Mares X-Stream - thoughts?

[nolegirl01]

Hey guys,

After researching different options, I have decided to buy the Mares X-Stream fins. I was wondering if any of you have these fins and what are your thoughts on it? I live in Florida, so I'm just waiting on this tropical storm to pass so I can try them on in the water...but I wanted to get your thoughts and opinions on it before hand...

Thanks! :blinking:

 

[buddhasummer]

Very light fins. You can now buy Mares bungee straps for them. I have read several reports of them breaking at the joint, the outer black section in the middle. They received a very good review in ScubaDiving Magazine a year or so ago, for what that's worth.

You can read the article here:

| Scuba Diving Magazine

 

[aquaticexplorer15]

My new Mares X-Stream fines broke in the mid section after 7 dives. My wife's are great!

 

[Nick A]

I dive with them, love them, have about 100 dives with them and no issues. The spring straps are awesome. Super light (they float) and great push on up and down strokes.

 

[beanojones]

Very light fins. You can now buy Mares bungee straps for them. I have read several reports of them breaking at the joint, the outer black section in the middle. They received a very good review in ScubaDiving Magazine a year or so ago, for what that's worth.

You can read the article here:

| Scuba Diving Magazine

I hate to call people out (and I am not doing so intentionally) but the internet (and especially SB) is full of second stories that end up with no actual first hand people in them. The group think here is especially vocal about anything that is not BP/W, 7 foot hoses, and Jet Fins, which is unfortunate because it gives this remarkably skewed view of diving that simply is not representative of people who actually dive.

Mares has not yet heard of any of these problems so if you know somebody who actually has has the problem, get them in touch with Mares. That's the point of the clicker hard stop in the flex, and the siderails. I have broken lots of fins (Seawings (original), Seawing Novas (before the upgrade), etc. so I am pretty hesitant to but these type of flex at the joint fins.


It seems weird that they would break at the rubber flex before snapping the plastic, but.

---------- Post added July 7th, 2013 at 11:11 PM ----------

My new Mares X-Stream fines broke in the mid section after 7 dives. My wife's are great!

As mentioned contact Mares. They are a gorup of us doing 2-5 dives a day on these for the last year and no one has had any problems with them. Then again no one is diving is cold water nor are we standing on our fins (which is a common cause of fin breaking).

 

[Progen]

Not surprised if they broke because they were worn whilst walking. The blades themselves are rather flexible and thin compared to the rest of the fins and pressing the balls of your feet down would transfer a bit of force to the black X section.

As for performance, they're rather fast fins for flutter kicks provided you do not try to beat the flex which adds a bit more to the propulsion stroke. They're slightly positive in stock form but mine with Tusa steel straps became slightly negative. I used them for a few months but because they were light, they affected my trim a bit and made me butt light.

 

[kelemvor]

I've got a set. I've only got about 40 ow dives (and maybe 20 or so pool dives) on mine, they showed no sign of wear in that joint. I did have a problem with the clear rubber separating from the colored part around the end of the fin. During an event at an LDS where a mares rep was present I took 'em in for the rep to look at that. The rep gave me a brand new pair on the spot. Would have been better if that hadn't happened but you can't beat that customer service.


There is a little bit of a "clunk" feeling in them when they pivot on that spot sometimes. Usually when I'm moving slow and kicking softly. When it happens it makes me feel like I kicked something so I end up looking back to see what happened.

I find I don't use the quick release on the straps. It's just easier to stretch the rubber. The consensus among folks I dive with is that I should put spring straps on them.

 

[Progen]

...

There is a little bit of a "clunk" feeling in them when they pivot on that spot sometimes. Usually when I'm moving slow and kicking softly. When it happens it makes me feel like I kicked something so I end up looking back to see what happened.

...

Was this with the first pair or replacement? Mine's smooth. Is your finning style forceful and fast because I've watched myself on video with the X-Streams and noticed that the greatest propulsion was achieved when I took it easy and let the blades snap back for that extra bit of power. If you don't wait for that last bit of snap (it's a slow snap though), you're not getting the benefit of the assistance from its design.

 

[kelemvor]

Was this with the first pair or replacement? Mine's smooth. Is your finning style forceful and fast because I've watched myself on video with the X-Streams and noticed that the greatest propulsion was achieved when I took it easy and let the blades snap back for that extra bit of power. If you don't wait for that last bit of snap (it's a slow snap though), you're not getting the benefit of the assistance from its design.

It's with the replacement. I don't remember it happening with the originals. Could be a defect, could be that they need more dives to break em in. Could be I was doing something unusual for a few dives, I guess.

 

[beanojones]

It's with the replacement. I don't remember it happening with the originals. Could be a defect, could be that they need more dives to break em in. Could be I was doing something unusual for a few dives, I guess.

That click is disorienting at first isn't it?

We all had to get used to telling the difference between the click and kicking something with the fin. FOr the first couple of weeks, I thought I had all of the sudden become a kicker and biter.

I have used mine for a year (and a half?), they always click, but I just got used to telling the difference.

---------- Post added July 8th, 2013 at 08:36 AM ----------

I've got a set. I've only got about 40 ow dives (and maybe 20 or so pool dives) on mine, they showed no sign of wear in that joint. I did have a problem with the clear rubber separating from the colored part around the end of the fin.

Did that happen spontaneously with yours, or was there a 'cause'? Because this is one failure I have had, but I wrote it up to just beating the hell out of gear and jamming them tip first into the weight belt bucket every day. I dove for a month on them and watched the tear work its way up the fin a bit before retiring it.

My full foot Cressis can deal with that because it is not two materials.

If it's not just me, I am getting that fin replaced.

I will say get actual stainless spring straps rather than the Mares spear gun rubber buckles, because those do not last. Mares chose a crappy grade of spear gun rubber to put in them, but in Hawaii, better spear gun rubber is all around, so I have upgraded all my straps to better spear gun rubber. Better to skip on the problem in the first place probably.