Mares Plana Avanti Quattro Plus Open Heel Bungee Strap Dive Fins

Open-heel fins have an adjustable heel strap and are worn with dive boots, which protect your feet on shore entries and add warmth. Full-foot fins slip on like a shoe against bare skin or a thin sock, and are typically lighter and easier to pack. Most scuba divers choose open-heel fins with boots, while full-foot fins suit warm water, snorkeling, and pool use.

Open-heel fins should be sized around the boots you will actually wear, snug with the strap set so your heel stays seated and your foot does not slide forward in the pocket. Full-foot fins should fit like a firm shoe, with no heel lift, no pinched toes, and no gap that lets water pump in and out. Too loose causes heel blisters and lost fins in current, and too tight causes foot cramps.

Choose your boots first and size open-heel fins around them, because sole thickness changes the foot-pocket size you need. A thin warm-water boot and a thick cold-water boot with a rugged sole can easily be a fin size apart. If you already own fins, bring them along when you buy boots so you can check the combination.

Spring straps replace the adjustable rubber strap with a stainless spring that stretches on and off, so there is nothing to buckle with cold or gloved hands and no rubber strap to perish and snap mid-dive. They hold constant tension, which many divers find more comfortable and consistent. They are sized rather than adjustable, so match the length to your foot pocket and the boots you dive.

For travel, length and weight matter most, so shorter blades and travel-specific open-heel or full-foot models pack more easily and save baggage allowance. Some fins have removable blades or compact foot pockets designed for luggage. Pack fins along the outside walls of your bag, where they also act as protection for softer gear.

Paddle fins use a solid blade that transfers power directly, which many divers prefer for precision, control in current, and non-flutter kicks such as the frog kick. Split fins have a slit down the blade that lets water pass through, which generally makes flutter kicking easier on the legs but gives up some control and works less well with other kick styles. Neither is inherently better, so let your kick style, leg strength, and conditions decide, and try both if you get the chance.

Rinse them in fresh water after each dive day, paying attention to buckles, springs, and strap channels where salt collects, and dry them out of direct sunlight. Store them flat or hanging from the foot pocket rather than standing on the blade tips, which can take a permanent bend. Check straps, buckles, and any screws before every trip, since a failed buckle is the most common fin problem.

Channel Thrust Technology, inspired by marine mammals, uses channels and ribs in the blade so the blade arches during the kick and directs water opposite your direction of travel. On the Avanti Quattro Plus this is a 4-channel design that maximizes water flow and thrust efficiency, which Mares describes as more power and efficiency with less effort per kick. Stabilizing drifts on the blade add control.

Yes. This version of the fin is supplied with an elastic bungee strap and an ergonomic heel pad rather than a conventional buckled rubber strap. The bungee holds constant tension for a snug but flexible fit and lets you pull the fin on and off quickly, which is useful with gloves or when kitting up on a moving boat.

The Avanti Quattro Plus comes in four sizes: XS (X-Small), S (Small), REG (Regular) and XL (X-Large). This listing offers Black, Aqua, Lime, Yellow, Flamingo, Blue, White, Orange and Olive; not every color is stocked in every size. Not every color is stocked in every size, so check the size and color combination you want before ordering, or contact us and we will confirm.

Blade length runs from 37 to 39 cm depending on size. In the reference size R (Regular), the blade measures 38 cm / 15 in with a blade thrust area of about 780 cm² / 120.9 in², and each fin weighs roughly 0.9 kg / 2 lb.