Soviet fins 2

[David Wilson]

This second thread is about fins of the former USSR that were made in Moscow outside the numbered model series.

We begin with an unnamed fin made by the Mosrezina and the Sangigiena plants in Moscow:

This fin appears to have been around since 1960 at least, if the following Russian-language magazine article is to be believed: ОБЪЯВЛЕНИ * ПОДВОДНЫЕ ГЕОЛОГИ * КАМНИ В ПОДВОДНОМ СПОРТЕ - Техника - молодёжи 1960-08, страница 26

As in the first thread, there are two reviews of the fins from different (translated) sources:
1. Heavy, hard fins with three ribs on both sides. Foot pocket, with open toes, slightly offset from blade. Buckle mounted on each side of heel, to secure special strap across top of fin. Fins made in two sizes, usually dark blue. The fins are widely used in underwater sports.
2. This hard, closed and heavy fin shown comes with an elongated offset blade working area reinforced on the top with one centre rib and two side ribs. The fin uses a shoe with an open toe as a foot pocket. The strap at the instep provides enough security to retain the fin on the foot. The fin is effective enough when swimming at high speed both underwater with breathing apparatus and on the surface.

I'll move on next to the Soviet Union's "flagship fin" for underwater swimmers, the "Del'fin", meaning "Dolphin". Before I do so, though, I thought I would reproduce one of the many gadgets pictured in the handful of Russian books on my diving literature shelves:

Any idea what's going on here? I'll provide the answer in a later message.

 

[Diver0001]

Seems pretty clear that it's a kind of peddle-power DPV.

 

[Killerflyingbugs]

a very uncomfortable one

 

[Diver0001]

Well.... it has to be attached (or inserted) somewhere so it doesn't fall away.

 

[JamesBon92007]

Seems pretty clear that it's a kind of peddle-power DPV.

To me it appears to be gas powered.

 

[Killerflyingbugs]

 

[David Wilson]

Well, I think everybody is right about the image. Here's the complete book illustration where it appeared:

The finless scuba diver in the puzzle image is riding an "underwater bicycle" known as an "aquaped". Below him in the picture above you can see what the vehicle looks like without its rider. Note the body harness and the pedals that presumably turn the propeller at the rear.

Yes, the diver astride the aquaped looks as though he has been impaled on the device and he is wondering what further torment awaits him when the propeller at the rear begins to turn...

The illustration above shows other underwater vehicles, namely an "underwater automobile / aquacab" (that's the one with the number "25" on the side) and an "underwater scooter / torpedo" (top and left). Curious image at the top of a man with an underwater torpedo towing a female diver who is clinging tightly to his fin blades. I hope his fins don't fit too loosely...

Another curious image in store when I return to the topic of the thread and post my next message about Soviet Del'fin fins.

 

[David Wilson]

Right, time to proceed to the Del'fin fin, which became something of an icon and remains in production to this day.

It is possible to date roughly when this fin was first manufactured by the Moscow sanitation and hygiene rubber goods plant Sangigiena, because an article appeared in the fifteenth issue of the Soviet divers' journal to announce its launch in 1966:

You can read the article for yourself at http://www.scubadiving.ru/biblioteka/Knigi/sportsmen_podvodnik_015.pdf. Here's a translation:

R. Shishkin, L. Fateeva

‘Delf’in’ [Dolphin] fins

New ‘Del’fin’ swimming fins, manufactured by the Moscow sanitation and hygiene rubber goods plant, will soon be arriving on the shelves of sporting goods stores. The fins are scheduled for release in sizes 36-38, 39-41 and 42-44.
Fin dimensions

The ‘Del’fin’ fins are a new design, differing from previous releases. They consist of blades with outer and inner ribs carrying over to the foot pockets, which have closed toes and heels.

The ‘Del’fin’ fins come with the following features:
1) The angle of attack has increased to 25°
2) The presence of the inner ribs has stiffened the blades sufficiently
3) The base of the foot pocket (heel portion) provides greater stiffness and carries over into the inner ribs
4) The length and width of the fin blades have increased. A test on ‘Del’fin’ fins has shown good results.

Sangigiena soon changed its name to Vulkan (Vulcan), with a corresponding change in logo:

Here is a contemporary description of the fin: "Made of good-quality flexible rubber. The top and bottom of the fins have two outer and inner ribs. Closed foot pockets. These fins are widely used in underwater sports."

The production of solid-colour Del'fin fins eventually transferred to a rubber plant In Yaroslavl, north east of Moscow, while Alfaplastik, the Moscow successor company of Vulkan, manufactured the same fin design with marbled foot pockets in different colours:

There is a video on YouTube showing how these Alfaplastik fins are manufactured, trimmed and packed:
The relevant sequence is between 4.45 minutes and 7.45 minutes into the video.

 

[David Wilson]

And here's another underwater device from my Soviet diving technology book:

Any speculation, humorous or otherwise, what it might be for? I'll post the answer with my next message in this thread, which will focus on three more adult fins and two children's fins, all made by Mosrezina of Moscow in the late 1960s or early 1970s.

 

[Diver0001]

looks like a kind of dashboard with a compass, a depth meter and a clock built into it.