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Oceanic Worldwide

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Oceanic
Company typePrivate
IndustryScuba equipment manufacturing
GenreDiving equipment
Founded1972
FounderBob Hollis
Headquarters,
ProductsDive computers, rebreathers
OwnerHuish Outdoors
Websitewww.oceanicworldwide.com

Oceanic is an American manufacturer of scuba gear. It was founded by Bob Hollis in 1972 and is based in San Leandro, California, United States.[1] Its products include dive computers, rebreathers and a novel diving mask incorporating a heads-up-display of information.

History

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In 1972, Robert Hollis founded the parent company American Underwater Products which did business as Oceanic.[2]

Aeris, Originally also a brand of American Underwater Products, founded in 1998, was merged with Oceanic in 2014. The Aeris brand covered a wide range of recreational scuba equipment, including regulators, dive computers, buoyancy compensators, harnesses, masks, fins, and snorkels.[3]

In 2017, Huish Outdoors acquired the Oceanic and Hollis brands from AUP.[4]

Products

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Rebreathers

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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.[5][6]

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

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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.[7][8]

Dive computers

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Oceanic manufactures several dive computers for recreational divers.[9] Oceanic's computer division Pelagic Pressure Systems was sold to Aqua Lung in 2015.[10]

  • OC1, OCi
  • VT 4.1
  • Atom 3.1
  • Geo 2.0 Wrist Computer
  • VEO 1.0, 2.0, 3.0
  • B.U.D. Back up dive computer

Wetsuit for a penguin

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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.[11]

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References

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  1. ^ Gilliam, Bret (2012). "Bob Hollis and Oceanic celebrate 40 years". Submerged Magazine - The Divers Guide - Issue 01. Australian Underwater Products. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  2. ^ "Where Diving Happens You'll Find Us". Oceanic Worldwide. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
  3. ^ "Aeris Dive Computers". wristop.computer. Archived from the original on 27 May 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  4. ^ Dowsett, Kathy (1 June 2017). "Oceanic and Hollis sold to Huish Outdoors". The Scuba News Canada. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  5. ^ UK Diving Equipment
  6. ^ "Stuart J Clough". Archived from the original on 2008-02-19. Retrieved 2009-01-26.
  7. ^ "Oceanic Datamask HUD". Dive Magazine (UK). Archived from the original on 2007-07-26. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
  8. ^ "DataMask HUD - Masks". www.oceanicworldwide.com. Archived from the original on 2015-11-04.
  9. ^ "Computers Archives". Oceanic Worldwide. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  10. ^ "Aqualung Acquires PPS". Archived from the original on 2021-10-30. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
  11. ^ "Dive News - Oceanic Creates Custom Wetsuit for African Penguin Named Pierre!". Dive News. Retrieved 2008-05-22.