Over the past year I have been working on a way to compare fins in a more empirical way. So I created an experimental method to test the flex of fins and measure the amount of force required to flex the blade to 90 degrees. This may not be the most accurate method but I found with multiple rounds of experimenting that the results remained consistent.
Here’s what I found.
Brands that have results Alchemy Moana Leaderfins Cressi XT C4 Molchanovs Deep Apnea GFT DiveR
Across the board there is some consistency between how each company decides what is soft, medium and hard stiffness. However there are also some big jumps even within the same model. European brands seem to lean on the softer side of the spectrum and have small incidental differences between their models – Alchemy offers 5 different stiffness and XT which offers 4. On the other hand you have the C4 Martin Stepaneks blades which go from very soft to a very stiff medium.
The results have provided a more authentic definition to what most brands call soft, medium and hard. I wish I could have tested all ranges of stiffness for each model but I was not able to get them. On the other hand if any company out there wants to send me some fins to test I would be more than happy to oblige.
I would also like to make a flex profile chart to complement this one. It would only describe how the blade flexes, be it a tip flex, mid-flex or base flex. This would serve to give the consumer a means to determine how they prefer their fins to move.
Mahalo Kona Freedivers/Kona Honu for letting me test the fins you had in stock. If your looking for Alchemy, Moana, Molchanov, C4 or leaderfins check them out! https://www.konahonudivers.com/freediving-gear.htm
I’m often asked by divers who are new to the sport “what kind of fin should I get?” and this answer is going to depend on material preference, size of the fin, the stiffness, kicking technique, and the depths and activities you want to pursue.
Material
You have 3 choices for material: plastic, fiberglass and carbon fiber; each has their advantages and disadvantages. Plastics fins are durable, easy to use and maintain.
Plastic, fiberglass and carbon fiber
I recommend plastic fins to most beginners because they perform better than your usual scuba/snorkeling fin and don’t need much care when using them. My favorite plastic fins are the Cressi Gara LD 3000 and OMER Sting Ray. They are not too stiff and still perform well.
Fiberglass fins are a nice middle ground because they are more responsive than plastic fins, but not as responsive as carbons. They are less durable than plastics but more durable than carbon. However durability of the fin does very from company to company.
Carbon fiber comes in two flavors: standard carbon and pre-impregnated (pre-preg); pre-preg is carbon that is impregnated with the resin so it does not have to be applied during fabrication. While I don’t think there is much difference, you can usually tell by the pocketing of the resin on some fins. Carbon is going to be the lightest and most responsive option, but also the most expensive. High end carbon allows you to feel the blade every kick, like a nerve that extends into the fin itself. But not all carbon is made equally, brands like Leaderfins and Cressi have been known to break. Fins with more resin tend to be more durable from anecdotal evidence when compared to fins with low amounts of resin such as the Alchemy’s and Molchanov’s – it seems like the resin pads the fibers from impacts. However low resin fins boast lighter weight and superior performance.
If you have ankle problems then I recommend a soft blade, to reduce the stress on your ankles and allow for more comfortable finning.
Size
Sometimes the right fin is dependent on your body type. If you’re short, then you may prefer a shorter fin since longer fins require more time to unfurl. If you’re like me and have narrow hips, then a narrow blade will be more comfortable. I have trouble using C4 fins like the falcons and flaps because of how wide they are. If your fins tend to click together while kicking or if you’re widening your kick too much, then you won’t be getting the most out of your fins.
Flex
Most fins come in soft, medium or hard, but some brands only offer one stiffness. Generally speaking if you have strong legs and ankles then you may like a stiffer blade. However Alexey Molchanov used soft fins to swim down 100m; and I now prefer a softer fin after improving my technique. However if I need to do a lot of surface swimming against current then I will choose a stiffer fin for more power in the kicking stroke. The action of the flex is where the fin blends most easily and is different depending on the manufacture. I personally like blades that flex near the tips because it acts like a whip when you kick.
The Alchemy V3 flexes toward the midsection and the Alchemy V2HF flexes near the tip of the blade. Both blades are soft stiffness
Twist
Some fins twist easy and allow water to spill of the sides of the blade during the kicking stroke, this may only be a small amount of wasted energy but it is still something to consider. Moana Waterman are incredibly resistant to twisting and I really appreciate that part of their design; Alchemy V3’s are another fin that resist twisting during the kick cycle. So if you have bad technique or are a pigeon-toed kicker, then you may prefer one of the above fins.
Fiberglass leaderfins twist very easy compared to the carbon Moana Watermans.
Conclusion
You should ask yourself “what will you be using these fins for?” spearfishing, freediving, or both? Some people prefer to use stiffer blades for deeper diving or for places with strong current. Some people just want the softest easiest kicking fins. and some just want the most durable fins. My recommendation is to try out as many fins as possible because every diver usually has a preference whether they know it or not. But I want to make one thing clear: your diving abilities won’t change much between the $600 carbon fin and a $150 fiberglass fin. It really is the diver that makes the difference.
Fine craftsmanship, attention to detail, and responsive carbon fiber is what you can expect from Alchemy fins. They have a beautiful glossy surface and a fine matte bottom that really shows the high quality of production. These fins have become my go-to for both freediving and spearfishing, and I recommend them to any free-diver.
Pros The V3 is Alchemy’s flagship fin and it contains 15 layers of carbon fiber, which is an upgrade from the V2HS’s which only contain 11 layers. But like the V2HS, it has high quality silicon rails, a glossy surface, matte bottom and whale tail fin tip. The silicon rails are durable, flexible and come in several colors to compliment the rest of the fin. Despite using them for spearfishing, I have not damaged the water rails. I like the water rails so much that I have been gluing them to other fins when people need replacement water rails.
The blade is 73% carbon fiber and 27% resin. This low resin amount produces a quality nerve that connects you to your fin. The blade is amazingly responsive and remains reactive though all part of the kick stroke. This ability to channel water down the fin without spilling is due to the “hard tip”. In most fins the carbon tapers from thick to thin, but to prevent blade twist they made the tip of the Alchemy blade a little thicker and this greatly reduces any twisting of the blade.
Cons The flex of the fin is about 1/3 up from the tip of the fin, I have a preference for fins that have a smooth taper and flex close to the tip of the fin; but because of the “hard tip”, the fins flexes further back. The only other problem is that the fins might not be that durable, they have very little resin which pads the blades from impacts. It’s been my experience that these high percentage carbon fins are more brittle than fins with a higher percentage of resin.
How they compare the V2HS These V3’s are $459 and the V2HS’s are $395, of which I like the taper of the V2HS better. But the V3 beats the V2HS in every other category. The V3 has more layers of carbon, faster retraction speed and quicker feedback time. The V3 is also resistant to twisting so it won’t let water spill off the sides of the fin. The performance of the V2HS is fairly comparable but I give the edge to the V3’s.
Conclusion
These fins are my current favorite and I highly recommend them to every freediver looking to upgrade. I have not broken them after 7 months of spearfishing and traveling so I can’t say they are not durable. I am still concerned with their durability, but if they break I will update this post. Overall they are excellent fins of which I have very minor complaints.
I decided to become a certified freediver with Fii instructor Dan Koval. I learned that no matter how good you are, there is always more to learn. This article is dedicated to my thoughts on the courses.
About the instructor Dan Koval is an excellent diver who can dive 90m (300ft) and has been teaching for a long time. He was trained by the freediving legend Martin Stepanek, and is one of the deepest divers in the United States. I have known Dan for several years so he was an obvious choice as an instructor.
No jellyfish were harmed in the making of this class
Why get certified Unlike a SCUBA certification which allows you to refill tanks and rent essential gear for diving, a freediving certification allows you to (depending on the shop) rent underwater scooters and do a freediving charter. If you have never used a scooter, you don’t know what your missing. If you’re new to freediving, a class can teach you the basics of freediving techniques, proper equalization, and freediving safety. If you already have been diving for a while then you can still learn the basics of freediving techniques, proper equalization, and freediving safety. The truth is that you’re never too good to learn something new, so you may get just as much from the class as a beginner.
What I got out of it I began the class as a 50m diver who already competed at the freediving world championships – what more could I learn? A lot! In level 1 I came to the sudden realization that I had been equalizing ineffectively. I never bothered to look up how to equalize and it turns out I was using a Valsava/Frenzel hybrid maneuver. This was a huge breakthrough! I also learned about how to estimate dive times as a safety and use the rope to feel the divers turn.
In level 2 we went into more detail on everything I learned in level 1, revisiting many old topics, but also some new ones. I became more familiar with the more technical points of freediving physiology and psychology. The most interesting part of the course was the diaphragm stretches I learned. I have since incorporated them into my own pre-dive warm ups. On our second day out, I was able to practice the rescue techniques we just learned on my partner, who had a small loss of motor control (LMC) during the static breath hold practice.
Conclusion I was lucky that my instructor was significantly better than I am, the level 1 class limits your depth to 20m(66ft) and the level 2 class limits you to 40m(131ft) but despite those limitations Dan helped me by introducing me to new training techniques that would allow me to go deeper. Don’t be discouraged by those depth limits, there’s a lot you can do within 40m. I felt satisfied with the course material and my classmates also seemed to learn a great deal as well.
If you are asking yourself which agency I should take a class with, then you might want to consider the costs, instructor, and syllabus of any class you consider. I have been told by some divers that it does not really matter which agency you go with as long as you take a class. On the other hand I have been told that PFI or Fii or PADI or AIDA or CMAS or SSI are the best and not to waste your time on the others. I will admit that I think Fii and PFI are the best two due to the amount of material they cover.
Additionally I would like to credit Dan’s girlfriend Kristen who is a BIG nerd and managed not to strangle me for the duration of the back to back courses and camp, despite working as hard as I could to annoy her. She also takes lots of photos during the class to let you know you don’t look as cool as you think you do.
The Molchanov bifins made by Proteus are effortless to kick. These fins are pure carbon with a carbon fiber insert to allow for excellent energy transfer. Alexey Molchanov was able to dive 344.5ft (105m) with these fins, so these fins have been put though some rigorous tests.
Pros
These fins are easy on the legs and provide such an effortless kick. The blade transfers energy smoother than butter. You can feel the quality of these fins when you use them – they are simply the easiest kicking fins I have ever used. Despite the lack of effort needed to kick them, you still move though the water uninhibited. I was lucky enough to test these fins against C4 Blue flap 30’s. After swimming a couple laps I felt that the Molchanovs were a better fin for me. It was clear that the Molchanovs had a better effort-to-distance ratio so I bought them that same day.
The blades are light weight and feature a non-reflective shark skin finish on the bottom on the blades. I feel like the matte finish helps to not spook fish, and it feels nice to rub your hands on. Additionally they come with a carbon fiber insert that keeps the fins ridged along the entire foot. This conserves the energy of your kick and puts all that effort directly into the blade.
They are so forgiving to kick that it’s easy to maintain good finning technique as you ascend and descend. Thus these fins are excellent if you tend to bicycle kick. They are designed to let you kick from the hip instead of the knee.
Cons
The foot pocket is very heavy and I had to modify it to fit my feet. Additionally the pocket is very soft and is easy to flex, so without the carbon fiber insert you may feel the pocket flexing a little when you kick. I found the carbon fiber insert to be uncomfortable so I would remove it unless I was strictly line diving. However the performance of the fins did not change noticeably.
These fins are also very soft. The mediums I used are softer than most “soft” fins on the market, so if you don’t like soft blades these are probably not for you. I have noticed it is harder to kick in strong currents because they offer less propulsion per kick, so you will need to kick quickly if you want to swim against strong current.
The fins also might not be as durable as I was previously informed, seeing as I have already broken a fin after only 6 months. As far as I know, I am the only person to have broken a blade, as I could not find a single other person who has done the same (There have been 3 other people who have broken these fins in Hawaii within the past year – edit 3/23/2018).I eventually did get the warranty but it took 3 months for the fin to get to me.
Another con would be that the water rails on the side of the fins are very weak and easy to tear. I have shredded both sides from normal wear and tear. I was going to cut these off and put on new ones if they broke down any more. (Molchanovs has since improved their water rails and the finish on the fins – edit 3/23/2018)
Conclusion
Overall these fins perform very well and truly shine while line diving. However I have also shot fish at 90ft with them so they make for an excellent spearfishing fin as well. The many small problems that I have listed definitely don’t outweigh the quality performance these fins have to offer.
It’s no secret that freedivers usually hit a wall in their training. My deepest dive since 2015 was 45m with bifins, but I have not been able to descend beyond that even when I switched to a monofin. Equalization and confidence were my main problems and it felt like I had hit the peak of my natural ability. The lack of progress really pushed me to consider an advanced freediving class. Kurt Chambers had been kind enough to help me out by selling me his old Mochanov monofin and taught me some strategies to improve my dynamic abilities.When a few of my friends signed up for his advanced class I decided it was time to take a class too.
Day 1: I met up with a small group of people at Honaunau on the island of Hawaii. Kurt began the class by telling us about his personal struggles with freediving and how he overcame barriers that allowed him to reach depths that gave him the U.S. constant weight (CWT) national record. Kurt stressed the importance of passive exhale dives, also known as functional residual capacity (FRC) dives and mouth fill technique. I had never given much thought to either skill so I was excited to learn some new tricks. Once demonstrations and explanations were over we jumped into the water to practice. I had quickly realized my mouth fill was weak and not helping me equalize as deep as it should.
Day 2: We again started class on the beach. Kurt further elaborates on negative pressure dives and mouth fill techniques. I really picked up on a ton of subtle techniques that I learned from yesterdays practice and everything seemed to click. Once in the water I practiced mouth fills and FRC’s, this time with much more consistency and awareness of my mouth fill and equalization.
Day 3: I could not attended due to a schedule conflict.
After the last day I realized that I have so much more to learn. Even though I have competed in the 2016 AIDA world freediving competition and now completed an advanced freediving class I feel like there is still so much more I can explore. I am currently looking to take a beginner or intermediate class to learn the basics that other competitive freedivers already know. I highly recommend a freediving class for both safety and to improve your abilities. It’s truly the small things that make a big difference.
The Cressi Tracina is a comfortable easy-to-wear wetsuit that offers a metalite opencell neoprene interior. The two-piece design also features the aqua stop system to prevent excess flow of water in and out of the suit.
Pros
The wetsuit feels well made and comfortable. Cressi prides itself on its anatomical cuts and I will have to agree with them.The inside sports a metalite finish to the neoprene which makes it easy to put on and take off compared to other open cell wetsuits; but still maintains the comfort of your standard open cell material. Additionally the wrists, ankles, face and waist of the wetsuit are protected by the aqua stop system, which is smooth-skin neoprene to prevent the exchange of water while using the suit. The outside of the suit has Powertex lining on the elbows and shins for added abrasion resistance.
The camouflage seems to be at home on algae covered rocks and bottoms with mixed structure.
Cons
The loading pad is incredibly thin and offers minimal support when loading the speargun; moreover it appears to be just glued on and I have seen Cressi wetsuits with the loading pad peeling off from the neoprene after several years.
Loading Pad
The neoprene does not feel as stretchy as other wetsuits I have used. I believe this might be due to the metalite finish they give the neoprene, or maybe they are just using a lower quality neoprene. I could not find what kind of neoprene they used to build the suit. The wetsuit is flexible, however the neoprene feels a little stiff. But it’s not going to ruin your dive or hinder your diving abilities.
The camouflage works well in some areas, however it sticks out in areas with a lot of bright green lobed coral and sand. I don’t know how much this affects spearfishing especially compared to a black wetsuit, which always stands out against white sand.
Conclusion
This is an excellent wetsuit that really caught my eye for its aesthetics. The metalite finish allows you to put this suit on with just salt water, which comes in handy when you forget your lube at home. If you’re in Hawaii, Hawaii Skindiver has a good deal on these suits for just $249.95 (https://www.hawaiiskindiver.com/products/cressi-tracina-2pc-35mm-wetsuit)
The Skorpio flames are an economic performance blade that does not skimp out on power and durability.
Pros
Skorpio produces their diving products using the same carbon fiber and factory as C4 just without the expensive price tag. These fins are light weight, durable and provide excellent performance for under $300. I used these fins for over a year for weekly shore diving and have never seen any signs of damage to the carbon-fiber despite the incredibly thin layer of resin covering the fibers. This efficient use of resin is what makes these fins so light. Performance wise I prefer them to the Cressi carbons which are stiffer and noticeably heavier. These responsive fins work well with the OMER stingray pockets.
Cons
These fins are literally thin enough to cut you, I have had small cuts on my hand from rubbing against the edge of the blade.
These blades are excellent in terms of surface swimming and can take you to 40-50m with little trouble however compared to newer C4, Alchemy and Molchanov fins they don’t feel as polished. Even though the performance difference not very noticeable more experienced divers might be able to feel the difference.
Conclusion
These are a solid set of fins that won’t break the bank! Skorpio offers other blades besides the flames like the DNA and genesis which have no presents here in the states. I hope with time, Skorpio will have a greater impact on the carbon fin market.
The Torelli Taipan is a super light speargun with a simple design.
The weight of the gun is both a strength and its greatest weakness.
Pros
This is Torelli’s flag ship gun and it has some nice features to go along with that title. Attention was given to the small details; the non-corrosive pins, the shark swivel, the polyurethane foam filled barrel and the TRIMAX variable muzzle system which allows for 4 different muzzle settings.
The gun weighs about 2 lbs without the shaft making it incredibly light outside of the water.
The handle is easy to use and feels bullet proof with its simple design and stainless steel sear.
But this best feature of this gun is the lifetime warranty. I had a crack in my barrel and within 4 days of sending it in, I received a band new gun. Talk about excellent customer service.
Cons
Weighting in at just 2lbs without a shaft, this gun is so light that it is too much gun for its own good. Without that extra mass, the first thing you will notice is the recoil. I need both hands to fire this gun and I still tend to miss to the left on every shot. However by attaching an Aussie reel you give the gun the extra weight it needs to fire straight.
The muzzle compresses when loaded however this does not seem to effect the accuracy of the gun.
Despite the premium price of $599.99 the gun is just a carbon pipe with a glued on polymer rail. The handle is an older style and the rubber grip ruins loading pad textures. The handle has a slight ridge at the top that does not allow for a clear sight down the shaft but it is something you quickly get used to.
The BleuTec Lycan sits at the intermediate level of spearguns made by BleuTec.
This gun is the best speargun I have used up til now.
Pros
This gun is heavy, at ~5lbs when fitted with reel, line, shaft and bands. This heft allows the gun to fire with minimal recoil, allowing for more accurate shots.
The gun’s size is determined by the distance from the band hole to the trigger guard. However this gun has a reverse trigger mech which gives it an additional 7.5cm of band stretch.
This gun also comes with 2 grips, a right-side and universal. I selected the universal since the right-sided grip is bulkier and I have small hands.
The shaft is generally up to you when you purchase the gun, I have a 6.75mm shaft that is lightning fast with twin 16mm bands. This shaft comes with a double flopper and heat treated shark fin tabs. This shaft is not prone to rusting like the other common high carbon shafts.
Cons
This gun has a large diameter barrel of 38mm at the trigger and 34mm at the muzzle, this may provide a stable platform to shoot but it also means water resistant tracking.
Side by side comparison with a standard 29.5mm barrel
The reel mount is a separate piece of hardware that screws into the trigger guard, the additional labor of drilling the trigger guard is not something I personally enjoyed. Mostly because I thought I was going to break something.
The double flopper on the shaft is nice but not suited for Hawaiian waters. The shaft tends to get stuck in every piece of coral and rock it touches; however I have not lost of a fish on the shaft yet
Conclusion
I wanted to give this gun a perfect score because it is such a great gun. I highly recommend BleuTec products from my personal experience with their work. I am already looking to buy another gun, if I can afford one haha.
Brands that have results
Spearfishing The Big Island 