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MermaidIsis
09-02-2013, 01:28 AM
So! I've seen a lot of mer's on here saying that they're going to cut off the ridges on their wave/rapid monofin, and that they don't see much of a need for them anyways. So, I decided to make a thread explaining it for those of you who don't know! Although, I'm sure that some of you do, I'm just trying to be helpful! The ridges would not be placed on the monofin if they were not important or useful. And there are two main reasons that they use these ridges: 1. Water run-off. With out them, it would create drag. Even if its only a tiny winy bit of drag, its drag all the same. 2. Flexibility. They're strategically placed so the monofin will bend/not bend in places where stiffness/''floppiness'' is required. This will not only give you maximum propulsion, it will give you a more wavy mer-look. Its may not be noticeable, but the ridges are just a tiny bit stiffer than the rest. That's so it'll hold the blade better than a flexible one. In my personal opinion, these ridges are quite essential to monofin swimming, free diving, and even mermaiding. I'm a competitive swimmer, and at swim, I've tried a lot of different monofins. Some with ridges, some with out. Believe me, there's a huge difference. I can finish a fifty meter butterfly in 19 seconds with ridges and 21 with out. I've had my coaches look at my kick each time to see if there's a difference, and there's not. But the pattern between monofins is also consistent. For those of you who are planning on cutting the ridges, I highly suggest otherwise. If you are going to cut them, just leave a half a centimeter. it will help in the long run, and you can always cut more off later! I'm not quite sure what all of you'd like to hear, so I'm going to leave it at this, and you all can ask questions if you have any! Sorry if this took up unwanted space on the forum, and if there's another thread about this, feel free to take it down! Thanks for reading!

PearlieMae
09-02-2013, 01:46 AM
The only reason the ridges seem stiffer is because being molded vertically, the plastic is thicker there and keeps the fin from flopping. It's not made of a different material. The polypropylene it's made of isn't really all that stiff. The Competitor doesnt have those ridges, is made of fiberglass, and in my opinion, is a superior fin. My Rapid fractured at the stress point at the ball of my foot after only one season. I won't be buying that fin again!

Grinding down the ridges to conceal them beneath a silicone fluke is an aesthetic choice and I seriously doubt it will have much of an effect for mermaiding. Any advantage keeping the ridges will be offset by huge lion paw shells adorning a mer's chest. :)

For the most part, we aren't swimming for speed, and the visible ridges destroy the illusion of an organic trail.

Echidna
09-02-2013, 01:50 AM
I do feel a palpable difference/drag when covering my Rapid in a tail.
This might be because the ridges are covered, plus water becoming trapped in the fluke before flowing out through the opening.
I don't mind the visible ridges in a tail, because fishfins do have such lines :)

I'm faster without a tail in just a monofin, so I wouldn't think of removing the ridges for any reason anyway.

PearlieMae
09-02-2013, 01:57 AM
I don't like that the ridges are so straight and manufactured looking. They don't mimic the natural curve of the blade like the spines of a fish fluke would. I wonder if it redesigned to be more fish like, would it have an appreciable difference?

The fabric cover I've made for my fin creates a LOT of drag, but flows like a fancy tailed goldfish. It had made me a stronger swimmer, though!

Echidna
09-02-2013, 02:01 AM
I always wanted long, trailing fins and veil-like flukes, but the drag would kill me xD
I tried swimming in a snaketail with the monofin taken out...urrgh.

However, one feels different in a tail, so it's fun even it it slows one down.
I hope to build enough muscles that I will be able to pull off swimming in a tail with long, draggy fins! :D

PearlieMae
09-02-2013, 03:11 AM
I'm a pretty powerful swimmer and have been swimming with my monofin for six seasons, multiple miles in my lake...pretty still water, no currents, but three or four miles at a time is my usual. So drag just pushes me to swim harder. Also, my hair is long enough to sit on and that creates a lot of drag, too.

I saw your video swimming in your snake tail! That looked double tough! :D

Echidna
09-02-2013, 03:18 AM
Hehe, it wasn't that bad drag-wise, but I'm glad I didn't make the tail as long as I planned first.
Mostly, I'm fighting my buoyancy in that video, I'm like a cork really :/

More reason to try hard and build up muscle.
(I've been ill for ten years, underweight now, so it'll take some time, but I'm patient.)