Russian and Ukrainian snorkels

[tridacna]

David, are the items in the pics part of your collection? Or just the pics part of your collection?

I'm enjoying this thread immensely. Thank you.

Tri

 

[David Wilson]

David, are the items in the pics part of your collection? Or just the pics part of your collection?

I'm enjoying this thread immensely. Thank you.

Tri

Just the pictures, most of which I have found while surfing Avito and Olx, the auction sites of Russia and Ukraine.

I do have a couple of Russian snorkels in my gear collection, however, a modern L-shaped one and a Soviet L-shaped one. I also have four Russian masks, a Ukrainian mask, two pairs of Russian fins and two pairs of Ukrainian fins in my collection. Also a Russian drysuit.

Glad you enjoyed the thread.

 

[David Wilson]

A brief update to this thread, which I am aware is now over a year old. One of the pictures here showed a snorkel that I was unable to identify:

I have been trawling through several Ukrainian online retail sites, where the same breathing tube now appears to be on sale with the product name "Трубка для плавания PL-6279" (PL-6279 Swimming Tube), e.g.

Трубка для Плавания (Украина) — в Категории "Трубки для Плавания" на Bigl.ua (540166503)
The product description in this case includes the following: "Трубка для плавания. Материал: пластик, резина. Длина 55 см. Загубник резиновый." My very rough translation from the Russian: "Swimming tube. Material: plastic, rubber. Length 55 cm. Rubber mouthpiece."

Two points of interest. First, the length of this snorkel.

At 55 cm, this snorkel complies with just one of the National Snorkel Standards above, namely BS 4532 of 1969 and 1977. Later Standards limit snorkel length to a maximum of 35 cm, which keeps dead space to a minimum and makes snorkels easier to clear of residual water.

Secondly, this snorkel may have German Democratic Republic (East German) provenance (or inspiration).

The blue model above had the product name "Ga-Gum", which is just visible on the extended rubber mouthpiece elbow:

When manufacture transferred to the Hungarian People's Republic, however, the length of the Ga-Gum (or Gagum) was given as 35 cm, so 20 cm shorter than the snorkel now sold as the PL-6279:

So the mystery thickens when it comes to tracing the provenance of the "Soviet-style" breathing tube currently being sold as the PL-6279 snorkel in the Ukraine!

 

[dmaziuk]

You can't really track the provenance of modern Ukrainian "mestprom" products. These may be old Soviet molds just as easily as Cressi knock-offs bought in .cn and put together by the locals. Трубки для Плавания в Украине Недорого на Bigl.ua. Цены, Фото, Отзывы, Наличие в Магазинах (these are all listed as "made in Ukraine")

(мест. пром. for местная промышленность: local production)

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks, dmaziuk, for that explanation. I've noticed too that what look like Russian "Neptun" and "Laguna" diving masks are now also being offered for sale in Ukraine with different names and a Ukrainian provenance, e.g.:

Маска для плавания Акванавт (Украина)

Маска для Плавания Акванавт (Украина) — в Категории "Маски, Очки для Плавания" на Bigl.ua (519881681)


Маска "Лагуна"

Маски для подводного плавания

The two masks appear to be identical and both web addresses above are current. Perhaps a case of product rebranding?

 

[dmaziuk]

As part of the current Russian-Ukrainian kerfuffle, Ukraine stopped importing Russian stuff. In its place appeared things like caviar "caught in Belarus" etc. Although in this case they likely have inherited/bought an old Soviet manufacturing line and are keeping it going. So it may well be a perfectly legitimately made in Ukraine old Soviet mask, complete with GOST and TU and everything.

The guys in Yaroslavl RU have inherited the same production line and are keeping it going too. Remember, it was a single country with a lot of standardization and unification.

 

[АлександрД]

Маска для Плавания Акванавт (Украина) — в Категории "Маски, Очки для Плавания" на Bigl.ua (519881681)
Маски для подводного плавания
The two masks appear to be identical and both web addresses above are current. Perhaps a case of product rebranding?

As mentioned above - our company Alpha Plastic just rebrended old SOVIET fins, and localise manufacture here, in Yaroslavl, like same as most famous fins Aquanavt - now is Strela (arrow)

 

[David Wilson]

As mentioned above - our company Alpha Plastic just rebrended old SOVIET fins, and localise manufacture here, in Yaroslavl, like same as most famous fins Aquanavt - now is Strela (arrow)

Isn't the Yaroslavl version of the Ukrainian "Akvanavt" called the "Skat" (Скат)?

and the Yaroslavl version of the Strela (Стрела) looks like this:

Just to confuse matters further, the Ukrainian company Kievguma also used the name "Skat" for one of its fin models:

 

[dmaziuk]

Скаты — Википедия

 

[АлександрД]

most famous fins Aquanavt - now is Strela (arrow)

Isn't the Yaroslavl version of the Ukrainian "Akvanavt" called the "Skat" (Скат)?

sorry, it is my misstyping... I`d look on one fins, and write name of another... sorry.
But under the link - was Скат (ray) itself