Research Notes: Monofin Layer Stack
This note records the monofin layer stack derived from the Bluewater Freediving reference photo and cross-checked with the Predicting Flex technique.
Research Notes¶
Research Notes: Monofin Leading Edge
I worked through the research on building a monofin leading edge and I am summarising the notes here. The aim is to replicate the low-drag, factory-style rail on a home-built monofin without special molds or cast urethanes.
Research Notes: Adhesives for Bonding Rubber Rails to Carbon Fins
After a season of pool and open-water sessions both of our documented rail-gluing approaches — Two-part Plastic to Carbon Adhesive and Marine Adhesive — started peeling right where the rails meet the foot pocket hardware. That joint sees the most peel stress when the blades flex, and the bond has been letting go in that exact spot.
The quickest fix has been to wick rubber-toughened cyanoacrylate (CA) under the lifted sections and clamp for a few minutes. That pinning keeps the rails in place for now, but it is still a patch layered on top of a bond that wants to fail.
Research Notes: Comparing Fin Hydrodynamic Kick Resistance
When I talk about how "heavy" a fin feels, what I'm really pointing at is the hydrodynamic resistance the blade builds as it sweeps through the water. The raw feeling is easy to notice, but hard to quantify. To make comparisons across builds, I pulled together a quick benchmark-based model so every fin gets an apples-to-apples resistance score.
Research Notes: Blade Lengths for Freediving
I finally pulled together a quick comparison of what "long" and "short" blades actually mean for bifins. Across the usual depth fin brands there is a pretty clear split between competition-length blades and travel/pool blades.