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

[JMBL]

Hope David Wilson won't mind my intrusion, but here's a link to my post Going vintage, for those of you interested to dive a modern day Super Compensator

 

[lowwall]

View attachment 720272​

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks for the likes, Angelo, JMBL and Iowwall.

Now for Tarzasub fins. Let us start with the Super Jetfin in a 1974 issue of Mondo Sommerso:

The relevant sentences for the Tarzasub Jetfin:
Italian: "Una pala molto allungata contraddistingue la versione super, adatta alla competizione, delle pinne Jetfin, che verranno presentate a Genova dalla casa livornese. In questo nuovo modello (foto qui sopra), le costolatura laterali sono state prolungate fin sotto i talloni. All'interno delle pale vi sono nervature parallele, che canalizzano l'acqua esattamente lungo l'asse di nuoto. Nella zona negativa della piena sono sistemati gli ugelli dal profilo Laval-Venturi, che contribuiscono a mantenere la pinna sotto il pelo dell'acqua".
English: "A very elongated blade distinguishes the super version, suitable for competition, of the Jetfin fins, which will be presented in Genoa by the Livorno company. In this new model (photo above), the side ribs have been extended to below the heels. Inside the blades there are parallel ribs, which channel the water exactly along the swimming axis. In the negative area of the flood there are nozzles with a Laval-Venturi profile, which help to keep the fin under the surface of the water".

So a full-foot longer-bladed version of what was originally the Beuchat Jetfin. Here is the model in the 1975 Tarzasub catalogue:

Italian: "Super Jetfin, attualmente è la pinna più lunga con il miglior rendimento aerodinamico sia in immersione che in superficie. Le nervature prolungate sotto il tallone trasmettono la spinta direttamente alle gambe. Incollatura del piede anatomica e salda. Nervature parallele di canalizzazione dell’acqua. Ugelli posti nella zona negativa costringono la pinna all'immersione costante. Pala a grande portanza e di ridotta ampiezza per il moto veloce e da competizione".
Rough translation: "Super Jetfin is currently the longest fin with the best aerodynamic performance both underwater and on the surface. The prolonged ribs under the heel transmit the thrust directly to the legs. Anatomical and firm foot adherence. Parallel ribs for water channelling. Vents placed in the negative area force the fin to be constantly immersed. Blade with great lift and reduced width for fast and competitive movement".

 

[David Wilson]

Second Tarzasub fin of the day is the Leghorn. "Leghorn" is the English name for the city of Livorno where the Tarzasub company operated. Here is the model in 1975:

Italian: "PINNA LEGHORN. È la nuovissima pinna con la quale Paolo Donaggio di Mestre, campione mondiale di nuoto su lunghe distanze, ha effettuato il «RAID POLA CERVIA». Le prestazioni di questa pinna sono risultate superiori ad ogni aspettativa dopo questo collaudo prolungato e rigoroso. È una pinna lunga che sfrutta il principio Venturi con un rendimento quindi tre volte superiore alle normali pinne in commercio. Lo stesso principio obbliga la pinna a lavorare costantemente sotto la superficie dell'acqua e lungo l'asse del nuoto senza nessuno slittamento laterale. È evidente che in tal modo è eliminata ogni perdita di energia e tutta la spinta del nuotatore viene integralmente trasmessa alla pinna".
Rough translation: "LEGHORN FIN. World long-distance swimming champion Paolo Donaggio di Mestre used this brand new fin to carry out the “RAID POLA CERVIA”. The performance of this fin exceeded all expectations after this prolonged and rigorous test. This long fin applies the Venturi principle with a performance three times higher than normal fins on the market. The same principle forces the fin to work constantly under the water surface and along the swimming axis without any lateral slippage. It is obvious that this eliminates any loss of energy and all the swimmer’s thrust is fully transmitted to the fin".

So another vented fin with claims to high effort to performance ratios. As with the Super Jets, there is an emphasis on keeping the fins in constant operation beneath the surface of the water.

And there we leave Tarzasub. Back at the weekend with another Italian diving equipment manufacturer, probably Onda sub. Stay safe, keep well.

 

[lowwall]

That Super Jetfin certainly looks powerful if you have enough leg strength to move it.

 

[Popgun Pete]

That Super Jetfin certainly looks powerful if you have enough leg strength to move it.

They were certainly a bit harder to swim with, but the long blade tip was somewhat the antithesis of what the Jetfin was supposed to be all about which was a powerful fin without a very long blade and using fin width more than length to exploit its jet action passing a streamed flow over both upper and lower blade surfaces. The limit on their width was so that the fins did not clip each other as they swept past during your kicking action.

 

[lowwall]

I bought some used open-heel Jetfins to try them out. I found them precise in low speed maneuvers, but it was very tiring to get them moving at a speed comparable to what I can do with my Force Fin Pros and ScubaPro Go Sports. It felt like the problem was the lack of support towards my heel which would be fixed with a full foot version.

None of these can approach the speed I can achieve with my old full foot Mares SuperChannels, which are longer and narrower than all the above. Unfortunately, too long for modern carry on bags which is what started me looking for alternatives in the first place.

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks for the likes, Akimbo, Iowwall and Bigbella and for the contributions to the thread, Iowwall and Pete.

Today's historical Italian diving equipment manufacturer used the brand name Onda sub. "Onda" is Italian for "wave" in the sense of a disturbance on the surface of a liquid. The name of the company behind Onda sub was "Pietro Moltini", which conducted its business in Genoa during the 1970s.

Here are some images associated with "Onda sub" and/or "Moltini". The following building appears to have housed at least part of the Pietro Moltini company in Genoa.

The eBay pictures below show a diving patch and some diving equipment packaging. According to these sources, the Pietro Moltini company of Genoa had a manufacturing division producing rubber underwater sports equipment, including fins, and that Moltini used the brand name "Onda sub".

 

[David Wilson]

The following article appeared in a 1975 issue of Mondo Sommerso:

Italian: "onda sub: le nuove maschere. Ecco le tre maschere dell'Onda Sub, presentate al Salone di Genova. In primo piano si nota la «Zenit», molto adatta agli apneisti: il volume interno è ridotto, la visibilità molto ampia. Il naso è sagomato, per facilitare la compensazione. La lente (che può essere di vetro, vetro temperato o plastica) è collegata al corpo della maschera da un cerchietto di plastica colorata. In secondo piano a sinistra, l'«Alba»: ha una lente quadrangolare di vetro, serrata da un cerchietto in plastica o in acciaio inossidabile. Sempre in secondo piano, a destra, la «Globo»: lente ovale e cerchietto di plastica. E' disponibile un tipo fornito di «compensatore»".
Rough translation: "Onda sub: the new masks. Here are the three masks Onda Sub launched at the Genoa Boat Show. Front row: the 'Zenit', which is ideal for freedivers, having low internal volume and very wide visibility. The nose is shaped for ease of compensation. The lens (which can be made of glass, tempered glass or plastic) is connected to the mask body with a small coloured plastic band. Back row left: the 'Alba', which comes with a square glass lens retained by a plastic or stainless-steel band. Second row right: the 'Globo', which has an oval lens and a plastic band. A 'compensator' model is available".

We shall take a closer look at these Onda sub products next time, which will be midweek. Until then, keep safe and stay well.

 

[Angelo Farina]

They were certainly a bit harder to swim with, but the long blade tip was somewhat the antithesis of what the Jetfin was supposed to be all about which was a powerful fin without a very long blade and using fin width more than length to exploit its jet action passing a streamed flow over both upper and lower blade surfaces. The limit on their width was so that the fins did not clip each other as they swept past during your kicking action.

Most people nowadays identify the Jetfin with the Scubapro version of it, rigid and open-heel. But the original Jetfin by Beuchat (which I did own and love in the seventies, apart the bad smell) was very flexible end elastic, and a bit longer than the Scubapro version.
The venturi channels were very effective on the original Jetfin, much less in the Scubapro version. Although the whole design of the original Jetfin was optimised for swimming underwater for spearfishing, they were also used in finned swimming competitions. In this case, the presence of the venturi channels reduced the thrust towards the sky, making it easier for the swimmer to keep the legs 20-30 cm below the water surface, where they produce more thrust.
However this was needed as a correction of a technical problem. Starting with Cressi Rondine fins, the blade was angled downward (which means upwards when swimming horizontally at the surface). Again, this was optimal for underwater swimming and spearfishing, but resulted in an easy emersion of the blade out of the water in fast surface swimming. The real solution is to angle the blade the opposite way, upwards (which means downward when swimming horizontally) such as in the Force Fins. This practice was developed by Russian finned swimming athletes. They did start form their blue-rubber Russian fins, cutting the sole so that the fin could be worn upside.down, resulting in the blade being angled "up". Another common modification, after reversing the fin, was to remove entirely the blade, and replace it with a fiberglass plate.
The Super Jetfin was an attempt to provide our athlets with something competitive. But I remember that the Russian fins were still superior, and often our athlets were swapping their brand-new fins (Super Jetfin, Mares Concorde, Cressi Rondine L) with those of russian athlets.