Who bought Aqua Lung?
In a significant shift for the global scuba diving landscape, HEAD Group—the company behind Mares and SSI—has officially acquired Aqualung Group, one of the most iconic names in diving history. Aqualung Group was sold by Air Liquide to Montagu Private Equity by the end of 2016. It was acquired by Barings LLC in December 2023. After U. S. Divers Company was renamed Aqualung America, the name U. S. Divers was retained as a trademark for Aqua Lung’s line of snorkelling equipment.Aqualung Group (formerly Aqua Lung International, and prior to that La Spirotechnique) is a manufacturer of self-contained breathing apparatus and other diving equipment.Aqualung Group was sold by Air Liquide to Montagu Private Equity by the end of 2016. It was acquired by Barings LLC in December 2023.
Why is the Aqua-Lung important?
The Aqualung introduced a regulator system that allowed divers to inhale and exhale through the same mouthpiece, significantly improving oxygen efficiency and mobility. Cousteau and Gagnan’s design utilized high-pressure metal tanks filled with compressed air, enabling divers to reach depths of up to 68. An aqualung is a kind of diving equipment that lets you breathe under water. It’s an air tank strapped to your back plus a mouthpiece that lets you breathe in that air.Aqualung is the Toyota of diving equipment. It’s reliable, functional, reasonably priced. It isn’t fancy or high performance, but it generally gets the job done just fine.