GRAYMAN Sat Oct 06, 2012 8:34 pm
GOOD POINTS:
Reduced drag when riding due to narrow profile.
Edges provide good hold.
Strong heel straps. (DaFin could take a leaf out of Voit's book here).
BAD POINTS:
Felt heavy and cumbersome.
Stiff/rigid foot pockets that lack any ergonomic shape so hurt the tops of your feet.
Slow to get going with an initial kicking-through-treacle feel.
CONCLUSIONS:
These simply feel like old fashioned fins to me. The new materials feel better than when I tried the old ones but still have a long way to go to bring them into the 21st Century. They basically feel like a dated version of the Viper V7.
COMPARISON TO DAFIN:
I did notice a tiny bit more drive once getting going but like I say, a tiny amount. Getting going was the problem though. Paddling around in a competitive lineup with a fast breaking single left hand peak just left me chasing shadows. Switching back to DaFin let me sprint into position.
In terms of sizing, many advocates of these fins complain about the blade size with DaFin. The solution is simple: pad out the heel strap and wear neoprene socks to allow for bigger fins. Then you'll have a comparable blade size with all of the other benefits of modern light weight fins.
With regard to the heel strap problem on DaFin, put you foot in whilst holding the strakes . Then slip the heel strap up.
Cheers
G