OP
Bob Evans
Contributor
The orginial SHOEFIN from Bill Meistrell,Founder of Body Glove and Dive N, Surf along with his twin Brother Bob Meistrell. Circa: 1950 Collection of Bob Evans
fin fun images.
- Thread starter Bob Evans
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THRASH
Contributor
Awesome pic. Do you have a pic that shows the progression of fins from old to new? Showing the increasing the technology and design improvements along the way?
FyshEye
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Bob Evans;7169269:
Bob,
How are you? Long time no see and chat. One of these days when I am traveling south I will drop by for a catch up chat and look see of your products
Churchill introduced the Churchill fins to the US market in 1940. Sales were primarily to local SoCal Life guards, only 940 pairs were sold. Later on during WW11 50,000 Pairs were made for the US and British forces. All were basic black and Very Heavy!!!!!!!!!!
The fins were produced by;
1940 Churchill Rubber company
1943 West America Rubber Company
1944 Santa fe Rubber company
????F.J. Voit Rubber Company
Now in the far east
By 1950 I suspect you recall that Spaco (of NYC) was offering a fin of unknown European origin, Sea net was offering the Frog feet, Rene Sports (US Diver-aka Aqua Lung) the Web Feet and Voit rubber company was marketing Churchills.
The picture of the fin is almost an exact copy of the fin featured in the "How to build a Beginner's Diving Outfit" featured in the June 1954 edition of Popular Science Page 173 by Herb Pfister
In 1950 the Korean war erupted. Bob, Bill and I were either in serving in the US armed services of preparing to enter the US armed services
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"THRASH
Awesome pic. Do you have a pic that shows the progression of fins from old to new? Showing the increasing the technology and design improvements along the way? "
I would like to suggest that you obtain the 20 year old issues of Historical Diver and read my series of articles "A short history of fins"
#3 Summer 1994 page 25 & 26
#4 Spring 1994 pages 12 &13
#5 Summer 1994 pages 18 & 19
Bob's Force fin was discussed in the summer issue.
Hope this clarifies a few misconceptions and provides a bit of fin history.
SDM
THRASH
Contributor
sam miller,
Thanks for the reference. I will look into what you suggested.
Can't wait for tomorrows pic Bob.
Thanks for the reference. I will look into what you suggested.
Can't wait for tomorrows pic Bob.
OP
Bob Evans
Contributor
Well, Thank you Sam, very much. Your right on the button..and offer information other's like to know. Especially here on the Force Fin Forums....but please help me place a date on Bill's fin, I am sure it's about the time they opened Dive N Surf. Have you seen fins like this before.? Call any time be fun to catch up. Best, Bob
OP
Bob Evans
Contributor
Wonder what
Sam Miller will say?
Sam Miller will say?
- Messages
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Bob,
There were many dive shops in SoCal prior to the establishment of Dive N Surf, just to name few; La Jolla Sporting goods in SD, Lyle Hoskins in OC, Proctors in LB, Mel's in LA, all now history, only Dive N surf remains and is unquestionably the oldest operating shop in Socal.
It was established by Bev Morgan (dive) and Hap Jacobs(surf) some time after the Korean War. Iin the mid 1950s the brothers brought the shop. The rest is well documented history..
The fins are very similar to the ones in the Magazine article I previously referenced in the earlier post.'
Please bear in mind in those halcyon days if an item costs over a dollar we made it or if an item was needed not being produced or available in the market we made it.
I did see a very interesting pair od fins that was owned by Keith Bartley who established Black Barts in DP. It used a lace up shoe and had a wood blade , that was spring loaded at the toe.
As previously stated the diving fins were readily available beginning in 1940. Immediately after WW11 the market was flooded with black WW11 Churchill's and post war green Churchill's.
However, also please bear in mind that as previously stated if an item costs over a dollar we made it or if an item was needed not being produced or available in the market we made it. It was the ear of improvising and using the modern term "DIY." I made a rebreather in in 1948/9 using WW 11 surplus items. For a number of years I used a homemade mask., made for me by the late great Charlie Sturgill, who lived up the hill in Hollywood Riviera from Dive N Surf. Since Cherie began his recreational diving in 1929 the fins may have been ones he improvised and they copied. Wouldn't be the first time, about half the items in diving today can be traced back to Charles garage.
FYI I am attaching a 25 year old article that appeared in my dedicated column "The way it was' the now defunct national magazine "Discover Diving."In the beginning we had to make our dive mask Or have talented people like Charlie Sturgil make one for us. I still have the mask.. Only three have survived the modern disposable society.
The Mask,
One of the great pioneer divers of all times was the late Charlie Sturgill. "The Old Walrus," as he was affectionately known, started his diving career in 1929 (Several years before the famed Bottom Scratchers) in the frigid waters off Northern California where he hunted for abalone by a method he described as "feeling for abalone." He would dive on a reef, feel until he found an abalone and pry it off, without the use of mask, fins, snorkel or thermal protection.
Charlie began diving with a mask using a Japanese mask in the late 1930s which was loaned to him by his good friend Bill O'Conner. A few years later after the end of WW 11, Charlie, a master tool and die maker and an inventor of sorts, developed the necessary tooling to produce masks on a semi-custom basis for himself and a few close friends. I consider myself very fortunate to have been included in the latter category.
In early years during the genesis of recreational diving the masks were either too large, too small, too stiff or after a few dives, would rapidly deteriorate into a gummy, sticky mess. This did not make for comfortable diving! After using a number of the masks of that era the oriental imports,Amas & Hae nos and the American made Sea Net, I decided it was time to contact Charlie to ask him if he could make one of his custom masks.
After checking my meager finances, found I could possibly afford one of Charlie's masks, so I gave him a call. "Sure, Sammy, I'd be happy to make a mask for you, come on over", Charlie replied to my request. Within moments I was off to the temple of Southern California diving, Charlie Sturgil's garage.
I was met by this jovial hunk of a man with his infectious, ever-present smile. "Hey ya, Sammy" was always his cordial greeting. Alter a few moments of catching up on the diving scene it, was time to get to work. "Sammy, I'm now making two masks; the original for $6.00 and a new oval model for $8.00", Charlie explained. After considerable soul searching and penny counting, I opted for what I felt I could afford, the original round mask for $6.00.
Now, Charlie's garage was something to behold. It appeared to be in total disarray, and the best way to describe it would be the day after a big sale in a bargain basement. Diving equipment in various stages of repairs, pieces of metal, lengths of stainless rods scattered about... Omnipresent was the huge metal turret lathe and miscellaneous metal working machines. But to Charlie, it was his arena, it was where he excelled in turning these seemingly scrap pieces of metal into custom spear points, spear shafts, yes, even masks.
Charlie knew the location, size, shape and type of everything in his garage. His storage system was logical and certainly workable, but it still defies the imagination how he managed to find anything, let alone make anything, but he did.
Charlie went to work with the speed and skill of a emergency room surgeon. He immediately uncovered a length of 5 inch O.D. soft rubber World War 11, surplus fire hose, from which he cut a 4 inch piece. He placed the piece of rubber hose in the wooden mold and proceeded to his trusty bench grinder where he slowly cut a 1/8 inch wide, 3/32 deep groove all around the edge for the glass. This was followed by the rough contouring for the forehead, cheeks, and upper lip. He then went to his metal rack and withdrew a piece of 3/4 x 16 inch 22 gauge stainless steel, which he placed in his specially constructed mold and carefully, yet skillfully, forced the stainless steel around the mold forming it into a familiar round mask shape. His next step was to form the band evenly and smoothly around the mold creating the lip for the compression hand with light rapid laps of a hammer. Using silver solder, the welding process of the era, he soldered the tabs for the strap and the compression screw tabs to complete the band. A piece of pre-cut 1/3 inch glass, the same kind used for window glass, was taken from the shelf and fit into the groove; the compression band placed around the mask and the compression screw tightened.
At last, the mask was assembled. My own custom Sturgill mask! Charlie proceeded to take some cursory measurements of my then youthful face, and returned to the grinding wheel, skillfully grinding a little here, a little there, another trial fit, a little more grinding. Finally, a perfect fit. A final hand finish with fine sandpaper, attaching of the strap, cut from a truck inner tube, and I was the proud possessor of a real genuine Charlie Sturgil Original Style Diving Mask.
This occurred many years ago when diving as well as life was much simpler, a time when pride in workmanship and ownership were at a premium. Charlie made almost 40 of these one of a kind custom dive masks, however only three are known to have survived the rigors of our disposable society, mine, Alex Pierce's of Toronto, Canada and Charlie's widow's Laura's mask which now on loan and rests in a Southern California museum. And indeed they are museum pieces... the three remaining masks are all almost sixty years old and represent an era which was experienced by only a precious few which will never be experienced again upon this earth.
Charlie has reverend position in the fraternity of diving pioneers; he won the world's second Spearfishing contest in 1950 with a pole spear, was a LA County Underwater Instructor and serendipity developed much of the spearfishing and SCUBA equipment which has become mainstream in todays diving.
I will never forget Charlie, nor will anyone who ever knew him.... nor will there ever be another mask like a Sturgill Mask.
Dr Samuel Miller,111
(Copyright 2014, by Dr. Samuel Miller,111 & Lee/CCnews/TPR; may not be used with out permission of author and Lee/CCnews)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
post script;
Charlie passed on November 15 1984, 30 years ago- long before many of you were born or were engaged in this noble activity. His devoted wife Laura aka "Queenie" passed on a few years ago at the age of 90. If Charlie knew you and liked you he always addressed you in the familiar; Ie Sammy, Bobbie, Jimmie,--Those he didn't have great admiration or didn't know well it was formal Sam, Bob or Jim. A little about Charlie Sturgill...
Charlie along with team mates the late Bud Abernathy and Freddie Kittles of the SoCal Skin Divers team won the 1951 International Spearfishing meet. Bud and Freddie used a Sturgill modified Champion Arbaletes with Sturgil points. Charlie used his trusty legendary pole spear. Charlie Sturgill was the only person in the history of spearfishing competition to win an international meet with a pole spear.
The Fathomiers spearfishing club has been presenting the "Charlie Sturgill Pole Spear Spearfishing meet" for about 30 years...It came full circle when Charlie's grand daughter, Laura Lee Gonta won the meet several years ago using one of grandfather Charlie's legendary pole spears.
Charlie passed on November 15 1984, His devoted wife Laura passed on a few years ago at the age of 90. If Charlie knew you and liked you he always addressed you in the familiar; I.e. Sammy, Bobbie, Jimmie,--Those he didn't have great admiration or didn't know well it was formal Sam, Bob or Jim.
The name Sturgill and Charlie's reputation is alive and well with the establishment of Sturgill Underwater products located in the south bay area and still manufacturing the no nonsense very functional and extremely rugged equipment that Charlie was known for over 50 years
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I feel I have posted enough for a day or possibly a week, now I must get to work on my book..But Bob, we have been friends for many many years and I feel it is time well spent and you are worth the effort,
Take care,
SDM
I suspect the dog is saying " These FORCE FINS are certainly more comfortable than Jets"
sdm
There were many dive shops in SoCal prior to the establishment of Dive N Surf, just to name few; La Jolla Sporting goods in SD, Lyle Hoskins in OC, Proctors in LB, Mel's in LA, all now history, only Dive N surf remains and is unquestionably the oldest operating shop in Socal.
It was established by Bev Morgan (dive) and Hap Jacobs(surf) some time after the Korean War. Iin the mid 1950s the brothers brought the shop. The rest is well documented history..
The fins are very similar to the ones in the Magazine article I previously referenced in the earlier post.'
Please bear in mind in those halcyon days if an item costs over a dollar we made it or if an item was needed not being produced or available in the market we made it.
I did see a very interesting pair od fins that was owned by Keith Bartley who established Black Barts in DP. It used a lace up shoe and had a wood blade , that was spring loaded at the toe.
As previously stated the diving fins were readily available beginning in 1940. Immediately after WW11 the market was flooded with black WW11 Churchill's and post war green Churchill's.
However, also please bear in mind that as previously stated if an item costs over a dollar we made it or if an item was needed not being produced or available in the market we made it. It was the ear of improvising and using the modern term "DIY." I made a rebreather in in 1948/9 using WW 11 surplus items. For a number of years I used a homemade mask., made for me by the late great Charlie Sturgill, who lived up the hill in Hollywood Riviera from Dive N Surf. Since Cherie began his recreational diving in 1929 the fins may have been ones he improvised and they copied. Wouldn't be the first time, about half the items in diving today can be traced back to Charles garage.
FYI I am attaching a 25 year old article that appeared in my dedicated column "The way it was' the now defunct national magazine "Discover Diving."In the beginning we had to make our dive mask Or have talented people like Charlie Sturgil make one for us. I still have the mask.. Only three have survived the modern disposable society.
The Mask,
One of the great pioneer divers of all times was the late Charlie Sturgill. "The Old Walrus," as he was affectionately known, started his diving career in 1929 (Several years before the famed Bottom Scratchers) in the frigid waters off Northern California where he hunted for abalone by a method he described as "feeling for abalone." He would dive on a reef, feel until he found an abalone and pry it off, without the use of mask, fins, snorkel or thermal protection.
Charlie began diving with a mask using a Japanese mask in the late 1930s which was loaned to him by his good friend Bill O'Conner. A few years later after the end of WW 11, Charlie, a master tool and die maker and an inventor of sorts, developed the necessary tooling to produce masks on a semi-custom basis for himself and a few close friends. I consider myself very fortunate to have been included in the latter category.
In early years during the genesis of recreational diving the masks were either too large, too small, too stiff or after a few dives, would rapidly deteriorate into a gummy, sticky mess. This did not make for comfortable diving! After using a number of the masks of that era the oriental imports,Amas & Hae nos and the American made Sea Net, I decided it was time to contact Charlie to ask him if he could make one of his custom masks.
After checking my meager finances, found I could possibly afford one of Charlie's masks, so I gave him a call. "Sure, Sammy, I'd be happy to make a mask for you, come on over", Charlie replied to my request. Within moments I was off to the temple of Southern California diving, Charlie Sturgil's garage.
I was met by this jovial hunk of a man with his infectious, ever-present smile. "Hey ya, Sammy" was always his cordial greeting. Alter a few moments of catching up on the diving scene it, was time to get to work. "Sammy, I'm now making two masks; the original for $6.00 and a new oval model for $8.00", Charlie explained. After considerable soul searching and penny counting, I opted for what I felt I could afford, the original round mask for $6.00.
Now, Charlie's garage was something to behold. It appeared to be in total disarray, and the best way to describe it would be the day after a big sale in a bargain basement. Diving equipment in various stages of repairs, pieces of metal, lengths of stainless rods scattered about... Omnipresent was the huge metal turret lathe and miscellaneous metal working machines. But to Charlie, it was his arena, it was where he excelled in turning these seemingly scrap pieces of metal into custom spear points, spear shafts, yes, even masks.
Charlie knew the location, size, shape and type of everything in his garage. His storage system was logical and certainly workable, but it still defies the imagination how he managed to find anything, let alone make anything, but he did.
Charlie went to work with the speed and skill of a emergency room surgeon. He immediately uncovered a length of 5 inch O.D. soft rubber World War 11, surplus fire hose, from which he cut a 4 inch piece. He placed the piece of rubber hose in the wooden mold and proceeded to his trusty bench grinder where he slowly cut a 1/8 inch wide, 3/32 deep groove all around the edge for the glass. This was followed by the rough contouring for the forehead, cheeks, and upper lip. He then went to his metal rack and withdrew a piece of 3/4 x 16 inch 22 gauge stainless steel, which he placed in his specially constructed mold and carefully, yet skillfully, forced the stainless steel around the mold forming it into a familiar round mask shape. His next step was to form the band evenly and smoothly around the mold creating the lip for the compression hand with light rapid laps of a hammer. Using silver solder, the welding process of the era, he soldered the tabs for the strap and the compression screw tabs to complete the band. A piece of pre-cut 1/3 inch glass, the same kind used for window glass, was taken from the shelf and fit into the groove; the compression band placed around the mask and the compression screw tightened.
At last, the mask was assembled. My own custom Sturgill mask! Charlie proceeded to take some cursory measurements of my then youthful face, and returned to the grinding wheel, skillfully grinding a little here, a little there, another trial fit, a little more grinding. Finally, a perfect fit. A final hand finish with fine sandpaper, attaching of the strap, cut from a truck inner tube, and I was the proud possessor of a real genuine Charlie Sturgil Original Style Diving Mask.
This occurred many years ago when diving as well as life was much simpler, a time when pride in workmanship and ownership were at a premium. Charlie made almost 40 of these one of a kind custom dive masks, however only three are known to have survived the rigors of our disposable society, mine, Alex Pierce's of Toronto, Canada and Charlie's widow's Laura's mask which now on loan and rests in a Southern California museum. And indeed they are museum pieces... the three remaining masks are all almost sixty years old and represent an era which was experienced by only a precious few which will never be experienced again upon this earth.
Charlie has reverend position in the fraternity of diving pioneers; he won the world's second Spearfishing contest in 1950 with a pole spear, was a LA County Underwater Instructor and serendipity developed much of the spearfishing and SCUBA equipment which has become mainstream in todays diving.
I will never forget Charlie, nor will anyone who ever knew him.... nor will there ever be another mask like a Sturgill Mask.
Dr Samuel Miller,111
(Copyright 2014, by Dr. Samuel Miller,111 & Lee/CCnews/TPR; may not be used with out permission of author and Lee/CCnews)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
post script;
Charlie passed on November 15 1984, 30 years ago- long before many of you were born or were engaged in this noble activity. His devoted wife Laura aka "Queenie" passed on a few years ago at the age of 90. If Charlie knew you and liked you he always addressed you in the familiar; Ie Sammy, Bobbie, Jimmie,--Those he didn't have great admiration or didn't know well it was formal Sam, Bob or Jim. A little about Charlie Sturgill...
Charlie along with team mates the late Bud Abernathy and Freddie Kittles of the SoCal Skin Divers team won the 1951 International Spearfishing meet. Bud and Freddie used a Sturgill modified Champion Arbaletes with Sturgil points. Charlie used his trusty legendary pole spear. Charlie Sturgill was the only person in the history of spearfishing competition to win an international meet with a pole spear.
The Fathomiers spearfishing club has been presenting the "Charlie Sturgill Pole Spear Spearfishing meet" for about 30 years...It came full circle when Charlie's grand daughter, Laura Lee Gonta won the meet several years ago using one of grandfather Charlie's legendary pole spears.
Charlie passed on November 15 1984, His devoted wife Laura passed on a few years ago at the age of 90. If Charlie knew you and liked you he always addressed you in the familiar; I.e. Sammy, Bobbie, Jimmie,--Those he didn't have great admiration or didn't know well it was formal Sam, Bob or Jim.
The name Sturgill and Charlie's reputation is alive and well with the establishment of Sturgill Underwater products located in the south bay area and still manufacturing the no nonsense very functional and extremely rugged equipment that Charlie was known for over 50 years
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I feel I have posted enough for a day or possibly a week, now I must get to work on my book..But Bob, we have been friends for many many years and I feel it is time well spent and you are worth the effort,
Take care,
SDM
I suspect the dog is saying " These FORCE FINS are certainly more comfortable than Jets"
sdm
OP
Bob Evans
Contributor
Dear Sam. You're amazing. I would read every word again and again. Thank you for sharing with all of us and please step in any time to correct my dates or facts. Let's have that lunch soon. Your Friend Bob. Now back t
o those Fun Fin Images. Susanne in Force Fins and JMC with his OPS.
o those Fun Fin Images. Susanne in Force Fins and JMC with his OPS.
TN Traveler
Contributor
Can't wait until you start producing the OPS fins again.
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