Comments on: Leaderfins ‘carbon’ blades https://lubosub.com/2009/08/leaderfins-carbon-blades/ freediving and UW photography Mon, 29 Nov 2010 15:08:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: stefanoff https://lubosub.com/2009/08/leaderfins-carbon-blades/comment-page-1/#comment-4933 stefanoff Mon, 29 Nov 2010 15:08:07 +0000 http://lubosub.com/?p=586#comment-4933 259 euro, not 130 - it's the expensive model. And 50/50!? I'd say it's more like 90% fiberglass to 10% carbon. You are right, they do the 'trick' - Leaderfins successfully deceives its customers that the blades are made of 'carbon'. Don't get me wrong - the fins are fine, it's the marketing approach that sucks. I'll never buy from a company that consciously deceives its customers - there are more market players to choose from. 259 euro, not 130 – it's the expensive model. And 50/50!? I'd say it's more like 90% fiberglass to 10% carbon. You are right, they do the 'trick' – Leaderfins successfully deceives its customers that the blades are made of 'carbon'.
Don't get me wrong – the fins are fine, it's the marketing approach that sucks. I'll never buy from a company that consciously deceives its customers – there are more market players to choose from.

]]> By: Dave https://lubosub.com/2009/08/leaderfins-carbon-blades/comment-page-1/#comment-3938 Dave Tue, 12 Oct 2010 11:35:22 +0000 http://lubosub.com/?p=586#comment-3938 You will find unless stated fins are pure carbon, they will be a mixture of resins - this aplies to virtually all manufacturers. The mixture of fibreglass and carbon actually makes the fins stronger! You will find unless stated fins are pure carbon, they will be a mixture of resins – this aplies to virtually all manufacturers. The mixture of fibreglass and carbon actually makes the fins stronger!

]]> By: stefanoff https://lubosub.com/2009/08/leaderfins-carbon-blades/comment-page-1/#comment-3839 stefanoff Thu, 07 Oct 2010 03:29:20 +0000 http://lubosub.com/?p=586#comment-3839 Klaus, you can find high-quality carbon fins (C4, XX One, etc) at ~320 EUR, less than the price of good hyper monofin :) I've tried several all-carbon fins and in fact they were quite soft, which is arguably better... The point in my post is not that the fins are crappy (they're good, actually), but that Leaderfins sells them with the label 'Carbon' instead of 'Fiberglass'. It's obvious that there is a catch with low price - but you don't have to break your fins to find it :) Lubo Klaus, you can find high-quality carbon fins (C4, XX One, etc) at ~320 EUR, less than the price of good hyper monofin :) I've tried several all-carbon fins and in fact they were quite soft, which is arguably better…
The point in my post is not that the fins are crappy (they're good, actually), but that Leaderfins sells them with the label 'Carbon' instead of 'Fiberglass'. It's obvious that there is a catch with low price – but you don't have to break your fins to find it :)

Lubo

]]> By: Klaus https://lubosub.com/2009/08/leaderfins-carbon-blades/comment-page-1/#comment-3838 Klaus Thu, 07 Oct 2010 03:17:26 +0000 http://lubosub.com/?p=586#comment-3838 If your fins would be all carbon, you wouldn't be able to a) afford them and b) use them due to their stiffness. Nonetheless – a crappy experience If your fins would be all carbon, you wouldn't be able to a) afford them and b) use them due to their stiffness. Nonetheless – a crappy experience

]]> By: Adrian https://lubosub.com/2009/08/leaderfins-carbon-blades/comment-page-1/#comment-2153 Adrian Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:44:04 +0000 http://lubosub.com/?p=586#comment-2153 I use Leader fins for Lifesaving sports here in Canada. I have a set of the Carbon fins, Mine are definitely Carbon, as the material is so thin you can see through the blades. And by see through I mean when you hold them up to a light any place where the weave was picked and distorted in fabrication you can see the light. By the sounds of it, where you choose to have a stiffer blade, the only way to do that was to add extra layers. I have cracked mine at the tips, and it was all black inside. Just my thoughts. I agree with you that if you bought a carbon fin it should be all carbon, so in a way you were cheated. I use Leader fins for Lifesaving sports here in Canada. I have a set of the Carbon fins, Mine are definitely Carbon, as the material is so thin you can see through the blades. And by see through I mean when you hold them up to a light any place where the weave was picked and distorted in fabrication you can see the light. By the sounds of it, where you choose to have a stiffer blade, the only way to do that was to add extra layers. I have cracked mine at the tips, and it was all black inside. Just my thoughts. I agree with you that if you bought a carbon fin it should be all carbon, so in a way you were cheated.

]]> By: Volodya https://lubosub.com/2009/08/leaderfins-carbon-blades/comment-page-1/#comment-1655 Volodya Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:03:00 +0000 http://lubosub.com/?p=586#comment-1655 Hi, everybody! Let's tell the whole story. I bought Leaderfins stereo carbon fins in more than 2 years ago because they were the only company to allow the customer decide on the blades width and length and cost only 259 Euros... After some time I felt I need softer blades and more efficient fins as a whole. So I noticed the area in front of the toes is bending very little. Meanwhile I tried to learn about carbon fiber features... So I started to carefully and gradually weaken the stiffeners by cutting them and test swimming vertically and horizontally. When I felt the effort to move the fins was decreasing I completely removed the stiffeners. The fins were much much better, until one morning I was showing a friend how not to move his legs before his fins went under water and just when I had my foot in the water and the blade still above the surface as I moved my leg the fin broke where Lubo has shown above - at the bended zone. Of course I overstressed the blades, of course I was experimenting, etc. But, Leaderfins did never mention that they offer essentially fiberglass blades covered with a single (as far as I can see) layer of carbon above and beneath. If I new that I would never do such experiments, I would not even buy those fins... There were other companies who clearly state what are their blades made of... To my letter they answered that fiberglass was added for strength... This is the whole story. I do not think I am going to by anything more from that company. Hi, everybody!

Let's tell the whole story. I bought Leaderfins stereo carbon fins in more than 2 years ago because they were the only company to allow the customer decide on the blades width and length and cost only 259 Euros… After some time I felt I need softer blades and more efficient fins as a whole. So I noticed the area in front of the toes is bending very little. Meanwhile I tried to learn about carbon fiber features… So I started to carefully and gradually weaken the stiffeners by cutting them and test swimming vertically and horizontally. When I felt the effort to move the fins was decreasing I completely removed the stiffeners. The fins were much much better, until one morning I was showing a friend how not to move his legs before his fins went under water and just when I had my foot in the water and the blade still above the surface as I moved my leg the fin broke where Lubo has shown above – at the bended zone.

Of course I overstressed the blades, of course I was experimenting, etc.

But, Leaderfins did never mention that they offer essentially fiberglass blades covered with a single (as far as I can see) layer of carbon above and beneath. If I new that I would never do such experiments, I would not even buy those fins… There were other companies who clearly state what are their blades made of…

To my letter they answered that fiberglass was added for strength…

This is the whole story. I do not think I am going to by anything more from that company.

]]> By: Lubomir Stefanoff https://lubosub.com/2009/08/leaderfins-carbon-blades/comment-page-1/#comment-1656 Lubomir Stefanoff Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:25:51 +0000 http://lubosub.com/?p=586#comment-1656 Sanne, I was online for the whole day but was waiting for Volodya to answer your questions - he is the guy with that bitter experience... (his comment is below) Sanne, I was online for the whole day but was waiting for Volodya to answer your questions – he is the guy with that bitter experience…
(his comment is below)

]]> By: Sanne https://lubosub.com/2009/08/leaderfins-carbon-blades/comment-page-1/#comment-1654 Sanne Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:29:35 +0000 http://lubosub.com/?p=586#comment-1654 This is not what you'd expect from fins of that price indeed. Good of you to post about it. Did he contact leaderfins about this as well? How did he break them by the way? This is not what you'd expect from fins of that price indeed. Good of you to post about it. Did he contact leaderfins about this as well?

How did he break them by the way?

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