So, if this thing is more efficient than a rigid marine propeller, what kind of work is being done to improve marine propellers? Anybody working on propelling ships with fins instead of propellers?
I think it's that propellers can push forward (or pull backward, even) a fixed thing, like a boat hull. Fins require some kind of undulation in the thing it is propelling. In streamline monofin swimming, the fastest guys use their stomach and back muscles as much as they do their leg muscles. It's a kind of whip motion that starts with a shrug in the shoulders and ends at the tip of the fin. Perhaps the Lunocet has a whole new set of dynamics, I don't know. I'd sure love to try one.
I am really intrigued at the description in the story of the PowerSwim propulsion project, and how these guys are using their leg muscles. Calves and ankles are heavily taxed in regular fins, but other muscles have to have dominance for monofinning. I can sure see why the PowerSwim as described would be valuable, though I can't picture the contraption in my mind. I bet real streamlined super-fast monofinning could never jive with scuba diving because of the weight belt and the tanks interfering with the undulation.
The picture at the top of this post shows a guy with a regular side-mount snorkel. Monofinners use a center-mount snorkel so it doesn't drag in the water. There are tremendous amounts of torque in the speed and resistence of the water, and drag is pretty important. I see the guy wearing that snorkel and wonder ... Hmmmm.
I wish I'd seen the Discovery program on it!