Basic gear from mid-twentieth-century Spain: Nemrod

[jale]

Thanks for the likes, Luis, Jale and JMBL.

Let us start today with the Nemrod Palma mask, introduced in 1973. This model is likely named after Palma (de Mallorca), the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain (above). It is situated on the south coast of Mallorca on the Bay of Palma. The Cabrera Archipelago, though widely separated from Palma proper, is administratively considered part of the municipality.

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Image above from the 1973 Nemrod catalogue. The French caption draws attention to the "mini size" of the model, its security rim, its compensation facility and its purge valve.

More Palma imagery:

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So a binocular dive mask with low internal volume and a nose pocket for ear-clearing.

That is a cool looking mask

 

[Popgun Pete]

That is a cool looking mask

Looks like it is made for optical lens inserts, hence the spectacles like frame.

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks for the likes, Luis, АлександрД and jale. And for the post, Pete.

Today we look at the Nemrod Lux and Super Lux dive masks. "Lux" suggests "luxury". First the Lux model, here at its launch in 1977:

Spanish: "NEMROD LUX, 2022701. Máxima visibilidad con poco volumen interior. El doble faldón le asegura una perfecta adaptabilidad. Diseñado para un amplio público tanto profesional como aficionado. Alojamiento nariz para equilibrado de los tímpanos. Aro de resina A. B. S. y cristal templado".
Rough translation: "NEMROD LUX, 2022701. Maximum visibility with low internal volume. The double skirt ensures a perfect fit. Designed for a wide audience, both professional and amateur. Nose pocket for clearing the eardrums. A. B. S. resin rim and tempered glass lens".

Here it is again in the 1979 catalogue:

Identical caption. So a kidney-shaped mask of the kind fairly typical of the 1970s. There follows some more Lux imagery:

So red was not the only colour for the mask rim.

 

[David Wilson]

Our second Nemrod dive mask is the Super Lux, also introduced in 1977:

Spanish: "SUPER LUX. 2022801. Excepcional máscara de gran visibilidad y pequeño volumen. El doble faldón le asegura una perfecta estanqueidad, con un gran confort y total adaptación. Diseñada especialmente para profesionales muy exigentes. Alojamiento nariz para equilibrado de los tímpanos. Cristal templado y aro inox.".
Rough translation: "SUPER LUX. 2022801. Exceptional high visibility, small volume mask. The double skirt ensures perfect sealing, with great comfort and a complete fit. Specially designed for very demanding professionals. Nose pocket for clearing the eardrums. Tempered glass and stainless steel rim".

This from a 1977 issue of Skin Diver magazine:

1979

Same caption as 1977 Spanish-language catalogue. Another kidney-shaped mask with nose pocket and split head strap.

A second version of the Super Lux emerged at one stage. Note the difference between the two types:

So the mask has a stainless-steel rim to distinguish it from the Lux model. The change in design with Type 2 was likely intended to increase forward vision.

So much for the Nemrod Lux and Super Lux masks. Bext time, midweek, we shall move on to the Nemrod Atlanta and Adra models, which also entered the market in 1977. Stay safe and keep well.

 

[Angelo Farina]

Second Nemrod mask today is the Marbella. Named after the city and municipality of Marbella (above) in southern Spain, belonging to the province of Málaga in the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is part of the Costa del Sol and is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, between Málaga and the Strait of Gibraltar, in the foothills of the Sierra Blanca.

Well, at the time the name Marbella was mostly known in Europe for this car, the SEAT's Spanish copy of FIAT Panda:

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks for the likes, Angelo and Jale. And for the post, Angelo.

Today we look at Nemrod Adra and Atlanta dive masks, both launched in 1977. The former is named after the municipality of Adra in the Spanish province of Almeria (above). Here is the a catalogue picture of the Adra mask:

Spanish: "ADRA. 2022501. Gran visibilidad y de muy bueno adaptación, hasta para caras estrechas, debido a su doble faldón. Modelo profesionalizado, con alojamiento nariz para equilibrado de los tímpanos. Cristal templado y aro inox".
Rough translation: "ADRA. 2022501. Great visibility and very well fitting, even for narrow faces, due to its double skirt. Professionalised model, with nose pocket to clear the eardrums. Tempered glass and stainless steel rim".

This model does not appear to have remained long in production. no explanation seems to be forthcoming on this matter. Here is another image:

So a rounded trapezoidal mask with a stainless-steel snap-on rim, a split head strap and both a nose pocket and nostril-squeezing bosses for compensation. The rim is unusually secured at the bottom.

 

[David Wilson]

Today's second mask is the Nemrod Atlanta. In the English-speaking world, Atlanta probably most often conjures up the image of the city in the US state of Georgia. As for me, I am inclined to associate the Nemrod product name with the Atlantic Ocean. Here is a catalogue image of the model from 1977:

Spanish: "ATLANTA. 2022901. Diseño perfecto para juniors y señoritas. Se adapta muy bien a caras pequeñas. Alojiamento nariz para equilibrado de los timpanos. Cristal templado y aro inox".
Rough translation: "ADRA. 2022501. Perfect design for juniors and ladies. Fits very well on small faces. Nose pocket for clearing eardrums. Tempered glass and stainless steel rim".

1978 Skin Diver magazine ad

1979

Same caption as 1977.

One more undated picture:

So rounded trapezoidal like the Adra, but with accordeon-style compensation bosses. Note the presence of the catch on the snap-on rim reverting to the top.

Sufficient for the day. Next time, at the weekend, we shall review Nemrod Orion and Tahiti diving masks. Keep well and stay safe.

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks for the likes, Angelo. Today we shall review Nemrod Orion and Tahiti diving masks. Orion is one of the best-known constellations in the night sky. It is named after Orion, a hunter in Greek mythology.

And here is the Nemrod Orion mask, tagged with the number 5 on the mask page of the 1978 Nemrod catalogue:

So a trapezoidal mask with a blue skirt, a purge valve, accordion-style compensator bosses and a yellow plastic rim.

Here is another image from Facebook's Nemrod Museum:

The model therefore also came with the option of a black skirt.

 

[David Wilson]

The Nemrod Tahiti diving mask is No. 6 in the 1978 range above. From the front, the model resembles the Adra we reviewed last time, but this model has accordion-style compemsator bosses. Trapezoidal shape like the Orion, and a split head strap. The mask is named after the the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia (below), located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Australia.

More Tahiti mask imagery below:

Back midweek with some Nemrod dive masks from 1979. Until then, stay safe and keep well.

 

[Popgun Pete]

The various frame shapes offered have the advantage of enabling a better fit on some faces, sometimes people may like a certain style but have to go for something else that fits them better. The rigidity and give in the rubber mask surrounds varies slightly as different face plate inclinations and distances from the eyes are incorporated in the different mask styles. Some people can almost wear anything, but others are more limited if they want a “suction fit” without excessive head strap tension.