After presenting the T5 George Vasiliou fins, and also testing them with excellent results, now we want to go deep in the manufacturing, structure and design of the XT Diving Pro Pteryx Andrea Zuccari, named after the strong athlete record holder of Italian No Limits Record with 185.1 meters.
Best for which kind of use?
Evidently the Andrea Zuccari fins are top of the line fins for freediving, in particular deep dives, and this can be seen both by their length, the highest of all XT Diving Pro fins, and equal to 85 cm, indicating they are not particularly indicated for spearos, and the production process, which indicates the top of the line quality of this product.
Materials
100% standard twill carbon fiber.
Production process
XT Diving Pro laminates the fins using high pressure in the press and high temperature. An extremely long process permits to have excellent quality and performance according to the Company, meaning 8 days of production needed for the XT Diving Pro Pteryx Andrea Zuccari blades, fours days at high pressure in the press, and four days at high temperatures for final lamination.
Design and external look
Glossy surface and extremely high perceived quality for XT Diving Pro Pteryx Andrea Zuccari fins that give and immediate sensation of strength and robusteness. Grafics are fused with the resin, including the signature of the great champion, for best duration. The surface of the blades show almost no pores in the resin.
Tip of the blade has the classic Pteryx profile, which has a slightly swallow tail profile, while water rails, of constant 16 mm total height, are positioned all along the blades, cutting a big part of the longherons of the KM Dive foot-pockets, but are small to avoid interfearance with the bending of the carbon fiber, no excessive weight increase and no overlaod on the blades, which would effect the fatigue on the legs. Remember, in fact, that water rails avoid water sliding excessively laterally to the blade instead of along it, but an axcessive height of the water rails can determine too much water remaining on the blade and loading the legs of the spearo too much.
Footpockets on our pair of Pteryx Andrea Zuccari are KM Dive, the Greek company recently presenting interesting rubber products, from weights, weight belts, reel to foot-pockets and more.
Angle between foot-pocket and blade is 29°, a high value angle that best performance, nut needs good technique and well trained divers.
Dimensions of the XT Diving Pro Pteryx Andrea Zuccari measured by AP are length equal to 73 cm from the curve under the footpocket to the tip of the flap centrally, and 73 cm laterally, surely important values. The maximum width of the blade measured inside the water rails is 18.7 cm. Thickness of the blade goes from 0.57 mm on the tip of the flap, an extremely low value that permits very easy bending of the terminal part of the blade, to 0.78 mm at mid length, also a very low value, indicating flexibility of the entire blade.
Flexion
XT Diving Pro has already shown its great capacities to produce carbon fiber fins with the T5 George Vasiliou blades. XT Diving Pro indicates the flexion type of the Pteryx Andrea Zuccari positioned at the very start of the blade, in front of the foot-pocket, an aspect that as ApneaPassion we consider extremely positive for all conditions. Bending curve is visible in the image below.
In particular, this effect is obtained positioning the layers of carbon fiber in specific positions and cutting their profiles with a V shape.
To download and read all technical data of the XT Diving Pro Pteryx Andrea Zuccari blades click on Data Chart XT Diving Pro Pteryx AZ
Quick presentation by Andrea Zuccari
We have finally asked the great Italian Champion Andrea Zuccari to tell us something personal about these fins and the choices made in their design.
Andrea Zuccari: “As of today we have two XT Diving blades designed by me, the Pteryx and the Training.
The Pteryx is a pure apnea fin, tendentially soft, which folds immediately after the foot pocket, with an angle of 29 degrees, and which requires a short and high frequency kick to be able to make the most of it.
The Training is always a 100% carbon fin of traditional production and wants to enter the market for a freediver who has just started, who wants a fiber fin but who is not willing to spend a fortune.
The relationship with XT was born thanks to a mutual friend who put us in touch, I wanted a company that could and wanted to listen to my advices. XT Diving Pro is already very strong in the spearfishing sector and wanted to enter freediving.
I don’t think there is a fin that is better than the others in an absolute way, but surely there is a fin that fits best with your technique and needs. Pteryx have an amazingly strong responsiveness like I have never experienced before.”
