Carbon or composite?

First lets clear up a couple things. Carbon Fiber is a composite material. So is fiberglass and any combination of CF, Fiberglass and sometimes Kevlar. The name composite refers to the mix of a resin with a fabric. The end product takes on both the strengths and weaknesses of both materials. "Pure" carbon fiber is a cloth and is not useful for fins.

Now, when it comes to fin blades that are either only carbon fiber, only fiberglass or some combination of the two there are a few things to look at. If you are very rough on your gear it is probably best to stay with plastic as you will break blades. If you take decent care of your equipment then your budget is more of a factor than the durability. The margin of difference between the durability of a CF blade and a Fiberglass is not noticeable. Some companies make a particularly robust or fragile product but overall you can get good durability out of both. However, a CF only fin will be more expensive than a Fiberglass fin. Either will give a noticeable improvement over plastic blades but unless you have a lot of experience diving with composite blades, the difference between a quality set of CF and Fiberglass blades will be hard to notice.

If you have the money I suggest the carbon. They are slightly lighter, slightly more responsive, and if your anything like me, at some point you will want the best.

Aloha Makoa,

There is no such thing as a pure carbon fin blade, there are always other materials added, epoxy resin at the least. This makes your question moot to a degree. But I understand you're looking to sift through the hype and make the best fin choice.

A good carbon fin must have other materials added to make it durable. The performance difference (blade weight and speed) between a "pure" carbon blade and a good carbon blade which contains other materials to make it more durable, is so small that durability trumps it by far.

Normally manufacturers will keep the materials, and the production process a trade secret. I do, and will never disclose carbon percentage or other specific composition details about Speardiver carbon fins, with the exception of stating that they contain no fiberglass. You will never know what goes into any carbon blade going by the manufacturer's statements, there's always a degree of marketing involved. The only way you can know for sure is have experience with what the different materials look like, and take apart the blade.

Good fiberglass and carbon blades are a huge improvement over plastic.

There are significant differences between fiberglass blades from different manufacturers. A poor quality fiberglass blade is slower than molasses, but will still be a little better than plastic.

A good carbon blade is significantly better than even the best fiberglass blade. It's lighter and faster, you get more return for your kick and your legs get less tired as the hours go by.

Kevlar in a fin blade is a waste of time. Kevlar is a material that's made to dissipate energy, all it does is slow down a carbon blade. I was the first in the US to experiment with Kevlar, and dropped it quickly. All it does is make the fin look pretty.

Which brings me to another point. Any kind of camo paint or layer in a carbon fin, will always take away from its performance/slow it down. Whether the difference is perceptible depends on the manufacturer and the diver's experience.

For my diving I will always choose good carbon fins. The exception may be if going on spearfishing trip very far away from home, where the fins will be handled by others in a way that's out of my control. For example being wedged in peculiar position on the boat and someone stepping on them. Not many fins will survive that, but you have a better chance with bulletproof fiberglass blades.

IMO it's not possible to make a good choice going by manufacturers statements about carbon blade composition. Carbon fin manufacturing doesn't have established specifications like items in other industries. The way to go is with carbon fins that have good reviews from experienced non-affiliated divers, a good track record for durability, a clear warranty, and haven't changed in a long time. I recommend Speardiver carbon fins and http://spearfishing.world/fins…arbon-fins-roll-call.html.

Aloha Makoa - I will jump in because I recently made the transition.

Caveats - I'm an old guy who can't do 30 meters anymore and I really don't push myself or my fins any more. Moreover, I only get to go diving once or twice a year since I need to get on an airplane - but my experience might be helpful.

I went from plastic to fiberglass to carbon fins recently. Plastics worked fine and would have been great for me had I not tried carbon fins. I tried fiberglass and didn't feel that much improvement over plastic but probably because the foot pockets weren't a good fit of me. I had many friends suggest carbon fins to maximize my abilities considering my age and lack of much diving. I was very reluctant to spend that much $$$$$ considering my limited diving opportunities.

But - carbon's were about double $$$ Fiberglass and I did some consulting that put a little extra $$$ in my pocket and bought my Carbon fins before two dive trips last year.

I will never go back to anything else. Hard to articulate but I just don't feel the fins anymore. Seems like I had to "work" with my plastics but the carbon fins just feel natural, smooth, effortless to me. For me - worth every penny and I just wouldn't go back to anything else.

-o

Hello.

I have a hard time spending money and only like to do so when I feel there is a return for that investment. I like to try and make or go cheaper to save a buck.
That said,
The best investment I made in my diving is my fins. They did not break the bank but they were a big purchase. My carbon fins make diving easier. I use less energy from less of a kick and I kinda kick less often. This uses less o2 and that translates into more potential dive time.

Do you have the ability to try fins? Any dive buddies with the same size feet? Nothing beats your own experience

Dive safely

Quote from LunkerBuster

The best investment I made in my diving is my fins. They did not break the bank but they were a big purchase. My carbon fins make diving easier. I use less energy from less of a kick and I kinda kick less often. This uses less o2 and that translates into more potential dive time.

Which carbon fins do you use?

I am still using my Speardiver C90.
Had em for at least 3 years of constant use. Still going strong.

A good CF will give you best performance than any other fin in my experinece.:)

Regards.