Newly certified, mares x-stream fins recommended - thoughts?

[Mithril379]

I'm a recently certified diver (OWC) and am looking to get my own fins. I'm looking for powerful but efficient fins that are on the lighter side for travel. I'm not looking to race around, preferring to cruise along and see what's down there with minimal effort. But if a situation warrants getting somewhere fast, I don't want the fins overpowered by a more motivated kick. I'm a former competitive swimmer and beach guard with strong legs and good kick technique. Two NYC dive shops have recommended the mares x- stream. Does anyone have any experience with our thoughts on these fins? Any help is appreciated. A link to the fins appears below.


Mares X-Stream Review - Scubafinshq.com

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[dmaziuk]

No experience with these. I grabbed a pair of aeris accels at closeout price earlier this year and am pretty happy with them so far: cheap, light, stiff, couple of inches shorter than most fins so they fit in the "standard" carry-on. In other threads people swear by cressi ara -- you'd probably want hb -- and also seawings if you're after the "hinged" blades.

 

[Mithril379]

I'm not really seeking hinged fins, but the x-stream is what both shops suggested. I haven't had a chance to try them, but I'm actually suspicious that the hinge might make the fins easier to move due to less resistance, but that ease would sacrifice propulsion.

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[Dive Right In Scuba 2]

The X-Streams are a really nice and solid fin. Of course if you have the opportunity to try out a few before you "dive in" with your credit card then you may find that you are more geared for something different. With your swimming background perhaps you should check out something a little more simple and robust like Jets or Dive Rites.

 

[Scott]

I have only used the X-Streams in pool for course work and warm water diving with the maximum of a 3mm.
I use a different fin for dry suit, doubles and sidemount diving

Features I don't like about the X-Streams
Not the best for back kicks. Can be done but...
The tips started to split after about 100 dives. They were also in the pool 3-4 nights a week for about a year also and I'm not the best at rinsing fins.

Features I do like
Perforated foot pocket. Foot never get's stuck in the pocket
Light weight. Works well for traveling, positive buoyant
Has good power and maneuverability
Not terribly stiff

 

[chillyinCanada]

I'm happy with mine and have many more than 100 dives on them. I'm not a new diver with competitive swimming skills. I bought them because of joint problems. Yes, they're a good fin. Did you price compare with other options? There may be a reason that dive shops so highly recommend them. I'm just sayin'.

 

[buddhasummer]

There are a few reports of them snapping at the hinge that alone is enough for me to steer clear of them. The Mares Avanti Quattro + are a light and powerful fin although are a little on the long side. I like the DR XT fins assuming you don't have high arches. The Accels are a very nice fin, crazy light, but being short not sure how they'd go in a current, I've never really encountered one whilst wearing.

 

[cashew]

I have a pair of these and I am a new diver (~20 dives).

My impressions thus far: They are super light, which is nice. I elected to keep the adjustable straps rather than switch to the spring straps, so that I could pull them tighter around my foot since the foot pocket is pretty wide. I think they are slightly positively buoyant in fresh water so I sometimes have a tendency to get "floaty feet" if I am not conscious of where my feet are.

As for performance, the mares x-stream make me a speed demon. Especially with the flutter kick. I confess I haven't really tried frog-kicking with the x-streams though, so I can't speak to that.

 

[dmaziuk]

I'm not really seeking hinged fins, but the x-stream is what both shops suggested. I haven't had a chance to try them, but I'm actually suspicious that the hinge might make the fins easier to move due to less resistance, but that ease would sacrifice propulsion.

I would expect a failure point there and apparently seawings had that problem in the initial batches... anyway, the issue is how well the hinge "springs back" and releases stored energy at the end of the stroke. Personally I think no matter how good it is there'll be some energy loss compared to plain stiff blade.

 

[Mithril379]

Yes, they are on the pricier side for sure. But the responses above have been very helpful. One of the dive shops offered to let me take a pair to try, but i don't really have access to a pool. I'm going on a cruise where we intend to do some diving, so maybe I'll rent a pair for that trip. They said I could apply any rental fee to a purchase, but I'll clarify whether the fee could be applied to purchase of a different make/model.

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