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

[David Wilson]

Thanks all!

Right, the Mares Tubo L snorkel, here in 1975:

As you can see, the Model L is a variation on the hybrid contoured but L-shaped Tubo H, coming as it does with a curved bend in the upper and lower barrel, resulting in an overall C-shape.

And here we are a year later in 1976:

Italian: “TUBO ‘L’. Snorkel professionale a sezione normale con boccaglio a curvatura continua per permettere un più facile svuotamento dell’acqua.”
English: “’L’ SNORKEL. Normal section professional snorkel with continuous bend mouthpiece allowing easier water-emptying.”
German: “SCHNORCHEL ‘L’. Berufsschnorchel mit normalgrossem, fortlaufend gekurvtem Mundstück, um eine leichtere Wasserentleerung zu gestatten.”
French: “TUBA ‘L’. Snorkel professionnel à section normale avec embout à courbure continue permettant un vidage de l'eau plus aisé.”
Spanish: “TUBO ‘L’. Snorkel profesional de sección normal con boquilla con curvatura continua para permitir un vaciamiento del agua más fácil.”

No change there, then.

 

[David Wilson]

On to the Tubo Profi in 1975:

and a year later in 1976:

Italian: “TUBO PROFI. Snorkel di linea moderna con boccaglio a curvatura continua che permette un più facile svuotamento dell'acqua. Il diametro del tubo è maggiorato per una più facile iperventilazione. All'attacco fra il tubo e il boccaglio vi è uno snodo che permette di orientare il tubo secondo le differenti esigenze dell'utente.”
English: “PROFI SNORKEL. Modern-design snorkel with continuous bend mouthpiece allowing easier water-emptying. To assure an easier air-intake, the tube diameter is oversized. The tube-mouthpiece joint is provided with an adjustable articulation allowing tube orientation according to user's requirements.”
German: “SCHNORCHEL PROFI. Moderngeformter Schnorchel mit fortlaufend gekurvtem Mundstück, das eine einfachere Wasserentleerung gestattet. Der Durchmesser des Schnorchels ist für eine leichtere Atmung vergrößert. Zwischen Schnorchel und Mundstück befindet sich ein Gelenk, um den Schnorchel gemäß den Erfordernissen des Verwenders zu orientieren.”
French: “TUBA PROFI. Snorkel de ligne moderne avec embout à courbure continue permettant un vidage de l'eau plus facile. Le diamètre du tube est majoré permettant une hyperventilation plus aisée. Le joint entre le tube et l'embout permet d'orienter le tube suivant les exigences de l'utilisateur.”
Spanish: “TUBO PROFI. Snorkel de línea moderna con boquilla con curvatura continua, lo que permite vaciar más fácilmente el agua. EI diámetro del tubo está aumentado, para permitir una hiperventilación más fácil. En el enganche entre el tubo y la boquilla hay una articulación que permite colocar el tubo según las diversas exigencias del usuario.”

So a design resembling the Model L snorkel in shape but with the bonus of an adjustable mouthpiece for comfort. A product reminiscent of the Scubapro Wrap Around Jet snorkel, which also came with a wide bore:

 

[David Wilson]

Our final Mares snorkel today is categorised as a "tubo per nuoto", a breathing tube for swimming.

1974

A front-mounted snorkel, therefore, fitted with a bracket half way up the barrel for attachment to the top screw on the lens retaining band of a diving mask. Note the basic C-shape allowing the barrel to follow the contour of the head.

1975

Note how the mask attachment bracket has evolved to become the strap-adjusted head bracket found on snorkels used by modern competitive finswimmers.

1976

Italian: “TUBO PER NUOTO - Forma anatomica e profilo aerodinamico - posizione centrale - sostegno frontale snodato perfettamente aderente.”
English: “TUBE FOR SWIMMING - Anatomic shape and aerodynamic design - central position - perfectly close-fitting articulated front support.”
German: “SCHNORCHEL FÜR DAS SCHWIMMEN - Aerodynamisches Profil und anatomische Form. Schnorchelhalterung kann auf die jeweilige Stirnhöhe des Schwimmers eingestellt werden. Dadurch wird optimaler Sitz garantiert.”
French: “TUBA POUR NATATION - Forme anatomique et profile aérodynamique. Position centrale. Soutien frontal flexible parfaitement adhérent.”
Spanish: “TUBO PARA NADAR - Forma anatómica y perfil aerodinámico - ubicación central - sostén frontal articulado, perfectamente adherente.”

The quinquelingual captions explain why competitive finswimmers might prefer a frontal snorkel orientation: better streamlining.

The front-mounted snorkel was actually invented by Dr Raymond Pulvénis in France during the 1940s:

Front-mounted snorkels were quite popular with British underwater swimmers during the 1950s:

After its popularity waned during the 1960s, the front-mounted snorkel came back into fashion in the mid-1970s for competitive swimmers with or without fins. Here is a modern competitive swimmer equipped with this so-called swimmer's snorkel:

Nowadays all such snorkels come complete with mouthpieces and head bracket straps made from silicone. I've long searched in vain for a modern but retro-style breathing tube fitted with a traditional rubber mouthpiece and either a classic mask attachment bracket or a head bracket fitted with traditional rubber straps for use without a mask. If anybody knows of a front-mounted snorkel in this style and still in production, I would be delighted to hear about it.

That's enough for today. I'll be back mid-week to review the "named" Mares snorkels of the vintage era. Meanwhile, stay safe and stay well.

 

[Angelo Farina]

Here:
Snorkel frontale nuoto MP Focus

 

[David Wilson]

Doesn't that snorkel's product description say that it came with a silicone mouthpiece? For historical authenticity, I was looking for a front-mounted snorkel still made as it used to be made four decades ago and with the same material used back then for the mouthpiece and the headband, i.e. rubber, rather than the silicone used nowadays. You can still buy side-mounted snorkels with rubber mouthpieces and keepers these days, so I was just wondering why it was impossible to get hold of a front-mounted snorkel with fittings made from the same material?

 

[WeRtheOcean]

The front-mounted snorkel was actually invented by Dr Raymond Pulvénis in France during the 1940s:

Why the Mickey Mouse ears?

 

[David Wilson]

Why the Mickey Mouse ears?

Good question. They aren't ears. They are air-filled rubber compensation bulbs, there to force air into the mask interior when they are flattened by water pressure at depth. Here is Raymond Pulvénis's explanation from his book La Chasse Aux Poissons (Fish Hunting). My translation from the French:

To counterbalance the effects of pressure increasing during descents into the depths — pressure liable to push in the glass by ungluing the caulking— on the internal wall of the frame, thin copper rods are welded in with one end resting against the glass. A hollow rod on one of the surfaces of the frame additionally secures a rubber bulb of a computed size, enabling the lumen of the bulb to connect to the interior of the goggles. This means the bulb is the only compressible part of the outfit when diving. The bulb more or less collapses, increasing pressure inside the goggles by injecting air. This “compensating device” plays a very important role. Actually, the great pressure of the depths makes itself felt on the mask, which presses hard in turn on the face. On the other hand, there is a difference in pressure on the integuments outside and inside the goggles. The eyeballs in particular feel the pressure very acutely, leading to blurred vision, congestion, turgidity of the corneal vessels. The upshot of all this is real pain, which intensifies as we descend; when we reach a depth of approximately seven metres, the pain becomes unbearable. The compensating device — made out of one, or better still, two bulbs — creates enough of a balance, however, to avoid these disorders. Diving then turns into a real pleasure.

Raymond Pulvénis, who was a qualified medical practitioner, may have been inspired by the rectal bulb of an enema device when he designed his own diving mask compensator bulbs:

However, the idea of attaching air-filled rubber bulbs to diving eyewear can be traced back to the Japanese tourists who used goggles fitted with such compensator devices to hunt fish in the Mediterranean during the 1930s. This from Guy Gilpatric's groundbreaking book The Compleat Goggler first published in 1934:

Hope this helps!

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks, everyone! Time to have a closer look at the Mares "named" snorkels intended for the English-speaking market and branded "Mares Elton". This from a 1970 catalogue:

1. S-590 San Remo

S-590 SAN REMO. Flexible accordion hose with non-return exhaust valve for easy clearing. Orange safety top for quick spotting and comes with non-allergic mouthpiece. Individually boxed. $2.95.

This snorkel is named after the city of Sanremo or San Remo on the Mediterranean coast of Liguria, in northwestern Italy. Judging by its appearance, it is a replica of the Mares "Tubo D con valvola" I reviewed earlier in this thread:

Italian: “TUBO D - TUBO D CON VALVOLA. Con boccaglio corrugato e tubo in plastica flessibile. Munito di valvola di scarico.”
English: “D TUBE - D TUBE WITH VALVE. Corrugated mouthpiece, flexible plastic tube and discharge valve.”
German: “SCHNORCHEL D - SCHNORCHEL D MIT AUSLASSVENTIL. Mit Faltenschlauch und flexiblem Plastikrohr. Mit Auslassventil.“
French: “TUBA D - TUBA D AVEC VALVE D'EVACUATION. Embout accordéon et tube flexible en matière plastique. Valve d'évacuation.”
Spanish: “TUBO D - TUBO D CON VALVULA. Boquilla de tráquea y tubo flexible de material plástico. Válvula de vaciado.”

Although the image above dates from 1976, the Tubo D con valvola can be traced back to 1963.

 

[David Wilson]

Second Mares Elton snorkel of the day is the Elba.

2. S-570 ELBA. Professional "L" shaped snorkel with contoured mouthpiece for non-fatiguing bite. Mouthpiece swivels for comfort positioning. Orange glow top. Individually boxed. $2.50.

This model is named after the Mediterranean island of Elba in Tuscany, Italy, best known as the location of French Emperor Napoleon's first forced exile in 1814. The snorkel resembles the "Tubo F" reviewed earlier:

Italian: "TUBO F - Con boccaglio anatomico orientabile, tubo in gomma morbida. Munito di speciale cordoncino di sicurezza. Terminale fluorescente rosso."
English: "F TUBE - Anatomic adjustable mouthpiece, soft rubber tube. Provided with a special safety-cord. Red fluorescent end."
German: "SCHNORCHEL F - Mit verstellbarem Mundstück und Rohr aus weichem Gummi. Mit Sicherheitsleine und roter Leuchtfolie."
French: "TUBA F - Embout anatomique orientable. Tube en caoutchouc souple. Cordon spécial de sécurité. Extrémité fluorescente rouge."
Spanish: "TUBO F - Con boquilla anatómica orientable. Tubo de goma flexible. Extremidad fluorescente roja."

The "Tubo F" was marketed between 1969 and 1976.

 

[David Wilson]

Third up is the Mares Elton Remo:

3. S-550 REMO. Popular flexible accordion hose snorkel with mouthpiece of non-allergic rubber. Hangs out of the way when using regulators. Orange top for safety. Individually boxed. $2.25.

The moniker "Remo" doubtless derives from "San Remo", the Mares Elton designation for the "Tubo F con valvola" purge-valved flexible-hose snorkel, named in turn after the city of Sanremo or San Remo on the Mediterranean coast of Liguria, in northwestern Italy. It will comes as no surprise, therefore, that the Mares Elton San Remo is a copy of the Mares "Tubo F" breathing tube reviewed earlier:

Italian: "Art. 1198 - D. Con boccaglio corrugato."
Rough translation: "Item 1198 - D. Fitted with a corrugated mouthpiece."

Image above from 1963. The Mares "Tubo F" remained in production until 1974.