The Vice-Champion of Spearfishing, Luigi Puretti, tests a very well known product, the 100% Carbon fins by Leaderfins. Known since years for their quality combined with the very affordable price, the Carbon fins by the Estonian company are really a great offer. We have already talked about them testing the different lengths (60, 70 and 80 cm) and angles (20 and 33°) at the Y-40 with our freediving Champion Luciano Morelli. Now it is the time of a spearfishing Champion, Luigi Puretti, to test them at sea. This is done to be able to give our readers the best possible indications on the performance of products such as fins, influenced also by personal likes and techniques.
Leaderfins Forza footpockets
Size selection
“Naturally, I start from the Leaderfins Forza footpockets. They has been very well presented already by Apneapassion in an X-Rays article. What impresses immediately are the available sizes, offered from 31-32 to 49-50 (EU). Evidently, every company has its own design which adapts differently to certain sizes of feet. I personally have a size 45 (EU), 10.5 (UK), 11.5 (US) when I wear tennis shoes, and I have chosen the 45-46 Leaderfins Forza footpocket size, after having had the opportunity also to try 47-48.”
Personal description
“The sole of the footpocket is very rigid and this is extremely important, in my opinion, as it manages to transmit most of the energy from the foot to the blade. In fact, it creates almost a unique structure between the sole and the part of the blade entering in the footpocket.
The side rails are short as the new trend indicates. Bending the blades mounted on the footpockets or separately, the influence of the side rails is really minimal. This is also a positive aspect.
The clips on the side rails to ensure the connection with the blade are very well designed and manufactured, and it is almost impossible that the connection is lost.”
Wear
“The upper part of the shoe is quite soft, but I have had some trouble inserting the foot in the footpocket with a 2.5mm sock. This has happened the first time only. Once the foot was in, the fit was perfect and comfortable. After a couple of hours, I have taken the fins off and the process was really easy, also thanks to the rigid sole. Putting the fins on again was then much easier. Evidently, the rubber of the footpockets tends to stretch. The small issue the first time I wore the fins was probably due to the fact that I have a high instep, and in such area the Forza footpocket is quite tight. Still, once on, the footpockets are very comfortable, and I could keep them on for hours.”
Blades and performance
“Both blades tested are Soft, but differ in the angle, 20° and 33°. They feel extremely soft bending them, and also very light.”
Surface transfers
33°
“I have started my test using the highest angle of 33°. Using the boat, I have gone to sea and there was quite some current as it often happens in the Adriatic side of the coast of Puglia. In the surface transfers the more inclined blade surely helps you to put less strain on the leg. This is due to the fact that the movement is more toward the ankle instead of the quadriceps femoris muscle, which is the biggest one of the body. The biggest the muscle and the more it consumes oxygen and energy.
So even if the blade is Soft, and I would say very soft as far as my perception indicates, performance was very good. I am 187 cm for 92 Kg, and was spearfishing with a 8.5 mm jacket and 6.5 mm pants, and almost 10 kg of weight. Still, I could move nimbly at the surface.”
20°
“With the 20° blade fins the performance is still very good. During the finning action though, maybe also due to the fact that in the last period I got used to using highly angled fins, I tended to have the blade coming out of the surface of the water. The movement of the kiccking changes between the two angles, and this can be the result. So I feel that between the two angles, 20° and 33°, the latter is best for surface transfers.”
Vertical dives
15 – 18 meters
“I have then started diving between 15 and 18 meters, and even if my equipment was pretty heavy and important, as the water in the Adriatic in March is still cold, I have been impressed. In the descending phase, where in the first meters I am very positive as the wetsuit I use is extremely soft, so I have to kick strongly in the first part of the dive, I have had no problem at all with both blades, 20° and 33° angles. The sensations I felt were extremely good, even though normally I am very sensitive to change. Instead, since the first dives with both Leaderfins fins, I have really felt comfortable, even tough the depth was not so important.”
25 – 28 meters
“I have then tried to go even deeper, to the limit of the period, around 25/28 meters. I was a little bit worried as the blades are really soft and light, and I had to use them deep, with much weight and some current. Instead, I must say the Leaderfins fins have reacted very very well.”
20° versus 33°: acceleration and speed
“The 20° blade permits you to push, especially from the bottom, for the first 5-6 meters, using a wider finning technique. And the more you push with a wider kick, and the more the fin was pushing me up with power.
Differently, you need a narrow kick with the 33° fins. In this case, the thrust was very good, but opening the movement I felt I was losing some power.
So, in general, the 33° fins work well with narrow kicks, while the 20° have they best efficiency with wider kicks. This aspect has, in my opinion, two opposite effects. In the initial phase of the ascent, from the bottom, the 20° fins adapt better, because the kick you need in such moment is wider, to reaccelerate. After that, the thrust is still good, but the wider kick determines less water penetration by the freediver’s body. On the other hand, the 33° fins, as said, tend to be less effective with the wider kick needed to accelerate from the bottom, but the narrower kick is more efficient along the rest of the ascent phase.
To be clear, my restarts from the bottom are never from still. I always use one hand on a rock to give me the initial push upwards. This is, in my opinion, the correct technique, which avoids the risk of damaging the fins and using too much energy to accelerate in the first one or two meters.”
Conclusions
“The Leaderfins Carbon blade fins confirm extraordinary performance and value for money. The quality of the Forza footpockets is extremely high both for comfort and force transmission to the blade. For some divers with high instep there can be some possible difficulty wearing them for the first time, but once on the footpockets are extremely comfortable.
The Soft blades give a very high feeling of softness and lightness. Performance wise, the carbon fins by Leaderfins give an unexpected performance, also considering their price range.
The comparison between the carbon blade Leaderfins with 20° and 33° angles, the first require a wider kick and the second a narrower one. In the surface transfers, the 33° help to keep the blades underwater thanks to the narrower kick needed. In the vertical dives, the 20° give the best acceleration from the bottom, while the 33° generate more efficiency after that. Such feeling by Luigi Puretti is aligned with the Super Test made at Y-40 with Luciano Morelli comparing the blade of the two angles and measuring the speeds using the Cressi King.“
