BRITMARINE by David Wilson

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Between the 1960s and 1970s Britmarine diving masks, breathing tubes, snorkel-masks and swim fins were on sale at an affordable price in department stores and at sporting goods retailers throughout the United Kingdom. The Haffenden company behind the brand operated from a rubber goods plant in South-East England, exporting Britmarine gear to Europe and “King Neptune” brand swim fins to the United States to satisfy demand created by the “Mike Nelson” TV series starring Lloyd Bridges.
In the mid-1950s the Submarine Clipper range of rubber swim fins, face mask, breathing tube and combined face mask and breathing tube
was introduced. In the late 1950s, the company was acquired by the London Rubber Company.

 

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In 1970, on behalf of Haffenden-Richborough Ltd, Philip Wilson-Haffenden secured British Patent concerning a swim fin comprising “at least one longitudinally extending reinforcing rib which has a resistance to flexure which increases abruptly at a predetermined curvature or angle of deflection.” In 1972 all the separate trading activities of the group were merged within Haffenden-Richborough Ltd.
In the early to mid-1970s, Haffenden issued at least three different catalogues with a greatly expanded range of underwater swimming equipment, including 24 different masks, 12 different snorkels and three different pairs of fins in their Britmarine and Clipper lines.
Between the late 1970s and early 1980s, Haffenden-Richborough discontinued production of masks, fins and snorkels with rubber components and briefly manufactured their Clipper adjustable open-heel fins and new Galaxia full-foot fins using thermoplastics. The company soon ceased underwater swimming products manufacture altogether and in 1981, Haffenden-Richborough Ltd was renamed the Haffenden Moulding Company.
In August 1997 the Haffenden Moulding Company Ltd, which had operated with over 200 employees in South-East England since 1947, relocated to Nottinghamshire. In 2006, the company entered receivership. The current owner is Rubber Leisure Products of Malaysia.

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