Yet another thread about monofin suggestions!

[geeknerd]

Got my Nemo today!! It is absolutely huge, and suuuch a beauty. Can't wait to take it for a swim!

 

[Apneaddict]

AWESOME!!

 

[geeknerd]

AWESOME!!

And the monobag - it's a small tent! I tried wearing it as a backpack and I looked like a Batman wannabe!

 

[Apneaddict]

Watch out for heavy winds.
You might become an accidental windsurfer / hang glider / kite!

You can buy and cut up / fold-over come heavy / thick corrugated plastic sheeting from a craft or hardware store to serve as a protective layer in the bag to prevent accidental damage to the fin.

I LOVE the NoTanx monofin bag. Much smaller and way stronger.

I also added a wooden strip across the width (can tape it to the corrugated even) to act as a reinforcement for more safety / strength.

 

[geeknerd]

Thanks for the tips, but I ordered a heavy duty bag that seems to work just fine as for now. I'll keep the little wooden plank thing in mind, though!

I took it for a swim earlier today, and it was amazing. I've missed it and been looking forward to it so much. It was quite different from my old fin, which looks more like a toy in comparison (Finis Tempo). I wore it for almost three hours straight, and it only hurt my feet a little. It's much bigger and heavier than my old one, and I can't wait to try it out in open water. You can tell it wasn't made to do laps. I mean, the deepest part of the pool wasn't even two meters, and it got more shallow the longer you swam (also, the pool was only 25 meters), and you had to be really careful as not to hit the pool floor, or another person, or anything. But it was incredible, and I know that we will get along just fine.

 

[vali]

I-m really glad that you are comfortable with tour new mono
to love this piece of equipement it's a must!
[and if u carrying on the back, try and be careful when passing doors ]

 

[geeknerd]

I-m really glad that you are comfortable with tour new mono
to love this piece of equipement it's a must!
[and if u carrying on the back, try and be careful when passing doors ]

Oh I do love it - my parents are already joking about it being like a member of the family.
Oh yes, I've noticed - I feel like I have to be very careful whatever I do with it, it's only when it's on and in the water that I can relax a bit. I even drive slower when I'm transporting my fin than when I'm driving a friend, haha.

 

[Kars]

Oh I do love it - my parents are already joking about it being like a member of the family.
Oh yes, I've noticed - I feel like I have to be very careful whatever I do with it, it's only when it's on and in the water that I can relax a bit. I even drive slower when I'm transporting my fin than when I'm driving a friend, haha.

You know you're attached to your fin when you give it a name
My fin is called Natalia

 

[vali]

You know you're attached to your fin when you give it a name
My fin is called Natalia

I don't figure it out about my mono gender...is he a "she" or is she a "he"...??

 

[Kars]

I don't figure it out about my mono gender...is he a "she" or is she a "he"...??

Depents on the character of the blade, if it needs power and responds a bit rough, it's a man. If it's soft, smooth and rounded, a women

 

[geeknerd]

I'm having kind of mixed feelings about naming my fin, because it is something that I can take on and off, but I like to think that it's part of me as much as possible. "It completes me", you know, in the water, even though it sounds really cheesy. Naming it would feel like distancing myself from it.

 

[vali]

Not unless you name it after your own name
And a question for Kars:
when I purchased my mono, I choosed a medium stiff monofin who looked like in the first picture bellow; after a wile one of my foot-pocket broke apart and I send my mono at Specialfins to do the necessary repairing. After they repairing my mono, they send me back the same mono with some reinforcements on both sides [see the second picture bellow]. Can I consider my mono a stiff one now? [is not as flexible as it was before]

before broken and repaired:


after repaired:

 

[Kars]

Vali, it's not a set in stone rule, it is very subjective. So your fin underwent a change, and consequently it's character changed. Should you rename it? - Whom am I to say so? Should one name it? There are no traditions here, it's totally up to you, the individual.
I named my fin, because I felt like naming it. I think I felt like naming it because it's an unique individually handmade creation, and there will never be a fin that feels the same. I also own some generic fins, Waterway Classic, and with those I do not have a bond/connection even though I'm used to their properties. So I think naming the fin also depends on it's uniqueness. A generic mass produced fin does not induce the same affection.

When I see and hold my fin, I recall and feel all those great moments. Wearing the fin I'm transformed into a different being, as I see it as part of my body.
I suspect that a mass produced product will never give me those feelings.

 

[vali]

my mono is also hand made [but is a serial product] and I choose at the time to inscript it with my name and my country flag for a 10 E fee. And I think a second name will not be in order now )
it is very special to me because he make me feel special
apologize to geeknerd for diverting the thread

 

[geeknerd]

my mono is also hand made [but is a serial product] and I choose at the time to inscript it with my name and my country flag for a 10 E fee. And I think a second name will not be in order now )
it is very special to me because he make me feel special
apologize to geeknerd for diverting the thread

Don't sweat it - I got what I came for, didn't I? I got my new fin, and besides, I think this discussion is kind of interesting.

 

[HLanger1955]

For the $300, you cannot get a new hydrofoil or hyperfin type of monofin.

You can state your size and stiffness need on fora and search for a second hand hyperfin type monofin.

If you want something new, for less then $300, with most properties you're looking for, I think this may be your best choice: http://www.specialfins.com/eng_products.php?product_id=20

This fin has comfortable footpockets, quality blade, and (very important for gliding in freediving) a footpocket to blade angle* of about 15 degrees. It's a better choice then your Finnis competitor because of: Heel supporting full foot footpocket, and instead of 0 a 15 degree footpocket to blade angle. This will feel incomparably better then the heelless, non responsive plastic blade Finnis tempo.

Another option is the Waterway Nemo:
http://www.waterwayfins.com/index.p...4&keyword=nemo&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=4
photo:

Same advantages as the specialfins, but with a smaller foot to blade angle, about 11 degrees. Read here from users. http://forums.deeperblue.com/threads/waterway-nemo-wing-seems-to-have-no-angle.95565/

About choosing blade stiffness.
The finnis has a small blade, which is nice because it allows to learn the technique without much muscle strength.
Hard blades are made for sprints, below these speeds they are like a plank and not efficient at all.
Soft blades make for the best starter fins, and if you have a good technique you can still swim 50m in 30-25s with them.
However for the Specialfins fin I recommend a 'medium' stiffness, because - if I recall correctly - a few people had broken soft blades. There are no problems with the medium blades.

Between companies, the perceived stiffness can also be different. It's due to foot-pocket type and angle, material choice, and blade stiffness itself. I believe the special fins mono's feel a bit softer then the equivalent waterway's. - can someone fill me in on this?

So to round this off I would either choose a Nemo soft, or a Specialfins Medium. I would prefer the Specialfins because it has more angle. The nice blue colour is a plus


* hyperfin angles are usually 25 to 30 degrees.

I was wondering about the question of the angle. Some people recommend -at least for beginners -fins with no angle (there is an article in apnea-magazine, unfortunatelty in Italian only). I suspect, however, with the angle it is easier to achieve a better stream-lining Anyhow, angles are always a point of stress-concentration with the risk of fracture...is this problem resolved ? Only with carbon fins or even with fiber-glass ? I'd be glad to learn more about that
(BTW: I got a MAS-MAT in carbon, but with no angle...after some excercise I start to enjoy it, but gliding is still...there is some potential of improvement