I've made a third video of my experiences with the Aqueon. This one is about constant ballast diving on a line.
I started off pretty easy with the Aqueon by making progressively deeper wall dives. After reaching 30m comfortably, I moved on to dives with a line. I found that if I use a back start with my head to the float, I end up facing the line directly once I start the dive. An added advantage is that the ends of the blades stay clear of the line, keeping me free from entanglement. The sink phase of the dive is a bit slower than with a monofin and also a bit less stable. An occasional pump on the blade helps to keep me moving straight. The turn at the bottom is a bit slow as well because I have to stay straight to prevent the power blade from snagging on the line.
My main concern with using the Aqueon at depth is the start of the ascent. The unit is most efficient when moving forward through the water so if there is a static load such as large negative buoyancy, the Aqueon seems relatively powerless. This is especially true if the kick is slow or the spring is too loose. A slight increase in the kick actually makes the ascent much easier.
One day I hope to use the Aqueon in a competition. I'm sure there will be considerable debate about whether or not such a device would be legal in a competition. Some may say it provides an unfair advantage. So far I'm not seeing any noticeable advantage over a conventional monofin. The main issue is safety and the possibility of getting the blades entangled in either the descent line or the lanyard. So far I've had good luck though. Even a trial run to 15m with a lanyard went without incident. My only real worry at this stage is bumping into the video camera that is usually mounted at the bottom plate.
