Peter's 200m video a 1000 times. Though recently I came accross a WC monofinning in Russia 2006. The 6 minute you-tube video shows the 50m Apnea, and they go fast... very fast.. in 14 seconds 50m. From that one I got the idea to push my chest forward and downward, ass up and feet down, which I am now using for both glide and sprint strokes. Though my sprint is hardly in the neighbourhood, but more like 25 s, having a water start.

I like to sprint, so I think I'm going to practice that more often, see if I can nibble a few seconds of? I think sprinting in apnee is also good for lactic acid tolerance building, and strong muscles and mass Which I feel I could use more of.

Kars

 

[ADR]

My new waterway glide fin was very disappointing. It looks great but is nothing like the performance of a 'Andronov type' fin. The fin flexed in very strange directions, the worst element being the fin folding on each kick along the direction of travel with the tips folding up towards each other….resulting in pushing water sideways instead of in the direction of travel. I was torn between selling it as it cost me a lot and looks great but decided that I couldn't do that to another freediver. In the end I took a knife to it and over a 4hr period removed the footpockets, wings and the reinforcing plate under the footpockets. I then modified them slightly and reattached them to a standard waterway model 1 blade. It is a bit rough but is a huge improvement on the original and I will probably end up using it for constant weight(previously using Waterway & Leaderfins). I am confused as to why Waterway would change their original blade shape for the good looking but terrible performing glide profile. The modified fin will probably become my CW fin with a soon to arrive Hyperfin being my replacement dynamic fin.

 

[BennyB]

Andy mate, you can't say all of that without posting some pics!

Now from what i've seen the Glide blade is a little bit shorter and a tiny bit wider - is that right? Did you have any issues with putting the footpockets & wing back on given it's a different shape?

Sounds like you've done some great work there. Is there any way you can increase the angle of the footpockets a little? The Glides tend to have less of an angle than the andronov spinoffs, and i've found personally that the angled footpocket is fantastic in the glide.

Cheers,
Ben

 

[cdavis]

Hi Andy,

I'm very curious as to the reasons behind the fin's performance for you. Your description sounded like the fin is much too soft for you and/or maybe extra soft near the outer edges. Waterway appears to have had some problems with stiffness variation in bifins. Sometimes the rating did not correspond to the stiffness of a particular blade. Could this be a similar problem? Are you particularly strong or large? Any other thoughts?

Connor

 

[Kars]

Thank you so much ADR, you're affirming me to go for the Hyperfin custom made fin. I'll hope that the Hyperfin I want to buy also works at depth.

Love, Peace and water!

Kars

 

[Mullins]

The fin flexed in very strange directions, the worst element being the fin folding on each kick along the direction of travel with the tips folding up towards each other….resulting in pushing water sideways instead of in the direction of travel

My Leaderfins Hyper does this too, though maybe to a lesser extent. The manufacturers claim the wing design "affords a cupping action" but in all the videos I've seen of these monos they are folding the opposite way!

 

[efattah]

My Leaderfins Hyper does this too, though maybe to a lesser extent. The manufacturers claim the wing design "affords a cupping action" but in all the videos I've seen of these monos they are folding the opposite way!

V-Flex or 'gull flex' is a very important feature of a monofin! If your fin does that you are very lucky.

 

[Mullins]

In what way, exactly? Directional stability?

 

[PoseidonSv]

The Glide LD i bought have more traditional cut undersides tapering or what it is called in english. The Glide i tried first had not traditional but hurizontal cut layers on the blade. I can say the waterway is extremely well made and the quality of my blade is excellent. Ther might be some difference on other monos on the angle of the blade but for me with not so good flexing of my ankels the fin is in line with the legs underwater when gliding.

I noticed some freedivers have very lousy technique and maybe if your not a good monofin swimmer who is not trying to use a efficient kick then a softer and more angeled blade will be better.

I myself think a few degrees extra angle on the blade to footpocket is no big difference at all.

By the way the waterway glide is a gipper andronow glide hyper you name it kind of fin...

many monofinmakers use same kind of material but sometimes they use not the selected best quality and sometimes they buy the footpockets from some other companies. Basically what you get is different taper cut of the glasfiber and quality of the glasfiberplate, different angle different quality in the shoes and so on.

Finswimmers know this and at competitions they have oportunity to borrow and try many fins from guys like andronov then choose one they like and buy it.

Problem is that we as freedivers seldom have that chance to do it that way.

 

[ADR]

I have some video of the glide fin bending and will try to pull some stills off it to show you. I have only mentioned what i think is the worst element, there are other problems that contribute to it occuring....just personal point of view of course.

Benny - fair enough, pics to follow tonight, no real easy way to increase angle, fin is smallish(not wider but about an inch shorter)

Conner - the fin is about half way between waterway med and LD. I use a kick glide approach (5 kicks per 25m) am 175cm and weigh 74kg. It's not too soft as my training buddy has a softer hyperfin blade and I don't have the same issues with it or my other standard waterway softer blades

Eric - this doesn't cup it bows (ie the wong way)

Kars - you have made the right decision and my new hyperfin should arrive this week and i will send you my thoughts on it.

Mullins - I have a leaderfin too(same as yours actually and it does it a little but nothing like what this glide fin does. Leaderfins have combatted the problem a little by cutting the corners of their new fins and reducing the corner load. You could try that but given the fin is already small aand you are huge....it may not be such a good idea - see you in taupo!

PoseidonSv - I'm pretty confident that my technique is in the top 10% of freedivers. This has been confirmed to me by two of my training buddies who both do 200m+. I don't want to rain on your praise of Waterway and in fact I think they make some great products and I've bought lots of them and I agree with your comments on the build quality. I just don't think they have the design right on the glide yet and having tried lots of monos and even having made 3 myself, I think I have a valid view point. (5 actually if you include the two modified ones - check my other posts)

 

[ADR]

Here are the pics of my modified/amlagamated waterway glide/model1 monofin. It is the second Waterway fin I have modified and here also is the link to the first.....now owned by Erez Beatus

http://forums.deeperblue.net/monofins/67038-modified-waterway-monfin-dynamic.html


Happy viewing!

 

[Kars]

Thanks Andy, looks like a NICE job you've pulled on there.

I too dislike the folding very much, to me it makes one feel lige dragging a towel through the water like I've experienced with a very soft Specialfin's-dolphin last year when I tested it.

With having two buddies doing 200+ ?? wow, sounds like a new Denmark or Russia there! LOL, I quess the final will be for those able to do at least 180m or more And euh, can I ask how much more than 200+ do they do? (what's the clubrecord?)

Much fun and many more good dives

Kars

 

[ADR]

Hi Kars,

I wish I had those two as training buddies as well but actually it's not them. An Aussie and a Kiwi is the answer and who would have thought that this part of the world would have such talent (Walter Steyn & Ant Williams) Both 200m dynamic club members!

regards

 

[PoseidonSv]

Excellent results! 200m wow!

I agree fully with what you say Andy about the glide.

Did you see the pictures of my Waterway Glide LD?

It has same kind of blade like the glide you modified it is not straight cuts for the tapering scaling of the finblade but more like the traditional which make it not bend like you do not like it.

I swim 6 kicks for 25 meters and that is going from the surface down to 3 meters follow bottom and then up.

I noiced that even waterway glide fins develop and there is some changes made as they have built more of them!