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

[David Wilson]

So much for the evolution of the Barakuda Capri during the 1950s. In 1962, the catalogue caption for the mask was rephrased once again:

German: "CAPRI, barakudablau. Diese Jugendtauchmaske paßt jedem. Sie hat ein großes, leicht ovales Blickfeld und eine Manschette, die auf jedem Gesicht gut dichtet. Dieses Modell ist seit Jahren die auf dem deutschen Markt am meisten verbreitete Tauchmaske. Nr. 103: BUZ-Scheibe: DM 3,85."
Rough translation: "CAPRI, Barakuda blue. This youth diving mask fits everyone. It has a large, slightly oval field of vision and a skirt that seals well on every face. This model has been the most popular diving mask on the German market for years. No. 103: BUZ lens: DM 3.85."

A low price maintained since 1956 may well have contributed to this mask's popularity with young German snorkellers. 1967 brought along a further development:

German: "CAPRI, barakudablau. Diese Jugendtauchmaske paßt jedem. Sie hat ein großes, leicht ovales Blickfeld und eine Manschette, die auf jedem Gesicht gut dichtet. Dieses Modell ist seit Jahren die auf dem deutschen Markt am meisten verbreitete Tauchmaske. Jetzt mit Sprengrahmen. Best.-Nr. 103: BUZ-Scheibe: DM 4,85."
Rough translation: "CAPRI, Barakuda blue. This youth diving mask fits everyone. It has a large, slightly oval field of vision and a skirt that seals well on every face. This model has been the most popular diving mask on the German market for years. Now with a snap-on rim. Order No. 103: DM 4.85."

Note the further price hike of 1 mark for the mask with the bonus of a snap-on rim, presumably for better lens retention and a more professional look. 1968 brought a further 1 mark price rise to DM 5.85 with the option of the same model without the snap-on rim for DM 3.85. Clearly price sensitivity remained an important factor in retailing this model. Here is the Capri in 1973 with other Barakuda masks in the range:

The Capri is the second mask down on the page above. Spare parts, namely lenses, rims and straps, can now be bought separately.

That's it for now. I'll be back with details of the Barakuda Buzzi mask in several days' time.

 

[David Wilson]

Time to look at the Barakuda Buzzi diving mask, which like the "Capri" was designed for young people. It made its début in 1956:

German: "Modell „Buzzi“. Diese neue Maskenmodell - ähnlich dem Modell „Capri“ - ist eine preiswerte Jugendtauchmaske für unsere Jüngsten. Ausführung: Barakudablau. Preis mit BUZ-Klarsichtscheibe DM3,15".
Rough translation: "'Buzzi' model.This new mask model - a similar model to the "Capri" - is a budget-priced youth diving mask for the youngest amongst us. Finish: Barakuda blue, price with BUZ clear lens, DM3,15".

If you've following this thread, you'll know by now that "BUZ" stands for "Barakuda UnZerbrechlich" in German, meaning "Barakuda shatterproof" and denoting a clear plastic that was suitable for child and youth masks and form use in public swimming pools. The acronym probably inspired the name "Buzzi" for this mask too.

The Buzzi entry in the 1959 Barakuda catalogue saw the first change in wording:

German: "„Buzzi“, barakudablau, oval. Einfache kleine Tauchmaske von guter Paßform. Manschette aus hochelastischer Kautschukmischung, für Kinder im Alter von 6 bis 10 Jahren. Preis mit BUZ-Scheibe DM 3,15."
Rough translation: "'Buzzi', Barakuda blue, oval. Simple little well-fitting diving mask. Skirt made from a highly elastic rubber compound, for 6- to 10-year-old children. Price with BUZ lens, DM 3.15."

 

[David Wilson]

The 1962 Buzzi catalogue caption came with a price reduction and more precise specifications:

German: "„Buzzi“, barakudablau, oval. Einfache kleine Tauchmaske von guter Paßform. Manschette aus hochelastischer Kautschukmischung, für Kinder im Alter von 6 bis 10 Jahren. Besonders geeignet für Kinder mit kleinem Kopf, denen normale Tauchmaskeen zu groß sind. Nr 101. BUZ-Scheibe DM 2,40."
Rough translation: "'Buzzi', barakuda blue, oval.Simple little well-fitting diving mask. Skirt made from highly elastic rubber compound, for children aged 6 to 10. Especially suitable for children who have small heads and find normal diving masks too big. No. 101. BUZ lens DM 2.40."

Although the price eventually rose to DM 3.85 in 1968, I take some pleasure in the fact the Barakuda catalogue writers demonstrate their growing commitment to the "human factor" in product development as they speculate who the end-user might be. Too many catalogues confuse their readers with scientific gobbledegook and glowing feature-rich descriptions of their products without always defining which problems these selling-points are designed to solve and sometimes even forgoing all mention of the age, experience, confidence, training, strength or physique of the end-user.

As with the diving masks reviewed earlier, the final appearance of the Buzzi was in the 1973 catalogue. Here it is, number one at the top of the mask page below.

German: "BUZZI, barakudablau. Einfache kleine Tauchmaske von guter Paßform. Manschette aus hochelastischer Kautschukmischung. Für Kinder im Alter von 6 bis 10 Jahren und auch älter, wenn die Gesichtsform für normale Tauchmasken noch zu klein ist. BUZZI, komplett mit BUZ-Scheibe: Best.Nr. 1 101 00. Ersatzscheibe BUZ: Best.Nr. 1 101 10. Nackenband, blau: Best.Nr. 1 101 01."
Rough translation: "BUZZI, barakuda blue. Simple little well-fitting diving mask. Skirt made from highly elastic rubber compound. For 6- to-10-year-old children and older, if their faces are still too small for normal diving masks. BUZZI (mask), complete with BUZ lens: Order no. 1 101 00. Replacement BUZ lens: order no. 1 101 10. Head strap, blue: Order no. 1 101 01."

So an even further refinement when identifying the potential end-user of the Buzzi mask. Quality control at its best when applied to product description!

That's plenty for today. Next time we'll look at the Barakuda Kreta diving mask, which cost around three times as much as the Buzzi and came with an unusual feature.

 

[David Wilson]

On to the Barakuda Kreta diving mask, which came with an unusual feature:

German: "Modell „Kreta“. Das hervorragendste Merkmal dieses neuen Modells ist die besondere konstruktive Ausbildung von Sichtscheibe und Tauchmaskenmanschette, die dem Gesichtsfeld des Tauchers den vollen Sehwinkel des nackten Gesichtsfeldes bietet. Dieser Vorzug wird durch eine erkerartige Ausnehmung in der Maskenscheibe erreicht, welche die Nase aufnimmt und dadurch die Sichtscheibe selbst ganz dicht an die Augen heranbringt. Dadurch treten die Begrenzungsränder der Sichtscheibe bis an die Grenze des Sehwinkels zurück. Ausführung: leuchtend gelb. Preis mit BUZ-Klarsichtscheibe DM 9.85. Zu jeder „Kreta“-Maske wird, im obigen Preis einbegriffen, eine Klarsichtmittel in Plastiksprühfläschchen geliefert, welches die Sichtscheibe der Maske beschlagfrei hält."
Rough translation: "'Kreta'(Crete) model. The most distinctive feature of this new model is the special design of the lens and diving mask skirt providing the diver's range of vision with the full angle of sight accessible to the naked eye, achieving this advantage by enclosing the nose in a bay-window-like recess in the mask lens and thereby bringing the lens itself into closer proximity to the eyes. As a result, the edges of the lens are pushed back to the limits of the angle of sight. Finish: bright yellow. Price with BUZ (Barakuda Shatterproof) clear lens: DM 9.85. Included in the price of each 'Kreta' mask is a clearing agent supplied in plastic spray bottles to keep the mask lens fog-free."

The nose recess in the shatterproof plastic lens may have been a distinctive mask feature - even outstanding in more than one sense(!) - but it was not unique in mid-1950s Europe. Downloadable from https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bw7z_4bLjOOEcmt6eVBRbjBBMU0 and viewable online at TYPHOON catalogo 1956 | BluTimeScubaHistory, the 1956 edition of Skinner's handbook for skin divers cataloguing the company's Typhoon range of underwater swimming equipment made in England showcases the Surf Star diving mask below:

The design of both the Barakuda Kreta and the Typhoon Surf Star may well have been inspired by the early-1950s Cressi Pinocchio mask (below, worn by its inventor Luigi Ferraro):

The Barakuda Kreta mask may in turn have inspired the design of a Soviet diving mask:

 

[David Wilson]

The Kreta mask appeared regularly in annual Barakuda catalogues between 1957 and 1968, while the Surf Star was conspicuous by its absence from the 1966 edition of Skinner's handbook for skin divers published ten years later.

Here's how Barakuda presented the Kreta mask in its 1959 catalogue:

German: "„Kreta“, barakudablau, oval. Die Tauchmaske mit dem größten Blickfeld. Die Sichtscheibe besitzt einen hinausgedrückten Nasenerker, wodurch die Sichtscheibe dicht an die Augen herangebracht wird. Die Maske besitzt ein verstellbares Kopfband, einen Metallsprengrahmen und BUZ-Scheibe. Preis: mit BUZ-Klarsichtscheibe DM 5,85. BUZZI KLAR, Klarsichtmittel für alle Maskenscheiben, in 25 ccm Sprühflasche. Preis: DM -,45."
Rough translation: "'Kreta', Barakuda blue, oval. The diving mask with the largest field of vision. The lens comes with a projecting nose recess bringing the lens into close proximity to the eyes. The mask has an adjustable head strap, a metal snap-on rim and a BUZ lens. Price: with BUZ clear lens, DM 5.85. BUZZI CLEAR, clearing agent for all mask lenses, in 25 cc spray bottle. Price: DM 0.45."

Note the price reduction for the mask and the separate pricing of the defogging spray. I have my own suspicions that German divers were not quite ready during the 1950s to wear a mask that not only brought the positives of lower internal volume and a wider angle of vision but also the negative of nasal proboscis accentuation to such an extent that any non-diver may have drawn unflattering parallels with Jimmy Durante's "Great Schnozzle":

Today's divers seem to have overcome their aversion to nasal protuberances, but such trends take time, in much the same manner as many 1960s divers declined to buy into fins with rubber foot pockets and plastic blades when they first came out in the shape of the Caravelle. Although many people have changed their minds about composite fins since then, I certainly haven't!

But revenons à nos moutons. Masks like the Cressi Pinocchio, the Typhoon Surf Star and the Barakuda Kreta débuted before their time when it came to the technology of mask design, bringing as they did the lens closer to the eyes to increase the angle of vision, reducing the internal volume to impede water retention and enabling the wearers to pinch their noses and clear their ears when diving deeply. The accompanying nosepieces probably lacked aesthetic appeal, however, leading to slow sales and consequent price reductions to stimulate demand.

Changes to the Kreta caption came in 1962:

German: "K R E T A barakudablau * *. Die Tauchmaske mit dem großen Blickfeld. Die Sichtscheibe besitzt einen hinausgedrückten Nasenerker, wodurch die Sichtscheibe dicht an die Augen herangebracht wird. Nr. 109: BUZ-Scheibe DM 5,85."
Rough translation: "KRETA Barakuda blue * *. The diving mask with the large field of vision. The lens comes with a projecting nose recess bringing the lens into close proximity to the eyes. No. 109: BUZ lens DM 5.85."

So no reference this time to the head strap or the metal rim. Barakuda was probably aware that low-volume mask technology was shifting towards a separate nose pocket located below the mask window instead of one projecting from, and integrated with, the faceplate. Here's the Kreta's swan song in 1968:

So a price drop of DM1, probably designed to clear any remaining stock before modernising the whole Barakuda line of diving masks.

Next time we'll move on to the Barakuda "Stromboli" mask, named after one of Italy's three active volcanoes. True to its name, the Stromboli mask was a groundbreaking model but for a different reason. Its impact was such that it merited export across the Pond to the United States! Stay tuned.

 

[АлександрД]

@David Wilson Thanks!
As I could remember, when I was a child, I try to use mask like Capri (may be it was Buzzy). It was very nice and comfortable, with non forgetable rubber smell, but with very narrow viewing angle. It sucking to the face very strong, but lay on the face without any inconveniecnes. It was one of the old father`s masks, and as I can remember - my first try of swiming with masks I was around 7-8 y.o.

Plastic mask I bought when I was a schoolchild (around 16 y.o.). Was nice, but uncomfortable - It has small size for my face, need to be tighten strong, to stop leakage. And stay some impresses on the face
But was very lightweight and simple.

 

[Sam Miller III]

The late Jim Auxier, one of the founders of the American Dive Magazine. Skin Diver magazine had and used a Russian clear plastic mask for a number of years. Never questioned him how or where he obtained it

Probably the only one to reach the US shores

Sam

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks for the input, АлександрД and Sam. On today to the Stromboli diving mask, which made its début in the 1960 Barakuda catalogue:

German: "„STROMBOLI“, barakudablau. Diese Modell ist keine Tauchmaske mehr im üblichen Sinne, sondern eine Konstruktion nach völlig neuen Ideen mit dem Ziel, auch unter Wasser ein Gesichtsfeld zu haben, das dem normalen Sehbereich gleichkommt. Die Maske besitzt daher auch keine das Gesichtsfeld seitlich einengenden Manschettenteile. Dafür ist die Sichtweite soweit herumgezogen, wie es erforderlich ist, um den natürlichen Sehwinkel voll ausznutzen. Die zur Dichtung notwendige Gummimanschette ist sehr knapp gehalten, um das Gesichtsfeld auch nach oben und unten möglichst wenig zu beeinträchtigen. Ein neues vierbändigeres Kopfband gewährleistet auf jeder Kopfform einen ausgezeichneten Sitz. Die Maske ist in erster Linie für Sporttaucher, Unterwasserjäger und Unterwasserfotografie entwickelt worden. Ihre besondere Konstruktion läßt den Taucher z.B. auch seitlich von hinten anschwimmende Fische wahrnehmen. Preis: kompl. DM 15,85. Scheibe, sep. DM 3,75. Kopfplatte, sep. DM -,30. Spannring, sep. DM -,75."
Rough translation: ""STROMBOLI", Barakuda blue colour. This model is no longer a diving mask in the usual sense, but a design based on completely new ideas with the aim of having an underwater field of vision equivalent to the normal range of vision. So the mask face seal has no side parts to restrict the peripheral field of vision. The view provides the wherewithal to exploit the natural angle of vision to the full. The rubber skirt required for the face seal is kept very short to minimise the vertical field of vision. A new four-strap headband ensures an excellent fit, however the head is shaped. The mask has been developed primarily for scuba divers, underwater hunters and underwater photography. One illustration of this special design is that the mask raises the diver's awareness of fish swimming past from behind. Price: Complete: DM 15.85. Lens, bought separately: DM 3.75. Headplate, bought separately: DM -.30. Rim, bought separately: DM -.75."

So we have here what came to be called a "wraparound" mask, which not only provided panoramic vision, front and sides, but also removed "blind spots" by reducing the size of the skirt to a bare minimum. The Barakuda Stromboli also made it States-side during 1960 in this November 1960 Skin Diver ad, where it has pride of place with the Aqua-Lung "Wrap-around" at Aqua Sport Divers of East Detroit, Michigan:

And here is an image of the mask from a Sirocco Suits ad at the back of the July-August 1961 issue of the British Sub-Aqua Club "Triton":

 

[David Wilson]

The Barakuda Stromboli underwent a change of caption in 1962:

German: "S T R O M B O L I * *. Mit diesem Modell hat man auch unter Wasser ein Gesichtsfeld, das dem normalen Sehbereich gleichkommt. Die Sichtscheibe ist seitlich weit herumgezogen. Ein vierbänderiges Kopfband gewährleistet einen ausgezeichneten Sitz. Nr. 135. BUZ DM 15,85."
Rough translation: "STROMBOLI **. This mask provides a field of vision underwater equivalent to the normal range of vision. The lens has been extended around the sides. A four-strap headband guarantees an excellent fit. No. 135. BUZ (Fitted with Barakuda shatterproof lens) DM 15.85."

And this remained the production description of the Barakuda Stromboli diving mask until its final appearance in the 1968 catalogue. In any case, a couple of rival masks with peripheral vision had entered the marketplace before and during 1960:

Hurricane Argonaute (France: 1957)

Aqualung Professional (USA: 1960)

Here are some later "wraparound" models:
Scubapro Supervision 1970-1980 (Could be earlier start and later finish)
Healthways Scubarama (Listed in Larry Clinton's Complete Outfitting & Source Book for Sport Diving (1978))
Nemrod Denia Spain, 1972
Britmarine Salamander UK, 1970s.

That's all, folks, for today. I'll be back in a few days' time with another Barakuda diving mask, probably the "Como" model for young people.

 

[David Wilson]

"Mask of the day" today is the Barakuda Como, first launched here in the German company's 1962 catalogue:

German: "C O M O barakudablau. Eine vollwertige Tauchmaske für unsere Jugend mit großer Sichtscheibe und Sprengrahmenhalterung. Der Maskenkörper besteht aus Weich-PVC und gewährleistet guten Sitz. Das Kopfband ist verstellbar. Nr. 102 BUZ-Scheibe DM 2,85."
Rough translation: "COMO Barakuda blue. A full-featured diving mask for our young people fitted with a large lens retained by a snap-on rim. The mask body is made of soft PVC and a good fit is guaranteed. The head strap is adjustable. No. 102 BUZ (Barakuda Shatterproof) lens DM 2.85."

So the distinctive feature of the Como relative to other Barakuda diving masks is the material used to construct the skirt, namely "soft PVC". PVC is routinely used nowadays to make cheap diving masks, and Barakuda probably made the Como from this material to attract parent buyers with tight budgets. The snap-on metal rim came as a bonus to give the model a more professional look.

This said, Barakuda was far from alone in introducing diving masks with soft plastic skirts. In the same year, 1962, US Divers imported from Italy an "Aquatic" brand diving mask made of "Marvil" plastic with longevity of service life as the principal selling point: