Speardiver carbon fins

Speardiver C90 Carbon Blades are available at the Spearfishing Store.

Speardiver C90 carbon blades features

• Two year warranty on carbon blades (normal conditions of use).
• Fit all standard foot pockets.
• Blade length: 30" (76cm).
• Complete fin length (blade and foot pocket) approximately 36" (90cm) depending on foot pocket size.
• Blade width: 8.27" (21cm).
• Blade weight (medium stiffness): 10.7oz (304g).
• 25º built in toe angle.
• Water channeling rails for stabilization.
• Foot pocket rails for easy installation of the blades in foot pockets. No gluing is needed.
• 3 stiffnesses:

1. Medium soft (MS) A very light blade suitable for experienced divers who can get the same propulsion out of a soft blade using proper kicking form, and for divers who get knee and ankle pain from stiffer blades.
2. Medium (M) A light fast blade for all around diving.
3. Medium hard (MH) A stiffer blade for divers who prefer a stronger kicking style.

These blades are very durable and will not break when exposed to stresses that traditionally carbon blades have not been able to handle. You may recall this test I did a couple of months back.

Video: Carbon Blade Test

The blades have water channeling rails and rails that will snap into foot pocket tendons. We had rails designed and made specifically for this application. If you don't have experience with rails you may not be aware how important they are for ease of installation of blades in foot pockets and retention strength, as well as fin stabilization.

Reviews

EFFORTLESS!!!!!

Quote from Mariner

That pretty much sums up the CF blades Dan let me try out. I cracked one of my Waterways(that will be another thread) So I started asking about the CF blades. He said I could try some out before I bought a pair. (Thanks Dan!!!!) I got off work early last week and headed up to his house where he promptly installed them into my Omer footpockets. We went out for a shore dive from his house. I had prior commitments, so we only went out to the first reef. Depths were between 15-20. I couldn't really tell a difference on the descent because it was so shallow, but laying on the bottom and kicking up I think it was less than 3 kicks to go up. Today I went outwith my GF and let her take pictures of coral and shit while I went to go play. Depths were between 35-50fsw. Seas were 2-3ft with a nice wind chop and a mild current. Surafce swimming I liked how the fins moved me along at nice brisk pace. Even going into the current I didn't have to continually kick. 2-3 kicks and coast...Underwater is where the blades really shine. The snappiness compared to the fiberglass is unbelievable. Descents and ascents are soooooooooo much easier now. Doesn't require a full kick from the hips just small ones with your calves.

fin review OR cabron carbon review thread

Quote from LunkerBuster

So I picked up a pair of the med/stiff "pargo" carbon fins yesterday along with a pair of the H dessaulst pockets..Dan was kind enough to install them for me and i was very excited to try them having only ever used plastic fins.

upon holding them and messing with them I was very impressed, they really threw everything i had previously thought about carbon fins out of the window. they were flexible, had a high modulus and felt very tough and sturdy. I have read several comparisons of fins and carbon is clearly the best and i had very high hopes, even more after holding the fins in my hand.

We dove the second reef off of meade today..25ft to the top of the reef, 35 to the sand, gently sloping off to 38 in some places...give or take a foot or two.

the foot pockets are a lot harder and a tiny bit tighter than my old garas. they fit well and are pretty much perfect with a 1mm neoprene sock. i would like a 2mm just to make it a little more snug around the toes, but it might not be do-able. that is a small point as they are generally quite comfortable

upon jumping off the yak and cruising around to check the vis, i was struck by how easy it felt to kick and what a huge difference angled blades makes for surface swimming. this alone was a huge improvement.

I dove to check the anchor, make sure it wasn't on any coral or anything, and i was quite impressed with how easily i got to the bottom. I found that i use slightly different muscles when finning which I assume has more to do with the angle than the carbon. throughout the day I was pleased to find myself able to get places easier. that is the simplest way to describe it, I wasn't any better at diving, diving was just easier...i feel like the more i get used to diving with them, the more i will be able to turn it into better diving, as in, by knowing that I can move about easier, particularly on ascent, i will be more relaxed and calm which will turn into longer dives.

the best example i can give was a particular shot. I was diving near the end of the day and had been schooled by small bait fish throughout the day and had considered taking a shot at one as a skill shot. So it was nearing the end of the day and I saw a small rainbow runner, maybe 11 inches hauling ass about 25 ft below the surface. so I dove and found him again and saw his path and tried to predict his movement and the fish saw me so he took off, I started sprinting the way I would with my old fins and damned if I wasn't able to stay with him enough to pull off a very nice stone shot on him as he pushed out to like 15 ft...

he would have been gone daddy gone before.....at the end of the day, they are just fins and are only as good as the diver, BUT, these are without a doubt the best fins available without consideration of the price, and when one does consider that, it is a no-brainer. I look forward to many many dives with them and I highly recommend them to anyone.

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Quote from Guest

I saw in a picture that you were securing them in the foot pockets with a zip tie. Have you found this to be the best way?

With older style foot pockets that don't have a recess for the top screw retention plate, and/or don't have a bottom screw support plate, I prefer a zip tie to secure the carbon blade instead of screws. I can get away with two tiny slots, just enough for the zip tie to pass through the blade.

Carbon blades from different manufacturers vary in quality, some are simply prone to failure. Screw holes on most foot pockets are located near the blade toe angle which is a high stress area. Additionally some foot pocket kits come with ridiculously large diameter screws requiring large holes. Consequently you have a recipe for a blade breaking along the screw hole line, so it is a valid concern.

But using screws does not automatically mean a broken carbon blade. First of course choose reputable carbon blades like Speardiver. Foot pocket mounting kits like Speardiver, OMER Stingray, Cressi Gara Modular and Beuchat use smaller diameter screws. The pressure on the blade is dissipated by the screw support plate which has variable thickness, allowing itself to be positioned to make the screw heads lay flat relative to the carbon blade.

Additionally at Speardiver we never "drill" holes in carbon blades. Instead we use a proprietary method to make the screw holes, it disturbs the integrity of the carbon material significantly less than drilling. Provided these factors are addressed, it's been my experience that done properly a screw installation is safe and durable. Which is why Speardiver offers a two year warranty, including fins that are assembled with screws provided it's done correctly.

Here's a pic of what the installation with a zip tie looks like. The slot is made with a milling bit which means it was ground as opposed to cut. This versus drilling a big screw hole and the fact that it runs perpendicular to the stress put on the blade as it flexes, makes it less likely that a crack will develop from that point.

Safe installation using screws in foot pockets that use a bottom screw support plate and small diameter screws.

Here is the longer version of the Speardier carbon fins, the C100. Longer blades for competitive freedivers and spearfishermen who prefer the extra propulsion at the expense of some maneuverability. Available at the Spearfishing Store.

Speardiver C100 carbon blades features

• Two year warranty on carbon blades (normal conditions of use).
• Fit all standard foot pockets.
• Medium stiffness.
• Blade length: 34" (86cm).
• Complete fin length (blade and foot pocket) approximately 39" (100cm) depending on foot pocket size.
• Blade width: 8.27" (21cm).
• Blade weight: 15oz (420g).
• 25º built in toe angle.
• Water channeling rails for stabilization.
• Foot pocket rails for easy installation of the blades in foot pockets. No gluing is needed.

Thanks for the report Chad. I'm glad you found a well fitting footpocket.

Thanks Don.

For those of you who are local and can pick up the fins, there's the option of trying them out in the pool before you buy. This short course (25 yard) pool is literally 2 minutes away from my shop and they allow fins.