Founder Bob Hollis | ||
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Founded 1972, Hayward, California, United States Parent organization American Underwater Products | ||
Oceanic is a company which currently designs and manufactures sport-type scuba gear. It was founded by Bob Hollis in 1972 and is based in San Leandro, California, United States.
Contents
History
In 1972 Robert Hollis founded the parent company American Underwater Products (AUP). AUP now trades as Oceanic, Aeris, OceanPro, Lavacore, and Hollis, though in 2014 the Aeris line was absorbed by Oceanic. The company is now based in San Leandro, California with a worldwide distribution network.
The company started out with a dozen diving products, including the Anchor Shackâs photo line. After four years, Hollis acquired Farallon, a manufacturer in nearby Belmont. That acquisition gave Oceanic a full line of diving equipment, with a line of instrumentation products.
Rebreathers
They developed the Phibian CCS50 and CCS100 rebreathers; Stuart Clough of Undersea Technologies developed the Phibian's electronics package. With its purpose-built training facility, Oceanic UK working closely with American Divers International, developed and delivered by both Stuart Clough and Paul Morrall training and familiarisation courses.
They have developed military rebreathers for use by frogmen and naval work divers, for example the US Navy MK-25 and the MK-16 mixed-gas rebreather.
Data mask
Oceanic developed the first HUD style mask, which is an eyes-and-nose diving mask with a built-in LCD display, commercially known as a DataMask, capable of providing various dive data from an on-board diving computer.
Dive computers
Oceanic manufactures several dive computers for recreational divers.
Wetsuit for a penguin
The company developed, in early 2008, a custom wetsuit for an alpha-male African penguin at Steinhart Aquarium who was suffering from problems maintaining core body temperature due to feather loss.