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Freediving fins come in various styles and sizes. Over the years, the industry has developed more sophisticated blades, with high-end materials and various shapes. Carbon fins seem to be the best solution, as carbon has more efficiency than plastic. However, when it comes to size, should one use a short blade or a long one?
For a long time as freedivers, we all used long fins. It was and still is, I suppose, the must-go with fins. But a couple of years ago, Alchemy came out with another idea. Why don’t we do a carbon blade which is shorter, yet still very powerful? The creative team worked a lot to bring us the amazing Alchemy PRO. It has been a surprise for most of us to see a shorter blade, and what a great surprise! Instantly, we were very interested in trying on those new shorter fins, and what a popular design has this been! You might wonder why we would leave our long fins, so here are some thoughts.
Most of us freedivers are traveling to pursue our dream. It can be for training, competing, taking photos, or discovering the most beautiful places on the planet. Every time we have to fly, it’s the same problem. How to safely store my fins? Will they fit? And honestly, this is to me the main advantage when it comes to the Alchemy Pro. Now, I don’t worry anymore, as they fit easily and perfectly in any of my luggage. No more negociation at the airport to bring them on the plane with me! Then once on the spot, it’s the same. Very easy and light to carry around. I just love them. I almost forget I have amazing carbon fins in my bag.
Short does not mean less powerful. Alchemy focused on performance and they stand up to their name. The shorter version is very powerful and efficient. Like all Alchemy fins, we can choose between different stiffness according to your needs. Because they are shorter, it’s easier to maneuver. When you want to change direction, you’ll have less drag and feel more freedom of movement. The size is important as well if you plan to be near corals or swim through for example. You will lower the risks of hitting something, damaging nature and/or your fins. So now we carry shorter fins that are powerful, what else could we need?
They are very stylish and original! Choose your logo and rail colors to match to be unique underwater. We all know style is important even in freediving, from a beautiful technique to awesome fins.
Teaching: as freediving instructors, we carry equipment, set up the buoy, help our students and we need to do all of it with comfort. We don’t need extra-long fins to execute our work perfectly. The PRO are perfect for the job, to keep your student safe and teach them the best technique.
Safety: for safety divers, it’s easier to maneuver and move in case of an emergency. You’ll have fewer chances to kick somebody as you move around.
Training: they come in very handy in training periods. Most of the time, we do exercises that don’t require us to dive the deeper that we can. With the PRO, we will be super comfortable performing at our best in each training session. Whether it is for yourself and the security of your buddy. They can be used in pools, where the space is limited and the chances of hitting a wall are high. You’ll reduce the fact of breaking your fins against it. You will have more space to turn and be more relaxed!
Photographer: The PRO are very popular among photographers, and I am one of them. Easy to travel with, more maneuver and freedom, high performance, less risk of hitting a natural element underwater, and good style. That’s all we need. We already have a lot of equipment to travel with, it’s bulky, heavy and if we can save space with short fins, it’s a big gain. Once we get underwater, we move a lot at the surface to search for something interesting. We don’t just do ups and downs. It’s less tiring for the legs to move around We always like to be close to our subjects as we take photos. Sometimes we have no choice but to be near the reef for example. I feel way more confident with the PRO to do so. If we photograph other freedivers training or competing, the shorter fins give us all we need.
Fun dives: what is freediving without having fun? We all love to discover new places and hidden gems. The ocean is full of colors and beautiful creatures, a magic world. As we explore, we burn so much energy. We don’t realize it but we go up and down 100 times, swim at the surface for hours therefore we need amazing fins for that. It’s the key element, if you don’t have comfortable and efficient fins, your day will be much shorter.