Dive Fin History

[Akimbo]

Here's a connection I never would have made:

I was re-reading Jacques Cousteau: The Sea King by Brad Matsen and come across this passage on page 24. He is discussing Philippe Tailliez around 1936, the fellow naval officer that introduced Cousteau to diving (bold added by me):

"With instructions from the commander of Condorcet*, a skin-diving enthusiast named Captaine Louis de Corlieu, Tailliez made himself a pair of flippers by sandwiching pieces of metal saw blades between two slabs of rubber and strapping them to his feet with twine. The fins, about a foot long, more than doubled the power of his kicks."​

*The Condorcet is the ship he and Cousteau were stationed on

It's hard to imagine how inventive they had to be in those days. I just hope he ground the cutting teeth off before strapping them on! It would be interesting to read about other innovative stories... hint-hint @Sam Miller III


Hey Dano (@MAKO Spearguns), hope you don't mind my snagging the image of your freediving fins. I'll substitute an inferior image if you prefer.

 

[dberry]

OK, they're not exactly dive fins, but apparently Ben Franklin deserves some credit:

Ben Franklin's inventions: swim fins

Top 10 Ben Franklin Inventions

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

Here's a connection I never would have made:

View attachment 431599​

I was re-reading Jacques Cousteau: The Sea King by Brad Matsen and come across this passage on page 24. He is discussing Philippe Tailliez around 1936, the fellow naval officer that introduced Cousteau to diving (bold added by me):

"With instructions from the commander of Condorcet*, a skin-diving enthusiast named Captaine Louis de Corlieu, Tailliez made himself a pair of flippers by sandwiching pieces of metal saw blades between two slabs of rubber and strapping them to his feet with twine. The fins, about a foot long, more than doubled the power of his kicks."​

*The Condorcet is the ship he and Cousteau were stationed on

It's hard to imagine how inventive they had to be in those days. I just hope he ground the cutting teeth off before strapping them on! It would be interesting to read about other innovative stories... hint-hint @Sam Miller III


Hey Dano (@MAKO Spearguns), hope you don't mind my snagging the image of your freediving fins. I'll substitute an inferior image if you prefer.

I saw what you did there..

 

[Sam Miller III]

@dberry
I have researched the history of fins for over 30 years. It took me about 10 years pre internet or electronic high way to discover Ben Franklin has an interest and even designed fins

FYI the first American Patent was by an individual from Sam Francisco California named Havor Olsen in the 1860s about the same time as R&D were manufacturing their SCUBA Aerophore
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'With instructions from the commander of Condorcet*, a skin-diving enthusiast named Captaine Louis de Corlieu, Tailliez made himself a pair of flippers by sandwiching pieces of metal saw blades between two slabs of rubber and strapping them to his feet with twine. The fins, about a foot long, more than doubled the power of his kicks."'

That is interesting --- but---

In 1932 Commander Luis de Corlieu developed "Swimming propellers" (aka Fins) while stationed with the French Navy in French Indo China, now renamed Viet Nam
In 1933 he applied for a European patent followed by a US patent
in 1937

Tailliez had been an enthusiastic goggler for several years before Cousteau was transferred to his ship and introduced to goggling the de Corlieu fins had been patented, produced and were in common usage

Almost concurrently in the US...
After wining an Olympic gold metal at the 1932 Olympics in LA 1938 Owen Churchill vacations in Tahiti discovers the natives fashioning palm leaves (frons) to their feet for added propulsion. He became fascinated by the natives injunity in weaving palm frons to increase their in water propulsion.

Churchill's neighbor , a Mr. Lombard introduces Churchill to de Corlieu. Churchill is impressed and purchases a pair of Propellers

By 1939 Churchill had returned to the US contacts de Corlieu . They enter in to a contract for Churchill to produce Swimming propellers
1940 Owen Churchill produces (US) design patent and a improvement patents the fin as a as a "Swim fin" instead of a "Swimming propellers"

1940 Churchill produces 946 pairs of "Swim Fins" which were sold in SoCal

I suspect de Corlieu may have sold a pair of his propellers to Tailliez. I some how seriously doubt he suggested using a saw as a base to construct home made fins
But then again who knows?

Sam Miller,III

 

[Akimbo]

Tailliez had been an enthusiastic goggler for several years before Cousteau was transferred to his ship and introduced to goggling the de Corlieu fins had been patented, produced and were in common usage

Was this the same "Captaine Louis de Corlieu" referred to in the book? Could it be that it was after the patent was applied for but before any tooling could be made to produce them in molded rubber? I can't even guess how much tooling for a pair of fins would have cost then, but I bet it was an enormous sum to a naval officer during the depression.

I suspect that production rubber molded fins were available, especially in that part of the Mediterranean. The Italians probably had them for their evolving combat swimmers. I suspect that there were many cases of "recurrent discovery and invention" during those years. How hard was it for you to find masks fins and snorkels when your band of spearfisherman started? Wasn't Hans Hass using them around this time?

I some how seriously doubt he suggested using a saw as a base to construct home made fins

Now you're making me feel bad Sam. I was about to go out and try it! OK, I'm joking a little... maybe.

 

[Compressor]

Remember these fins:

They are voits like I use to have.

 

[Sam Miller III]

The black Churchill's were made during the later part of WW11 from some sort of recycled rubber,
Immediately after WW11 Owen Churchill began producing his fins in green (as in frog man green) I suspect your fins were green...?

The north east, due to location and weather was rather slow accepting diving as a recreational activity, long after Churchill's had lost their popularity to other beter dive fins for diving. When and where did you purchase your Churchill' s ?

Note the Sea Net mask, first American designed and produced mask by the late Frank Roedecker in 1940. Marketed by Sea Net, the first American recreational diving company owned by Pops Romano in Terminal Island, Long Beach California , where it all began.

The picture is rather historical - WW11 vintage?? - Were did you find it?

Sam Miller,III

 

[Compressor]

I had the picture and it came from the internet.
It came from here.

 

[shoredivr]

Apparently these are the Mercury astronauts doing some training...from that same link above. Note the fins.

 

[Sam Miller III]

The author of your referenced article appears to be more than a little confused about fin history.

I first met Owen Potter Churchill at one of the SoCal international spear fishing meets which were always won by a SoCal team. 30 perhaps closer to 40 years ago when I was researching information on my 3 part article on the history of fins I had the opportunity to visit with Owen at his home on several occasions. He offered to give me all sorts of documents related to his fins, which I declined , but he did give me a post WW11 picture of him and de Corlieu.. which I cant find and suspect it also has been stolen

The Duck feet were the fin of choice of serious divers for about 10 to 15 years before the advent of the Jet fin and the current crop of weak legged divers. The "Ducks" were designed a produced by Art :"Bud" or "Brownie" Brown in his small manufacturing shop in Laguna Canyon, Laguna Beach, California- where it all began.
He also gave the world the great wide view mask which has never been equaled in comfort and reliability.

Brown sold to Ken Norris who owned Pacific Molded Products who in turn after a few years sold to Willard Voit who produced them under his Swimaster label

Golly I didn't know that !
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Now what about this :

The north east, due to location and weather was rather slow accepting diving as a recreational activity, long after Churchill's had lost their popularity to other beter dive fins for diving. When and where did you purchase your Churchill' s ? ''
SDM