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

[David Wilson]

40 Model

This snorkel came with the same barrel and demand-end features as the 30 model, but was topped with a ball-valve attached to an inverted U-bend at the aur supply end. This corresponds, say, to the Beltrán 1526 snorkel:

 

[David Wilson]

50 Model

So a breathing tube with the same barrel and demand end as the 30 and 40 Models, but valveless at the supply end.

More Copino snorkels at the weekend.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

The Copino snorkels seem to be way too long. I had a long one in a “C” shape as a kid in the 1950s, and ended up cutting off the top and the ping pong ball valve to get a ”J” snorkel. It proved way easier to breathe through. That was also when the interior diameter was rather small, and so made breathing harder but clearing the “J” tube easier.

SeaRat

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks for the likes, John and undrwater.

Three more Copino snorkel models to go.

60 Model

So a valveless breathing tube with a keeper mid-barrel and a V-stemmed lugless mouthpiece at the demand end. The V-shaped design mirrors similar developments in the UK and France:

Namron

Sous Marine

"Silent V" is an English translation of the French "V Silencieux", which was the name of Beuchat's flagship snorkel of the time:

Both the sharp "V"-shape bend and the accordeon-style mouthpiece of the Marseilles company's original design are present in the Namron offering. Beuchat's version is reviewed in Ley Kenyon and Werner de Haas' Aqualung Diving: A Complete and Practical Guide to the Underwater World (London: George Allen and Unwin Ltd, 1970): "Tarzan V (Silencieux). A snorkel with a slightly bent rubber tube below, linked to the mouthpiece by a V-shaped angled piece made of plastic. Water collects in the insertion so that the gurgling noise accompanying breathing is largely eliminated." Beuchat's breathing tube received mixed reviews in a Which? Consumer Report of 1965:

 

[David Wilson]

70 Model

Another V-shaped snorkel design. This time the entire breathing tube appears to have been made of rubber with a twin-lugged mouthpiece. Once again, note the possible influence of France's Beuchat, whose Tarzan 205 snorkel is captioned "tout caoutchouc", indicating an all-rubber breathing tube. There are several all-rubber Beuchat snorkels in the Musée Dumas online collection, among them:

The all-rubber design survived to the present day as the "Tubair", whose flexibility is illustrated here:

 

[David Wilson]

80 Model

Spanish: "respirador Modelo 80. Concebido especialmente para la Pesca Submarina. NOVEDAD".
Rough translation: "80 Model snorkel. Specially designed for Underwater Fishing. NEW PRODUCT".

The contoured barrel represents a relatively modern design. Compare the Beuchat Tubair Snorkel, which has a similar ergonomic shape:

So much for Copino breathing tubes. Midweek we shall proceed to Copino snorkel-masks.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

The Model 80 looks to be a great snorkel, with all that I would want in an older style snorkel.

SeaRat

 

[Popgun Pete]

80 Model

View attachment 799466​

Spanish: "respirador Modelo 80. Concebido especialmente para la Pesca Submarina. NOVEDAD".
Rough translation: "80 Model snorkel. Specially designed for Underwater Fishing. NEW PRODUCT".

The contoured barrel represents a relatively modern design. Compare the Beuchat Tubair Snorkel, which has a similar ergonomic shape:

View attachment 799467​

So much for Copino breathing tubes. Midweek we shall proceed to Copino snorkel-masks.

Looks like a Nemrod Salou I think it was, then there was the bigger bore Irun with a flat on one side near your head which was a scaled up version of that shape. Lent both out, got neither back!

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks for the likes, John. And for the post, Pete. On now to Copino snorkel-masks.

300 Model

The inclusion of "Cadete" in the caption suggesrs that this model is designed for young people. The single snorkel emerges from the mask top centre and is held in position by a harness comprising an overhead vertical strap and an adjustable horizontal split strap surrounding the temples and attached to a buckle at both sides of the mask. The supply end has a shut-off ball valve. This snorkel-mask appears to cover the eyes and the nose only, enabling nasal vreathing while leaving the mouth free. The mask comes with a metal lens-retention rim with a top screw.

The elaborate harness is far from unique in the world of snorkel-masks. Compare:

Britmarine Clipper Combined (UK late-1960s)

Hurricane Automatic (France 1950s)

 

[David Wilson]

420 Model

The 420 Model was apparently designed to be a full-face mask for adult swimmers, covering the eyes, the nose and the mouth to enable nasal and/or oral breathing of atmospheric air supplied through a single snorkel emerging top centre from the mask. Note the chinpiece enclosing the lower part of the face and hence the mouth. The top of the snorkel is fitted with a ball valve designed to shut off the air supply when the user submerges. The breathing tube is once again held in position by a harness comprising an overhead strap and an adjustable temple-surrounding split strap.

Example from another manufacturer:

Hurricane Supermatic/Cadematic (France 1950s)

One further Copino snorkel-mask up for review at the weekend when we shall also proceed to look at Copino fins.