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Retro all rubber fins!
- Thread starterPoseidonSv
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
, There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
I have fins like those, and I like them. I use them for work at the farm. I will take a picture. They are made in Mexico. Squalo is the brand name.
Saludos
Carlos
Saludos
Carlos
I had similar rubber fins to the first pair too. They were made by Cressi. They are almost as long as most of current freediving fins, and practically indestructible! I've bought them in 1984 and frequently used and abused until ~2002 when I've bought plastic freediving fins (that I broke this year 
). I loved them. I've just found them again two days ago when I wanted to borrow some fins to a friend who passed by when on the road to Andalusia. Hope he'll bring them back! I'll post a picture then - did not find them on the web.
). I loved them. I've just found them again two days ago when I wanted to borrow some fins to a friend who passed by when on the road to Andalusia. Hope he'll bring them back! I'll post a picture then - did not find them on the web.
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When I was a lad my favs were US Divers Hydromatic Champions - bright yellow and slightly positive bouyancy. Comfortable for all day with close pockets that kept my feet warm. Found them for sale here for $85 us....right. Also used the Voit Vikings and US divers Otarie. Had some Scubapro jet fins too but they were ghastly for freediving.
Pick makes the blades look much shorter than they are. Those rubber freediving fins look very nice - soft I bet though, and probably heavy.
Ridiculously Expensive Fins
Pick makes the blades look much shorter than they are. Those rubber freediving fins look very nice - soft I bet though, and probably heavy.
Ridiculously Expensive Fins
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rofl Tompa - used rubber.. dont even go there
F-Set - i saw it... I did reply... and my bf wondered what the hell i was listening to rofl (i didn't really want to explain?)
F-Set - i saw it... I did reply... and my bf wondered what the hell i was listening to rofl (i didn't really want to explain?)
LOL - I've moved back into open water now. Things were getting a little funky. Besides I felt like I was intruding
Did you see the new one? just finished last night. Soundtrack is a little more 'accessible' - it's a compilation of all my river dives.
Take Me to the River
Did you see the new one? just finished last night. Soundtrack is a little more 'accessible' - it's a compilation of all my river dives.
Take Me to the River
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I remember one of my relatives had exactly such rubber fins like Pocoshower posted. Maybe they were a little more darker blue, but looked the same (as far as I remember at least). I was very little back then and my foot was wayyy too small for the fins, but I still remember them, as they were probably the first real fins I ever saw.
My personal first ones were a pair of open-heeled plastic fins that hurted like hell, if I'm right (when I was about 5). And I think I only wore them once in water.
My personal first ones were a pair of open-heeled plastic fins that hurted like hell, if I'm right (when I was about 5). And I think I only wore them once in water.
I would like to thank to thank Pocoshower for bringing his Escualo fins to our attention. I eventually managed to track down the manufacturers at
VENTA EQUIPO DE NATACION Y BUCEO. Tel. 56732722,56732597, 56737492 - Principal
According to their website, the Escualo Sports company makes five kinds of rubber fin, six kinds of rubber mask and one all-rubber snorkel. Unusually for nowadays, some of the masks are available in blue as well as black rubber. The "Clasica" fins which Pocoshower owns are made in many sizes, right up to 36 cm; 29 cm roughly corresponds to US men’s size 10, so even those with oversized feet can be accommodated. I must admit I’m very tempted by the Escualo Sports offerings, particularly the blue Clasica fins and Ixtapa mask. I wonder whether the company could be persuaded to sell them to me here in the UK?
I much prefer the term "classic" to "retro" when applied to rubber fins and masks. Here in Western Europe and the USA, specialist companies manufacture diving equipment, while in other countries, e.g. Russia, Ukraine and Japan, general rubber goods manufacturers produce basic underwater swimming gear for their domestic market. In the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s, fins and masks were made in rubber around the world. In the late 1970s, western diving equipment companies switched to "innovative" but ultimately more expensive plastic materials. Meanwhile, the general rubber goods manufacturers elsewhere went on producing fins and masks in natural rubber. They didn’t export to the West, so we weren’t aware of them bucking the trend.
Some companies here in the West continue to make rubber fins, e.g. Oceanways in the USA, Sommap in France, Francis in Italy, Majorca Sub in Greece and Sener Kaucuk in Turkey:
Discount Divers - Oceanways Aquapro Full Foot Rubber Fins
SOMMAP » Fins » Rubber Fins » Products list
.:: FRANCIS ::.
MAJORCA SUB
Yüzme ve Dalgýç Paletleri
Although British manufacturers such as Britmarine and Typhoon made excellent rubber fins over many years, they stopped making them after the "plastic revolution".
A while ago I did some online research and established that worldwide, over ninety companies currently manufacture and distribute rubber swim fins, a far cry from one prophet of doom in the late 1970s who predicted that such fins would soon become unobtainable. In fact, rubber fins have found new markets in bodyboard surfing and swim training as well as applications in the resort rental business, snorkelling and, thanks to the popularity of Jet Fins and Apollo Bio Fins, even in scuba itself.
VENTA EQUIPO DE NATACION Y BUCEO. Tel. 56732722,56732597, 56737492 - Principal
According to their website, the Escualo Sports company makes five kinds of rubber fin, six kinds of rubber mask and one all-rubber snorkel. Unusually for nowadays, some of the masks are available in blue as well as black rubber. The "Clasica" fins which Pocoshower owns are made in many sizes, right up to 36 cm; 29 cm roughly corresponds to US men’s size 10, so even those with oversized feet can be accommodated. I must admit I’m very tempted by the Escualo Sports offerings, particularly the blue Clasica fins and Ixtapa mask. I wonder whether the company could be persuaded to sell them to me here in the UK?
I much prefer the term "classic" to "retro" when applied to rubber fins and masks. Here in Western Europe and the USA, specialist companies manufacture diving equipment, while in other countries, e.g. Russia, Ukraine and Japan, general rubber goods manufacturers produce basic underwater swimming gear for their domestic market. In the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s, fins and masks were made in rubber around the world. In the late 1970s, western diving equipment companies switched to "innovative" but ultimately more expensive plastic materials. Meanwhile, the general rubber goods manufacturers elsewhere went on producing fins and masks in natural rubber. They didn’t export to the West, so we weren’t aware of them bucking the trend.
Some companies here in the West continue to make rubber fins, e.g. Oceanways in the USA, Sommap in France, Francis in Italy, Majorca Sub in Greece and Sener Kaucuk in Turkey:
Discount Divers - Oceanways Aquapro Full Foot Rubber Fins
SOMMAP » Fins » Rubber Fins » Products list
.:: FRANCIS ::.
MAJORCA SUB
Yüzme ve Dalgýç Paletleri
Although British manufacturers such as Britmarine and Typhoon made excellent rubber fins over many years, they stopped making them after the "plastic revolution".
A while ago I did some online research and established that worldwide, over ninety companies currently manufacture and distribute rubber swim fins, a far cry from one prophet of doom in the late 1970s who predicted that such fins would soon become unobtainable. In fact, rubber fins have found new markets in bodyboard surfing and swim training as well as applications in the resort rental business, snorkelling and, thanks to the popularity of Jet Fins and Apollo Bio Fins, even in scuba itself.
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Glad this was of interest, PoseidonSv. The links I posted are only a fraction of what exists out there in the way of rubber fins and masks, e.g.
Diving
Ñïîðò-Èíäóñòðèÿ ßðîñëàâëü Ïðîèçâîäñòâî: ëûæíûå áîòèíêè, ïàëêè, êðåïëåíèÿ äëÿ áåãîâûõ ëûæ
http://www.landandsea.com.au/Home_page/images/enlargements/15.jpg
T.J. & Grace-Snowboarding and Gear, Stomp Pad, Snow Grabber Manufacturer, Supplier, Exporter
The problem with the supply of such classic fins and masks isn't manufacturing but distribution. I came across Gull fins, which you mentioned in your original post, on the Web several years ago and emailed the manufacturer in Japan to find out how to purchase a pair of Mew fins to be sent to Britain. No response and others have experienced the same result. The Internet has enabled online users everywhere to find out about other countries' products, but some manufacturers abroad still don't think it is worth their while selling them to parts of the world where they don't have distributors prepared to order large quantities of gear.
Diving
Ñïîðò-Èíäóñòðèÿ ßðîñëàâëü Ïðîèçâîäñòâî: ëûæíûå áîòèíêè, ïàëêè, êðåïëåíèÿ äëÿ áåãîâûõ ëûæ
http://www.landandsea.com.au/Home_page/images/enlargements/15.jpg
T.J. & Grace-Snowboarding and Gear, Stomp Pad, Snow Grabber Manufacturer, Supplier, Exporter
The problem with the supply of such classic fins and masks isn't manufacturing but distribution. I came across Gull fins, which you mentioned in your original post, on the Web several years ago and emailed the manufacturer in Japan to find out how to purchase a pair of Mew fins to be sent to Britain. No response and others have experienced the same result. The Internet has enabled online users everywhere to find out about other countries' products, but some manufacturers abroad still don't think it is worth their while selling them to parts of the world where they don't have distributors prepared to order large quantities of gear.