Fluorocarbon overview: Diameter, strength and abrasion
Same strength: PE is thinnest, FC and nylon far thicker. Same diameter: PE is strongest. Fluorocarbon's strengths are abrasion and sinking, not thinness.
All labelled 20 lb: how far apart are the diameters? (manufacturer labels)
| Line | Diameter |
|---|---|
| Sufix 832 braid | 0.229 mm (0.009″) |
| Sufix Advance fluorocarbon | 0.432 mm (0.017″) |
| Sufix Elite nylon | 0.457 mm (0.018″) |
All about 0.279 mm (0.011″): how far apart are the ratings?
| Sufix 832 braid | Sufix Advance FC | Sufix Elite nylon |
|---|---|---|
| 30 lb | 10 lb | 8 lb |
Japanese sizes: for FC, nylon and ester the "gou" is a diameter (JAFTMA standard)
| Gou | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1 | 1.5 | 2 | 2.5 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard diameter mm | 0.128 | 0.148 | 0.165 | 0.205 | 0.235 | 0.260 | 0.285 | 0.330 | 0.370 |
- The standard fixes diameter, not strength: "1 gou ≈ 4 lb" is a rule of thumb, and Japanese lines often test above their label. PE numbers are a different system (by weight, 1 = 200 denier).
- US lb labels are strength, not diameter: compare the published diameter.
Measured abrasion
| Test | Result | Note |
|---|---|---|
| USAngler: soaked, three light passes of 180-grit paper, then break-tested | 20 lb braid kept 1.05 lb; 20 lb nylon 17.25 lb; 6 lb nylon (about the braid's diameter) 4.5 lb | Post-abrasion break, not a fixed retention rate |
| USAngler: equal-label 20 lb pairing | InvizX FC failed on pass 9, 832 braid on pass 1 | A different measure: passes to failure |
| TackleTour: fluorocarbons against each other | The stiffer line (Sugoi) outlasted the softer one (P-Line) | Small sample |
| TackleTour: wet | FC barely changed; nylon lost more than half its abrasion resistance | FC absorbs no water |
- For repeated rock and shell contact, an FC contact section of sensible diameter usually beats thin PE; that does not mean any thin FC beats any heavy braid.
- Before comparing, say which is matched: label lb, measured break or measured diameter.
Sources: Sufix 832 · Sufix Advance FC · Sufix Elite · JAFTMA standard · USAngler · TackleTour abrasion
← Main line or leader · Sinking and visibility →
Fluorocarbon overview
Fluorocarbon in six tables: soft vs stiff, main line or leader, diameter and abrasion, sinking and visibility, colour, knots and care.
- Soft vs stiff
- Main line or leader
- Diameter, strength and abrasion
- Sinking and visibility
- Colour
- Knots, care and troubleshooting
Related chapters
- Largemouth · Vision — Fluorocarbon: what 'invisible' really buys, and what diameter and stiffness do to bait action
- Line polymer: PE, fluorocarbon, nylon, ester — Fluorocarbon against braid and nylon