Carbon, fiberglass or thermoplastic? The question of what kind of fin to choose has always been in the forums since beginning. Some said this and some that but if you are looking for the best and only the best for multiple conditions there is no "best". However, with the recent renovation operation in Picasso company things look a little different now.

Personally, I used to be a big fan of fibre glass fins because of their insane strength to abuse and obvious performance over a standard thermoplastic blade. For years I've tried several manufacturers with the claim of "better than carbon" and I suppose I was believing them until I put my first carbon blades in my long time sufferer foot pockets. The difference was there and I was feeling the difference with every inch I lifted up my body from the bottom of the sea! Since that day, I've never looked back and stored my old fiberglass fins to the endless darkness of the storage room and  truthfully, I've never missed them. 

It was a cold and snowy December night with a pile of books waiting on my desk to derive a report when I started chatting with my friend Carlos Osorio. I knew he acquired the famous "Picasso" and he was telling me his plans to illuminate the company, to put it in a position better than ever. Inevitably, after few hours of chatting, like a magnetic sea mine, the topic focused in the fins and soon I found telling my disappointment about fiberglass applications. We laughed a lot that night and he said I will have a test waiting for me. The day after our conversation, in the evening hours the currier company knocked the door and handled me a pair of fiberglass camo fins from Portugal!

There were a lot of reports and phone calls from my friends about the harsh winter conditions from my fishing grounds and begining of last February I packed my stuff and hit the road for winter bass. The rules were simple! high swells, 6-7 bft breezes and fishing at the shore line where the waves are cracking! A perfect place to trash a pair of fins with razor sharp rocks.

My amusement started from the boat when I put the fins on my feet. The latest footpockets are definitely one of the most comfortable in the market with loads and loads of flexibility enabling the blades make their job. The soft core that surrounds the foot is cleverly reinforced by the different density rubber strap to transfer power from your legs to the blades. The robustness in the equipment and the finish is at the top level with side rails interlocking in the footpockets in almost an airtight fashion. The harmony is not only in the looks but it continues in the water as well. With the first kick, you start to feel the push in your body and the feeling is better than most of the carbon fibre fins in the market.

Rigged with almost 12kg on my suit for shallow waters, I gave Picassos a violent trash for almost 2 long weeks. I swam quite many hours, dived hundreds of times and stone washed them with the breaking waves; nothing happened apart from few scratches and I had that strange smile on my face at the end of each diving day. The new Fibre Glass Camu fins from Picasso are still not acting like a very good carbon fin (and company has a full Carbon Fibre option for high end users) but the performance is very good. It can definitely be a nice option for winter months and they are arguably one of the best budget fins in the market.