Basic gear from mid-twentieth-century Italy: Cressi

[David Wilson]

more, more...pic of mermaids with "flippers"

Will this do from 1974:

 

[David Wilson]

Thank you for the positive feedback, guys, to the ad above and to the posts preceding it. And just in case your Italian is a little rusty, the fish's speech bubble "Ecco perché i ragazzi vanno più forte di noi! ...Usano PINNE RONDINE!" roughly translates to "That's why boys move faster than we do! ...They use RONDINE FINS!"

Well, back to a little potted history of the Cressi Rondine, which as we shall see is really a family of fins. We are foingb to be focusing, however, for the time being on the basic model. We have now reached the late 1950s and here's how the Rondine was publicised back then:

These items of publicity mention not only the success of the Rondine in the first finswimming competitions but also, in the spirit of "imitation being the sincerest form of flattery", the proliferation of Rondine clones around the world. In the case of the latter, the USA still has its own home-produced version, the Oceanways Aquapro:

You can see below how these excellent Oceanways Aquapros are made in California, still embossed with the iconic "swallows" on their blades and foot pockets:

​

 

[David Wilson]

The 1959 Cressi catalogue's swim fin page above shows how the original patented non-floating black or coloured full-foot "Rondine A" top left has spawned two related models: the light-blue floating full-foot "Rondine Super Extra" (top right) and the black or coloured adjustable open-heel "Rondine Regolabile" (bottom right). This marks the beginning of the Cressi Rondine's evolution from a single model to an expanding family of fins. Note too the availability of the full-foot versions in ten sizes, meaning that they could remain the fins of choice all the way from early childhood to late adulthood with regular changes to accommodate growing feet in between.

The front cover of the April 1961 issue of Mondo Sommerso featured Italian actress Sandra Milo wearing a light-blue Cressi Pinocchio mask on her forehead with a matching pair of Cressi Rondines on her feet:

The December 1961 edition of the same Italian underwater recreation magazine featured the following page dedicated to Cressi products:

The image bottom right illustrates the Cressi Rondine, still available in their 1959 floating and non-floating ("Extra") versions. Note too top right one further addition to the Rondine family, the "Super Rondine", whose blades featured vents that opened and closed during swimming strokes. We'll return to this model later in this thread.

Here's a French Cressi leaflet from around 1964:

No change there then, with the Extra, Floating and "Super-Rondine" all available for purchase.

Here's a Cressi catalogue page from 1966:

Note how the original Rondine at the top is now offered in three versions: "Extra" (non-floating), "Floating" and "Professional". The first two are intended for long-dustance swimming and underwater hunting, while the third is designed for sprinting or deeper diving and only comes in larger sizes. Note too how the adjustable open-heel Rondine of 1959 has now become the "Rondine Commando" made of "special rubber".

Cressi's 1969 catalogue:

No change there. The Rondine Extra, Floating and Professional are all present, as are the Super-Rondine with the vented blade and the adjustable open-heel Rondine Commando, which are not illustrated.

We'll finish here for today, returning midweek to review the development of the Cressi Rondine product family during the 1970s. As always, stay safe.

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks, АлександрД and jale, your likes are appreciated.

On to the development of the Cressi Rondine during the 1970s:

1973

So we now have the basic floating version of the Rondine in a choice of light blue or yellow. This model is recommended for freshwater use when surface swimming and shallow diving. Note too the fin grips bottom right enabling full-foot fin wearers to achieve a more secure fit. "Fissapinne", as they are known in Italian, were invented in France, where the Beuchat company of Marseille holds the original 1959 patent FR1224519 for its "Sangle stabilisatrice pour palme de natation et de plongée".

1974

In 1974, the floating version caption of the Rondine stays substantially the same. Note, however, the return of the non-floating Rondine Extra with an additional feature, a giant shoe size (EU50-52) for Unisuit drysuit wearers:

You can still sometimes find the Unisuit Rondine on eBay:

Finally for 1974, note the continued offering of the Cress Commando as the open-heel version of the Cressi Rondine. The caption lists the benefits of adjustable open-heel fins, including the ability of such fins to accommodate a group of people, such as a family, whose members have differently sized feet.

 

[David Wilson]

And finally for today, we come to 1976:

No change from 1974, then, with the floating Rondine still available in its two colours and the open-heel Rondine serving the needs of those wearing boots and multiple users with different foot sizes. As for the Rondine Extra:

Having introduced a giant-sized version earlier for Unisuit wearers, Cressi decided to lengthen the blades of the larger sized Extra at a time when national and international finswimming competitions were multiplying and freediving depth records were in constant flux.

The Cressi Rondinella below

is supposed to be the modern incarnation of the Cressi Rondine: "All of Cressi's fifty-year experience has gone into these fins, which are a modern revival of the successful principles of the rubber Rondine fins." Sadly, they are made from some indeterminate synthetic "elastomer" and not from natural rubber as their ancestors were. I deeply regret that Cressi has not kept either an all-rubber floating or non-floating "Extra" Cressi Rondine in production for old time's sake as it did with the Cressi Pinocchio mask. I have a pair of light-blue floating Rondines from the 1970s in my collection and I won't be replacing them any time soon with a modern Cressi fin made from synthetic materials, however power-efficient they may be.

That's all, folks, for today. Back with more at the weekend about the extended Cressi Rondine family of fins. In the meantime, stay safe and stay tuned.

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks to all for the likes.

Today we'll focus on the model that began its service life as an adjustable open-heel version of the basic full-foot Cressi Rondine, ending up as the Rondine Commando. This will mean revisiting some of the catalogue pages we recently perused.

1959

The details are at the bottom of the page above. On the left we can see that 200 lire will buy a spare strap (cinturino) for the adjustable Rondine illustrated on the right. The table in the centre tells us that the fin is available in just three fittings, each covering a range of six shoe sizes. The largest fitting accommodates shoe sizes up to 50, which is beyond the maximum shoe size covered by any full-foot Rondine. A choice of black or an unspecified colour is offered.

The adjustable Rondine was conspicuous by its absence from subsequent early-1960s catalogues and advertisements. So far as I can determine, we have to wait until the mid-1960s for the model's reappearance:

1966

In 1966, the fin reappears as the Rondine Commando, available in a special rubber blend in one size (Large) and one colour (Black) only.

A late-1960s price list mentions the Rondine Commando without an illustration:

1969

 

[David Wilson]

When the 1970s came round, the Cressi Rondine Commando was granted more space in the catalogues, reflecting perhaps the growing importance of open-heel fins in Europe, as well as North America, as manufacturers strove to accommodate the foot-sizing needs of cold-water dry- and wetsuited divers.

1973

So there we have the Commandos, bottom left for the illustration, bottom right for the caption, which reads as follows in Italian and English:
Italian: "RONDINE COMMANDO. Indicate per comunità (scuole. Enti Militari) dove non sia previsto l'attrezzo personale. Con caratteristiche uguali alle Rondine Extra, hanno invece della scarpetta un cinturino regolabile, che ne permette l’indossamento sia a piede nudo che con i calzari, o a persone di calzata differente. Unica calzata, dal 43 al 49."
English: "RONDINE COMMANDO. Suitable for the community (schools, Military institutions) where personal equipment is not used. With characteristics equal to the Rondine Extra, they have instead a shoe with adjustable strap, which allows it to be worn with bare or covered feet, or by persons of different sizes. One size only 43 to 49."
My retranslation: "RONDINE COMMANDO. Suitable for communities (Schools. Military units, etc.), where personal equipment is not provided. With specifications equal to Rondine Extras, they have an adjustable heel strap instead of full foot coverage, enabling them to be worn with bare feet, with boots, or by persons with different foot sizes. one size only, frpm 43 to 49.

1974

Italian: "RONDINE COMMANDO. Indicate per comunità (scuole. Enti Militari) dove non sia previsto l'attrezzo personale. Con caratteristiche uguali alle Rondine Extra, hanno invece della scarpetta un cinturino regolabile, che ne permette l’indossamento sia a piede nudo che con i calzari, o a persone di calzata differente. Unica calzata, dal 43 al 49."
English: "RONDINE COMMANDO. Suitable for the community (schools, Military institutions) where personal equipment is not used. With characteristics equal to the Rondine Extra, they have instead a shoe with adjustable strap, which allows it to be worn with bare or covered feet, or by persons of different sizes. One size only 43 to 49."
My retranslation: "RONDINE COMMANDO. Suitable for communities (Schools. Military units, etc.), where personal equipment is not provided. With specifications equal to Rondine Extras, they have an adjustable heel strap instead of full foot coverage, enabling them to be worn with bare feet, with boots, or by persons with different foot sizes. one size only, from 43 to 49.

1976

Italian: "RONDINE COMMANDO. Indicate per comunità (scuole. Enti Militari), hanno al posto della parte posteriore della scarpetta un cinturino regolabile, che consente l'uso di stessa pinne a persone di calzata diversa. Le caratteristiche di mescola sono le stesse della Rondine EXTRA. Unica calzata dal 43 al 49. Non galleggianti."
English: "RONDINE COMMANDO. Suitable for communities (schools, Military institutions, etc.), equal to Rondine Extra, they have instead of an open shoe with adjustable strap, which allows it to be worn with boots or by persons of different shoe size. One size only from 43 to 49, non-floating."
My retranslation: "RONDINE COMMANDO. Suitable for communities (Schools. Military units etc.). Instead of a complete heel, they come with an adjustable strap, enabling persons with different foot sizes to use the same fins. They have the same compound specifications as the Rondine Extra. One size only, from 43 to 49, non-floating.

Let's finish for today with some eBay auction pictures of the pale-blue prototype of the Cressi Commando:

I'll be back midweek with another member of the extended Cressi Rondine family of fins, the Super-Rondine. Stay safe in the meantime.

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks to all for the likes.

First a corrigendum. I've changed my mind about the identity of the open-heel fins (above) in my final post on Sunday and I am now inclined to believe that these are actually Rondine clones, Oceanways Mini Divepro, made in the good ole USA:

The above from a 1998 Oceanways catalogue. Sometimes the imitations are more convincing than the original article, especiallly since Cressi won't keep any of its classic Rondine Extras in production for old time's sake!

But I digress. I promised today to begin my review of the Cressi Super-Rondine, which first saw the light of day in 1960:

The publicity above charts the timeline from the original Rondine of 1951, through the floating Rondine of 1956 to the Super Rondine of 1960, where the caption reads: "Nell'ANNO OLIMPICO viene creata la pinna dell'ERA SPAZIALE la "SUPER RONDINE" ulteriore perfezionamento de modelli precedenti trasforma la zona negativa in superficie utile. (In the OLYMPIC YEAR the SPACE ERA fin is created. The "SUPER RONDINE", a further refinement of previous models, transforms the negative zone into a useful surface.)" The two drawings are meant to show how the new fin operates. The first is captioned "Tutti la superficie della pala esercita una spinta positiva. (The whole surface of the blade exerts a positive thrust.)", while second is captioned: "La zona negativa è trasformata in superficie utile. (The negative zone is transformed into a useful surface.)" The result is "PROPULSIONE CONTINUA. RENDIMENTO. COMODITA'. ELASTICITA'. LEGGEREZZA. VELOCITA'. ESTETICA. GALLEGGIABILITA'. RESISTENZA. DURATA. (CONTINUOUS PROPULSION. PERFORMANCE. COMFORT. ELASTICITY. LIGHTNESS. SPEED. BEAUTY. BUOYANCY. STRENGTH. ENDURANCE.)

Cressi wasted no time in providing evidence to back up their claims by identifying the Cressi Super-Rondine wearers who won the 1960 100-km finswimming marathon in the Adriatic Sea:

 

[David Wilson]

In 1961, the Italian diving magazine Mondo Sommerso published a Cressi ad featuring the Super Rondine:

The following year, 1962, the fin was granted US patent US3055025, patent drawing below:

Note the presence of our old friend Luigi Ferraro, designer of the original Cressi Rondine fins and Cressi Pinocchio mask alongside Antonio Cressi as the co-inventors awarded this patent.

Here is the fin in a 1964 Cressi equipment flyer:

 

[David Wilson]

By 1965, the Cressi Super Rondine had come to the attention of finswimming experts in the Soviet bloc. An article entitled "ГИДРОДИНАМИКА НОВОГО ВИДА ЛАСТ" (Hydrodynamics of a new kind of fin) by Yu Yudintsev appeared in No. 13 (1965), pages 32-34, of the Soviet diving periodical Спортсмен-подводник (Underwater Sportsman), which can be found online at http://www.scubadiving.ru/biblioteka/Knigi/sportsmen_podvodnik_013.pdf if you wish to read the Russian original. I have translated the article very roughly as follows:

Hydrodynamics of a new kind of fin​

Abroad, new fins, which differ from those generally accepted by the presence of a special valve. This valve consists of two venting slots in the fins and a rubber plate. It turns out a kind of aileron, which automatically closes the valve aperture when driving fins up and opens them when moving down. Thus from this, there are two flexible fin planes: the fin itself and the valve plate (Figure 1 and 2.).

Fig. 1. General view of the flipper valve

Fig. 2. Work fins underwater​

To simplify the analysis of hydrodynamics of a new kind of fins use the scheme discussed NA Butovich in the book "Swimming" (published in "Physical culture and sport", Moscow, 1962).

As you know, the swimmer’s foot acts like a drawn spring. During the extension of the foot pushes away the water, so there is a force directed along the swimmer. The forces of the water resistance increases as the square of the speed of movement of the legs, so close to the foot of the water resistance increases significantly. Foot significantly increases this support, since it is close in shape to form a plate having a higher coefficient of resistance than the shin. Therefore, the resultant force of the water resistance of a swimmer goes through the stack. At the same time are essential factors such as the mobility of the joints, especially the ankle, foot size. In our case, a swimmer with fins, so we can consider the motion only of the fins and emerging with force, and the forces that appear when moving the thigh and lower leg, can be neglected. Consider horizontal swimmer swimming under water.

Fig. 3. Driving foot traffic​

As can be seen from Fig. 3, when moving downward leg resultant resistance force C can be decomposed by the rule parallelograms of forces of the supporting force П directed toward the water surface and the traction force T. Since the downward movement of the foot due to bending of the knee is under more favorable angles to the surface water than you move up, the main thrust in the legs while driving creates a top-down and facing forward. Movements of both legs tied together. legs upward movement creates a support for the effective operation of the other leg, moving down at this time.

As already mentioned, the thrust T essentially depends on the received fins angle relative to the water surface. To a certain extent there is a significant and mobility of the ankle joint, the angle which increases and hence thrust. Flexible fins like further unbend ankle, making the movement of his feet like a fish tail efficient movement. Flexible valve plate produces a thrust force when the fins are at a small angle to the water surface. Thus, new fins when driving down the legs, i.e., the main motion that promote the swimmer forward, allow more efficient use of muscular force of the swimmer’s feet.

Yu Yudintsev​

Back in the West in 1966, Cressi published a flyer celebrating its range of fins, including the Super-Rondine:

The Super-Rondine was also exported to the UK in 1966, where it appeared unillustrated in a Typhoon catalogue:

The Cressi Super-Rondine may have been a sensation from the early to the mid-1960s, but it never made it to the 1970s. Perhaps Beuchat's Jetfin and Scubapro's marketing of an open-heel version of it put paid to the competition. That's all for today with the promise of more at the weekend. In the meantime, stay safe.