Ultra light and reactive, these are the fins wanted by the 2016 World Spearfishing Champion G. Vasiliou.
They were already well known fins for their high quality and efficiency, but with the conquest of the 2016 World Spearfishing Title by George Vasiliou (interviewed by AP at Syros just after prize giving), the XT Diving fins are today even more a point of reference. In particular, in the product line of the Greek company, specialized in the manufacturing of carbon fiber fin brades and in taylor made (and not) wetsuits (also the wetsuit by XT has been used by Vasiliou at the World Champ in Syros), the T5 G Vasiliou are the blades wanted by the World Champion for competing. XT Diving carbon fiber fins go from Super Soft (stiffness 0.8 Kg, for people of around 55 – 65 Kg), the Soft as the T5 G Vasiliou (0.9 – 1 Kg, for people of 65-70 Kg), to the Medium Soft (1.1 – 1.2 Kg, 70 – 80 Kg), to Medium (1,3 Kg, 80 – 100 Kg), Medium Hard (1,4 Kg, 100 – 120 Kg), Hard (1,5 Kg, above 120 kg),and Hard Hard (for crazy guys, 1,6 Kg). Let us analyze deeply the fins used by the World Champion, and discover all about design and materials.
External design
Glossy carbon fiber on the surface is extremely attractive, while the weave is made of thin fibers, which are also very regularly distributed, showing good quality of manufacturing process, even though such point does not guarantee absolute excellence.
The Surface shows some micro pores generated by the extreme research of lightness, obtained reducing to the minimum the use of resin, the component of the composite material that more influences weight, while carbon fiber on its own weighs very little.
Excellent is the matching with Pathos Fireblade foot pocket, always very efficient due to its reduced weight. The gluing solution avoids having the two screws under the tip of the foot pocket, that would generate a point of weakness to the blade, and also there is no need of plastic clips on the longerons.
It might be a matter of tastes, but the XT Diving logo is very cool, even though the way it is painted is not too precise, with borders that are not perfectly refined and colors sometimes slightly faded. Still this is visible only at a close look.
Lamination
The XT Diving fins are manufactured with a very advanced process to guarantee quality and resistance in time (be aware of those manufacturers that use less professional methods, meaning lower pressures and no controlled temperatures), the XT blades are 100% carbon fiber (we have not been told which type), with a special resin that gives extremely high reactivity to the final composite material. The manufacturing process consists in putting the carbon fiber with the resin in special moulds at high pressure for 2 days and then another 7 days at high temperature. The layers are made of a number of carbon fiber sheets with a V profile, that we can actually see on the tip of the blade (visible in the photo below, that has been specifically adjusted to increase visibility of the V profile).
Dimensions and weight
It is weight that impacts on the XT Diving T5 G Vasiliou fins, a weight that actually is very low for all the XT range of fins, and, for the T5, is ugual to 610 grams for each fin, including foot pocket and water rails. The 42-44 foot pocket has been weighed by XT as we at AP had only the ones glued on the blades. The value has been indicated by XT equal to 500 grams, which means that the blade is only 110 grams, including water rails. The latter are extremely thin and light, hopefully resistant in time, and 33 cm long with total constant height of 1.8 cm.
Blades are 64 cm long in the center and 58 laterally, as the flap has a convex shape (called by XT Pteryx). Width is equal to 19 cm measured inside the two water rails.
AP has measured with a palmer Caliber the thickness of the flap, very thin and equal to 0.38 mm, and at mid length of the blade, equal to 1 mm. The value in front of the foot pocket has not been measured due to the glueing of the blade that did not permit positioning of the caliber.
As last important value, the blade foot-pocket angle is a traditional 22°.
Flexion
The flexion of the blade outside of the water shows an amazing reactivity of the composite material, with a strong bending of the flap that continues down to mid blade, while in front of the foot pocket stiffness grows sensibly. Also the lightness of the blade is evident during this test.
Click here to download and print the technical data sheet of the XT Diving T5 G Vasiliou fins.