Good Monofin For Silicone Tail Training?

[merman_kae]

I do not yet have a silicone tail, but I've heard that it's very different from swimming in a fabric tail. That is why I want to find a good monofin to practice with so I don't have issues when I switch from fabric to silicone. If anyone has any good references or resources for me regarding preparing to swim in a silicone tail, that would be much appreciated.

[Cordelia]

There are a lot of great threads in this part of the forum. I don't think any one monofin is going to prepare you for using a silicone tail, so don't stress too much about that. There are a few ways to go about choosing a monofin: price range, your own flexibility and strength, shape and stiffness of blade. If you know what tail maker you want to go with, you could purchase a fin similar to the ones used in their tails.

Personally, I have three monofins. I started with a Finis Rapid, because it was fairly inexpensive and seemed to be popular at the time. I liked the stiffness of the blade and it held up well with the vinyl tails I made. My feet grew a little, widening to the point that wearing the monofin became quite uncomfortable and gave me really bad cramps in my feet and calves. Luckily, I had some extra money saved up. I bought both a Finis Foil and a Mahina Mer Fin. I love the quick swishy motions of the Foil - it is the fin I use most. The Mahina is quite a bit heavier, so I am working on strengthening my leg muscles and sewing a tail that will fit it. I will most likely use it for beach swimming, since it is a bit unwieldy for the size of our pool. My sister did use the Mahina last year in a tail I sewed for her - the only complaint she had was that it was heavy/made her legs tired. ^^

I hope this helps a little!

[merman_kae]

There are a lot of great threads in this part of the forum. I don't think any one monofin is going to prepare you for using a silicone tail, so don't stress too much about that. There are a few ways to go about choosing a monofin: price range, your own flexibility and strength, shape and stiffness of blade. If you know what tail maker you want to go with, you could purchase a fin similar to the ones used in their tails.

Personally, I have three monofins. I started with a Finis Rapid, because it was fairly inexpensive and seemed to be popular at the time. I liked the stiffness of the blade and it held up well with the vinyl tails I made. My feet grew a little, widening to the point that wearing the monofin became quite uncomfortable and gave me really bad cramps in my feet and calves. Luckily, I had some extra money saved up. I bought both a Finis Foil and a Mahina Mer Fin. I love the quick swishy motions of the Foil - it is the fin I use most. The Mahina is quite a bit heavier, so I am working on strengthening my leg muscles and sewing a tail that will fit it. I will most likely use it for beach swimming, since it is a bit unwieldy for the size of our pool. My sister did use the Mahina last year in a tail I sewed for her - the only complaint she had was that it was heavy/made her legs tired. ^^

I hope this helps a little!

Thank you! That does help a lot. I have looked at Mahina before. I'm big on fitness and working out, so it seems right for me now that you mention it being heavier. My legs are not as strong as my arms are and it would give me a reason to work harder on my legs. I can lift quite a bit with my arms, but when I get to the leg press at the gym, I can only life 20 lbs max. Thank you for the recommendations. I think I'll check out the foil to though, since you like it so much.

[Nerdmaid Faith]

https://youtu.be/ggbXhjReWgM
I 100% recommend the Mahina!

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