Oceanic

Oceanic provides modern, reliable, accessible, and easy-to-use dive equipment to recreational divers so they can focus on what matters most: exploring the underwater world and appreciating the wonders of marine life. When industry pioneer Bob Hollis founded Oceanic in 1972, he committed to making innovative, reliable dive equipment accessible to every diver, everywhere. This philosophy is woven into everything we do and is the foremost reason we are considered a best-in-class, recreational dive brand.

Designing reliable and easy-to-use dive equipment is our heart and soul. Day in, day out, we are thinking, developing, building, and testing the products that make diving better. 

Oceanic is a global dive leader that appeals to all levels of divers who are seeking a brand that will support their discovery of the best sport in the world. Wherever diving is available around the world, Oceanic is there.

HISTORY

Oceanic's history of innovation is well documented. When Bob Hollis founded Oceanic in 1972, he committed to developing innovative and reliable dive equipment at first-rate value. This philosophy is woven into everything Oceanic today.

Bob’s love for diving led to a keen interest in underwater photography, a hobby that required him to create his own specialized equipment. With a degree in mechanical engineering, it was natural for Bob to start designing and manufacturing underwater cameras and strobe housings in the machine shop behind the Anchor Shack, the retail sporting goods store he’d opened in Hayward, California in 1965. Before long, divers and others were asking Hollis to make equipment for them, and a successful mail-order business began.

In 1972, Hollis founded American Underwater Products, doing business as Oceanic. The company started out with a dozen diving products, including Anchor Shack’s photo line. After four years, Hollis took a big leap forward when he acquired Farallon, a manufacturer in nearby Belmont. That acquisition instantly gave Oceanic a full line of diving equipment, with an innovative line of instrumentation products. “I saw digital instrumentation as the key to the future of diving,” explains Hollis. “Divers need to quickly and accurately calculate many variables, such as their depth, safe dive times, and decompression requirements to avoid the bends.” After the acquisition, Oceanic went to work researching and developing radically new instruments. In 1981, the company introduced the DataMax, the first mechanical depth gauge with an automatic digital timer. The product was an instant hit and propelled Oceanic to the forefront of dive equipment suppliers.

In the early 1980s, Hollis helped introduce the concept of an electronic dive computer to the industry. These sophisticated instruments track, calculate and display a wealth of critical information for divers, including dive time and depth, ascent rate, air consumption, nitrogen absorption, and other essential information needed to dive safely. The dive computer revolutionized diving safety and is considered a mandatory piece of equipment for all divers.

Throughout the 80s, 90s, and 2000s, Oceanic has continued to innovate and develop products, like the flagship ProPlus X computer, the first dive computer engineered with Bluetooth 4.0 technology; or the revolutionary Dual Algorithm™ that provides divers with the option to choose the decompression algorithm that best suits their diving needs without compromising safety; or the Alpha 10 regulator that features our patented pneumatically-balanced second stages for both warm and cold water.

In 2017, Oceanic was acquired by Huish Outdoors, a leader in connecting people with the best brands in dive. Oceanic will continue to develop the most innovative dive products and technologies in pursuit of advancing the dive industry like Bob Hollis did when he founded the company in 1972.