What is going on with Aqualung?
After months of talks and rumors, it was publicly confirmed on the 26th of June that HEAD group would acquire the Aqualung group. The decision was announced by the Commercial Court of Nice, following a bid for the company, which was placed under insolvency administration since May 16, 2025. The Aqualung Group – owner of Aqualung, Apeks and Aquasphere – has announced it is in takeover talks with HEAD Group – the owner of Mares – just over a year after the company was acquired by Barings.The company was sold to Montagu Private Equity in 2016, and subsequently acquired by Barings LLC in 2023. In June 2025, Aqualung Group was acquired by Head Group.
What did the Aqualung do?
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. Specifically, his invention, with partner Emile Gagnan, of a self- contained system that made it possible to breathe for long periods of time underwater. By inventing the aqualung in 1943, Cousteau changed forever how underwater exploration and work would be carried out.Jacques Cousteau and Emile Gagnan together invented the modern demand regulator used in underwater diving. Their invention allowed for the equipment known as the Aqualung, or self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA), enabling safer and deeper dives.The Aqua-Lung was invented in France during the winter of 1942–1943 by two Frenchmen: engineer Émile Gagnan and Jacques Cousteau, who was a Naval Lieutenant (French: lieutenant de vaisseau). It allowed Cousteau and Gagnan to film and explore underwater more easily.
Is Aqualung still in business?
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. HEAD Acquires Aqualung: Big Changes in the Dive Industry.
Who bought Aqualung?
Head acquires aqualung: a new era for the diving industry. 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.
What is the meaning of Aqualung?
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. Its name was the brand name of the first ever underwater breathing apparatus, what we now call scuba equipment. Jacques-Yves Cousteau Jacques Cousteau and Emile Gagnan together invented the modern demand regulator used in underwater diving. Their invention allowed for the equipment known as the Aqualung, or self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA), enabling safer and deeper dives.
What country is Aqualung from?
The Aqua-Lung was invented in France during the winter of 1942–1943 by two Frenchmen: engineer Émile Gagnan and Jacques Cousteau, who was a Naval Lieutenant (French: lieutenant de vaisseau). It allowed Cousteau and Gagnan to film and explore underwater more easily. Jacques Cousteau (born June 11, 1910, Saint-André-de-Cubzac, France—died June 25, 1997, Paris) was a French naval officer, ocean explorer, and co-inventor of the Aqua-Lung, known for his extensive underseas investigations.The Origins of the Aqua-Lung Jacques Cousteau, envisioning a new era of human exploration beneath the waves, adapted the regulator for underwater use. This innovation meant divers could breathe only when needed, dramatically extending dive time and setting the stage for a diving revolution.