Stingray-vs-Pathos fit?

    My long flat feet are US size 16 and fit very comfortably in Omer Stingray footpockets, size 46/48, when wearing 3mm Body Glove neoprene socks. I've been using them for nearly a year now matched with my 5 year old DiveR blades. I've enjoyed many many hours diving with those fins, but after joining this forum a few days ago and reading all the Pathos/Pursuit testimonials... I'm tempted.


    If any of you have firsthand knowledge to compare the fit of Size 46/48 Stingray to Pathos (3rd Gen) I'd appreciate you writing about it. I should probably just go ahead and order one footpocket from Dan to try it on myself.

    Size 16 must be a typo. To suggest the right size footpockets I’ll need your actual foot measurement. Put a ruler against the wall and stand on it with your heel against the wall, measure where the furthest toe ends. Also measure the width of your foot at the widest part by putting your foot on the ruler. Pathos footpockets are a little flat in the area of the instep, this can be uncomfortable for guys with a high instep. Guys with normal instep height are ok with the pathos f/p, and if you have flat feet then it should be perfect. The largest size Pathos is 46-48, which will probably be your only choice.


    The stingray is a very comfortable footpocket and was my favorite footpocket until I tried the pathos. The pathos is lighter and has superior energy transfer. The stingray took 14 kick cycles to get to 66 feet. The pathos 10. That translates to 8 less kicks to 20 meters and that means more bottom time. Stingrays are not bad but give me pathos any time.

    Quote from Brandiego

    The stingray took 14 kick cycles to get to 66 feet. The pathos 10. That translates to 8 less kicks to 20 meters and that means more bottom time. Stingrays are not bad but give me pathos any time.


    That is an insane improvement.. I'm currently using stingrays, really makes me wonder.

    Quote from Nate

    That is an insane improvement.. I'm currently using stingrays, really makes me wonder.


    I should add that I had similar results with Nemo footpockets to. 10 kick cycles to reach 20 meters but with my feet, they give me blisters. I am the only person I know of this happens to. A good footpocket is as important as a good fin.

    Quote from Dan

    Parker, at 32cm your toes will extend 3cm past the end of the footpocket flap of a 46-48 Pathos footpocket.


    Thanks for the info, Dan. That's about same as with my Stingrays, I think. I'll check later and probably order one footpocket from you soon to see how it fits overall. Then I'll return it either for a refund, or for you to send it back to me with Pursuit CF blade installed along with its mate of course.


    Maybe getting ahead of myself, but what stiffness and what length Pursuit blades would you recommend for me with Pathos footpockets? I'm 6'-5" and about 225 lbs. My Stingray/DiveR's are medium stiffness and I feel okay kicking them for 3 to 6 hours at a time (leisurely, I'm not a racer.) Most of my dive days are from shore - so, I'm dragging fish around with me as I get them. Most of my dives are less than 20M and some are around 25M each outing. Occasionally I'll do 30M, but very seldom.


    I'd like to know your opinion about Water channeling rails. Are they really beneficial? I put some on my DiveR blades a while back, but I really noticed the added drag and didn't like it. So, I scraped them off. (am I derailing my own thread?)

    Your footpocket/blade combination amazes me. Stingray f/p are the stiffest I've seen, and DiveR blades are the heaviest/bulkiest. Your legs must be strong. If you try Pathos with carbon blades you'll feel like you're wearing a feather on each foot, it will spoil you. If you need a burst of power you will be able to fin very quickly. If you try to fin quickly with your fins your best effort would be limited to the fins do their own thing. Because you're used to these heavy fins I think you'll be happy with a medium+ stiffness blade, combined with Pathos f/p having a little more backbone will be a good thing.


    Blade length is a personal choice, I offer C90 and C100, the latter being the same length as the DiveR. But for the diving I do I see no need for the C100.


    Water channeling rails are very good for stabilizing the fin and eliminating the slippage effect. Sculling movements become a little more difficult but as freedivers we rarely use this kind of kick.


    I also think you will enjoy going back to a conventional 20 degree toe angle.


    These are the DiveR blades I tried a few years back, they were sold after 2 dives. I was fortunate that the carbon fins arrived at the same time and I was able to make a side by side comparison.


    I suppose my legs are conditioned for long swims and walks, but not so much for other activities (pedaling, lifting.) I know I should cross-train to be better fit.


    I placed my order just now for a single f/p.

    The Pathos Fireblade f/p that I received is not a comfortable fit for my big feet. The bottom of the f/p shows the size as 46-48 & 8 1/2 - 10. That must be a mistake, right? I don't know which size it really is, but if this IS the largest size f/p from Pathos, then I'll have to do without them, but I'm still interested in the Pursuit CF blades.


    I'll return the Pathos f/p and order a single Millenium to see how it fits me.

    Do you want to know about millennium pockets or stingray pockets? They are different. The 46-48 is the largest size that is made. The 8 1/2 - 10 is improperly marked. I wear a size 11 US and the pathos 44-45 fits perfectly.


    Both the millennium and stingray pockets run a bit larger and are very good for people with wide feet. The stingray pockets are not quite as wide but run a bit larger. I would suggest that you take a measurement of your foot in cm and send it to Dan and he will be able to find the proper size footpocket. In my opinion the millennium pockets are better because the Stingrays are too soft. Im sure Dan will comment and explain things a little better. He has done extensive testing on footpockets and nobody knows the pursuit carbon blades better.

    The largest Pathos size is 46-48 at same time it's incorrectly labeled 8.5 - 10 US.


    Pathos sizes are 42-44 and a 44-46. Either of these will fit a size 11 foot, depending on the socks used and how tight you like the footpocket.


    Sizes marked on footpockets are points of reference only. Using a 42-44 Pathos as a starting point to say omer millenium run larger can be misleading. They're all so different and most often the numbers have nothing to do with foot size or shoe size.


    omer stingray foopockets are not too soft, they have the hardest tendons I've seen in a footpocket. I prefer the omer millenium. The useless omer stingray copy used by Leader and sold by Nautilus is too soft.


    I will have Picasso footpockets in a few weeks as well as Speardiver brand in a couple of months.


    With your size foot Parker all you can do is try the largest size available in each foopocket.


    what stiffness dive Rs did you have ?
    phil

    Yes, my DiveR's are medium stiffness.


    Dan - I sent an email. Please answer when you can.


    Also, I'm curious to hear any advance info about Speardiver brand footpockets that you can share.


    Thanks!

    Edited once, last by parker: corrected spelling ().

    I guess my hope for the Speardiver brand footpockets is that they will have the performance characteristics of Pathos Fireblades that you guys brag about, but fit my big feet as nicely as Stingrays. Any chance?

    Speardiver footpockets will use a conventional rail system like all footpockets with the exception of Pathos. The main reason Pathos footpockets are smaller/lighter is because the blades get glued in and the f/p tendoons don't require the mass to accommodate the T slot for the rails. Pahtos footpockets are not the answer to all things, they have advantages and disadvantages, and further depend on whether they fit well which you found out. The analogy I would use for Pathos is they're like a little sports car, the performance is there but the interior is a bit cramped. A more conventional footpocket design is more like a big comfortable SUV. Both can be heavy on gas (energy consumption in the case of the footpockets) but they do it in different ways. Just depends on your personality what you prefer :)


    Speardiver footpockets will have all the elements that make a good footpocket. See this thread http://spearfishing.world/fins…cket-characteristics.html


    Speardiver footpocket sizes will become available slowly, the first one being 42-44. 46-48 is quite a ways off.

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