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

[David Wilson]

Now for the Safari sub Mar Blau fin. "Mar Blau" is Spanish for "blue sea. The fin:

So another adjustable open-heel fin, but this model came with an extended heel platform to protect the entire sole of the foot from sharp pebbles. The blade was reinforced with eight thin ribs. Likely to have been one of Safari sub's earliest models.

A couple more Safari sub fins at the weekend.

 

[David Wilson]

Safari sub OK fins below:

So adjustable open-heel fins with what appears to be a plastic blade attached to a rubber or elastomer foot pocket. I would imagine these fins to be a more recent design than those showcased previously.

The markings other than the size and the country of manufacture on the sole of the fin in the last image are of some interest. I am referring to the inscription "DIN 7876-243-11". "DIN 7876" refers to German Standard 7876 of 1980, which specifies how swimming fins should be dimensioned, tested and marked for conformity. More information about this standard can be found here. The "243" likely references foot length in cm. As for the "11", I am quite frankly baffled. This number would normally refer to the width of the foot pocket, which the standard specifies should be 141 cm or thereabouts. I would therefore expect the inscription to read "DIN 7876B-243-141". The "B" identifies the fin as an open-heel model and I can only surmise that the "141" became "11" due to some oversight.

 

[David Wilson]

Let us move on to Safari sub S'Agaro fins, named after S'Agaró (above), an upmarket resort on the Costa Brava between Sant Feliu de Guíxols and Platja d'Aro. It is part of the municipality of Castell-Platja d'Aro, itself in the comarca of Baix Empordà and province of Girona in Catalonia, Spain. The resort was developed from the early 1920s on the peninsular between the beaches of Platja de Sant Pol and Platja de Sa Conca. The fins:

Spanish: "Modelo que por su suavidad y amplia gama de tallas la hacen adaptable a cualquier circunstancia".
Rough translation: "Model that, due to its softness and wide range of sizes, makes it adaptable to any circumstance".

So an all-round full-foot open-toe fin whose blade comes reinforced with two sude rails and two centre ribs. A full range of child and adult fittings and a choice of blue or black in the medium sizes.

Further S'Agaro fin imagery.

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The final two Safari sub fins midweek.

 

[Popgun Pete]

Safari sub OK fins below:

View attachment 829870
View attachment 829871
View attachment 829872
View attachment 829873
View attachment 829874​

So adjustable open-heel fins with what appears to be a plastic blade attached to a rubber or elastomer foot pocket. I would imagine these fins to be a more recent design than those showcased previously.

The markings other than the size and the country of manufacture on the sole of the fin in the last image are of some interest. I am referring to the inscription "DIN 7876-243-11". "DIN 7876" refers to German Standard 7876 of 1980, which specifies how swimming fins should be dimensioned, tested and marked for conformity. More information about this standard can be found here. The "243" likely references foot length in cm. As for the "11", I am quite frankly baffled. This number would normally refer to the width of the foot pocket, which the standard specifies should be 141 cm or thereabouts. I would therefore expect the inscription to read "DIN 7876B-243-141". The "B" identifies the fin as an open-heel model and I can only surmise that the "141" became "11" due to some oversight.

These are rather different looking fins, no ribs or strakes on the blade and plastic strap buckles instead of metal that was the usual choice. The Technisub Caravelle had a rather simple plastic blade as did the Mares Plana.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Today's second Safari sub fin is called "Gulf Stream", named after the warm and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows through the Straits of Florida and up the eastern coastline of the United States, then veers east near 36°N latitude (North Carolina) and moves toward Northwest Europe as the North Atlantic Current. The fin:

View attachment 828557​

Spanish: "Modelo imprescindible para pesca e inmersión profunda".
Rough translation: "Essential model for fishing and deep diving".

A longer-bladed full-foot open-toe fin around in the early 1980s. It has three thin ribs for reinforcement on the upper side of the blade.

A further two Safari sub fin models midweek.

I had a very similar pair of long fins, from Mares, I think, in the 1980s, and they were wonderful for finswimming and long snorkeling/scuba swims.

SeaRat

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Safari sub OK fins below:

View attachment 829870
View attachment 829871
View attachment 829872
View attachment 829873
View attachment 829874​

So adjustable open-heel fins with what appears to be a plastic blade attached to a rubber or elastomer foot pocket. I would imagine these fins to be a more recent design than those showcased previously.

The markings other than the size and the country of manufacture on the sole of the fin in the last image are of some interest. I am referring to the inscription "DIN 7876-243-11". "DIN 7876" refers to German Standard 7876 of 1980, which specifies how swimming fins should be dimensioned, tested and marked for conformity. More information about this standard can be found here. The "243" likely references foot length in cm. As for the "11", I am quite frankly baffled. This number would normally refer to the width of the foot pocket, which the standard specifies should be 141 cm or thereabouts. I would therefore expect the inscription to read "DIN 7876B-243-141". The "B" identifies the fin as an open-heel model and I can only surmise that the "141" became "11" due to some oversight.

David, there’s something just a bit weird about a foot pocket being “141 cm or thereabouts” in width. That’s one heck of a foot! . Even for a foot length, 141 cm (or 55.5 inches) is more than a bit weird; maybe that’s what you were referring to.

SeaRat

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks for the likes, John, and for the posts, John and Pete.

Our two final Safari sub fin models today. First the Seamaster:

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Spanish: "Modelo que por su amplia superficie, la hace ideal para escafandrismo".
Rough translation: "Model that, due to its large surface, makes it ideal for scuba diving".

So very definitely a long-bladed full-foot fin with side rails and a centre rib for reinforcement. This design reminds me of the Mares Concorde:

 

[David Wilson]

Our final Safari sub fin is the Triden, which may be Spanish for "trident", the three-pronged spear held by the god of the sea Poseidon or Neptune in classical mythology. As for the fin:

Spanish: "Modelo anticalándrico de amplie aplicación por su gama de tallas".
Rough translation: "Anticalandrical model with wide application due to its range of sizes".

I have no idea what "anticalandrical" means. Suggestions on a postcard... but this closed-heel model came in a pretty full range of child and adult sizes. Similar blade reinforcement to the Seamaster, but the blade length is shorter.

More Safari sub Triden imagery:

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One more post devoted to mid-twentieth-century basic equipment at the weekend and then we shall move on to another country, probably Spain's Iberian Peninsula neighbour Portugal.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Thanks for the likes, John, and for the posts, John and Pete.

Our two final Safari sub fin models today. First the Seamaster:

View attachment 830358
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Spanish: "Modelo que por su amplia superficie, la hace ideal para escafandrismo".
Rough translation: "Model that, due to its large surface, makes it ideal for scuba diving".

So very definitely a long-bladed full-foot fin with side rails and a centre rib for reinforcement. This design reminds me of the Mares Concorde:

It was this Mares Concorde that I used in the 1980s, and it was a wonderful fin. I used it on a very long swim, about 15 miles, in the lower Umpqua River. It was called the "Vets Swim for the Needy," with revenues going to a specific gal named Amber Heath. I only know she was suffering from cancer at the time, but don't know the outcome. I still have my red T-shirt, which was all I got for my marathon swim. Somewhere I have a write-up on that swim, but I've lost track of it for now. Those fins propelled me through a tidal change and some chop too. Eventually, they kinda melted off my feet.

SeaRat

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks for the post, John. The Mares Concorde lives on in the Turkish city of Istanbul, where the fin continues to be manufactured by Adalilar Kauçuk, complete with Massimo Scarpati's signature on the blade:

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