Basic gear from mid-twentieth-century Italy: Other manufacturers

[Angelo Farina]

I made an error. Zifio is not a wind, that is Zefiro (flowing from West).
Instead the Zifio is a small cetacean: Cuvier's beaked whale - Wikipedia

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks for the postings, Angelo and Iowwall, and for the likes, Jale and Angelo. And you are right, Angelo, about today's Technisub snorkel product names being inspired by winds.

First the Bora. The Bora is a northerly to north-easterly wind in areas near the Adriatic Sea. Here is the model in 1969:

Italian: "BORA - respiratore rigido - boccaglio in gomma corrugato - 810 - 600. BORALUX - respiratore semirigido - boccaglio in gomma corrugato - 811 - 650".
Rough translation: "BORA - rigid breathing tube - corrugated rubber - 810 - 600. BORALUX - semi-rigid breathing tube - corrugated rubber - 811 - 65".

So two versions of a flexible-hose model, the Bora with a rigid barrel, the Boralux with a semi-rigid one. Flexible-hose snorkels were known to be favoured by scuba divers back then as the mouthpiece dropped away when out of use. They also tugged less on the mouth, sparing the user potential jaw-ache if deployed for long periods of time.

Here are the Bora and the Boralux in 1973:

While the Italian caption of the Bora snorkel conveys the same information as its 1969 counterpart, the Boralux version mentions the new safety feature of a "tubo flessibile fluorescente, visibile in superficie a grande distanza", (flexible fluorescent tube, visible at a great distance).

The 1976 catalogue provides the same details about the Bora and the Boralux:

 

[David Wilson]

The Technisub Ghibli is named after a hot desert wind also known as the sirocco. Here is the snorkel in 1969:

Italian: "GHIBLI - respiratore anatomico con tubo trasparente di grande sezione - 808 - 1.200".
Rough translation: "GHIBLI - anatomical breathing tube with large transparent barrel - 808 - 1,200".

So a large-bore contoured model with modern specifications in terms of morphology and breathability.

Here it is again in 1973:

The Italian caption "Respiratore anatomica dalle grandi prestazioni. Tubo in plastica transparente di sezione corrispondenti alla portata d'aria necessaria per una iperventilazione senza fatica. Profilo sagomato" translates to "Anatomical breathing tube for great performances. Transparent plastic barrel with a cross-section corresponding to the air supply required for non-tiring hyperventilation. Contoured profile".

1976:

Identical caption.

1980:

Still large-bored and contoured, the Ghibli is now opaque and black. Transparent barrels appear to have gone out of fashion!

That must suffice for today. I shall return some time midweek with a review of the Technisub Eolo and Greco snorkels. Until then, keep safe and stay well.

 

[Angelo Farina]

Usually in Italy we name "Scirocco" (not Sirocco) the wind from south-east. The same wind is named Ghibli in Lybia.
It comes form the Sahara desert, and often carries desert's sand even at thousands kilometres distance, for example here in North Italy.

 

[David Wilson]

Thank you, Jale, Angelo and АлександрД, for the likes.

First Technisub snorkel of the day is the Eolo, Italian for "Aeolus". In Greek mythology, Aeolus (above) was the keeper of the winds and king of the island of Aeolia, one of the abrupt rocky Lipara islands close to Sicily. An Aeolian harp (also wind harp) is a musical instrument that is played by the wind. So another Technisub snorkel named after the wind. Here is the Eolo in 1971:

Italian: "TECHNISUB. Presentati al Salone di Genova il nuovo boccaglio «Eolo» (L. 550) con curva in gomma, studiate anatomicamente..."
Rough translation: "TECHNISUB. The new "Eolo" snorkel (L. 550) with rubber elbow, anatomically designed ..."

The "anatomical" reference must have applied to the mouthpiece as the barrel is straight, not contoured. This interpretation is supported in the 1973 catalogue:

The Italian caption "Respiratore rigido con curva di gomma e boccaglio anatomica di grande morbidezza" translates to "Rigid breathing tube with rubber elbow and very soft anatomical mouthpiece".

1976

Identical caption.

1980

So just an allusion to the rigidity of the plastic barrel.

 

[David Wilson]

Second Technisub snorkel for review is the Greco. "Greco" literally means "Greek", but it can also mean "The Gregale", which is a Mediterranean wind that can occur during times when a low-pressure area moves through the area to the south of Malta and causes a strong, cool, northeasterly wind to affect the island. It also affects other islands of the Western Mediterranean. The Italian name "Grecale" could be translated as "Greek wind", as the wind starts at the Ionian Island Zakynthos.

The "Greco" in 1973:

This time the English translation does full justice to the original Italian caption. No mention of the lanyard, though, designed to be worn around the neck to secure the snorkel in choppy waters.

1976:

Identical caption.

1980:

This time a mention of the mouthpiece's adjustability as well as the D-shaped cross-section of the barrel.

Next time, midweek, I shall review the Competizone, the Zifio and the Kristall Technisub snorkels. Until then, stay safe and keep well.

 

[Popgun Pete]

The lanyard seems to be on snorkels that don't have a snorkel keeper that fits over the mask strap. Such lanyards don't seem a good idea in any case.

 

[David Wilson]

Thank you, Angelo and Jale, for the likes. I tend to agree with you about the lanyard, Pete, and have visions of it strangling the wearer under exceptional circumstances.

And now for today's Technisub snorkels, beginning with the Competizone. "Competizione", of course, translates to "Competition", highlighting the role of this breathing tube in finswimming races. Here is the snorkel in 1973:

The Italian caption once again provides more information than the English and French renderings do. "COMPETIZIONE art. 177200. Respiratore per nuoto pinnato - posizione frontale con tubo a sezione triangolare per ridurre l'attrito. Completo di frontalino e cinturino" translates to "COMPETITION art. 177200. Finswimming snorkel - frontal position with triangular cross-section barrel to reduce friction. Complete with forehead band and strap".

During the 1950s, frontal snorkels were quite common accessories for British underwater swimmers:

They can be traced back to the early 1930s, when the Pulvénis brothers popularised their use in underwater hunting on the French Riviera:

1976:

Same caption as the 1973 catalogue. And here is the Competizione in 1980:

No change in the caption there either.

A final note. Frontal snorkels are the snorkels of choice in competitive finswimming races because they are better streamlined than traditional lateral breathing tubes would be. They come nowadays with a large cushioned metal or plastic bracket to be placed against the forehead and a buckled rubber or silicone strap to be worn around the temples. The 1950s version instead had a small bracket to be attached to the screw at the top of the stainless-steel rim of an oval mask in widespread use back then.

 

[David Wilson]

Second Technisub snorkel of the day is the Zifio. As Angelo has already told us, a "zifio" is a small cetacean: Cuvier's beaked whale - Wikipedia (above). Here is the Technisuv Zifio in 1973:

The Italian caption "ZIFIO art. 154800. Respiratore rigido - boccaglio in gomma orientabile. Leggero e di minimo ingombro, risulta ideale per la caccia in apnea" translates to "ZIFIO art. 154800. Rigid respirator - adjustable rubber mouthpiece. Lightweight and compact, it is ideal for breath-hold underwater hunting".

So the Zifio is an L-shaped snorkel with a straight plastic barrel and an offset mouthpiece. In comparison with the original J-shaped version, this design claims to increase breathing ease, cut water drag and to eliminate the "water trap". Another advantage was that the mouthpiece swivels to adjust to any wearing angle.

1976

Same caption as 1973. Here is the Zifio in 1980:

"Plastic tube" is the sole description.

 

[David Wilson]

Third and final Technisub snorkel of the day is the Kristall. The word "Kristall" is German for "crystal". Here is the Kristall snorkel in 1980:

The Italian caption "176110 KRISTALL. Corpo gomma girevole. Tubo semirigido con sezione a D" translates to "176110 KRISTALL. Swivel rubber body. Semi-rigid barrel with D-shaped cross-section". So another L-shaped snorkel. Note the presence of an eyelet bear the bottom of the barrel to accommodate a lanyard if desired.

And there I must stop for today, having run out of Technisub breathing tubes to review. Next time, at the weekend, we shall move on to Technisub fins. I shall probably focus on the Caravelle and Otarie models first. Until then, stay safe and keep well.