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

[David Wilson]

On to the Barakuda-Longo (above). The image comes from a 1969 Barakuda catalogue. The caption reads roughly as follows: "Barakuda-Longo. Floating, yellow. A swim fin made of high-quality yellow floating rubber meeting the highest standards and offering a secure and comfortable fit. Packed in a practical polythene bag. It came in six sizes.

This model appears to have emerged from collaboration between Barakuda in Germany and Longo in Italy. Here's an advert posted by the latter company for the same fins:

As can be seen from the image, Longo was based in Bologna.

And here are some auction images of a pair of Barakuda-Longos:

These fins were also made in orange:

So Barakuda-Longos were made in Italy and jointly branded by the German and Italian companies. The full-foot fins themselves have stiffish blades and soft foot pockets, which relative to other Italian fins are on the broad side.

 

[David Wilson]

The Barakuda Rapido was the successor to the Barakuda Longo in the 1981 Barakuda catalogue (above). The caption reads "Rapido black, Rapido yellow, with offset blade of medium stiffness. Sizes from EU 34 to 48. The word "Profi" means "Professional". Like Longos, Rapidos have soft comfortable foot pockets with wider toe openings than the former.

Here are some further images:

That's my ration for today. Next time we'll have a look at other new fin models in the 1981 Barakuda catalogue.

 

[Schwob]

View attachment 534588
I began today's postings with an image of the Barakuda Forelle (above). It's an extract from the 1959 Barakuda catalogue, where this model made its début. As you can see, this is an adjustable open-heel fin for barefoot use. The blade is reinforced with two side-rails and four centre ribs. The caption reads roughly in English: "Forelle (Trout), blue. Simple, symmetrical fin made of flexible plastic with adjustable heel strap. A fin for children and beginners to play and to bathe with." It came in just one size.

The 1960 catalogue more or less duplicated what was said in the 1959 catalogue:
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Barakuda did introduce a smaller size, however, presumably to cater for children.

The 1961 catalogue retained the status quo, but supplied an image revealing the true nature of the heel strap:
View attachment 534585
These fins are attached to the feet with a plastic strap secured with loops and buttons instead of a conventional buckle. Note how the number of ribs has halved on the blade, while the side rails have thickened.

The 1962 catalogue came with a much longer caption:
View attachment 534586
Here's a rough translation: "Forelle, blue. A plastic fin from Barakuda with an adjustable heel strap. It is particularly suitable for children and beginners who want to learn how to swim with fins through play. In spite of the relatively simple design, however, the "Forelle" should not be regarded as a toy but as a fully usable swim fin. The plastic fin is particularly light and flat, so you can take it with you at any time."

The "Forelle" made its final appearance in Barakuda's 1964 catalogue:
View attachment 534587The caption is worth translating because the original German should probably have been better proofread: "Forelle, blue. A plastic fin with an adjustable heel strap. Particularly (suitable) for children and beginners who want to learn how to swim with fins through play. In spite of the relatively simple design, however, the "Forelle" should not be regarded as a fully usable swim fin." Spotted the proofreading error perpetrated by somebody tasked with editing the 1962 caption for publication in the 1964 catalogue? Perhaps this error led to the premature demise of the "Forelle", foiling Barakuda's plans to raise the model's profile.

For comparative purposes, here is a plastic fin made during the 1960s in the USSR:
View attachment 534589
The heel strap comes with the same buttonhole fastening design as the Forelle. One of my Soviet diving books describes the fin thus: "The main advantages of this semi-open and semi-hard plastic-fin from the Leningrad ‘Sports’ plant are low weight and cost. Good hydrodynamic shape and contours have led to successful use of this fin in the early stages of swim training with fins, especially with children. Because of several shortcomings, this fin is unsuitable for competitive swimming." So this anonymous Soviet fin targeted the same users as the Barakuda Forelle.

Here's the equivalent British fin from the same period, the Britmarine Clipper:
View attachment 534590
I started snorkelling as a teenager with these fins and they did the job perfectly before I graduated to Cressi Rondine lookalikes when I joined my university sub-aqua club. The multi-rib blade reinforcement is certainly reminiscent of the Barakuda Forelle, but the soft rubber foot pockets and proper metal buckles marked these Clippers out as being relatively superior in the comfort stakes.

That's it for today and for the Barakuda Forelle. Another Barakuda fin next time, probably the Barakuda-Longo.

I so forgot. Seeing this picture brings back this memory:
Forelle blau, (the earlier two catalog pictures), looks just like the cheap plastic fin I had as a kid, although for me that must have been in the early 70s (Maybe mine were not an „original“). I do remember it. Not for good reasons. I recall an ill fitting, hard POS blue plastic fin (possibly because I needed to use it years before my feet fit) that chewed my upper feet to shreds right at the end of the foot pockets. Later a first pair of full pocket rubber fins were an eye opener over what a crappy fin such plastic fins were...

 

[David Wilson]

Glad I brought back a few memories for you, Schwob, even though they were disagreeable ones. I share with you a disdain for the cheap plastic fins available back then to be foisted on children by adults unconcerned about the consequences of the hard, sharp, unyielding material on growing feet. I've never really understood why plastic fins eventually took off at all, considering the commercial failure of the first composite fin, the Caravelle, and I can only conclude it's all down to an obsession with lightness when transporting fins on planes. Today's "travel fins" = "I let the airline decide what fins I wear". The Japanese have the right idea when they stick to comfortable all-rubber fins.

But revenons à nos moutons and let's consider the two remaining models to be reviewed on the fin page (above) in the 1981 Barakuda catalogue. First the model dubbed "Hit", which appears on the left in the image. The caption at the top translates roughly as follows: "Hit, orange. Swimming fin with enclosed heel and open toe. Offset blade. Sized from 29-31 to 43-45. Floating". It is classed as an "all-round" fin.

A few more images for a closer look:

So a "typical" recreational full-foot fin of the period marked with the names of the brand (Barakuda) and the model (Hit) on the top and with the size ranges and the buoyancy factor in English on the bottom. The blade reinforcement lies more in the side rails than in the centre ribs, which largely serve as decoration.

The pattern topping the blade is certainly reminiscent of a certain Italian fin of the time: the Salvas Condor:

The difference is in the number of lines, 3 in the case of the Barakuda Hit and 5 in the case of the Salvas Condor. Salvas may have donated or sold their Condor moulds in turn to Istanbul rubber manufacturer Nilsan, who used them to create their Golf model:

Or perhaps the Turkish fin-maker was inspired by the original Italian design.

 

[David Wilson]

Our second fin of the day is the Barakuda Stream (right above). The caption is relatively terse: "Stream. A lightweight fin made of floating rubber material. Orange. Sized 26-29 to 44-45". Perhaps the most distinctive feature is the centre rib ending in a trident. Otherwise this fin is just another recreational fin from the early 1980s when almost every western fin manufacturer was jumping on the tupperware bandwagon at home and outsourcing their rubber fin production overseas closer to the rubber plantations in the Far East.

And here are a couple more pictures of Barakuda Stream fins:

Not a lot more to say about them except that I once owned a pair and found them perfectly comfortable and serviceable as summer vacation fins for snorkelling in the Med.

I'm going to finish here with a promise to return with a description of two more Barakuda fins to complete this review of the range. We'll then proceed to a study of Barakuda diving masks.

 

[David Wilson]

Thank you for the "likes", guys. Now for the last two models in the Barakuda fin range. We'll begin with the "Barakuda-Versehrtenflosse", which appeared in the company's catalogues between 1957 and 1959. Here is the relevant 1957 entry:

The caption reads In German: "Die BARAKUDA-VERSEHRTENFLOSSE ist ein Spezialschwimmgerät, welches Unter- oder Oberschenkel-, ein- oder doppelseitig Amputierten im Wasser die volle Bewegungsfreiheit von Personen mit unversehrten Gliedmaßen gibt und sie zu schnellen und ausdauernden Schwimm- und Tauchleistungen befähigt. Die Flosse ist den anatomischen Voraussetzungen des Versehrten angepaßt und bildet in Verbindung mit dem von einem Orthopädiemechaniker individuell anzuarbeitenden Stumpfkorb mit Bandagierung eine bequem sitzende und zuverlässig arbeitende Schwimmprothese. Neben ihrem rein sportlichen Wert ist sie ein wichtiges Hilfsmittel für die Bewegungstherapie bei Amputierten und wird vielfach ärztlicherseits verordnet. Preis (ohne Stumpfkorb und Bandagierung): DM 29.50."

And roughly in English: "The BARAKUDA DISABILITY FIN is a special swimming device giving an intact-limbed person's complete freedom of movement in the water to single or double lower- or upper-leg amputees and enabling them to perform with speed and endurance when they swim and dive. The fin is custom-made to the disabled person's anatomical circumstances, forming a comfortable and reliable swimming prosthesis when bandaged to the stump socket in a manner to be determined by an orthopedic mechanic on a case-by-case base. Apart from its purely sporting value, this is an important aid to amputees undergoing movement therapy and it is often prescribed by doctors. Price (without the stump socket and the bandaging): DM 29.50."

The same image and caption appeared in the 1958 catalogue, while the 1959 version came with a shorter description:

The German: "VERSEHRTENFLOSSE, barakudablau. Diese Flosse ist eine vollwertige Schwimmprothese für Ober- und Unterschenkelamputierte. Sie ist den anatomischen Voraussetzungen des Versehrten so angepaßt, daß sie ihm im Wasser die volle Bewegungsfreiheit normaler Schwimmer und Taucher gibt. Der Stumpfkorb muß individuell von einem Orthopädiemechaniker angearbeitet werden. Preis ohne Stumpfkorb und Bandagierung: DM 29,50. * Spezialprospekt anfordern!" Rough translation: "DISABILITY FIN, Barakuda blue. This fin is a full-featured swimming prosthesis for upper- and lower-leg amputees. It is custom-made to the disabled person's anatomical circumstances, giving him the full freedom of movement normal swimmers and divers have in the water. The stump socket must be processed by an orthopedic mechanic on a case-by-case basis. Price without stump socket and bandage: DM 29.50. * Special brochure on request!"

So what's my take on this model? I find it curious that just one diving equipment manufacturer came up with the idea of a specialist swimming fin for lower-limb amputees in the 1950s, not so long after many servicemen would have returned from World War II with limb injuries, seeking rehabilitation and reintegration into ciivilian work and family life. I have found no evidence of the Barakuda disability fin being imported by other countries and Barakuda itself appears to have discontinued production of the fin when the 1960s came around. Perhaps the "orthopedic mechanics" of the mid twentieth century used their ingenuity to design a prosthetic foot that would fit securely into a "normal" fin. Insights, anybody?

 

[David Wilson]

The final Barakuda fin for review today is a model called the "Eurofin":

I suspect that the Eurofin was Barakuda's "swan song" in the fin manufacturing business. The company had already outsourced the production of its flagship Bonito fin to Malaysia, which not only had the raw material growing in the country's own rubber plantations but also a workforce ready and willing to learn how to manufacture finished products for export to the West. As for the Eurofin, the model above bears the Barakuda logo but I don't have any close-ups to confirm where it was made. Not much else to say, except for an observation that the Eurofin is an adjustable open-heel fin with a long, smooth blade not unlike a freediving fin blade.

That's it for today and for Barakuda fins. We'll move on in a few days' time to the Barakuda range of diving masks.

 

[Sam Miller III]

Remember -- I want to be first in line for the book or CD of your work

Sam

 

[dmaziuk]

I find it curious that just one diving equipment manufacturer came up with the idea of a specialist swimming fin for lower-limb amputees in the 1950s, not so long after many servicemen would have returned from World War II with limb injuries, seeking rehabilitation and reintegration into ciivilian work and family life. I have found no evidence of the Barakuda disability fin being imported by other countries and Barakuda itself appears to have discontinued production of the fin when the 1960s came around. Perhaps the "orthopedic mechanics" of the mid twentieth century used their ingenuity to design a prosthetic foot that would fit securely into a "normal" fin. Insights, anybody?

There was a guy showing up at the pool for a while, he was using a regular quattro or some such -- I didn't look too close so I can't tell the exact make & model. So it seems a regular open-heel pocket can work too, at least for some people.

 

[David Wilson]

I hear what you say, Sam, and thanks for the input about disability fins, dmaziuk!

On to Barakuda diving masks, now. Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start, as the old "Do Re Mi" song goes in The Sound of Music. Three masks appeared in Barakuda's 1953 catalogue. We'll begin with the "Model 52", named perhaps after the year of its introduction (1952)?

German: "Barakuda-Einglas-Tauchmaske. Modell 52. Wollen wir beim Tauchen klar und unverzerrt sehen können, so müssen wir eine Tauchmaske oder Tauchbrille benutzen. Der Zauber der Unterwasser-Tier- und Pflanzenwelt wird durch die Tauchmaske zu einem unvergeßlichen Erlebnis. Diese Tauchmaske garantiert guten Sitz und absolut wasserdichten Abschluß auf jeder Gesichtsform. Sie ist für Druckverhältnisse bis zu 4 atm. (40 m Wassertiefe) gearbeitet und mit einer splittersicheren Klarsichtscheibe versehen, die durch einen Metallspannrahmen zusätzlich gesichert wird. Durch ihr erhöhtes, günstiges Gewicht wird der durch das Maskenvolumen verursachte zusätzliche lästige Auftrieb zum Teil wieder ausgeglichen. Die Tauchmaske wird in verschiedenen leuchtenden Farben geliefert. Preis: 7,75."

Rough translation: "Barakuda single-lens diving mask. Model 52. If we want to be able to see clearly and without distortion while diving, we must use a diving mask or diving goggles. The magic of the underwater flora and fauna is an unforgettable experience when viewed through a diving mask. This diving mask guarantees a good fit and an absolutely watertight seal on any size or shape of face. It is made to withstand pressure conditions up to 4 atm. (40 m water depth) and provided with a shatterproof lens, which is further secured by a metal clamp.. Its elevated favourable weight partly counterbalances the annoying extra buoyancy caused by the mask volume. The diving mask comes in a variety of bright colours. Price: 7.75."

The Model 52 reappeared the following year in Barakuda's 1954 catalogue.

German: "Tauchmaske „52“ bewährtes Modell, das auch auf schwierigstem Gesichtsraum abdichtet, mit Spannrahmen aus seewasserbeständiger Leichtmetall-Legierung. Preis: mit Klarglas 7,85. Auch mit Gelbfilterglas. Ausführung: leuchtend blau mit Gelbfilterglas."

Rough translation: "'Model 52' tried-and-tested diving mask, which even seals against the hard-to-reach areas of the face and features a clamp made of seawater-resistant light alloy. Price with clear glass. 7.85. Also with yellow filter glass. Version: bright blue with yellow filter glass."

The "Model 52" was Barakuda's first and simplest adult mask. Renamed the "Ponza" in 1955, it survived in the Barakuda range of masks until 1973 at least.