Basic gear from mid-twentieth-century Italy: Mares and Pirelli

[David Wilson]

And now for the "Natator", named after the Latin noun for "swimmer", which derives in turnfrom the first-conjugation verb "nato", "I swim".

Italian: "NATATOR SUB MARES. Deriva dalla pinna Superfin che è stata completata da una scarpetta; modello in gomma nera o verde non galleggiante. Ambidestra e nei numeri dal 39 al 44."
English: "MARES NATATOR SUB. A Superfin derivative, complete with shoe fitting; model made of black or green non-floating rubber. Ambidextrous and sized 39-44."

So the "Natator" is the closed-heel version of the Superfin, protecting the soles of the feet from stones and pebbles on the Mediterranean seabed and beaches like the Cressi Rondine. The latter came with two further innovative features, however, namely a toe opening and an offset blade, which the Mares Natator lacked. The toe opening certainly had the drawback of admitting ambient cold water into the foot pocket, potentially chilling the feet, which may be the main reason why the Ukrainian-made "Акванавт" (Transliteration: Akvanavt; Translation: Aquanaut), one huge shovel of a closed-heel, closed-toe fin, proved so popular for decades within the rivers, lakes and seas of the USSR and its successor republics:

From the perspective of water temperature, toe openings were certainly better suited to the warmer Mediterranean, where exposure suits were superfluous during the summer season. These openings allowed the toes to protrude beyond the end of the foot pocket if the fins were on the small side for the wearer or if they were shared by different members of the family. It is sometimes forgotten as well that toe openings are also aptential by-product of offset blades, where the blade does not follow in a straight line from the foot pocket but curves downwards at a slight angle, improving the fin's hydronamics in the process. It is all explained in Appendix 1 "Swim Fin Analysis" of my 1960 first-edition copy of Fred Roberts' Basic Scuba, where the following pages appear:

We'll leave things there for today and return mid-week to review a couple of no-name Mares fin models from around 1959. Stay safe and stay well: the UK is about to enter another month-long lockdown.

 

[Popgun Pete]

Toe openings in fin foot pockets are to let sand out which may get in when donning the fins on the beach. When you swim the sand gradually works its way out through those openings. Open heel fins worn with dive socks or boots can have similar holes which allow trapped air out when lifting fins clear of the water during a duck dive, but depending on the fit some boots are a much snugger match to the fin pocket shape and don’t have any trapped air.

 

[David Wilson]

I'm grateful for your explanation of the rationale underlying openings, Pete, whether they are the small round drain holes on the top or bottom surfaces of foot pockets on open-heel models or the foot pocket openings leaving the toes exposed on closed-heel fins.

You are right about many fins having drain holes to release air trapped inside the foot pocket. I know these are common features on open-heel fins, but they are also found on closed-heel fins, especially ones that come with closed toes too. The Russian "Strela" (="Arrow") fins below have a still uncut hole for drainage atop the foot pocket. The very thin rubber sealing the hole is easily pierced by any purchaser opting to activate the feature:

Your comment about the toe openings on most closed-heel and some open-heel fins intrigued me enough to seek out Giovanni Cressi and Luigi Ferraro's patent for the prototype of what became the Cressi Rondine fin, which is likely to have been the first fin in the world to have an open toe. I found his US2737668A patent posted below:

The first page of the patent explains the purpose of the toe opening thus: "Present day fins constrict the foot, particularly the forward portion of it in a sort of shoe which does not permit free movement of the toes, causing further discomfort to the wearer. (...) The fin according to the present invention leaves the toes uncovered, ensuring their freedom of movement, avoiding the above mentioned constriction and discomfort and permitting the expulsion of sand, grit and the like." So these toe openings do "permit the expulsion of sand, grit and the like", simultaneously providing the wearer with "free movement of the toes" to avoid "constriction and discomfort." The inventors have given the innovative toe openings on their fins a multiple purpose, silt and water drainage certainly, but freedom of movement and relief from discomfort too.

 

[David Wilson]

And now back to our Mares fins with a big thank-you to everybody for their likes and contributions.

Today's fins are short-lived models with stock numbers but no product names. They surfaced in 1959, then apparently sank without trace. First, the 1127 full-foot fin:

1127

It differs in two main respects from the full-foot Natator fin (below) we reviewed at the weekend:

Unlike the Natator, the Mares 1127 comes with an offset blade and leaves the wearer's toes uncovered. If you want to know more about the benefits of blade angularity and toe openings, please read the scans I have posted further up this page from Roberts' "Swim Fin Analysis" Basic Scuba appendix and from Cressi and Ferraro's 1956 US patent. A minor additional difference is the non-convex tip.

 

[David Wilson]

And now for the Mares 1128 full-foot fin, which shared the same fate as the 1127, surfacing in 1957, then apparently sinking without trace:

The Mares 1127 and 1128 full-foot fins seem virtually identical, except perhaps for the centre rib, which is more pronounced in the case of the latter. It is hard to tell from the image, whose source is the Mares 1959 underwater catalogue.

I'm going to leave matters there for today, not least because I have several errands to do before tomorrow, when the UK will go into a more restricted month-long lockdown with all "non-essential stores" closed. I shall be back at the weekend to review Mares Caraibi full-foot fins. Stay well and safe.

 

[jale]

I'm going to leave matters there for today, not least because I have several errands to do before tomorrow, when the UK will go into a more restricted month-long lockdown with all "non-essential stores" closed. I shall be back at the weekend to review Mares Caraibi full-foot fins. Stay well and safe.

Take care

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks, everyone!

OK - on to Mares Caraibi fins. These fins changed their design over their years in production. First we have the Caraibi as an open-heel fin in the early 1950s:

Italian: "CARAIBI MARES. Pinne regolabili, a tallone non protetto e a pala fortemente inclinata sono la produzione più moderna, per quegli anni, della ditta Mares. Costruite in gomma nera o verde nel modello pesante. Numeri dal 32 al 50."
English: "MARES CARAIBI. Adjustable fins with unprotected heel and sharply angled blade are the Mares company’s products with greater modernity for their time. Made of black rubber or green rubber in case of heavy-duty model. Sizes 32-50."

The above information from Fabio Vitale's Italian-language article in HDS Italia Notizie. There's a Spanish-medium web page version of the same article, if you're interested, at HDS España - Efemerides on the HDS España site. So according to the Italian diving equipment historian what we have here is a design well before its time because of the sharply angled blade we usually associate with the Cressi Rondine. Cressi and Ferraro have the 1950s patent claiming the originality of their invention of a closed-heel fin with an offset blade whose hydrodynamics relatively outperformed the efficiency of the existing straight-blade fins for reasons better explained by Fred Roberts than me:

Cressi and Ferraro's 1956 US patent:

Fred Roberts' 1960 Basic Scuba Swim Fin Analysis:

 

[David Wilson]

Italian: "PINNE MARES CARAIBI. CARAIBI modello 58.(la pinna del Record Mondiale di profondità) - con scarpetta curva, colore azzurro: misure 30-32 L 1.600; misure 33-35, L 1.800; misure 36-38, L 2.100; misure 39-40, L 2.200; misure 41-42, L 2.350; misure 43-44, L 2.450; misure 45-46, L 2.700. CARAIBI mod. 58 art 1128 galleggiante - colore: bleu: misure 30-32 L 1.800; misure 33-35, L 2.000; misure 36-38, L 2.300; misure 39-40, L 2.400; misure 41-42, L 2.600; misure 43-44, L 2.750; misure 45-46, L 2.950."
English: "MARES CARAIBI FINS. CARAIBI model 58. (the World Depth Record Fin) - with curved foot pocket, light blue colour: sizes 30-32 L 1,600; sizes 33-35, L 1,800; sizes 36-38, L 2,100; sizes 39-40, L 2,200; sizes 41-42, L 2,350; sizes 43-44, L 2,450; sizes 45-46, L 2,700. CARAIBI model 58 article 1128, floating - colour: dark blue: sizes 30-32 L 1,800; sizes 33-35, L 2,000; sizes 36-38, L 2,300; sizes 39-40, L 2,400; sizes 41-42, L 2,600; sizes 43-44, L 2,750; sizes 45-46, L 2,950."

As you can see from page 51 of the Pieraccioni Sport catalogue of 1959, the Mares Caraibi has since acquired full foot coverage by dispensing with the heel strap and replacing it with a closed heel. Full-foot fins with offset blades were considered superior to open-heel fins back then in Euroopean waters, priced more expensively and offering better heel protection on stony Mediterranean beaches. By the way, "Caraibi" is Italian for "Caribbean", and note the higher price tag for a floating version of the fins, doubtless because purer rubber was required for the blend.

 

[David Wilson]

There followed a third metamorphosis of the Caraibi during the 1960s:

The new look for the Caraibi can be seen from the orange pair on the left above with a pair of black Healthways Cressi Rondines on the right. Note how the Caraibis now come with toe openings similar but not identical to the Healthways Cressi toe openings. The latter are taller and wider apertures. Caraibi and Rondine toe openings had their pros and their cons. The Caraibi toe openings let in less cold water, but the softer rubber tore more easily at the sides if the toes protruded too much, while the Rondine toe openings were prone to chill the feet but their material was more robust to wear.

A few close-ups now of the Caraibis:

And here are Caraibis in light blue:

Mares Caraibi fins faded away during the later 1960s, when a new fin, the Mares Sea King, replaced them. The Mares Sea King will be our next fin for review, probably midweek. In the meantime, stay safe and stay well.

Today in the UK is Armistice Day when we normally have military parades and heads of state and government laying commemorative wreaths at the Cenotaph of the Unknown Soldier in London. This year it is a much lower-key affair:

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks, one and all! On to the Mares Sea King fin. If you mentioned the name "Sea King" to any Brit, they would probably assume you meant a Westland Sea King helicopter like the HAR3 above. Sikorsky Sea King helicopters date back to 1959, while Mares Sea King fins entered the Mares catalogue in 1963:

Italian: "PINNE 'SEA KING'. Art. 1127 - Pinne SEA KING. (colore nero). Art. 1128 - Pinne SEA KING GALLEGGIANTI (colore bleu) MISURE: 27-29, 30-32, 33-34, 35-36, 37-38, 39-40, 41-42, 43-44, 45-46. A richiesta si forniscono le pinne non galleggianti in colore azzurro e le galleggianti in colore arancione. SEA KING. La pinna completamente nuova fabbricata con materiale d'avanguardia e studiata per le esigenze nuove dei nuovi subacquei. A scarpetta con suola ortopedica ed apertura anteriore. Costone centrale brevettato. Pala e coste laterali in gomma rigida. La calzata in gomma molto morbida non affatica e non indolenzisce il piede. L'accentuata inclinazione assicura la massima potenza nel nuoto. Viene prodotta in gomma normale ed in gomma gallegiante. SEA KING VOGLIO! Una giovane sportiva non ha altra scelta perchè SEA KING oltre ad essere una pinna tecnicamente perfetta, è morbida, leggera, elegantissima."
Rough translation: "'SEA KING FINS. Art. 1127 - SEA KING fins (Black). Art. 1128 - SEA KING FLOATING fins (blue) SIZES: 27-29, 30-32, 33-34, 35- 36, 37-38, 39-40, 41-42, 43-44, 45-46. On request we can supply the non-floating fins in light blue and the floating ones in orange. SEA KING. The completely new fin manufactured with avant-garde materials and designed for the new needs of new divers. Foot pocket with orthopedic sole and front opening. Patented central rib. Stiff rubber blade and lateral ribs. The very soft rubber foot pocket will neither tire nor hurt the foot. The accentuated incline ensures maximum power when swimming. It is produced in normal rubber and in floating rubber. I WANT SEA KINGS! A young sportswoman has no other choice because SEA KING, in addition to being a technically perfect fin, is soft, light, very elegant."

I can vouch personally for the comfort of the foot pockets and the efficiency of the blades because I bought a pair of Sea Kings when I visited the Sorrento region during a summer visit to Italy back in the 1970s, where I took the opportunity for a snorkelling session in the Mediterranean. Everybody, particularly the younger Italian generation of underwater swimmers, both male and female, carried a pair of Mares Sea Kings on their way to the beach. Nobody back then was disappointed by their performance of their fins, which also fitted like a glove. Below a Mares ad listing from 1963 highlighting the innovations:

Not the best resolution and the left-hand side has been cut off. Perhaps a native speaker of Italian can help by giving us a clean copy of the Italian caption to the fin images? If so, I'll be happy to have a go at a polished English translation!