Don’t call me mismatched! Mares Plana Avanti Fins. And Mares Plana Avanti X-3 Fins. I have one of each, and they serve me well. Look for me, there I am, the female divemaster with the mismatched fins. But yellow, reliable, a respected brand. They are not just fins.

Visually, the fins are barely recognisable as not being a pair. Consecutive models, both are coloured bright, rubber ducky yellow, with smooth black lines (for aesthetics as well as ease of movement) flowing from a vented, comfortable foot pocket. As a girl diver, or any diver for that matter, the longer you dive the more you will crave perfection in your dive gear. The ramblings below are things a female divemaster will come to rely on.

The clips are such that disconnect to loosen for easy removal. The main benefit of the inability to fully unbuckle them, can be verified by difficult exits; getting into boats where no one is assisting you, or even after night dives, where gear may easily go astray in the dark. It is a simple matter of slipping the straps over your arm, without the hassle of re-clipping the buckles for the process. The adjustable rubber straps sit comfortably, and are easy to tighten/loosen in air or sea. Once adjusted to suit your foot, they stay that way though, with no annoying slipping that you find with cheaper plastics. The standard style of the strap means replacements are easy to come by, or even alternatives if you prefer the older slip in clip. But they are damn hard to come apart from the main boot, so replacements probably won’t be necessary.

Differences? They newer model is slightly stiffer, due to the slight change in webbing design. This can mean two good things. Muscle building! Toned legs, that’s always a plus for us scuba girls. And greater power per stroke. Both blades are made from strong plastic though, which salt water will find difficult to perish. And the foot pocket a soft pliable plastic that moulds to your foot, reducing cramping.

The only downfall? Being an odd pair, and having to alternate my feet per fin, to avoid getting one freakish muscular leg. But that’s my problem! You scuba girls only have to pick one model. I notice no ones asked me how I came to have an odd pair? Well, that’s another story…