Test: Picasso Black Team fins

When I damaged my old fins digging out the car from the snow in 2009, I realized that it is the time when
I should to think about changeing my freediving/spearfishing fins.
I read the forums about spearfishing and freediving to find good fins watching on their strength, quality of the materials, and speed of swimming and my chose should be: Carbon or Fiberglass fins. Unfortunately, they are quite expensive so I was forced to buy the fins with a plastic blade.

After the two of two months of searching my choice felt on Picasso Black Team. The footpocket is similar to an Omer but the manufactuer vouch that it is extremely soft and flexible but also holds the foot very good. Hardness of the blade was medium. I was curious, how is it to swim with fins that are softer than Omer Milenium Competition, which were like made from wood :).I ordered the fins and it cost me L128. As before, for the suit, as now I've been waiting "only" two months for the shipping (I love to buy on the Internet). When I've got them I went to the nearest pool to test the fins. I can still remember my satisfaction after the first meters. The fins flowed gently, the strike was powerful and my results has improved about 15-20%.



Dimensions of the fins are:
 - Overall Length (footpocket 46-48) - 88 cm.
 - Length of the blade from the angle between footpocket to the end of the blade - 61 cm.
 - Blade width - 21.5 cm.
 - The angle between the blade and footpocket - 15 degrees.



Blades has spacial reinforcements of the angle between the blade and footpocket, which make the blade stronger in the proximal part. Blades are removable very easy and they are held by a screw (which is indeed easy to get lost and it is quite hard to find exact at stores). I dive with this fins more than year at different conditions and I'm really satisfied. I can rocomand it for beginners and for those who don't want to spent all money to carbon fins.

Pros +

 - Changeable blade, easy to separate blades and boots
 - Reinforcements blades at the angle between the footpocket and blade
 - Soft, wide, rubber footpocket
 - Blades has proper hardness for spearfishing and they perfectly reflect the energy (I can easily dive below 25-30 meters with them)
 - Price
 - High quality of the materials
 - Notched heel on the outer surface of the footpockets to prevent slipping from the rocks when entering the water
 - Deformation of the blades which are result to improper storage, quickly disappear

Cons "-"

 - It's easy to lose screws keeping blades
 - Guides, reaching along the fin ends in the middle of the fins so the water slides out in the distal part of the blade
 - Too small angle between the footpocket and the blade