Basic gear from the mid-twentieth-century Federal Republic of Germany

[Sam Miller III]

Several points

1) The German name Schnorchel vs the English name Snorkel
I recall eary in the sport of recreational diving we on the other side of the pond used the German spelling schnorchel. I recall publishing an article in GOK what publication titled "Lets Look at the schnorchel."
in which I suggested a number of modifications to make the schnorchel more comfortable and to avoid the real and very serious problem of schnorchel mouth.

Some where in dusty diving history the German name schnorchel and it guttural sounding name was deleted from the English speaking world in favor of the more pleasant English snorkel.

What is it called in Russia ?

2) Snorkel mouth was a very real problem as a result of rough unusual shaped mouth pieces rubbing on the gums creating irritation and occasional frank raw gums. It was avoided by, as my article described by trimming the mouth piece with scissors and molding it to a desirable shape with sand paper and/or a nail emery board .

That was a long time ago...Now the snorkel must fit perfectly or the diver will post on SCUBA Board and complain of his or her ill fitting snorkel and suggest that the product be avoided

Sam Miller, 111

 

[АлександрД]

As I know - Schorchel is came from Kriegsmarine, when first submarine schnorchel was invented.
Name Schnorchel is growing from deuche "schnarchen" that means snore, and was taken from the Dutch O-21 submarine class , from a device named a snuiver (sniffer).
The system was designed by the Dutchman Jan Jacob Wichers.
In Russia in documents we call this device РДП - Работа Дизеля Под водой (en: Diesel Operation Underwater), but folks name is shnorhel.

But for diving and swimming snorkel we have very simple Russian name - Трубка (Troobka). Direct translation is Pipe or Tube
What is the set number one? Маска, Трубка, Ласты! (Mask, Tube, Fins). ("Set №1" is official name in our documentation)

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks for the information about "Schnorchel versus snorkel" in the English-speaking world, Sam. A while ago I did some newspaper-based research and located the following advertisement in the 10 November 1950 issue of the Honolulu Star Bulletin:

This Hawaiian newspaper advertisement for a "swim-pipe" inviting readers to "try the human version of the submarine snorkel and be like a fish" may mark the first appearance of the word "snorkel" in print to denote a tube enabling a human being to breathe while swimming face downwards in the water. Before then, the word "snorkel" or "Schnorchel" was used exclusively in the American press to denote special tubes used during wartime to exchange air and other gases between German submarines under the sea and the atmosphere above the waves.

In the first, December 1951, issue of Skin Diver magazine, the word "snorkel" meaning swimmer's breathing tube is consistently spelled "snorkle" (see ads below):

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I wish I kept my father's old skin diving mask. It had the snorkel coming out of the top of it. The top of the snorkel then was bent 180 degrees and had a ping pong ball to block water going in. Not sure if he bought it in his native Holland or in Greece (where he met my mother).

 

[David Wilson]

I wish I kept my father's old skin diving mask. It had the snorkel coming out of the top of it. The top of the snorkel then was bent 180 degrees and had a ping pong ball to block water going in. Not sure if he bought it in his native Holland or in Greece (where he met my mother).

There was one Greek-made snorkel-mask fitting your description, wetb4igetinthewater, called the Majorca sub 107S (below):

Manufacture of this article was discontinued only a few years ago, making the also Greek-made Balco sub 558 (below) the world's only old-school snorkel-mask still in production:

One of the interim findings of my research on the evolution of the first-generation commercial snorkel-masks is that at least 120 models were made worldwide in the mid twentieth century in countries as diverse as Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Spain, Taiwan, the UK and the USA. Germany's Barakuda diving equipment company itself produced no fewer than nine different snorkel-masks, which I will be reviewing after covering the firm's range of standalone snorkels.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

There was one Greek-made snorkel-mask of your description, wetb4igetinthewater, called the Majorca sub 107S (below):
View attachment 546416
Manufacture of this article was discontinued only a few years ago, making the also Greek-made Balco sub 558 (below) the world's only old-school snorkel-mask still in production:View attachment 546417
One of the interim findings of my research on the evolution of the first-generation commercial snorkel-masks is that at least 120 models were made worldwide in the mid twentieth century in countries as diverse as Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Spain, Taiwan, the UK and the USA. Germany's Barakuda diving equipment company itself produced no fewer than nine different snorkel-masks, which I will be reviewing after covering the firm's range of standalone snorkels.

Oh man, the first picture is it! The snorkel was in white, white edge of the mask, and blue rubber. I now know what to search for getting another one! Thanks!

 

[David Wilson]

Glad to help. The 107S snorkel-mask above was one of a pair. The other model was the Majorca sub 103 mask (below), which was the 107S minus the snorkel:

Sadly, the Majorcasub website no longer lists either item. However, there's a Majorca sub 103 currently on eBay:
VERY RARE VINTAGE 80'S MAJORCA SWIMMING SNORKEL MASK BLUE GREECE GREEK NEW ! | eBay

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I know my dad used to keep his old one in the basement of their beach house, but I think it got tossed about 5 years ago then they rebuilt it. I'll have to ask him.

 

[Sam Miller III]

@David Wilson
@АлександрД
Thank you both for your very detailed response.

There is a American book which also indicates the Schnorchel was invented by the Dutch , was installed on their submarines but was not discovered by the occupying NAZIs until several years later in 1943-4 at which time all NAZI submarines were retro fitted with the breathing device.

After the end of WW11 there was a need to obtain food any way possible - spearfishing was one method. Some how the "breathing tube" migrated into their activity. Divers - spearfisherman swimming with the breathing tube sticking up from the water appeared as NAZI submarines returning from patrol underwater using the Schnorchel..Therefore its German name "Schnorchel."

The activity and the name became popular and some where at some undetermined time the name was anglicized to "Snorkel "

In my tribe the Snorkel initially had several names- breathing tube, tube, tuba (Spanish) and of course snorkel .

Dick Bonin. the founder of SCUBA Pro and I were close friends-- I recall on several occasion we some how discussed Barney Girden an American who had a 1930s patent on the swimming tube which became the snorkel . He never any financial rewards for his invention .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re Skin Diver Magazine = December 1951 - vol 1 # 1
In December 1951 my tribe decided to go to Ensenada Baja California to dive. We were unaware of the Mc Donald current that touched that area creating a very COLD water to cold to dive in.

I was close friends of the founders of Skin Diver Magazine (SDM) Chuck and Jim. I was fortunate to manage to "snag " three first editions which I still have after all these years.. I also managed to bound all the SDMs in library bindings along with all the dive related catalogs and UW film festival programs-The only complete collection in the world

Diving was a very small community centered in SoCal. I was dive buddies and or social friends with all the persons in first edition except Don Clarke and Bill Wilson.

Fisher Sporting good was Mel Fisher of treasure hunting fame

A few years later still in the 1950s Paul Hoss made me a custom Hoss/ Bottom Scratcher gun which is setting next to my desk -- just in case a fish swims 500 feet up the hill and begs to be speared

All are gone now

Sam Miller, 111

 

[David Wilson]

Newspaper research findings on the first use of "Schnorchel" and "Snorkel" to denote a pipe exchanging air and other gases between a submerged U-boat and the atmosphere:

1. First reference to submarine "Schnorchel" and illustration of same?: 22 June 1945.

The Boston Globe, Friday June 22, 1945.

2. First reference to submarine "Snorkel"?: 31 December 1945.

The Baltimore Sun, Monday December 31, 1945.