Basic gear from mid-twentieth-century Italy: Mares and Pirelli

[David Wilson]

A one-piece U-shaped rubber elbow with mouthpiece on a snorkel facilitates adjustability for comfortable mouth wear. Some versions of the rubber elbow made by other manufacturers came with an eye on the bottom (see image above) for attachment of a neck cord or lanyard to prevent loss during use and to suspend the snorkel during drying and storage:

The elbow design was widely adopted in countries around the world. It was even available in communist-era Eastern Europe:

But I digress a little, as I recall promising to review the 1959 so-called "1122 bis":

So far as I understand, "bis" denotes two varieties as a unit. In this instance it signals a J-shaped snorkel with a straight mouthpiece at the demand end. Note the curved bend at the bottom of the barrel, terminating in a mouthpiece with a bellows-type neck, a feature we have already observed last time in the 1121 model snorkel:

That will suffice for today. Back midweek with more Mares breathing tubes, focusing this time on "Model D" snorkels, which come with flexible hoses between the mouthpiece and the barrel. Stay safe in the meantime.

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks again, guys!

On to Mares "Model D" snorkels, the kind with flexible corrugated hoses. Let's start with the 1198-D:

1963

Italian: "Art. 1198 - D. Con boccaglio corrugato."
Rough translation: "Item 1198 - D. Fitted with a corrugated mouthpiece."

So a typical flexible-hose snorkel. This design is generally in two parts: a flexible corrugated rubber hose with a mouthpiece at one end and a straight plastic barrel attached to the other. When not in use, the rubber mouthpiece is designed to spring out of the way, keeping the user’s hands free, a feature claimed to be popular with scuba divers who found that a regular snorkel's hard bend could catch on underwater obstacles or get in the way of the scuba mouthpiece. The design dates back to the mid-1950s. In an interview reproduced online at Fathoms Online Magazine for underwater enthusiasts, Scubapro co-founder Dick Bonin claims to have been the inventor of the first "flexible snorkel": "We brought out the first flexible snorkel. In Chicago, they used to sell surplus aircraft parts so I took a hose and put it on a snorkel tube, and I never forgot that. Swimaster priced it at $2.95 and everyone said we were out of our minds, but we sold them like crazy."

1969

1974

Little has changed in the meantime other than the orange band at the top to alert other water-users and some streamlining to the neck of the mouthpiece. Here's a final image from a mid-1970s catalogue:

The snorkel is No. 6, bottom right.

By way of comparison, the Britmarine Mariner:

The SEAC Corrugato snorkel above is still available for purchase.

 

[David Wilson]

Mares also introduced a flexible-hose snorkel fitted with a purge valve to expel residual water within the U-bend when the mouthpiece is held between the user's teeth. It was simply dubbed "Tubo D con valvolina". "Model D" (i.e. flexible-hose type) "fitted with (drain) valve".

1963

Italian: "Art. 1202 - D. Con valvolina di scarico, tubo flessibile."
Rough translation: "Item 1202 - D. Fitted with a purge valve, flexible hose."

1969

1974

Some time in the mid-1970s, the position of the drain valve shifted from below to above the flexible hose:

1975

1976

Italian: “TUBO D - TUBO D CON VALVOLA. Con boccaglio corrugato e tubo in plastica flessibile. Munito di valvola di scarico.”
English: “D TUBE - D TUBE WITH VALVE. Corrugated mouthpiece, flexible plastic tube and discharge valve.”
German: “SCHNORCHEL D - SCHNORCHEL D MIT AUSLASSVENTIL. Mit Faltenschlauch und flexiblem Plastikrohr. Mit Auslassventil.“
French: “TUBA D - TUBA D AVEC VALVE D'EVACUATION. Embout accordéon et tube flexible en matière plastique. Valve d'évacuation.”
Spanish: “TUBO D - TUBO D CON VALVULA. Boquilla de tráquea y tubo flexible de material plástico. Válvula de vaciado.”

Finally, here's a mid-1970s picture of the Model D with drain valve:

The snorkel is No. 7 on the right.

And that's enough for today. Back at the weekend with more Mares snorkels, this time the Models E and F. Keep safe.

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks, everybody! The weekend is here and so it is time to review Mares Models E and F snorkels. Model D breathing tubes were an enhancement of the Model C below:

Like the Model C, the Model E was open and valve-free at the top with an all-in-one rubber mouthpiece and U-bend at the bottom, giving the snorkel an overall J-shaped design. Here the Model E in 1963:

Italian: "Art. 1225 - E - a due vie. È provvisto di due valvole a movimento alternato (inspirazione-scarico) che evitando il depositarsi di anidride carbonica, consentono di respirare sempre aria pura."
Rough translation: "Art. 1225 - E - two-way. It is fitted with two alternating movement valves (inhalation-exhaust) which, avoiding carbon dioxide deposits, always enable you to breathe pure air."

So the rubber elbow has a valve at the bottom to remove exhaled carbon dioxide. We have already met something similar in the 1963 Model D flexible-hose snorkel below:

The Model E never made another appearance after 1963.

 

[David Wilson]

And now for the Model F, which came in a "L"-shaped design.

1969

Italian: "Articolo 1306 tipo F. Con boccaglio anatomico orientabile, tubo in gomma ‘morbida antiallergica. Munito di speciale cordoncino di sicurezza. Terminale fluorescente rosso.
English: "Item 1306 model F. New mouth-contoured mouthpiece for extra comfort. Tube in soft anti-allergic rubber. Provided with special safety-cord. With light-reflecting glow-top tube.
French: "Article 1306 modèle F. Avec embouchoir anatomique orientable. Tube en caoutchouc souple antiallergique. muni d'un cordon de sûreté. Extrémité fluorescente rouge."

On a general snorkel design point, L-shaped snorkels eliminate the usual depth of tubing below head level. A shallow draft reduces water drag, cuts down resistance to breathing and makes snorkel clearing easier and faster than with traditional J-shaped snorkels. During the early 1960s, diving equipment manufacturers on both sides of the Atlantic embraced the “L” design, introducing the Beuchat “Tubalux”, Cavalero “Tuba L”, Dacor “Model LST”, Spartan “L” and US Divers “Snork-L”. East German and Soviet diving equipment manufacturers were also early adopters of the “L” design in the 1960s when developing commercial snorkel models for their recreational markets.

Note the lanyard attached at one end to an eyelet on the neck of the offset mouthpiece and to be attached around the user's neck to prevent loss in choppy waters.

1974

1975

1976

Italian: "TUBO F - Con boccaglio anatomico orientabile, tubo in gomma morbida. Munito di speciale cordoncino di sicurezza. Terminale fluorescente rosso."
English: "F TUBE - Anatomic adjustable mouthpiece, soft rubber tube. Provided with a special safety-cord. Red fluorescent end."
German: "SCHNORCHEL F - Mit verstellbarem Mundstück und Rohr aus weichem Gummi. Mit Sicherheitsleine und roter Leuchtfolie."
French: "TUBA F - Embout anatomique orientable. Tube en caoutchouc souple. Cordon spécial de sécurité. Extrémité fluorescente rouge."
Spanish: "TUBO F - Con boquilla anatómica orientable. Tubo de goma flexible. Extremidad fluorescente roja."

So the usual quinquelingual product description. Here, finally, is the snorkel in a mid-1970s catalogue:

It's No. 2, second from the left in the picture.

And there we leave it for today. Mares Models H and K midweek. Stay safe, especially now POTUS is affected by the virus.

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks, АлександрД and Sam!

So the Mares Model H snorkel. Here is the breathing tube in question:

1974

1975

and in 1976:

Italian: “TUBO H - Profilo anatomico del boccaglio. Grande sezione per una facile iperventilazione. Colore nero. Terminale fluorescente rosso."
English: “H TUBE - Anatomic profile of the mouthpiece. Large section for easy air-intake. Black colour. Red fluorescent end.”
German: “SCHNORCHEL H - Anatomisches Mundstück-Profil. Großes Mundstück um eine leichtere Atmung zu gewährleisten. Mit roter Leuchtfolie.”
French: “TUBA H - Embout anatomique. Section large assurant une hyperventilation facile. Noir avec extrémité fluorescente rouge.”
Spanish: “TUBO H - Con boquilla anatómica. Diámetro muy grande del tubo, para mejor ventilación. Negro. Extremidad fluorescente roja.”

What we have here is the new "contoured" style of snorkel. In the late 1960s, the American diving equipment manufacturer Dacor launched a "wraparound big-barrel" contoured snorkel, which closely followed the outline of the wearer's head and came with a wider bore to improve airflow:

Another US company, Scubapro, launched a similar model using the same adjective "wrap around":

The mid-1970s Mares Model H adopted both features of the Dacor design, a wider bore and a bend at the top of the barrel. It also maintained the Model GST's "L"-shaped demand end with its offset mouthpiece. Here, finally is the Mares Model H in a mid-1970s catalogue:

Model H is No. 5 above at the top of the centre column.

 

[David Wilson]

And now we come to the Mares Model K snorkel. Here it is in 1975:

and then in 1976:

Italian: “TUBO K TELESCOPICO - Di lunghezza variabile, garantisce una maggiore funzionalità in acque agitate ed è particolarmente adatto all'uso con autorespiratore. Tubo fluorescente morbido. Boccaglio anatomico. Minimo ingombro.”
English: “TELESCOPIC K TUBE - Variable length, greater functionality in rough water. Especially suitable for use with aqualung. Soft fluorescent tube. Anatomic mouthpiece. Minimum volume.”
German: “SCHNORCHEL H - TELESKOPISCH - Verstellbare Länge, garantiert eine bessere Funktion in unruhigen Gewässern und eignet sich besonders als Zusatzschnorchel. Phosphoreszierendes Schnorchel-Rohr. Anatomisches Mundstück. Minimale Außenmaße.”
French: “TUBA K TELESCOPIQUE - Grace à sa longueur variable assure un rendement plus élevé en eaux agitées; emploi particulièrement convenable avec scaphandre autonome. Tube fluorescent souple. Embout anatomique. Encombrement minimum.”
Spanish: “TUBO K TELESCOPICO - Gracias a su longitud variable, muy ùtil en aguas agitadas. Indicado especialmente como parte del equipo de respiración autónoma. Tubo fluorescente flexible. Embocadura anatómica. Ocupa un minimo espacio cuando està plegado.”

So the key feature of the Mares Model K is its telescopicity. The barrel is adjustable for length, which Mares suggests may benefit people who swim in turbulent waters, use cumbersome scuba equipment or set high store by space-saving. Nowadays, the portability aspect ihave become paramount, which is why a snorkel's "foldability" appears to outweigh the variability of its length in importance. Here, finally, is the Model K in that mid-1970s catalogue:

There it is, No. 4, second in the centre column, below the Model H.

When the weekend comes around, we'll take a look at the Mares Tubo L, Tubo Profi and possibly too the "Tubo per nuoto", the competitive swimmer's snorkel. Stay safe, stay well in the meantime.

 

[Angelo Farina]

I did own model K (telescopic).
A crap device, as some water was always remaining inside, even after purging several times.
Furthermore after a while the bad-quality rubber did crystalize and dilate, causing the upper pipe to self-retract whil breathing. So the upper end was submerged and water coming in...
I replaced happily it with a not-telescopic snorkel after less than one year.

 

[David Wilson]

I did own model K (telescopic).
A crap device, as some water was always remaining inside, even after purging several times.
Furthermore after a while the bad-quality rubber did crystalize and dilate, causing the upper pipe to self-retract whil breathing. So the upper end was submerged and water coming in...
I replaced happily it with a not-telescopic snorkel after less than one year.

Your experience might explain why the Mares Model K telescopic snorkel didn't stay long in production.

 

[skippy311]

The one skis look good!