Opinions on Cressi..?

[David Wilson]

Cressi have indeed been around since 1946. Among other things, they patented and introduced the full-foot fin. They still market a rubber-skirted mask, the Pinocchio, first developed in the 1950s:



In the 1960s and 1970s I loved snorkelling with Cressi Rondine fins. I wish they still manufactured them, but they seem to have sold or donated their original moulds to South America. The company discontinued the line when they moved into silicone masks and plastic fins in the 1980s.

As the folks on the vintage diving forum will tell you, there's nothing inherently wrong with older-style equipment and some of us actually prefer pre-1975 designs. Just because something's new doesn't mean to say it's always better for everybody, particularly when items of personal gear are at issue. Having kept a close eye on the development of basic diving gear over four decades, my take on things, for what it's worth, is that most innovations represent a trade-off of benefits and limitations relative to what they are designed to replace. I don't think you can ever say that new things are always better than old things in every respect. There's always a trade-off somewhere.

 

[TGreene]

FWIW: The repeated negative comments in regards to Cressi as a whole have come from my LDS that pushes AquaLung and ScubaPro products...

-Tim

 

[fnfalman]

I like the Cressi advertisements with the raven haired hot chick.

 

[widget]

In the 1960s and 1970s I loved snorkelling with Cressi Rondine fins. I wish they still manufactured them,

Aaah, the Rondines, was there ever a better fin.?? - I have to agree with your sentiments on older gear, the Rondines been an excelaant example of a fin that was as plain as a daisy, but just worked so well.

Regretably today manufacturers are under pressure to make things "look" as space aged as possible, modern divers want the modern look, nothing wrong with it I guess, and manufacturers know all too well, unless it looks the part, its unlikely to be very successfull sales wise.

 

[TGreene]

Regretably today manufacturers are under pressure to make things "look" as space aged as possible, modern divers want the modern look, nothing wrong with it I guess, and manufacturers know all too well, unless it looks the part, its unlikely to be very successfull sales wise.

That would fall under the "I may not know what the hell I'm doing, but by GOD I'll sure as hell look good while trying to do it anyway" category!

I was a wilderness guide for several years, and we saw it every where we went.

-Tim

 

[keyshunter]

Ahh, yes. Many, many divers look very good--UNTIL THEY GET IN THE WATER.

 

[David Wilson]

Aaah, the Rondines, was there ever a better fin.?? - I have to agree with your sentiments on older gear, the Rondines been an excelaant example of a fin that was as plain as a daisy, but just worked so well. Regretably today manufacturers are under pressure to make things "look" as space aged as possible, modern divers want the modern look, nothing wrong with it I guess, and manufacturers know all too well, unless it looks the part, its unlikely to be very successfull sales wise.

I'm delighted to have found a fellow enthusiast for Cressi Rondines! Endlessly imitated, although the clones were never as good as the originals, they represented a standard against which all other fins could be judged. Here's a picture of a diver wearing a yellow pair of one version of these simple classic Cressi fins:


here's the original Cressi full-foot fin prototype:


and here are some Cressi fins from their pre-1975 range:


Cressi Rondine clones, with the familiar swallow outline on their foot pockets and blades, are still made nowadays. One example is the US-made Oceanways Aquapro:


Another is the Brazilian-made Cobra Sub Rondine:


I agree with you too about so-called "space-age" synthetics dominating diving equipment manufacture nowadays to the exclusion of tried-and-tested traditional materials. Discontinuing classic lines reduces customer choice.

 

[arkstorm]

I've used Cressi Ellipse Titanium / MC7 regs and they've been great performers. On the other hand the design of their BC inflator will pinch your lips on the button every time you orally inflate. So like any other company, they have some good some bad.

 

[buddhasummer]

I have been diving cressi frog fins for over ten years and I like them, I have just recently purchased a cressi Edy 2 computer and I think Ill like that just fine too. As has been previously said most people complaining about a particular brand I suspect have no first hand knowledge but simply bagging because its not what they use. cressi is a big company and if they sold crap they would no longer be in business. Im sure youll be very happy with your purchase enjoy. Cheers

 

[monkeyfish69]

Have both cressi elipse titanium and mares mr22, prefer the cressi 2nd stage because it is so much lighter in the mouth otherwise they are about the same, cressi tends to slightly freeflow after about 50 dives and needs resetting while the mr22 is more robust.