Cressi vs Mares: Masks, Fins and Snorkels for Travel

Cressi and Mares: a family firm in Genoa and a HEAD brand in Rapallo

Both brands come from the Ligurian coast, and they ended up very different companies. Cressi says the brothers Egidio and Nanni Cressi began making masks and spearguns in 1938 and founded the company in Genoa in 1946. Its about page adds that Cressi "is still wholly owned by the Cressi family", and the 2026 Buyer's Guide describes manufacturing "in Italy at the Cressi facility" with more than 16,000 square meters of roofed space.

Mares says it began as a small factory in Rapallo and "has been part of the HEAD group, then AMF, since 1971". Its site is operated by Head Watersports S.p.A. in Rapallo and owned by HTM Sport GmbH in Austria. The same group lists Aqualung, Apeks and SSI among its brands. That last one shows up in the gear: the Mares Puck Lite syncs its logbook "via Mares and SSI applications".

Where the gear is made matters to some buyers. Cressi's 2026 guide prints "Made in Italy" on the Pro Light, Frog Plus, Palau, Agua, Big Eyes Evolution and Leonardo 2.0 pages, though not on the F1's. The Mares product pages behind this comparison do not name a country of manufacture.

Cressi vs Mares mask: F1 and Big Eyes Evolution against the X-Vision

The Cressi F1 is the mask our own travel guides keep naming, and Cressi's wording explains why. It is a frameless mask that bonds the silicone skirt "directly to a single lens", and frameless masks, Cressi writes, can "fold flat for easy carrying, even in a BC pocket". The list price is €49.99, or €59.99 with the UV-blocking lens. Cressi calls the internal volume "ultra low-volume" but gives no figure.

Mares' nearest counterpart is the X-Vision. It is a framed two-lens mask in ultra-clear silicone with an X-shaped strap, €69.95 in Germany and USD 97.95 in the US. Mares lists its weight at 189 g and its internal volume as "Moderate". Small numbers, but they are numbers, and Cressi prints none for its masks.

If you wear glasses, compare the two-lens models. Cressi sells optical lenses for the Big Eyes Evolution (€59.99) from −1.0 to −6.0 and +1.0 to +3.0 diopters in half steps. Mares sells lenses for the X-Vision from −1.0 to −6.5 and +1.5 to +3.0. The X-Vision Mid 2.0, cut for smaller faces, takes −1.0 to −7.0, and Mares states positive lenses do not fit it.

None of this replaces the seal test. A mask that does not hold on your face without the strap will leak at depth whatever the logo; our travel dive mask guide walks through it.

Cressi vs Mares fins for scuba: Pro Light and Frog Plus against the Avanti range

Here the price gap is widest. Cressi lists the open-heel Pro Light at €69.99 and the Frog Plus at €79.99. Mares sells the Plana Avanti X3 at €89.95 (USD 137.95) and the Avanti Quattro + at €169 (USD 217.95). That is more than double for Mares' flagship channel fin.

The materials are close relatives. Cressi builds the Pro Light from "a strong polypropylene for the blade and soft elastomers (thermo rubber) for the foot", and the Frog Plus from three materials with a polypropylene main body. Mares lists thermoplastic rubber and its Tecralene technopolymer for the Quattro +, with four channels and a bungee strap as standard. Cressi's guide marks both of its fins for use with neoprene boots, so budget for boots with either brand's open-heel fins.

Size runs differ. The Pro Light comes in XS/S to L/XL, plus a 2XL in black. The Frog Plus runs from XS/S (EU 36/39) to L/XL (EU 45/47). Mares sizes the Quattro + XS, S, R and XL. Try them on with the boots you will actually wear.

Travel fins from Cressi and Mares: full foot, short blade, and what each one weighs

For warm water and a tight baggage allowance, full-foot or short fins make more sense than a scuba paddle. Cressi's answer is cheap. The Agua is a full-foot fin at €34.99, and Cressi says it has "markedly" decreased its weight "compared to others in its category". The Palau SAF is a short open-heel fin at €39.99 that Cressi calls "the ultimate travel companion", worn barefoot or with neoprene socks.

Mares' full-foot travel fin is the Avanti Superchannel FF, €79.95 or USD 113.95, which it describes as "travel-friendly" with blades "tailored to meet the needs of travelers". The X-One is its short open-heel snorkel fin at €49.95 (USD 51.95), "a short blade suitable for travel".

Weight is where the brands part ways. Mares prints it: 1.5 lb per Superchannel FF fin in size 42/43, so about 1.4 kg for the pair, and 2 lb per Avanti Quattro + fin in size R, about 1.8 kg a pair before boots. Cressi gives no weight for the Agua, Palau or Pro Light. If grams decide your bag, take a luggage scale to the dive shop. Our packing guide covers what goes in the cabin and what gets checked.

Cressi vs Mares snorkel: four dry tops between €25 and $60

Both brands sell dry-top snorkels, where a float valve closes the tube when a wave or a dip puts it under. Cressi's Supernova Dry (listed simply as "Dry" in the 2026 guide) has a float-activated valve, a lower purge valve and a mouthpiece that "drops away when not in use", which suits scuba divers. It lists at €34.99, the same as the Alpha Ultra Dry with Cressi's "aquastop" valve.

Mares spans a wider range. The Gator Dry costs €24.95 in Germany and USD 25.95 in the US. The Ergo Dry, with a corrugated silicone hose, swivel keeper and exhaust valve, is USD 59.95 on the US store. It had no German price on 13 October 2026.

A dry top is a surface tool. It traps air, which is exactly what you do not want when you duck down on a breath hold. Snorkelers who also freedive are better served by a plain J-style snorkel, as our snorkel gear guide explains.

Bundles change the arithmetic on the Cressi side. The guide lists an F1 plus Dry combo at €79.99, against €84.98 for the two bought separately.

Cressi MC9 or Mares Dual 15X: the regulator question is about water temperature

Cressi splits its entry regulators by temperature and says so on every model. The MC9 + Compact (€299.99) is "Warm Water Certified EN 250 A > 10°C". The MC9-SC + Compact Pro (€349.99) carries the sealed "Seal Chamber" first stage and is certified "for cold water". The AC2 + Compact (€249.99), an unbalanced piston aimed at "dive centres and rental programmes", is also limited to water above 10°C.

Mares' Dual 15X pairs a balanced-diaphragm 15X first stage with a technopolymer Dual second stage, €329 in Germany and USD 497.95 in the US. Its product page carries a cold-water warning that an octopus "should not be used during dives in cold water" and recommends two independent regulators. Cressi's manual gives the same advice for water below 10°C. The page does not print an EN 250 temperature class, so ask the dealer before a cold-water trip.

On weight the Cressi is lighter on paper. Cressi lists the MC9 + Compact DIN set with hose at 783 g (878 g INT). Mares lists the Dual 15X at 919 g total in DIN and 1,085 g in INT. That is 136 g less for the Cressi in DIN, on each brand's own figures. Whichever you buy, Cressi recommends a service "at least once a year", and a regulator is not something to buy and fly with untested.

Cressi Leonardo 2.0 vs Mares Puck Lite: RGBM against Bühlmann

Both are single-button first computers with one nitrox mix up to 50% and a battery you change yourself. The difference is the decompression model. Cressi's Leonardo 2.0 runs the Cressi RGBM algorithm, a Wienke RGBM variant in its comparison chart. The Mares Puck Lite runs "Bühlmann ZH-L16C algorithm with adjustable gradient factors".

The Leonardo lists at €229.99, takes a CR2430 cell rated at about three years of average use, and connects to the Cressi app through an optional external Bluetooth interface. The Puck Lite costs USD 337.95, takes a CR2450 and has Bluetooth built in. The Puck 4 adds gas switching and nitrox up to 99% for €279 or USD 437.95, but both stores showed it out of stock on 13 October 2026.

For a buddy pair on different computers, the algorithm matters more than the brand: an RGBM and a Bühlmann computer will not always agree on no-stop time. Our travel dive computer comparison puts both against Suunto and Shearwater.

Warranty: two years from Cressi and Mares, and a lifetime clause only in the US

Cressi's 2026 Buyer's Guide gives "Two (2) years from the date of purchase" on masks, fins, mouthpieces, regulators and computers. For rental or teaching use the operating-defect cover drops to 12 months. Masks and fins exclude "alterations in the color of the silicone" and "all damage due to exposure to the sun".

Mares' terms depend on where you read them. The international page gives two years "for movable goods" and nothing longer. The US page adds that "Regulators and octopus are covered by a Limited Lifetime Warranty", defined as "the life cycle of the product, as determined by Mares". It also excludes "product straps and buckles", and on both pages Mares writes that the warranty "may not be transferred or assigned".

For a nomad that last line matters. A regulator bought second-hand, or bought in the US and serviced abroad, may not carry the cover you expect. Keep the receipt: Cressi counts its two years from the date of purchase, and Mares sends claims through the dealer who sold the gear.

Cressi or Mares for your trip: snorkeler, weight-limited diver, cold or warm water

Snorkeler in warm water. Cressi is the cheaper kit at list: F1, Palau SAF and Supernova Dry come to €124.97, against €144.85 for a Mares X-Vision, X-One and Gator Dry. The F1 also folds flat. If you need prescription lenses, compare the Big Eyes Evolution and the X-Vision on your face.

Traveling scuba diver with a weight limit. Mares gives you the numbers to plan with: 189 g for the X-Vision, 1.5 lb per Superchannel FF fin. On regulators Cressi's published figure is lower, 783 g for the MC9 + Compact DIN set. Most divers on a tight allowance rent fins and carry mask, computer and regulator.

Cold water. Take open-heel fins and boots from either brand, and a regulator with a cold-water rating you can read. Cressi prints it per model, so the MC9-SC + Compact Pro is the clear-cut pick. On a Mares, confirm the rating in the manual first.

Buying in the US. Mares sells online at stated prices and adds a lifetime regulator warranty. Cressi gear comes through dealers at their own prices, so compare a quote against the euro list.