Spearguns in Thunderball Bond movie 1965 and mask

[Mr. X]

Hi I watched the old 1965 James Bond movie "Thunderball" on TV this week.

I thought I noticed some discontinuities in the mask(s) Bond used. One was rather like my second mask, at about age 12, a blue Britmarine(?) mask with nose-pinch pockets to allow one to equalize.

But my main question was what spearguns were they using? And how powered? They seemed to be quite slim and mid-handled. This question has probably been asked and answered years ago already, possibly by speargun boffin @popgunpete

 

[DRW]

At My modest 007 collection, the mask is identified as a Voit Swim Mask model B10NB in blue. Other sources confirm that the American diving equipment manufacturer Voit won the contract to supply underwater gear for the film.

 

[Mr. X]

Brilliant! Thank you DRW
Yes, my mask didn't have that round white thing on the front (what is that, a purge valve?)

 

[Mr. X]

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At My modest 007 collection, the mask is identified as a Voit Swim Mask model B10NB in blue. Other sources confirm that the American diving equipment manufacturer Voit won the contract to supply underwater gear for the film.

Your website?! Amazing! Well done!
Too much for me to take on in one go! "I shall return" as MacArthur promised!

 

[DRW]

Your website?! Amazing! Well done!
Too much for me to take on in one go! "I shall return" as MacArthur promised!

No, not my website. Google led me to it.

 

[DRW]

Brilliant! Thank you DRW
Yes, my mask didn't have that round white thing on the front (what is that, a purge valve?)

Certainly looks like a drain valve. Never seen one in white before.

 

[popgun pete]

There are a number of web pages discussing the spearguns used in Thunderball, the one Bond uses to pin a baddie to a tree is a Technisub Jaguar. The guns in the underwater battles are Pelletier carbon dioxide guns and there are Mares guns as well which at that stage use the Bess handle from their spring gun. That handle appeared on both their early pneumatic and carbon dioxide guns. You never see anyone loading their gun in the movie, that's all edited out. You can tell in a few scenes where the guys with the Pelletier guns are twisting the rear tank which opens the valve that charges the barrel with gas before a shot. You can be sure that none of the guns are charged in the action scenes, only being ready to shoot just before the gun is seen to fire. This would be carefully choreographed as they didn't want to skewer anyone. The editing table would be where they assembled the fight sequences which also provided the illusion of many more divers than were actually used.