Carbon Fins - Soft vs Medium Stiffness

    This is usually a pretty individual preference but here are a couple generalities that might be helpful.


    Blades vary a lot from manufacturer to manufacturer and even batch to batch. I recommend trying some if possible.


    Body size - Larger divers need/want stiffer fins.


    Environment - If you are only making a few dives, dive in high current or have to fight large fish you might tend towards a stiffer fin. They will give you more power to fight current and fish but they will burn up your legs and ultimately use more oxygen.


    Softer is supposed to be more efficient and a long blade in "medium" is not the same as a shorter blade


    I generally like something on the softer side of medium. I have worn the Moanas and they are WAY too stiff. They hurt my knees and ankles like no other. I currently have a set of C4 Red Falcons in stiffness 30. They work well and are nice for deeper diving but if I was buying another set I would probably go with something more like the Speardiver C90 medium + to hard or Skorpios in stiffness 30. The Falcons get cumbersome in shallower water or when I'm working structure. I used to have a set of C90's (medium +) with the pathos pocket until one flew out of the boat. I liked the fin but probably wouldn't get those pockets again. (I include this because the pockets will affect the overall feel of a fin)


    A lot comes down to style and preference and fishing conditions.

    It depends on your weight. The heavier you are, the softer you want. Also, if you swim around a lot, you better get soft to mediums. If you only dive from boats and mostly deep or wrecks, medium to stiff.


    I Europe the tendency is to get the softer fins that move you in the water. In the US, the stiffer, the better. I wear mediums... :rolleyes1:


    Xan: Why didn't you liked the Pathos footpocket? There's a lot of people that swears by them.

    Marco Melis

    A bad day fishing is ALWAYS better than a good day at work.

    Quote from Marco

    It depends on your weight. The heavier you are, the softer you want. Also, if you swim around a lot, you better get soft to mediums. If you only dive from boats and mostly deep or wrecks, medium to stiff.


    I Europe the tendency is to get the softer fins that move you in the water. In the US, the stiffer, the better. I wear mediums... :rolleyes1:


    Xan: Why didn't you liked the Pathos footpocket? There's a lot of people that swears by them.


    The best thing about the pathos was how light they were. This is also the reason I only have one fin right now. Had one fly out of the boat. They also pressed on the top of my foot. Ultimately though I didn't feel like I had control of the blades like I do with the stingray pockets.

    Pathos foot pockets seem to be made for a flatter foot. I have a high arch and high knuckles on my toes. I had to heat my Pathos and reshape them. They will revert to their original shape if you leave them in the sun. But they've maintained the new shape by keeping them shaded on the boat. I would prefer Beachat pockets. Those were the most comfortable I ever used. No socks....all day. No blisters.


    Stiffness....my take is, stiff will make you go faster if you kick it hard. Soft can only go so fast. I'll take stiff and kick slowly unless I have to move. I do a lot of frog kicking while moving slowly on the surface.

    I'll jump in in case it helps put a different perspective on your selection. I started off with little/short stiff fins until I went with Omers Plastic long fins in 2000. They worked fine but I had issues with blisters. Then. I tried a couple of different plastic fins in various foot pockets but they were just OK. The stiffer fins put a lot of stress on my Knees.


    Someone I repect told me to try the Moana's Hybrids in Pathos foot pockets and they are the best most comfortable fins I have ever used. I can swim all day in them with ease and doesn't put pressure on these old worn out knees. I did the heat treatment on the Pathos Pockets and they are very comfortable. I know Dan used to carry tem and thinks they are bad pockets - but for me, an old guy with worn out knees, the Moana's Hybrids with Pathos Foot Pickets are very easy on me and very comfortable.


    Caveat: I no longer dive 100 feet or push myself but I personally know many deep hard divers that use and swear by the Moana's Hybrids in Pathos Foot Pockets. The hybrids are said to be medium tapering to soft on the tips. Not sure were they fit in - but feel softer and easier than most plastic fins I tried.

    Quote from Marco

    It depends on your weight. The heavier you are, the softer you want.


    EDIT: The heavier you are, the STIFFER you want. :rolleyes1::crazy:


    Should be logical , but I wrote it wrong.


    On the other hand, in my opinion, a comfortable pocket is more important than the best blade. I've read that you can shape the Pathos to your feet shape with a hot blower. I will give it a try and let you all know.


    I'm very objective when it's about gear as I'm not sponsored and have tried a lot of brands and materials. ;)


    If I have to say today which are the best fins I've tried, they would be the C4's Mustang. They've been holding up for 10 years of twice a week use and just now one of the foot pockets is starting to tear. Now I'm curious to try these Pathos footpockets. If I like 'em I'll let you know. :)

    Marco Melis

    A bad day fishing is ALWAYS better than a good day at work.

    Edited once, last by Marco ().


    Be careful and don't leave them in the sun after you reshape them. I did and had to do the reshaping again after they went back to almost like when they were new. . I used boiling water though. And Dan did warn me that it would happen.


    Also, it seems you can't change the foot pockets on the Moana blades. JD told me you have to cut the blades.


    I was using Pursuit 90s before switching to Moanas. I think mine were the soft blades….Dan must think I'm an old fart….:laughing:…but after using the Moanas for a few months, I put the Pursuits back on and it felt like I didn't have fins.


    Oscar is right . I MAY be getting too old for the stiffer ones. That's what my wife says anyway……..:laughing:

    Quote from parker

    Are you saying you can't reshape Pathos foot pockets on Moana blades? Please explain.


    You can't separate the Pathos pocket from the blade without breaking the blade. That's what JD told me.
    I have changed pockets with the Speardiver blades.

    Quote from hank

    You can't separate the Pathos pocket from the blade without breaking the blade. That's what JD told me.
    I have changed pockets with the Speardiver blades.


    I understand that something's gotta give when separating Pathos pockets from fin blades (any brand fin blades) because they're glued together. But, I don't think cutting the pockets off is going to break carbon or fiberglass blades.

    Quote from Marco

    I was told the Moanas are very stiff. I don't like stiff blades.


    They are very stiff compared to most other carbon blades. The Hybrids have a decent tip but the overall blade is very stiff. I've worn them and they are painful at the surface but powerful on deeper dives. I know some guys with a short fast kick that like them. I have a longer slow kick and getting the middle of the blades to bend burns my legs.


    Hank and Parker: If you are careful you can remove the pockets without breaking the blades. It requires that you destroy the pockets but it is possible. JD and most other manufacturers that use the pathos probably tell everyone that it is permanent and will break the blades for liability reasons. Basically just covering there @ss if someone tries it and does break a blade.

    My buddy had a pair of Moana's with Omer foot pockets. He said that they destroyed his ankles surface swimming but up and down work was a piece of cake. Sadly, he lost them in some rough surf while we were trying to do a kayak dive from shore. We had no business going out that day because it was almost surfing conditions. By by $500 :(

    Relax & Go Spearfishing

    Quote from Chase

    My buddy had a pair of Moana's with Omer foot pockets. He said that they destroyed his ankles surface swimming but up and down work was a piece of cake. Sadly, he lost them in some rough surf while we were trying to do a kayak dive from shore. We had no business going out that day because it was almost surfing conditions. By by $500 :(


    What stiffness? Hybrid or standard?

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

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