**MARES - AVANTI QUATTRO +
**2013 ScubaLab Testers' Choice
(Open Heel / Paddles Category)

SPECS
• MSRP: $139
• Warranty: Two-year limited
• Length/Weight: 26 inches (size R), 2.1 pounds (size R)
• Buoyancy (in Fresh Water): Negative
• Sizes: S, R, XL
• Info: mares.com

PERFORMANCE:
The Avanti Quattro has a reputation as a fast and maneuverable paddle fin. These Mares fins are also known for being pretty stiff. That much hasn’t changed — good news for stiff-fin aficionados. However, Mares has added a new material to the blade’s composition that gives it a bit more flex — primarily at its tip. and you can feel it quite markedly when kicking. this has shaved some of the edge off the blade’s stiffness, while giving it an extra propulsive snap that really gets this fin rocketing through the water. It turned in the fastest speeds in this year’s shootout, and in real-world diving scenarios, test divers rated it very stable, highly maneuverable and effective using all kicking styles.

BOTTOM LINE:
For fans of a stiffer fin that throttles like a Formula One race car, the Avanti Quattro + is a showstopper — and this year’s Testers’ Choice in the Paddle Fin category.

SPEED RESULTS: High