Mares Volo Race Full Foot Diving Fins

Mares Volo Race Full Foot Fins: Lightweight, Efficient Fins for Warm-Water Diving and Travel

The Mares Volo Race is a full-foot fin built around one idea: moving you through the water with less effort.

If you dive in warm water, travel frequently, or simply want a fin that doesn't punish your legs on longer dives, this is the kind of gear worth understanding properly before you buy.

What "Full Foot" Means for You

A full-foot fin has a closed pocket that your bare foot or a thin sock slides directly into, the same way a shoe fits. There are no straps to adjust and no need for thick wetsuit boots.

That design makes the Volo Race best suited to warm-water diving, where you're not wearing heavy neoprene boots. It also makes it a natural fit for snorkeling.

If you regularly dive cold water in 5mm or 7mm boots, a full-foot pocket won't accommodate them. In that case, an open-heel fin with adjustable straps would serve you better.

How the Blade Actually Works

Most fins generate useful thrust only during part of the kick cycle. The blade angle drifts through the rest of the stroke and that energy is largely wasted.

The Volo Race addresses this with what Mares calls the Optimized Pivoting Blade (OPB) system. The blade is designed to hold a productive angle for more of the kick, not just the peak. The result is more consistent thrust with the same leg effort.

Alongside that, the blade uses Super Channel Thrust technology: one large central channel running down the middle of the blade, flanked by two traditional side channels. This shapes how water moves across the fin surface, directing flow more cleanly and reducing drag.

In practical terms, you get more forward movement per kick without having to push harder. That matters most on longer dives, drift dives, or any time you're covering distance against a mild current.

The Blade and What It's Made From

The blade is non-vented, meaning there are no holes or splits in it. Water can't escape through the blade mid-stroke, so all the force you generate pushes you forward rather than bleeding off sideways.

The construction combines Tecralene (a technical polymer) and thermoplastic rubber. Rubber-covered stabilizers run along the sides to help control the blade during the kick. Together, these materials keep the fin flexible enough to work efficiently without feeling floppy, and durable enough to hold up through regular use.

The Volo Race is also notably light for its performance level. In size 8-9 (EU 42/43), each fin weighs 1.5 lbs (680 g). That's a meaningful advantage when you're packing a dive bag for a flight.

Sizing and Specs at a Glance

The figures below are for the size 8-9 (EU 42/43) version. The fins come in multiple sizes and colors.

Kick Style Flexibility

One thing worth knowing: the Volo Race works with kick styles that split-blade fins can't handle well. Split fins are designed around a narrow flutter kick and tend to lose efficiency with frog kicks or modified flutter strokes.

The solid blade on the Volo Race gives you more options. If you've been trained to vary your kick technique depending on conditions or to avoid stirring up sediment, that flexibility is genuinely useful.

Who This Fin Is For

The Volo Race suits you well if:

• You dive in warm water and don't need thick boots
• You travel to dive and want to keep your kit light and compact
• You snorkel regularly and want a fin that performs well with less leg effort
• You want a solid-blade fin that responds to more than one kick technique

It is not the right choice if you dive cold water in thick boots, or if you prefer the adjustability of an open-heel strap system for shared or rental use.

For warm-water recreational diving and travel, the Mares Volo Race is a well-thought-out fin that earns its reputation through blade engineering rather than marketing.