So, just got back from a dive weekend. Here are my thoughts on the Slipstreams and how they compare to my other pair of fins, the Mares Avanti Quattro Plus. I'm still a newbie diver at time of writing this and these are only my second pair of fins, so bear with me here.
First Impressions:
Out of the box these fins feel pretty hefty. For some reason Leisure Pro sent me a pair that were covered in factory gunk and dust, which I had to wash off. The "monoprene" material that the fins are made of made of looks and feels very much like rubber, only lighter and less floppy. My Mares Avanti Quattro Plus fins by comparison feel more plasticy and only use monoprene on the channels. The OMS fins are slightly heavier than the Mares fins. The spring straps on the Slipstreams are sturdy and low profile, I like them better than the bungee straps on the Quattro's.
Fit:
The OMS size chart recommended a size x-large for a size 8-10 foot. I wear a size 9. In a pair of "heavy duty" 6.5mm wetsuit boots the fins fit like a glove. However, if you wear rock boots or a size 10/10.5 with a thick boot, you may wish to size up to a 2XL. My Quattro's on the other hand are a size regular, so apparently these fins run pretty small compared to others. The foot pocket on the Quattro's are more comfortable and designed much better. That's not to say the Slipstreams are uncomfortable, the Quattro's are just better in that regard.
Performance:
So for my dive weekend we spent the night camping at Lake Jocassee (aka "The Deliverance" lake) and made a total of 5 dives, four off a boat at "the wall" and one off a boat ramp. While I mostly stayed around 60ft-70ft, my deepest dive was 123ft. Single AL80s were used along with a SS backplate harness and a 7mm wetsuit.
While not a dramatic difference, the Slipstreams are stiffer than the Quattro's. They also feel much heftier in the water. As far as propulsion per kick goes, I honestly couldn't really tell a big difference between the Slipstreams and the Quattro's. To be fair though, I unfortunately didn't bring my Quattro's along on this trip, so I couldn't do a proper side by side comparison. One thing I could tell is that the wide blades make these fins very good at maneuvering. Helicopter turns are a breeze and small kicks like the modified frog feel nice. They were very easy to "hover" in while doing a safety stop. While I couldn't really tell if my modified flutter kicks were doing a whole lot, after one dive I did, my dive buddy was complaining that I was going too fast for him and asked what kind of fins I was using. True story. So based on that, I guess these fins will get you places in a hurry if you want too. As is the norm with a stiff fin, they're best suited for modified flutter or frog kicking. Big flutter kicks will tire you out quick in these, unlike the Quattro's, which are lighter and more forgiving. Lastly, I've seen people on the internet complain about the foot pockets being too stiff in these, but I never had any problem with discomfort on any of the dives. Taking them on and off was a breeze and the spring straps held them very sturdily to my feet.
Overall I feel like I'll need to spend more time with these fins to see how much I like them. I suspect I'll be using them for many more dives. Thanks again for the replies and thanks if you took the time to read this long post.
