What do YOU look for in a monofin?

[Stumerchick]

Hi folks,

I'm kind of doing some field research here, so I'm hoping all of you experienced merfolk can help me out. What do most of you look for in a monofin? Is your first priority propulsion? Durability? Fit? Is it better to have a stiff fin or a more flexible one? Or is it entirely down to personal preference?

I have an idea for a fabric tail, and I'm trying to decide which monofin to experiment with. Right now I have a Finis Rapid that I've cut down to a nice tail shape, and I just picked up a Suntail Nunui. Still deciding what I like and don't like about both--there are pros and cons for each. I'm just trying to get information from other swimmers about what THEY like in their monofins so I can take that into consideration. I'm still pretty new at this.

On a related note, I REALLY like the look of the Hydra fins. Does anyone have any thoughts on that brand? And are there any US companies that carry them? I've found several for an excellent price, then I discover that the company is overseas and shipping makes the cost prohibitive.

[Mermaid_Sarina]

Hi folks,

I'm kind of doing some field research here, so I'm hoping all of you experienced merfolk can help me out. What do most of you look for in a monofin? Is your first priority propulsion? Durability? Fit? Is it better to have a stiff fin or a more flexible one? Or is it entirely down to personal preference?

I have an idea for a fabric tail, and I'm trying to decide which monofin to experiment with. Right now I have a Finis Rapid that I've cut down to a nice tail shape, and I just picked up a Suntail Nunui. Still deciding what I like and don't like about both--there are pros and cons for each. I'm just trying to get information from other swimmers about what THEY like in their monofins so I can take that into consideration. I'm still pretty new at this.

On a related note, I REALLY like the look of the Hydra fins. Does anyone have any thoughts on that brand? And are there any US companies that carry them? I've found several for an excellent price, then I discover that the company is overseas and shipping makes the cost prohibitive.


Hi Stunner chick :) Welcome to the community!!!! The first thing any Mer should look for in a monofin is fit, if the foot pockets don't fit you properly you have the chance of seriously damaging your feet and ankles! There are a lot of threds on monofins in the Monofin sub forum if you're looking for more information! Good luck

[Fun123joker]

after looking at the price (im a broke teenager ok)

is the size of the fin itself. i dont want it to be too big so i can travel with it and (barley) fit it in a bag

[Merman Storm]

Fit. Definitely fit. My first one was the one built into my "The two tails" tail. It tended to squish my feet together. In addition, their spandex skin was too short for me. So I decided to make my own tail, and started with a waterways monofin. Even though I ordered their largest foot pocket, I could not squeeze my feet into it without severe effort and discomfort. I wanted to return the fin, but when I tried, I discovered Waterways is based in the Ukrane, and it would cost more to return the fin than it was worth.
At that point I decided it was time to take out the big hammer and squish the problem. I got a Lunocet monofin. With that fin, you buy the shoes separately, and bolt them on. That way, I could try on the shoes before I bought, so I knew they would fit.
The next things I look for are propulsion, and fin shape, for good looks.

[Triton-Mahtlinnie]

My priorities are usually how well does it fit, and how much propulsion it gives me. I generally prefer larger, stiffer fins, as I swim outdoors and don't engage in much trick swimming. There's also the more nebulous realm of "feel," which is why I decided against a Rapid after trying one. I didn't like how it felt against my feet.

Of the fins I've tried my favorite is the Hydra. It's held up very well in the two years I've had it. I ordered mine from Scubastore in Spain before the shipping prices suddenly went up, I'm not sure if there's a US retailer. (There was talk of a mer on here getting a vendors license)

Stiff vs Flexible is entirely a personal choice. The stiffer the fin, the more propulsion it gives. However, large, stiff fins also don't turn as well. More flexible fins are more manuverable, but not nearly as fast or powerful. Which one you want often depends on the sort of swimming you do (if you intend on ocean swimming, you probably want a more powerful fin. If you are a pool or tank mer, you might want something smaller that turns better) and how enormous of a bag you want to have to heft about.

[Stumerchick]

This is great. Thanks everyone! It's interesting hearing the different perspectives on this. I have never used my tail or either of my monofins in the ocean. I've mostly swished around in a pool a local lake a few times. It's good to hear what works where, and the types of problems people have had with various fins.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Fit, comfort and ease of portability.

I love my smaller monofins, the Finis Foil and Mirage Rubber Mermaid Fin. Mirage Fin not so nice for me now, as the foot pockets have not stretched after 3 months of use, which I hoped it would, so I'll end up selling that too. The Finis Foil is the best for me, in terms of size and my current level of fitness. Its easy to use and does not make me quite as tired as the merfin does. Which I'll also end up selling both my merfins, they do not get much use at all, compared to my foil monofin.

My merfin is hard to carry in terms that it gets in the way, especially if the bus is crowded. Its not like the latter two, where I can stuff it into my bag pack.

And when I swim in the merfin, I feel so big and clumsy, mainly because my pool deep end is 2.08m, that's pretty shallow compared to some of the pools I've seen in other peoples videos!

[suzanne86]

Thanks very much for your comments about the Finis Foil, Jaffa. I appreciate your review of the Finis Foil on YouTube.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Thanks very much for your comments about the Finis Foil, Jaffa. I appreciate your review of the Finis Foil on YouTube.

Thanks suzanne86! I seem to remember you already thanked me for the Finis Foil review.

[Merman Chatfish]

Something that can fit my overly sized feet

[Mermaid Cataleya]

Hi folks,

I'm kind of doing some field research here, so I'm hoping all of you experienced merfolk can help me out. What do most of you look for in a monofin? Is your first priority propulsion? Durability? Fit? Is it better to have a stiff fin or a more flexible one? Or is it entirely down to personal preference?

I have an idea for a fabric tail, and I'm trying to decide which monofin to experiment with. Right now I have a Finis Rapid that I've cut down to a nice tail shape, and I just picked up a Suntail Nunui. Still deciding what I like and don't like about both--there are pros and cons for each. I'm just trying to get information from other swimmers about what THEY like in their monofins so I can take that into consideration. I'm still pretty new at this.

On a related note, I REALLY like the look of the Hydra fins. Does anyone have any thoughts on that brand? And are there any US companies that carry them? I've found several for an excellent price, then I discover that the company is overseas and shipping makes the cost prohibitive.



I look for something with some thickness in the actual fin. Flimsy or thin ones give you little to no forward movement when you kick. Where a thicker one you can put more power behind the kick pushing you forward in a greater distance. I personally hate spending money on something and it doing little to nothing when I kick or use it . and something that doesnt have plastic straps after awhile you'll get blisters

[Rett]

Fit, size (bigger the better!) and propulsion (as much of this as possible) are the three key things I look for.

[Sherielle]

I look at the feet placement in the foot pockets. One of the things I don't like about the foil in my tail is that my feet are straight down with a little spacer between them, but the tail itself wants to make my ankles closer together. This leads to a sort of painful situation with my feet. I'd rather there be almost no space between my feet in the monofin. It's like if someone puts a small wedge between your feet, then binds your ankles.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

I look at the feet placement in the foot pockets. One of the things I don't like about the foil in my tail is that my feet are straight down with a little spacer between them, but the tail itself wants to make my ankles closer together. This leads to a sort of painful situation with my feet. I'd rather there be almost no space between my feet in the monofin. It's like if someone puts a small wedge between your feet, then binds your ankles.
You must make your ankles really small, because I don't have that problem in my foil. I just follow the outline of fin to ankle to legs and so on.

[Sherielle]

Tbh, my tail is second hand so it wasn't to my measurements.

[Mermaid Wesley]

I look for shape and size of the blade! Mermaiding is not about comfort for me lol

I would kill for a large whale shaped mahina like they were planning a while ago.


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[UltimateSwimFin.com]

Performance, comfort, durability and portability.

Hard to find in a single monofin.
I want to be able to wear mine for hours at a time. [emoji41][emoji227][emoji97]


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