Basic gear from mid-twentieth-century France

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The second snorkel for review today was an eBay find of mine.

Marin snorkel with ball valve
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I should explain that both items were declared by the seller to be Marin products. The mask definitely is because the name "MARIN" appears in capital letters on the skirt. As for the snorkel, there is no manufacturer's mark to confirm provenance, but I am content with the possibility of it being a Marin unless proved otherwise. If it helps, the mask skirt and the snorkel mouthpiece are both made from soft rubber that have stood the test of time, testifying to their quality.
 
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And here is a "bonus" contribution that I did not announce in advance: the Marin combined tube and mask (above).

Marin combined snorkel and mask
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Note the chinpiece on this snorkel-mask, identifying it as a full-face model covering the eyes, nose and mouth. Note too the ball valve at the supply end of the barrel.

Next time we'll take a look at the Marin range of fins.
 
Soviet diving manual authors came up with several handy terms to define (a) an open-heel fin with no extended foot-plate: открытая ласта (open fin) and (b) an open-heel fin with an extended foot-plate: полузакрытая ласта (semi-closed fin) or полуоткрытая ласта (semi-open fin). By the way, the Russian for a full-foot or closed-heel fin is закрытая ласта (closed fin).
I`d never heard so many terms. In practice we used just two - opened and closed. (same as "without heel" and "with heel").
P.S. just to correct a little of writting - not ЛастА (female kind), in the old soviet books this term is ЛасТ (male kind)

You may have noted from the images that earlier Stabilizators featured a top screw while later ones did not. As for the key feature, the compensator, the design is very similar to the ear-clearing device on the Ukrainian Akvanavt mask:
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- another models of Aquanavt by Red Rubberer from you :) Soviet masks: Ukrainian models
 
I`d never heard so many terms. In practice we used just two - opened and closed. (same as "without heel" and "with heel").
P.S. just to correct a little of writting - not ЛастА (female kind), in the old soviet books this term is ЛасТ (male kind)

- another models of Aquanavt by Red Rubberer from you :) Soviet masks: Ukrainian models

I appreciate the grammatical correction, АлександрД. Thank you. :) And you're right that the majority of diving manuals just make a distinction between open-heel and closed-heel fins.

The intermediate category of "semi-closed/semi-open heel" was used by two Soviet diving manual authors, I. V. Merenov and P. P. Serebrinitsky.

I. V. Merenov: "Весьма многочисленные образцы ласт по их устройству подразделяют на открытые, не имеющие подошвы в пяточной части ступни, полуоткрытые — с подошвой по всей ступне и закрытые, которые надевают на ноги как туфли.
Водолазные боты, галоши и ласты для глубоководного погружения
Rough translation: "In terms of their design, many fins are divided into open-heel models, which come without soles for the foot at the heel; semi-open-heel models, which come with soles for the entire foot; and closed-heel models, which are worn on the feet like shoes."

P. P. Serebrenitsky: "В зависимости от вида крепления и характера исполнения задника ласты можно подразделить на открытые, полузакрытые и закрытые. Открытые ласты имеют оформленную полость до половины ступни и удерживаются на ноге сплошным или регулируемым пяточным ремнем. Полузакрытые ласты отличаются от открытых лишь наличием резиновой подошвы. Закрытые ласты имеют полностью оформленный задник и надеваются как туфли, удерживаясь на ноге либо ремешком на подъеме либо (при глубокой туфле) за счет эластичности самой туфли.
Маски (полумаски, очки), дыхательные трубки, ласты
Rough translation: "Depending on the method of attachment and the nature of the heelpiece design, fins may be divided into open-heel type, semi-closed-heel type and closed-heel type. Open-heel fins come with a cavity covering up to half the foot and they are held on the foot with a fixed or adjustable heel strap. What distinguishes semi-closed-heel fins from open-heel fins is just the presence of the rubber sole at the heel. Closed-heel fins come with a complete heelpiece design and they are worn like shoes; they are held on the foot either with a strap at the instep or (if the shoe has a deep enough heel-cup) by the elasticity of the shoe itself."

Here's a drawing of the Mosrezina Model 2 fin, which may have been the first "semi-open/semi-closed" fin in the USSR:
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I suppose that Merenov's and Serebrinitsky's argument goes as follows: Mosrezina Model 2, and others like it, is neither an open-heel fin because the sole is extended under the heel, nor a closed-heel fin because the back and sides of the heel are left uncovered except for the detachable adjustable heelstrap. It's a hybrid design.
 
Now, revenons à nos moutons, let's get back on track and review the Marin range of fins. We'll start with the adjustable model, which comes with an extended heelplate.

Marin adjustable fins
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The description reads: Marin Adjustable Fins. Rubber fin fitted with an extended footplate and non-slip adjustable heel strap, giving maximum propulsion with decreased tiredness. Colours included black and blue. Three sizes. Their prices:
• Small: £2 3s 0d (Lillywhites, 1962).
• Medium: £2 8s 0d (Lillywhites, 1962-1963; £2 8s 6d, Lillywhites, 1964).
• Large: £2 13s 0d (Lillywhites, 1962-1964).
 
The other model in the Marin fin range was a full-foot.

Marin full-foot fins
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The German-language description above from a "Tauchtechnik" catalogue translates as "MARIN Swim Fins. The fin has a classic shape. The offset blade comes with an 18° angle. The foot pocket is soft. Offering a first-class fit, the fin is made from rubber of exceptionally high quality. It floats. Colour: black."

The word "flottante" on the top of the foot pocket is French for "floating". Scubapro imported Marin products during the 1960s and bought the company that made them in 1977. One of the first fins to bear the Scubapro name in the mid-1960s have more than a passing resemblance to Marin full-foot fins:
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Scubapro retained this model for several decades, only recently replacing it with a model made in Taiwan. I have a pair and I can vouch for their comfort and effectiveness.

That's it for Marin. We'll move on to Jopen-Match of Marseilles next time.
 
Late but never too late I suppose. Incredible history and pictures. Thank you @David Wilson.
 
Thank you, Compressor, for your kind words. And thank you too, АлександрД and Sam, for your constant support. I'll move on now to basic gear manufactured by Jopen of Marseilles and marketed under the "Match" brand. If you want to read ahead of me during this section of the thread, I have a "catalogue reconstruction" of Match products at https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bw7z_4bLjOOEMThKUlNNSWdkTG8.

From the late 1950s to the early 1970s, Jopen-Marseille manufactured spearfishing gear in the Mediterranean port city of Marseilles in the south of France. The firm’s products were sold under the brand name “Match”.

Over the years, the “Match” underwater range came to include two standard masks, two compensator masks, one set of goggles, two breathing tubes with or without valves, a combined mask and snorkel, two fins with heel plates and adjustable heel straps, two fins with full foot coverage and two elastic-powered harpoon guns.

“Match” diving masks, fins and spearguns were exported to other European countries. In the 1960s, “Match” combined masks and snorkels made a regular appearance in the annual underwater catalogues of London’s premier sports retailer Lillywhites and West Germany’s top diving equipment manufacturer Barakuda.

Some “Match” equipment was available in a variety of colours and fittings to accommodate all comers. By way of illustration, the children’s snorkelling set in the image below provided not only a “Junior” version of the standard oval mask, but also a pair of standard adjustable fins with a “baby” European fitting of 26-30, which converts to a child’s American 9½-12½ or British 8½-11½ shoe size.
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Jopen Match products aren't particularly hard to find either on auction sites such as eBay or in online museums and collections, which are good sources of images (see Musée Dumas at Mus?e Fr?d?ric Dumas and Madnat Collection Matériel de Plongée at Dive Collector). What has proved much harder to locate is any information about the Jopen-Marseilles company itself. I'd be grateful for any pointers, print or online, in that direction.
 
We'll begin, as usual, with Match diving masks. There were at least four in the range. Let's start with the Match Standard.

Match Standard Oval mask
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Product description:
Match Standard Oval Mask. Best quality soft rubber with comfortable fitting flange. Toughened security glass. Earlier models have top screws, while later versions may come without. Colours include white, yellow, blue and black. Senior and Junior sizes.

Senior size: £1 1s 0d (Lillywhites, 1959); £1 5s 0d (Lillywhites, 1960-1965); £1 10s 0d (Lillywhites, 1966-1968); £1 12s 6d (Lillywhites, 1969-1970).

Junior size: £1 1s 0d (Lillywhites, 1962-1965); £1 5s 0d (Lillywhites, 1966-1968); £1 7s 6d (Lillywhites, 1969-1970). A Match Junior mask was reviewed in a 1965 report on masks and snorkels compiled by the Consumers’ Association. The test results were as follows:
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Type: Plain mask suitable for children.
Model: Match Junior.
Made in: France.
Price: £1 1s 0d.
Faceplate glass: Toughened.
Comfort: Good.
Vision: Good.
Getting water out: Not tested by children.
Comments: Liked by the children who used it.
Consumers’ Association (1965) “Masks & snorkels”, Which? Vol. 8, 5 August 1965, pp. 232 & 235. If you want to read the full report, you can find a scan at https://drive.google.com/open?id=1TcjL-n66RmKV7Ip8Zr6eo6eJ73vSZi-J.

Further images of these masks:
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Note the sets of three parallel lines decorating/reinforcing the body of the mask. This appears as something of a leitmotif throughout the Match brand output.
 
The second model of the day is the Match Standard Rectangular diving mask.

Match Standard Rectangular mask
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Product description: "Match Standard Rectangular Mask. Plain mask with a rounded oblong lens." Other than shape, this model has the same features as the Standard Oval.

I'll leave the two remaining Jopen-Marseilles Match masks for review in several days' time.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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