I have the opportunity to inspect different fins, as customers looking to get Pursuit fins often bring along their other fins. I'm starting this thread to serve as a point of reference for comparing fins along the characteristics of stiffness, length, weight, and flex points. At this time those are the important blade characteristics that I'm aware of.
Fin specs; stiffness, length, weight and flex points
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At this time those are the important blade characteristics that I'm aware of.
I would have to add durability to this list as well. Twenty years ago I had carbon fins that preformed very well but lacked durability. Your Pursuit blades only have one light scratch after I have been washed over a shallow shore breaking reef a few times this fall while grabbing cockroach's. Thanks again for a durable product, someone did their home work.
Cheers, Don
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Dan,
I deleted my post to align with your intended fin reporting. -
Since I'm the only one that will be comparing all the blades side by side, stiffness and flex posted by others will be without a point of reference and therefore arbitrary. So maybe others can pitch in with the length, width, and weight, as well as the occasional question or clarification on actual fin performance.
Don, you're right about durability. But I can't comment on this aspect of a blade by just handling it, more so because it doesn't belong to me and I'm reluctant to put as much stress on it as I do with my blades.
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C4 Fuego VGR (Variable Geometry Rails) - Mega force T700 %100 carbon, D.P.C. (Double Parabolic Curve)
Blade length: 81cm
Fin length (blade + footpocket): 86cm
Blade width: 18.5cm
Blade width with rails: 19cm
Angle at f/p: 15°
Blade weight with rails: 350g
Fin weight: 1010gFlex point: There's one pronounced flex point at 53cm from the back end. This is the blade on it's own without the f/p stiffening it up, and with the f/p since the C4 footpocket offers no practical support for the rear portion of the blade.
Stiffness: Overall this blade handles very soft, softer than a Pursuit MS (Medium Soft), actually it's like a noodle. But I think this is due to the pronounced flex point since the blade area from the back to the FP is fairly stiff, and so is the area from the FP to the front, equivalent to about a Pursuit M (medium).When I flex the blade in this manner I'm only putting pressure in one direction, down. So the flex you see is where the blade prefers to bend on it's own. BTW notice the shape the rails are assuming, doesn't look efficient for water channeling. The rails are overly robust and feel like they're slowing down the blade.
I prefer a more gradual/evenly distributed over the length of the blade flex. I haven't tried the C4 Fuego fins in the water but I do know with certainty that such a pronounced flex point will allow the blade to be more easily overpowered, and at such point make it a soft fin that lacks in propulsion, at the same time creating a weak/stress point where the blade is likely to fail.
Miscellaneous pic of me shaping a Pursuit blade to fit the C4 footpocket.
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Hey! Those fins look very familiar
Yeah, I'm not crazy about the rails, but I like the footpocket.
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