Carbon fins vs. Cressi Gara 2000 HF

Hello Scubaboard-Diver,
is it possible, that Cressi Gara 2000 HF Fins are quicker than Carbon Fins? Im looking for effective quick fins and my impression is, that Carbon fins are not the quickest....
Which fins are most quick and effective?

Thanks,
mantadive

I use carbon and fiberglass. Check bi-fins on DeeperBlue. Only real way is to compare them. Note that plastic fin blades can be bent over while carbon will crack.

ok - thanks, I have myself [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Polypropylen fins and carbon fins, but within same test conditions on 300m swimming, [/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Polypropylen fins are 5 sec. quicker - compared to the price 4 times higher I was a bit disappointed from carbon fins. From tests I found on the internet and from a friend*s comment after using Cressi Gara HF, they should be more effective...?[/FONT]

I have the Gara 2000 HF's. They are very stiff, especially for long surface swims. Great for when you want to return to the surface fast or maneuver on the bottom. I prefer the 3000 LD's for freediving myself.

The first impresion you'll get on your first try is they feel very stiff but there is a very good reason for that... In my personal opinion I believe they are (mmm.. it's hard to pick the right word) perhaps "faster/more efficient" used as they where designed for. You'll see everyday divers talking about carbon fins as "ferrari's" and they are good in many aspects but I think I've got figured out a potentially good reason why just by observe.
I've seen many freedivers and I respect everyone's technique but still many of them bending knees as scuba's while kicking.. For those who does, of course they'll love carbon fins cause (long story short) its flexibility itself would still push u forward no matter what and they feel "lighter" in response to the kick because they are mostly very soft blades. The point is that probably 80% of the travel each fin does on its way up or down, almost half of the blade remains extremly curved because of the lack of lateral support and considering your body mass, the famous "snap" that most of the people test on the blades at shops in the air, once on the water it is not a that significant anymore.

Back to the gara.. Bear in mind the main purpose of this fins is performance and they where designed long time ago and adjusted based on experience. The core of the sport is minimizing oxygen consumption so with the right kicking technique and good strong legs you can advance fast forward with minimum movement. I believe on a same distance the carbon diver will kick probably 50% or more that the gara diver on 2000hf.

Also add the fact of great speed and quick response when required!

It is important to say that honestly, if you are planning to kick on a fast phase, you will end up with ankle fatigue if not in good shape.. So in regard if that the 3000 is way softer and more relaxed to perform recreational freediving but not so efficient as the first one.

I'm kind of looking forward to get some key fins on hands to perform a good test side by side all at once, let's see what can I possible get with some cooperation.

I dive with 2000 hf and as a racing car changes its tires a couple of time on a sigle race, I think there is no reason to set on carbon because their blades wont get any softer with the time (by the way they are already soft.)

This is very personal and totally respect everybody's oppinion.
Hope It helps!

Have a great one guys and don't dry out!
Freep

What you want in a freediving fin is something with a good strong footpocket that will not collapse. Hold the back of the pocket lifting it up parellel to the floor so that the pocket has to hold up the weight of the fin blade. If it collapses you will waste a lot of energy when kicking the fin.

Next check the reaction of the blade by bending it and letting go allowing to see how quick the fin kicks back to regular shape the faster the kick back the more efficient the fin is and the more it will propel you through the water. The carbon blades are much lighter and have the fastest reaction time making it a much more efficient blade than any plastic and fiberglass blade. A great fin and the one I use is the Beuchat Carbon fins. Hands down a very comfortable and efficient fin. I have dove up to 150ft. with this fin on breath hold. In freediving your not trying to get to the bottom quickly your trying to save oxygen.

Thanks to all the helpful answers!
@mkhilario: I have to do some freediving brevets in beginning of 2013, therefore the Gara 2000 HFs could be for deep diving a good choice


@Freep: interesting point of view with that kicking technique, I observe it at many freedivers in my traininggroup. I guess, that I am not concerned (sure, I will do a video inspection of myself to prove ) of bending knees, therefore maybe I didn't see any improvement in being faster with carbon fins? And may be therefore Gara 2000 HFs could be a choice for me... I hope that I am strong enough for them, but I train regulary several times per week...

@hifreediving: my Polypropylen fins' footpocket now infact collapses, I did test it today, although I can measure with those fins the quickest time for same distance compared to other fins up to now... Then there should be potenrial getting faster with a non collapsing footpocket (Gara HFs ?).

One question: since some weeks I have some pain on the left lachilles tendon while training with my fins - I do train with them since one year - any idea whats wrong? And what I can do? I did read on the internet frightning stories of stopping all sports to cure it.....

Thank you,
mantadive

Sorry to hijack this thread but I have a similar question.

Just for the heck of it I wanted to give freediving/spearfishing a try so I'm in the market for some new closed heel fins.

As I'm mostly going to do only recreational diving, light freediving and snorkeling I'll need something durable, maneuverable and fairly soft.

I heard that Mako has a new carbon fin which sounds very interesting but I'm concerned about the durability of carbon. The information available online is very conflicting and catty. One board swears by one brand while another has little or no information on that same brand.

Speardiver carbon C90 is one of these fins, almost no information is available anywhere else except on the speardiver.com forum, while no reviews on Mako fins are available on that same site.

DiveR is universally accepted as a super tough but very heavy and wide fin.

Anyway, hese are the fins I'm considering.

1. Leader Stereoblades Waves Carbon in medium
2. Mako Long Black Competition Fiberglass Fins in medium soft

Any advice on these fins would be appreciated

Hello again,
I did buy those Cressi Gara 2000 HF and have a guess what happend......?


On my training-test-distance (always the same 250m, and I try always to be quickest, so always same conditions to compare different fins) I was 10 seconds SLOWLIER with Gara!! And the feeling was, that NO power was transferred from my feet into the water - strange...

Any idea, how I can improve speed with Gara? Thank you.

mantadive:

Hello again,
I did buy those Cressi Gara 2000 HF and have a guess what happend......?


On my training-test-distance (always the same 250m, and I try always to be quickest, so always same conditions to compare different fins) I was 10 seconds SLOWLIER with Gara!! And the feeling was, that NO power was transferred from my feet into the water - strange...

Any idea, how I can improve speed with Gara? Thank you.

Click to expand...

I think the material the Gara's are made of, is kind of"dead" compared to the carbon or composite fins, so you would expect less transfer...

Just so you know, that while carbon "can be" cracked easily by doing things you are told not to do with carbon fins ( like jumping in with a giant stride) ... If you treat them the way they are supposed to be treated, they will last a very long time...I have had my mustang C4's for over 6 years, and they work the same way now they did 6 years ago..no loss in function. The C4's are much softer than the diveR's, so I tend to use the diveR's unless I am tired from a long bike ride.