The company Barracuda was founded in 1949 by Hansjürgen Bergann and Dr. Hurst Ristau (both divers and spearfishing practitioners). It was the only distributor of non-professional diving equipment in Germany in the early years. Bergann was the founder of many diving clubs (Barakudas Clubs), which helped in the formation of their own market.
In 1951, the company purchased the patent of diving fins from Corlie Commander for the territory of Germany, and got this monopoly until 1962.
In late 1953, it was launched the diving magazine “DELPHIN”, edited by Kurt von Eckenbrecher, former Olympic gold medal in swimming. Bergann was transferred to the new magazine with the task of creating a federation / association of all diving clubs. The magazine, as an official organ of the association, had achieved over the years a circulation of about 20,000 copies.
Thousands of divers have emerged in the sixties, taking its first steps in the underwater world through diving clubs. Meanwhile, the company has grown dramatically, so that the house of Hamburg, where it all began, was too small for the operation. In the winter of 1959-1960, the company moves to Buchholz, 30 kms south of Hamburg, and begin to build their own factories.
Together with the Dräger company, Barracuda distributed the first German self-contained diving – the Dräger Delphin II monohose. Therefore, the Barakuda started selling equipment from La Spirotechnique, Cressi, Mares and Nemrod.
Barakuda has distributed regulators Spirotechnique under its own brand, Nemrod under its own brand, as the double hose Monsun and Monsun II, whereas that they never have had own production of double hose regulators.
The first model was the Mistral from La Spirotechnique. The double hose regulator was usually offered with DIN fitting type of direct screw-in connection to the cylinder. Even if the catalog illustration looks different, you will find the Barakuda Mistral (often with the sticker Label “Barakuda Atemtechnik”) mostly in this
Configuration: Lower box half of the Mistral, upper half of the box from the Royal Mistral and the plastic mouthpiece from Submarine Products (UK) with directional valves.
The next regulator to be produced was a product from a North German Company. The model Monsun was also made by German Tauchtechnik, from Eckernförde, the same manufacturer of the Passat. This model “Monsun” is a single stage regulator unbalanced and had the same features of the Passat II.
The model Monsun II made by Nemrod had the same characteristics of the Snark III. It is a unbalanced upstream two stages double hose regulator. This regulator had stamped the word “Monsun II” instead of Snark III in the case of the yoke side, unlike the Spartan Trident MK II (which had stamped Snark III).
The new company logo appears in 1962 catalog and was used in its double hose regulators:
Retired in 1964, Kurt Ristau has left the company.
In 1965, there was the launch of the single hose Baramat, very tough regulator that seemed indestructible. That is why the German government used them for his divers.
In 1974, the Bayer company became the new shareholder of Barakuda when bought Metzeler company, which owned part of Barakuda. In 1986, Barakuda is fully owned by Metzeler, and it is closed off soon after.
In 1996, H. Bergann bought the rights to the name “Barakuda” and revived this name which is part of the history of diving.
Reference
- www.barakuda-wassersport.de/produktproduktion.html
- Frank Werthwein
- T auchgeschichte Spezial 5/2015, Kapitel 11