Foot pockets without tendons

    I haven't. But a plastic fin is a plastic fin no matter how much hype is attached to it or how much the price is inflated. For entry level diving and rock hopping there are few decent plastic fins in the $100 range.

    Wahoo Dark - C4



    I agree, but these are some killer plastic fins...... I have used the C4 mustangs on a bluewater trip and they were awesome.


    Like you said plastic fins are just that, but for 200 I reckon these might be worth a go as when I need to change my rock hoppers out


    Dan, what thread was this on when you notched the tendons? I would like to read more about this. Thanks.



    I use the wahoo dark as my shallow and reef fins, recently I have used them on 60-70 foot dives and they performed very very well... Did not miss my carbons at all to be honest.
    Edit:They scar easily though but my own have taken a licking and still ticking. try here Rusty Spearfishing-Shop - Spearfishing und Freediving - Flossen C4 Wahoo Dark

    A bad day at sea is better than a good day in the boatyard
    George Steele

    Edited once, last by Dude george ().

    Cheers George, if they are even half as good as the mustangs then they will be a great fin. Could you post a pic of your wahoo fins, just to give me an idea of what they look like after a bit of rock hopping. I am not kind on fins, they are there to work and sometimes we do some pretty big jumps in and rough climbs out...... So it's good to hear that opinion from a long term wahoo user.....


    The mustangs are a great fin, I fell in love with them after just a handful of dives but I was offered a pair of diveR Spanish prints for 250$ with pockets, I couldn't turn it down....


    Dan, which C4 fins have you used mate? Most people that use them really like them, I think it's when people use these fins for rock hopping and reef diving in hard conditions that they start getting issues, this is another reason why I use diveR, much more durable..... But less efficient, horses for courses I guess.


    Some of my mates have carbons for boat and blue water diving, fiber for deep reef and hard conditions, and plastic or thicker fiber fins for rock hopping. I don't feel the need for three pairs of fins, which is why I'm geared towards the wahoo...... And for 200$ it's a great price for such a fin in Aus.

    Cheers George, not to bad at all really. The darks a bit thicker and hence stiffer than the browns, I may go with the darks.... Do you feel they are good for long surface swims? Max 6km.....

    Used them in Trinidad recently for hours in the water with pretty stiff current as I had sold my carbon fins on that trip to a friend, and was left only with my wahoo's.
    If it were not for my friend having my carbons I would not have been able to say with great confidence they are effortless in current for hours and have a great kick to get you deep without you feeling it in your legs like I did with my Carbons. Still like carbons for the blue but the more I use these fins with their left and right foot pockets as well as laces for comfort fit, the more they are becoming my one and only fins for a long day in the water.

    A bad day at sea is better than a good day in the boatyard
    George Steele

    Old thread I know, but it is still a valid discussion... What do you think of fins like these, they are made with shorted tendons (modified footpockets). The maker, which specializes in fins, says this is done to: "cut out footpocket to get a lighter and more responsive swimfin". I wondered when I saw these if that didn weaken the blades to not have long tendons, I tried to look it up and found this post. The company that makes them is called "Breier", here is their site: Chasse sous-marine





    I eventually asked the company and they explained that the Beuchat tendons are too hard and interfere with the blades mechanical properties. They also said that their blades are build in a way that makes them stronger in the usual stress zones.

    That's nonsense, and what they're selling is a gimmick. Beuchat foot pockets have good medium stiffness tendons that match up perfectly with good quality carbon blades. Full length tendons are needed for proper water channeling and fin stability. Beuchat f/p are difficult to install blades into because of the very narrow T slot which doesn't fit any available rails. I have to manually reduce the rails on the carbon blade to make them fit inside the Beuchat foot pockets and charge $25 for this work. But it's worth it for some divers with narrow feet who can't find another foot pocket that fits well.

    In this particular case Dan is spot on. Like he mentioned the beuchat pocket is a decent pocket. There are some that the tendons are too stiff and do detract from the mechanical properties of the fin. He is also correct in the water channeling provided by the pocket is necessary.


    Carbon Fiber seems to have this aura of being a super material but in reality it is not perfect for everything. In the case of fins, the strength and stiffness of carbon fiber make it excellent for transferring energy. However, carbon composites are brittle. The carbon does not deform very much as force is applied. When it reaches it's limit it fails catastrophically (shatters). If someone wanted to, they could design a blade that could work without a tendon and only had a rail for water channeling. However none of the blades currently on the market are designed this way.

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