Post-Soviet fins: Russian models 2

[David Wilson]

The next YaRTI adjustable open-heel model is the Akula. "Akula" (АКУЛА) is the Russian word for "shark".

Akula

The fins have heavy ribs on the underside of the blade and a shark logo on the topside. This model has been around for quite a while. Older versions have markings indicating that they were made by Mosrezina of Moscow during the late 1960s or 1970s.

We'll revisit the Ikhtiandr in the next message, its open-heel version this time.

 

[george_austin]

Dave - The only thing missing with those Black fins at the top of the thread is the SPECTRE Logo
SPECTRE (Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion)

I would make a silk screen and emblazon them - sweet

 

[David Wilson]

Nice one, George!

On to the adjustable open-heel version of YaRTI's Ikhtiandr. A reminder that the name "Ikhtiandr" derives from the Greek words for "fish" and "man", which passed into Russian as "Ихтиандр" and into English as "Ichthyander". The fin dates back to another model, named "Barrakuda", which was also heavily ribbed with the two ribs on the bottom extending from the blade far into the proximity of the heel.

Ikhtiandr

The first two images above illustrate the top and bottom of the fin. The third image provides more pieces of information, namely (1) the shoe size 225-235 (foot length in millimetres), (2) the national accreditation standard (ГОСТ 22469—77; English: GOST (Soviet State Standard) 22469 of 1977) entitled ЛАСТЫ РЕЗИНОВЫЕ ДЛЯ ПЛАВАНИЯ: ОБЩИЕ ТЕХНИЧЕСКИЕ УСЛОВИЯ (RUBBER SWIMMING FINS: GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS). This Russian-language standard still applies to all rubber swimming fins manufactured in Russia and Ukraine. Then (3) there are the initials "ЯРТИ" (YaRTI), standing for "Ярославский завод резиновых технических изделий", or Yaroslavl Rubber Technical Plant, the manufacturer of the fin. Finally (4), the oval shape with the Trade Mark sign encloses the word "SPINE", which was chosen as the brand name of YaRTI's underwater swimming products.

Next up is the "Piran'ya" adjustable open-heel fin.

 

[David Wilson]

On to Piran'ya (Пиранья) adjustable open-heel fins. "Piran'ya" is the Russian word for "piranha". A piranha probably conjures up the image of a man-eating fish with very sharp teeth:

However, the image on the blade of the Piran'ya fin is altogether friendlier:

Piran'ya

Quite a cheerful little fellow with big eyes and a big smile, isn't he? Could this really be the same creature that lies in wait for unsuspecting swimmers in South American rivers?

The reverse side of the fin resembles the "Akula" with its two prominent ribs complementing the side rails:

Note the now familiar markings on the reverse side. First, the size, this time the European measurement 37-41. Then "ГОСТ 22469—77" (English: GOST (Soviet State Standard) 22469 of 1977) refers to the national accreditation standard (ЛАСТЫ РЕЗИНОВЫЕ ДЛЯ ПЛАВАНИЯ: ОБЩИЕ ТЕХНИЧЕСКИЕ УСЛОВИЯ (RUBBER SWIMMING FINS: GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS). This Russian-language standard still applies to all rubber swimming fins manufactured in Russia and Ukraine. Finally, "ЯРТИ" (YaRTI) stands for "Ярославский завод резиновых технических изделий", or Yaroslavl Rubber Technical Plant, the manufacturer of the fin.

Next up is YaRTI's "Skuter" (Scooter) open-heel fin.

 

[dmaziuk]

On to the adjustable open-heel version of YaRTI's Ikhtiandr. A reminder that the name "Ikhtiandr" derives from the Greek words for "fish" and "man", which passed into Russian as "Ихтиандр" and into English as "Ichthyander".

Another bit of trivia: ikhtiandr is the name of the character in the 1920s sci-fi novel and the 60s Soviet cult classic movie. The underwater work was apparently quite groundbreaking at the time and featured the first Soviet-made "aqualung" (Russian for SCUBA ) as well as USSR's first underwater swimming champion. The English write-up on the wikipedia is just a stub, though: Amphibian Man (film) - Wikipedia

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks for that item of trivia, dmazuik. I thought the name Ikhtiandr was a rather esoteric classical reference to use as a fin name, but its use in the "Amphibian" cult classic would mean that the Soviet population was already familiar with the name and its context some time before the fin was lauched on the market.

 

[dmaziuk]

Yes, the name's a good marketing move, but you have to be from there to know that.

 

[David Wilson]

On next to YaRTI's "Skuter" adjustable open-heel fin. "Skuter" is the transliteration of the Russian word "Скутер", which means "Scooter".

Skuter

So this fin resembles several of the preceding variety, with a plain blade on top and a couple of thick ribs underneath. The word "Скутер" (Skuter) is clearly written diagonally on the blade, while the sole markings identify the size as "40-44", the accreditation of Russian Standard GOST 22409-77 and the initials of the manufacturer, YaRTI. The name "Spine", the retail arm of YaRTI, appears below.

If Avito.ru is anything to go by as an online auction site, the Skuter model of fin has proved quite a popular choice for the country's underwater hunters. I'll move on soon to the last fin model in this thread, Russia's answer to the Jet Fin. I'll be starting another thread in the near future, exploring what is currently available fin-wise in Ukraine.

 

[David Wilson]

I promised to introduce Russia's answer to the Scubapro Jet Fin in this message, but I'll keep you waiting a little longer as I have found another YaRTI open-heel fin in the meantime: the Turist (Турист = Tourist).

Turist

There is not a great deal of information about this model other than the fact it is a rubber fin with an adjustable strap, black in colour, 380 mm in length and available in European size 36-40. This information can be found in Russian on the Spine website at Турист :: SPINE. Spine is the retail arm of YaRTI's sporting goods division. I would just add that the Turist fin's blade is wider than similar Spine fins such as the Akula.

Next up is the SPINE Jet Fin clone.

 

[David Wilson]

Right, on to YaRTI's version of Jet Fins, simply dubbed "SPINE", the same name as the manufacturer'ssporting goods retail arm.

SPINE

The image above is an illustration from a review of the fins in the Number 3 (39) 2005 issue of the Russian diving magazine Октопус (Octopus). The picture and text can be accessed at Русская резина, или Spine — «основа» дайвинга «. The title of the article "Русская резина, или Spine — «основа» дайвинга" translates roughly as "Russian rubber, or Spine – 'basic' diving". The author, Aleksandr Aristarkhov, is fully aware not only of current trends in fin manufacture abroad, the focus of foreign companies on using petroleum-derived "new materials", but also the affection in which western divers continue to hold their Scubapro Jet Fins. He stresses the fact that the designers of the SPINE adjustable open-heel fins have not simply copied Jet Fins but have tweaked the original model by lengthening the blade slightly and modifying the rubber blend. Above all, he emphasises the extreme testing to which the prototypes were subjected both in the Black Sea and in the icy conditions of Arctic waters, passing both with flying colours. He sees a potential market in drysuit wearers who want a more traditional, heavier (2.5 kg the pair) fin. The editorial staff of "Octopus" magazine were given the opportunity to experiment with the fins over several months in punishing conditions, and they were all delighted by the power delivered by the fins and the resistance of the rubber material to abrasion and ageing.

The latest version of these fins have their foot pockets split on the top and fitted with eyelets for laces, which is the Russian solution to the problem of accommodating drysuit boots in fins:

They are 580 mm long and only come in size XL and in colour black. Their benefits are billed as follows:
* Thanks to their special designed design, they have excellent hydrodynamics;
* They fit feet snugly, do not come loose when swimming;
* They do not overload either feet or legs.
They are priced around 3000 roubles (about 51 US dollars) and can be purchased online from Ласты Spine купить с доставкой по России and Ласты резиновые "SPINE" (размер XL).