The Cressi ARA EBS is the 2015 improvement to the Master Frog's. If this is a high end quality fin (Never tried one) it comes with a price tag of about $160 which seems very reasonable. As far as the freediving/spearfishing fins, its not so easy to say that the DiveR is the Lambo and the Mako and Cressi's are the Mustangs and Vette's. In reality the differences between these autos are easily measured. Things like acceleration, top speed, horsepower, and cornering is all made up of hard data that is easily seen on paper and translates well in the physical realm. A carbon fiber mako or cressi vs a carbon fiber DiveR has basically the same components, fin shape, foot pockets, and are all traditional looking freediving/spearo fins. Much of the difference between them will be perceptions from the wearer and not statistical data.
You don't decide to drive or buy a Gallardo from paper test results. It is the raw experiential differences in driving this car, that drives a decision like this...along with an awful lot of money
I have never seen testing for fins that was not absurd, as they attempted to make measurements in a system where they were most likely missing 80 percent of the most important measurements, and did not even know what they were.
If you looked at the test a few posts back, you will see that with all the attempts to appear scientific, they failed to deal with the reality that in this small group of testers, the likelihood was that few if any had any idea of what the best kick shape was for each fin--meaning they would attempt to use the same defective kick shape for each fin....For some fins, the defective shape would be less problematic, and sometimes this would effect some better testing results. The test also fails to consider the power and aerobic potential of each tester, as this relates to how effectively the "gearing" of each fin will be, to utilize the potential leverage each fin is capable of. If I remember correctly, these testers were mostly between 30 and 100 dives in their lifetimes....that makes them rank novices. It would be like going to a ski slope like Vail, and pulling 10 guys off a bunny slope ( or even intermediate slope) to test 10 racing skis. They don't have any shot at being able to properly represent what is good or bad about a racing ski..or in this case, a fin. At least not in something that is supposed to pass for a scientific study.
We are not talking about "racing fins", but we are talking about fins that react very differently to different user inputs...different coordinations and power potentials make completely different fin responses.....Some divers will find a fin is well tuned to their own natural kick, before they even attempt to figure out what the proper kick shape for the fin is....others will find some fins geared to high for them, others to low. The individual needs to be paired to the right fin, and no one fin is going to be best for everyone. Certainly not DiveR's, and not Force Fins either.
But you can't waste time with tests that were never decent tests to begin with.
Someone is going to say that my demo idea has the same flaw as testing.....
But there are a few key differences. If this was a ski slope, I'd be trying to get skiers from the green slopes, the blues, the blacks, and the double diamonds. I would be going for hundreds or thousands, and each person trying the fin, would be making their own determination, from their own experience---not some failed attempt of measurement by a group that would not know a good fin from a bad fin, it they were wearing the fins themselves.
Why should I have an opinion worth noting?
In my case, I have many more adventure dives behind me than most, and you have to know that I have been trying to figure out performance differences in fins since the early 80's. I test every fin I can, to see what kick shapes work best with it, and because of my cycling, I have far more power than any fins are designed for, so I never run into a fin that is too big a gear for me.... (In other words, someone with great coordination and the same ability I have to discover optimal kick shape for a fin, but that is not a cyclist, and therefore can not generate enough power to efficiently handle a stiff bladed DiveR...is going to say the fin moves through the water like a two by four, and they may not be able to make it do much of anything...and of this of course, is why there are close to 8 levels of stiffness you could go with in DiveR's...but the test protocols of the pseudo-scientific testers, would never try to match the right stiffness blade, to the tester, for a given make and model).
I am always trying to get divers on charter boats to try extra fins I have brought along, and I have seen first hand what the results are.
Also know that for many divers, I do NOT want them to go with freedive fins, because I can see that the way they kick, is highly unlikely to work at all for a freedive fin....and they don't appear motivated to completely relearn their fin kicks. The demos would let divers try all the major fins with merits, and even some of the horrific ones
Divers need to feel the differences for themselves.
---------- Post added October 1st, 2015 at 09:03 PM ----------
Freediving fins have nowhere near the diversity of selection that scuba fins do, so I think perception is a large component of it. They are all specialized fins designed to do one thing: move "mostly" in a straight line through the water for extended periods utilizing maximum efficiency. Scuba fins have to be the jack of all trades or at least most of them to be effective. Speed, power, control, and other factors need to be considered when choosing a scuba fin. I dont think a spearo needs to be concerned with doing a helicopter or a back kick. Blade stiffness and footpocket selection on fins that are very closely identical seems like more of a variable of the same technology or personal preference rather than substantial change. Just as you said, even if you buy the "best" most expensive carbon fiber freedive fin you may be making a compromise. So in essence it isn't really the best, just the most expensive. The best is going to be the fin that is properly tailored to the individual. One of my friends who I just went to Bonaire with dove with freediving fins. He covered more reef than anyone on the boat but probably "saw" the least out of all of us.
You can mis-use any fin, including a good freedive fin.
But good freedive fins are very precise for turning, for helicopter turns, for frog kicks, modified flutters, and unlike most scuba fins, great at dolphin kicks also.
My DiveR's will reverse kick just fine in a video or photography setting. They would not be the fins I would choose to swim 50 feet into a 4 foot in diameter pipe 100 feet long, and then decide to reverse kick out of....that would be jets or excellerating force fins....but getting yourself into places like this narrow pipe, is not what I consider fun diving.
Gkrane, why are you making pronouncements about the freediving fins, prior to your getting 20 or 30 hours on some good ones, and having the chance to develop some real expertise from your experiences?
You need to do some demos....I see you don't want to waste the money to fly to Florida for demoing fins....but the thing is, we have some pretty awesome diving also, and this is equally about getting very cool diving experiences.
