Dolphin Man!

October 15, 2005 6:49 PM

"I have now made my own flexible dolphin monofin,look at the drawing and the pictures. When I am in the pool I really look like a too large fish ;-)))." Isn't "monofluke" more appropriate? (Via)
posted by brundlefly (13 comments total)

well, apparently he knows how to make a giant swimfin and yet is unable to work out how to use a spell checker....
posted by saketini99 at 6:54 PM on October 15, 2005

I like the guy's motivation, initiative and such, but I've always found the idea of monofins a bit restrictive... I mean, why glue your legs together if you don't have to (especially when simple muscle control will do the trick)?

That way, should you need to bust out a single leg (often useful in rocky areas), you can without thought.

That said, these are the fins I use (and swear by): Picasso Sub

Similar to this guy's design, they work best with a smooth "dolphin kick", but aren't restricted to such.

Thanks for the link though brundlefly!
posted by numlok at 7:20 PM on October 15, 2005

I was thinking -- from the point of view of a shark, this just makes the swimmer look more like something tasty and nutritious.

But then again I *would* think that, wouldn't I?
posted by clevershark at 7:48 PM on October 15, 2005

Heheh. I should have guessed that this guy also builds his own recumbent bicycles.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.... Actually his bikes look pretty sweet, except for the amount of heel strike.
posted by Popular Ethics at 8:23 PM on October 15, 2005

Looks like a great way to drown. Otherwise A+
posted by wfrgms at 8:34 PM on October 15, 2005

I like his Leonardo da Vinci sketches.
posted by stbalbach at 8:38 PM on October 15, 2005

The butt seems to get quite a workout.


posted by billysumday at 9:19 PM on October 15, 2005

I was thinking -- from the point of view of a shark, this just makes the swimmer look more like something tasty and nutritious.

I have often heard - don't know if its true or not, but the clumbsy way humans normally swim is what attracts sharks. Our for legged flailing around looks too much like a injured seal and such. So; its possible swimming like this will make a person seem less like a tasty morsel, and more like an undersea critter capable of escaping.

That is, of course, unless you're flailing around anyway because you can't figure out how to make the damn thing work.
posted by [insert clever name here] at 9:27 PM on October 15, 2005

Yeah. If you actually look like a dolphin, a shark probably won't fuck with you. After all, there might be other dolphins around.
posted by brundlefly at 10:11 PM on October 15, 2005

Nice post.
posted by sklero at 11:25 PM on October 15, 2005

Nobody brought up South Park's Dolfinoplasty?
posted by Balisong at 11:49 PM on October 15, 2005

I think his invention is just a fluke.


Heh.
posted by jpburns at 2:20 PM on October 16, 2005

A dolphin is not a fish; it is a mammal. Marine mammals have horizontal tails; fish have vertical tails.

"The mermaid: not enough woman to love, too much fish to fry." -- Nipsey Russell
posted by neuron at 11:44 PM on October 17, 2005