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Thread: Lunocet 2014 monofin on Sale!!

  1. #21
    Senior Member Euro Pod Azurin Luna's Avatar
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    No problem

    I think it might work with a kinda sleeve tail, were the fins stay exposed to the water. I made my first tail that way and it worked very nicely. The only problem would be the shoes, they make a weird shape when covered with fabric, I guess
    Your imagination is your only limit

  2. #22
    Hmm. I wonder if you could get some bicycle shoe mounts and mold your own "foot pods" with a shape that would look really natural inside a tail?

  3. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by AptaMer View Post
    Hmm. I wonder if you could get some bicycle shoe mounts and mold your own "foot pods" with a shape that would look really natural inside a tail?
    That's a really good idea! I wonder if/how easily that can be done.
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  4. #24
    The Lunocet requires you to use your core. It's a complete undulation motion from the tips of your fingers all the way back. I've noticed a lot of people cheat with regular fins. The surface area of them allows you to simply use hip and knee to propel yourself forward. That doesn't work with the Lunocet. I have one of the first ones they came out with and I've replaced my blade so many times it's not funny. I was an experienced monofinner due to swim training for the swim team in high school a properly demonstrated dolphin kick will work with the Lunocet ... it originates from your core and involves only a slight bend of the knees.

  5. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by caltuna View Post
    Anyway, if someone has such a fin, please do tell how it swims, and how it differs propulsion-wise from regular monofins!
    I purchased one of these in November; it wasn't delivered until mid-January so I was a little upset when the Christmas sale occurred and I hadn't yet received mine. (It was in the search to see if any other paying customers had received one yet that I found this thread and was introduced to mernetwork).

    The only monofins I had used before the Lunocet were all Finis Rapid (two black, one yellow). I had a difficult time swimming with the Rapid because the up and down strokes produced vastly different thrust and the foot pockets seemed to flex so much that a lot of my energy was wasted. I often opted to do a dolphin kick with a pair of stereo fins because they seemed to work much better.

    I sold off two good Rapids and gave away a partially broken one last fall (likely to someone in this group though I didn't know it existed at the time) and used the funds to go towards a Lunocet when the new model came out. I've got to say, it's a night and day difference. The Lunocet gives good even thrust in the up and down strokes. It seems to be very adaptable. If I want to swim lazily on the surface, face up or on my side, a very light undulation will propel me quickly and with little effort. If I want to go for speed, I duck under the surface and go into a full dolphin kick. Yes, the stroke is different than the knee bend and pump that I seem to see for those in tails, but for someone who is used to doing a dolphin kick with or without fins, it is a seamless transition.

    The first time out of the gate, on the lightest tension settings, I crossed a 25 yard pool in under 15 seconds, it may not be an impressive time, but it's the fastest I've been underwater (by comparison, the same distance doing the crawl takes me 30 seconds). There is a distinct difference in force between light and stiff settings. I found the stiffest setting enticing as I could accelerate much faster, but it requires more core and leg strength than I have right now.

    If I had interest and time to put into making a tail, I would find a way to adapt the Lunocet rather than going with a traditional monofin. It is a rather mechanical device, the frame being machined out of aluminum, and the shoes (purchased separately) bolted to the frame. Someone with a little ingenuity could adapt it for use with a tail and make their own foot pockets (or other attaching means) that bolt or are molded to the frame rather than using the bulky shoes. That being said, the cycling shoes do give you a very tight connection to the fin. Also, if you want to keep the performance, you'd probably need to leave the flukes bare; being made of a flexible black rubber (I don't know what type), they may not take paint well, and there probably isn't much that will adhere to them.

    FYI, Ted Ciamillo has recently announced a second "pro" version with a larger fluke that is going into production now and selling for less than the original 2014 model (grrr!) http://caw-designs.com/?page_id=1250

  6. #26
    Senior Member Pod of Cali
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    I came here to ask if anyone had used a lunocet. Can you tell me any more? How does it affect your speed and endurance?

  7. #27
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    Lunocet Review

    Quote Originally Posted by green52 View Post
    I came here to ask if anyone had used a lunocet. Can you tell me any more? How does it affect your speed and endurance?
    I can swim at a higher speed with less effort with the Lunocet than I could with the Rapid monofins I owned previously. As a result, I can swim longer. The stiff bottom of the cycling shoes, as well as buying a properly fitting pair, gives a tighter connection to the fin than you'd get from molded rubber foot pockets on other fins, transmitting more of your swimming effort to the fin. I've found that on the easiest tension setting I can lazily dolphin kick my way across a pool or sprint at a higher speed than I could with a Rapid monofin. I need much more conditioning before I can use it on the higher settings for continuous swimming, but for a short burst, I can get a much higher speed. It does require a standard dolphin kick, with an undulating motion, rather than kicking from the knees.

    From an exercise standpoint, what I like the most about the Lunocet is that it has an even up and down stroke making surface swimming much easier, especially on my side or back. Surface swimming ability allows me to swim underwater for one pool length, and "rest" as I swim back on the surface, then repeat. With my old monofin, I'd swim underwater, then have to rest standing on one side of the pool, then swim back underwater. I never found a comfortable way to surface swim with the Rapid.

    While I don't have a tail, if I did try to make one, I'd find a way to adapt the Lunocet. With some ingenuity you could probably hide the shoes by modifying them, building up some bulk around them, or even making your own foot pockets and bolt or mold them to the Lunocet frame. Also I'd find a way to transition from the tail to the black rubber fluke rather than trying to cover the fin as any covering would likely degrade the performance.

    As a side note, one of the things I like about the Lunocet is the ability to take the fins off and fit it into my normal mesh swim bag.

  8. #28
    Anyone have a lunocet pro monofin they'd like to sell? Particularly looking for the 2015+ pro model, but would be interested in any.

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