Basic gear from mid-twentieth-century Greece

[David Wilson]

Snorkel No. 2:

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The red top at the supply end of this breathing tube is designed to alert other water users to the snorkeller's presence. The barrel comes with a loop for diving mask attachment and terminates at the demand end with an L-shaped bend with sharp corners and a lugged mouthpiece with a longish stem. The U-bend is likely to attract an unwelcome residue of water.

More Florida sub snorkels at the weekend.

 

[David Wilson]

Snorkel range No. 3:

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L-shaped breathing tubes, which reduce the amount of residual water retained in the bend at the demand end. Bands at the supply end to alert other water users of the snorkeller's presence. Fitted with snorkel keeper for mask attachment.

 

[David Wilson]

Snorkel No. 4:

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Mouthpiece attached to flexible hose at the demand end. Band at supply end to alert other water users. Fitted with snorkel keeper. This kind of breathing tube claimed to be be popular with scuba divers as the mouthpiece drops out of the wat when not in use.

Back midweek with Florida sub snorkel-mask and fins.

 

[David Wilson]

Florida sub snorkel-masks:

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So far as I am aware, these vintage-style diving masks with one built-in breathing tube remain in production today. Just three companies at most still make them, all situated in Greece: Balco, Florida and Majorca.

The Florida snorkel-mask has the product name "Kastalia", which transliterates as "Κασταλία" in Greek. "Κασταλία" translates as "Castles" in English. The mask comes with a rounded rectangular lens within a plastic frame. The rubber skirt is plain with no compensator. As for the single snorkel, the barrel enters the mask interior via a socket at the top, while the air supply end is fitted with a ball valve in an inverted U-bend.

 

[David Wilson]

On to Florida sub rubber swimming fins. First, a pair I purchased during the late 1970s when I visited Greece one summer:

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Simple full-foot open-toe swim fins, clearly modelled on Cressi Rondines. They provided me with all the wearing comfort and manoeuvrability I wanted in the warm waters of the Mediterranean and many of the locals were similarly shod at the time.

 

[David Wilson]

And here is the updated version of the Florida rubber closed-heel fins:

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A somewhat stiffer pair than the originals, complete with extra ribs on the top and bottom of the blades for greater power. This from my collection: a recent eBay purchase.

At the weekend, we shall move on to another Greek diving equipment manufacturer, probably Glaros sub.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Florida sub snorkel-masks:

View attachment 844485
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So far as I am aware, these vintage-style diving masks with one built-in breathing tube remain in production today.

These should be standard issue for all open water courses!

 

[stepfen]

Florida sub snorkel-masks:

View attachment 844485
​

So far as I am aware, these vintage-style diving masks with one built-in breathing tube remain in production today. Just three companies at most still make them, all situated in Greece: Balco, Florida and Majorca.

The Florida snorkel-mask has the product name "Kastalia", which transliterates as "Κασταλία" in Greek. "Κασταλία" translates as "Castles" in English. The mask comes with a rounded rectangular lens within a plastic frame. The rubber skirt is plain with no compensator. As for the single snorkel, the barrel enters the mask interior via a socket at the top, while the air supply end is fitted with a ball valve in an inverted U-bend.

Well done David.
I remember as a children we had a similar mask: Oval glass, with integrated snorkel which, I think, was attached to the middle top (above the nose/middle of forehead). It also had a (pretty useless) ball valve. I can't remember the brand. Ours was orange in color.
Any chance you have any photo of those? It brings back memories from 40 years ago...
Keep up good work!!

 

[David Wilson]

Well done David.
I remember as a children we had a similar mask: Oval glass, with integrated snorkel which, I think, was attached to the middle top (above the nose/middle of forehead). It also had a (pretty useless) ball valve. I can't remember the brand. Ours was orange in color.
Any chance you have any photo of those? It brings back memories from 40 years ago...
Keep up good work!!

The third Greek-made snorkel-mask, which I will be reviewing at a later date, is the Majorca sub 107S:

Could this be the snorkel-mask in question?

 

[David Wilson]

Thank you for the like, wetb4igetinthewater, and for the posts, wetb4igetinthewater and stepfen.

A new Greek manufacturer today: Glaros sub/Glarosub.

Little online information is forthcoming about the Greek manufacturer of the swimming and diving products to be listed and illustrated here. Variously branded “Glaros”, “Glaros sub” or “Glarosub” and named after the Greek word for “seagull”, “γλάρος” (glaros), these rubber goods were made by GLAROS B. ROKAS & SONS S.A. in Moschato, a southwestern suburb of Greece’s capital city Athens.

I intend to illustrate the diving masks, the breathing tube and the swimming fins of natural rubber construction in the Glaros range of diving and swimming products over the decades. Some evidence exists that the company is still operating but substituting synthetic materials for natural rubber in swimming and diving equipment production.