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

[David Wilson]

So the Ulixes (Pirelli) Aquarius introduced in 1975:

 

[David Wilson]

This picture + the info shared in this thread is a real trip down memory lane for me...

I remember playing Cousteau down at the beach with those old oval shaped masks, my Dad had several over the years, and indeed, the rubber was bad !

According to family tradition, I started stealing/borrowing his mask (have your pick) at the age of 4. As many kids in the 70's, I was brought up in front of a TV set (3 channels only, no remote control, and colour only at certain hours) J.Y Cousteau was all the rage, and a program deemed safe and educational by Mom and Dad... Seeing the most humble fish was a big adventure for me... I was so persistent that I got quickly my own first pair of goggles and my first mask when I was 6... Not every kid had one of them, I was so proud !

Now, Dad won't be swimming with me this year, old age crept in and wrought havoc... 'Vintage' shaped mask are again available, but my face is now too wide for them, can't find a single one on the market that fits ! Back to the present then I guess...

Glad the thread resonates... As it does with me. I agree with you that the rubber used for mask skirts back then wasn't always high quality, particularly in the case of coloured rubber, which reportedly contained "clay fillers" that shortened the service life of masks and fins if the period manuals are to be believed. This said, better quality masks have stood the test of time. I own a British-made Typhoon Super Star with a blue rubber skirt from the late 1950s and it is just as soft today as it was when it was bought as a birthday present. Mind you, I was so proud of it that I never used it in the water and I kept it shielded it from the sun, so careful maintenance does pay dividends.

I had nobody in my family to serve as a role model when I began snorkelling in the late 1950s. Just the TV and books. and I still prefer the gear of the 1950s-1980s to what is considered "modern". It's no coincidence that the 1980 Scubapro mask had a better rubber skirt than earlier masks did. I have masks and fins from the early 1980s and the rubber material they are made from is much softer and suppler than previous models. The only problem back then was that the companies soon ditched natural rubber for plastics/synthetic elastomers in the case of fins and plastics/silicone in the case of masks, not least because those materials suited new moulding technologies better, reducing production time and hence the "bottom line". The new oil-derived materials were a western phenomenon, though, while Japan stuck with natural rubber for fins and they still make rubber-skirted masks there. "Choice matters" remains my view, and if I want to snorkel with old-school gear, that's nobody's business but my own. I will defend everybody else's right, however, to choose differently from me.

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks guys! Now back to early Mares diving masks. Today I promised to review the Alassio model, which can be traced through the catalogues from 1959 to 1969. First the name. Alassio is a town in the province of Savona situated in the western coast of Liguria, Northern Italy, approximately 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the French border. So we are still in the northern Italian region of Liguria, where Mares is headquartered at Rapallo. Alassio is known for its natural and scenic views:

The town has sandy beaches, blue sea and many bars and restaurants on the sea front. Alassio has also a pier known as "Molo di Alassio" or "Pontile Bestoso" which offers views of the town. The English composer Edward Elgar wrote a concert-overture called In the South (Alassio) whilst staying on holiday in Alassio in the winter of 1903–04. The town is also the location of some scenes of the films The Pleasure Garden, The Snorkel and Inkheart.
The Snorkel (trailer above) was a 1958 British thriller, whose title references a diving mask topped with two built-in breathing tubes, probably a Cressi Medusa G2, used for nefarious purposes that will be revealed in the video.

The Mares Alassio diving mask débuted humbly enough in 1959 as "Article No. 1257":

A typical mask for its time, therefore, with an oval lens surrounded by a metal band with top screw and attached to the head with a split head strap rather than the iconic triple-perforated kind that was the distinguishing feature of certain Mares models. Note the ribs for reinforcement at a time when mask skirts were otherwise expected to collapse on the face when diving too deep.

Some publicity from 1960 featuring the Alassio, courtesy of atrezzature subacquee d'epoca:

Italian: "Maschera ALASSIO a gran campo visivo. E' provvisto di cristallo giallo filtrante ovale."
Rough translation: "ALASSIO mask with large field of vision. It is fitted with an oval yellow filter lens."

Italian: "Maschera ALASSIO a gran campo visivo. E' provvisto di cristallo giallo filtrante ovale."
Rough translation: "ALASSIO mask with large field of vision. It is fitted with an oval yellow filter lens."
In case you're wondering, the mask picture top right is correct, while its correct caption has been given to the mask bottom right. We all make mistakes...

Italian: "Maschera RIVA e ALASSIO con reggetta in «ferplast» inalterabile alla corrosione de mare."
Rough translation: "RIVA and ALASSIO mask with "ferplast" band impervious to seawater corrosion."

 

[David Wilson]

Just a couple of pictures to chart the Alassio's course through the 1960s.

1963

Italian: "Art. 1257 - ALASSIO. Grande campo visivo. Il facciale armonico consente la migliore adesione al volto. Colore azzurro o giallo. Cerchietto in metallo o Moplen. È provvista, a richiesta, di cristallo giallo filtrante luminoso."
Rough tranlation: "Article 1257 - ALASSIO. Large field of vision. The harmonious facepiece is an excellent fit for the face. Light blue or yellow colour. Metal or Moplen headband. On request, it can be fitted with a bright yellow filter lens."
Note how Mares is experimenting with plastics as alternatives to metal when fitting bands around mask lenses.

1969

Don't need to translate this time, as the caption is available in three languages, including French. The Alassia bowed out for the last time in 1969. The 1970s brought in many new mask designs to replace the old-school single oval lens variety.

That's it for today. Back in a few days with another early Mares mask, probably the Riva as it was often paired with the Alassio in advertisements. In the meantime, keep safe!

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks, JMBL, for the likes!

As promised, on to the Mares Riva diving mask, which Mares often pairs with the Alassio mask we reviewed at the weekend. Incidentally, "Riva" is Italian for "shore" as in "seashore". Here is some 1960 publicity announcing the arrival of the Riva mask on the market:

Italian: "La maschera per pesca subacquea MARES-RIVA sagomata con naso esterno per la compensazione, cristallo intero a visibilità panoramica, tenuta perfetta."
Rough translation: "The MARES-RIVA spearfishing mask, shaped with external nosepiece for equalisation, full lens with panoramic visibility, perfect seal."

This mask appears to be Mares' answer to the Cressi Pinocchio mask, offering as it does a protruding rubber nose pocket for easy pinching when ear-clearing with the added advantage of a full oval lens with panoramic vision while the Cressi Pinocchio offered a goggle-shaped lens with curtailed visibility:

1961

Italian: "Maschera «RIVA», che consente per la sua particolare forma del naso una perfetta compensazione."
Rough translation: "'RIVA' mask enables perfect equalisation, thanks to the unique shape of its nose pocket."

1963

Italian: "Art. 1196 - RIVA. L'apposita alloggiamento consente di stringere il naso dall'esterno per compensare. È indicata per le immersioni a grandi profondità. Colore azzurro o nero. Cerchietto in metallo o Moplen."
Rough translation: "Art. 1196 - RIVA. The special pocket enables you to pinch your nose from the outside while equalising. It is suitable for diving at great depths. Light blue or black colour. Metal or Moplen rim.

1969

Italian: "Articolo 1109 Riva. L'apposito vano di forma anatomica consente di stringere il naso dall'esterno per compensare. Indicata per immersioni a grande profondità. Cerchietto in metallo o moplen. Colore nero.
Official translation: "Article 1109. Riva. The special nose pocket allows easy pressure equalization. Recommended for greater diving depths. Metal or moplen rim. Colour: lightblue and black."

That appears to be the life-span of the Mares Riva mask: 1960-1969. An imaginatively different response to the issue of ear-clearing at a time when masks with compensator bosses on the inside and finger wells on the outside were set to be the standard solution to the ear-clearing issue. In fact, the Mares "1258" mask had appeared with this pressure equalisation device in 1959, one year before the Riva entered the scene:

The "Compensazione" mask will be the subject of our next post.

Returning to the "Riva" (above) with the stock code 1196, we have a mask available throughout the 1960s but no later. The model came with a choice of colour (black or light blue) and rim material (metal or plastic). The mask's distinguishing feature was its nose pocket positioned on the base of the rubber skirt behind the lens rim. The advantage of this arrangement was that no lens cut-out was necessary and hence the user had an uninterrupted field of vision. The disadvantage was that a larger skirt was required to accommodate the face and hence the mask came with a larger internal volume.

That's enough for today. Back at the weekend with a review of the Mares Compensazione diving mask. In the meantime, stay safe.

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks for the like, Angelo!

As promised, the Mares Compensazione mask, which appeared in the 1959 catalogue as stock number 1258:

By 1961, the mask had the product name "Compensazione" (=equalisation) and a caption:

Italian: "Maschera «COMPENSAZIONE» usata particolarmente dai grandi campioni che pescano a profondità eccenzionali."
Rough translation: "'COMPENSAZIONE' mask used particularly by great champions who fish at exceptional depths."

Interesting that Mares introduced two kinds of compensator mask in the late 1950s. One was the "Riva", which we reviewed in the last posting and which looked back to the patented Cressi Pinocchio design of the early 1950s with its external protruding nose pocket. The "Compensazione" incorporated French patented technology as deployed by the likes of Beuchat and Marin in the form of compensator bosses on the inside and finger wells on the outside enabling wearers to pinch their noses to clear their ears. Note the iconic Mares triple-perforated head strap!

1963 brought two versions of the Compensazione mask.
Art. 1258:

Italian: "Art. 1258 - COMPENSAZIONE A. Con vetro ovale. Per le immersioni a grandi profondità, sia in apnea che con l'autorespiratore. Consente un'ottima compensazione. Colore azzurro on nero. Cerchietto in metallo o Moplen."
Rough translation: "Art. 1258 - COMPENSAZIONE A. Fitted with oval lens. Designed for diving at great depths, with or without self-contained breathing apparatus. Enables excellent equalisation. Light blue or black colour. Metal or Moplen rim.
Art. 1258 b:

Italian: "Art. 1258 b. COMPENSAZIONE A. Con valvolina di scarico."
Rough translation: "Art. 1258 b. COMPENSAZIONE A. Fitted with drain valve."

So the Mares Compensazione mask now comes with or without a purge valve and with the option of a metal or plastic rim. Note the change from a triple-perforated to a split head strap.

 

[David Wilson]

In 1969, a "NUOVA COMPENSAZIONE" (= "New Compensazione") mask with the stock number 1110 replaced the old Compensazione mask with the stock number 1258.

Italian: "Articolo 1110. Nuova Compensazione. Possiede una linea sobria e moderna. L'apposito alloggiamento per il naso ne facilita la presa, agevolando la compensazione. La tenuta su vetro è garantita da un montaggio forzato brevettato tra telaio e fascetta. Vetro temperato."
Official translation: "Item 1110. Nuova compensazione. Of a sober and modern design. Special nose-pocket allows an easy grip for an easy equalization. Positive lens-sealing through a patented strong assembly between liner and rim. Tempered lens."
My translation: "Item 1110. Nuova Compensazione. Has a restrained, modern look. Designated nose pocket for ease of nostril pinching and ear clearing. Patented flush fitting between frame and rim guarantees leaktight lens. Tempered-glass lens."

Note the change in lens geometry from an oval to a rounded rectangular shape, which may explain the reference to the mask's new restrained, modern look. As does the absence of the classic top screw, signalling a departure from a past when masks could be dismantled and their constituent parts replaced, and marking an arrival at a future when masks would no longer be dismantled but discarded and replaced when damaged or outmoded.

Here is the "Nuova Compensazione" in the 1974 catalogue:

And here is the model again from an undated catalogue published during the 1970s:

The Nuova Compensazione is mask number 9 on the catalogue page above, located top left in the lower image. It comes with a rectangular metal band around the lens and corrugated compensator bosses in the skirt bottom. IThe Nuova Compensazione sits to the left of the "Nuova Portofino" mask (number 11) on the top row with the red rectangular plastic frame around the lens.

Here are the old (back by popular demand?) and new versions of the mask again, both available in 1976:
Compensazione A

Italian: "MASCHERA COMPENSAZIONE “A”. Maschera semplice e funzionale, particolarmente robusta e confortevole. Ottimo campo visivo. Vetro temperato, fascetta metallo con valvola. Colore nero."
Official translation: "COMPENSAZIONE “A” MASK. Simple, functional, particularly strong and comfortable mask. Excellent field of vision. Tempered glass. Metal frame with valve. Black."

Nuova Compensazione

Italian: "NUOVA COMPENSAZIONE. E una tradizionale maschera a vetro ampio costruita molto accuratamente."
Official translation: "NUOVA COMPENSAZIONE. Traditional, wide lens accurately built mask."

So much for the fortunes of the Mares Compensazione mask, whose lens metamorphosed from elliptical to rectangular during its long service life. Some time midweek, we'll move on to another Mares mask, probably the "Cavi Baby". In the meantime, stay safe.

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks for the likes, Angelo and JMBL.

Cavi Baby, Nuova Cavi and Cavi are today's Mares diving masks. As we have already observed, the naming of underwater swimming products after Genoese seaside resorts is something of a Mares tradition. Cavi is short for Cavi di Lavagna (above) situated in the small town of Lavagna in metropolitan Genoa.

Like many others, this model débuted humbly enough in 1959 as "Article No. 1242":

By 1963, the mask had acquired the name "Cavi Baby":

Italian: Art. 1242 - CAVI BABY. Facciale per bambini. Vetro ovale."
Rough translation: "Item 1242 - CAVI BABY. Children's mask. Oval lens."

So a child's mask. Likely for reasons of economy, this model's oval lens was retained by the groove within a thick rubber rim without a metal band for reinforcement. For comfort and security, though, it was supplied with a split headstrap adjustable with twin buckles.

And here is the same mask in 1969:

Now couched in the three languages Italian, English and French, the product description remains the same, while the stock code changes from 1242 to 1104.

 

[David Wilson]

In the 1974 Mares catalogue, the Cavi Baby re-emerged as the Nuova Cavi, i.e. the new Cavi:

Hard to tell from the image what is particularly new about the design, apart from the lens rim's thinner look.

And here is the model's farewell appearance during the 1970s:

There it is above, number 15, on the extreme left. Note how the "Nuova Cavi" is now just "Cavi" and comes with a new yellow plastic rim.

Well, that's it again for today and I'll be back at the weekend with another Mares mask review, probably the "Olimpia" model this time. Stay safe in the meantime.

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks, JMBL, for the like.

I don't know about you, but a pattern appears to be emerging for me when it comes to Mares diving mask development. A model begins with a stock number in the late 1950s, receives a product name during the early 1960s and is either discontinued in the late 1960s or undergoes some change to conform to the new designs and technologies of the 1970s. Today's diving mask, the Mares Olimpia, is no exception to this trend.

In 1959, the Olimpia was a mask with a number, 1197, but no name:

In 1961, model No. 1197 acquired a product description and a product name, Olimpia, Italian for "Olympia", which bucks the trend in that the mask does not appear this time to have been named after a local beauty spot:

Italian: "Maschera «OLIMPIA» con reggetta in acciaio inossidabile."
Rough translation: "'OLIMPIA' mask with stainless-steel band."

A fairly typical late 1950s/early 1960s design, therefore: oval lens retained by a stainless-steel rim secured with a top screw; split head strap adjustable with twin buckles.

In 1963, the oval Olimpia mask lens came with a choice of surrounds.

The Olimpia 1197 fitted with either a metal or plastic rim:

Italian: "Art. 1197 - OLIMPIA. Di media dimensione, vetro ovale, con bordi molto morbidi che consentono una perfetta aderenza al viso. Cerchietto in metallo o Moplen."
Rough translation: "Item 1197 - OLIMPIA. Medium-sized mask, oval lens, very soft edges, which are a perfect facial fit. Metal or Moplen rim.

And the rimless Olimpia 1209: