Niklas Stoss at this week’s DEMA Show 2015 in Orlando was representing the new Element freediving products which now carry the ScubaPro brand and logo as well as Trygons.
The foot pockets on the Element fins have been redesigned. The material over the top of the foot is thicker and stronger than it was before, and the tension straps that used to wrap around the foot pocket have been eliminated, resulting in a cleaner-looking arrangement for the fin. However, the foot pockets’ basic geometry and look are very similar to what was on display last year.
New for this year is the S3 bi-fin with a plastic fin blade at a very reasonable retail price of only US$113. They still have the S2 fin blade with 50-percent carbon, 50-percent fiberglass construction and the S1 fin blade with 99-percent carbon, 1-percent fiberglass construction.
The S2 and S1 bi-fins with the new foot pockets retail at US$318 and US$618 respectively.
The S1 fin blade is a stiffer fin than the S2, and the Element finblades are not removeable.
Stoss pointed out that they can make a better, stronger and lighter fin if the fin is integral to the foot pocket and not made to be removeable. From the looks of it, these fins probably have the cleanest hydrodynamics of any foot pocket/finblade configuration to date.
Also on display was the M1 monofin with new foot pockets and a 50-percent carbon, 50-percent fiberglass fin blade. The M1 is available in Europe for 309 Euros, but is only available in the United States as a special order item. — By Ron Smith
