After months of speculation and financial uncertainty, the iconic dive equipment manufacturer Aqualung has been officially acquired by the HEAD Group, a global sports equipment powerhouse that also owns Mares, rEvo Rebreathers and Scuba Schools International (SSI).
A new dawn for the battered Aqualung brand? (Photo: Rosemary E. Lunn / The Underwater Marketing Company)
The announcement follows a ruling by the Commercial Court of Nice on 26 June, granting HEAD ownership of the embattled company through a formal receivership process.
HEAD’s offer includes an EU€50 million rescue package to stabilise Aqualung’s operations and secure the company’s long-term future. The plan will see a restructuring of Aqualung’s business platform, retaining and expanding production facilities in France, the United Kingdom and Mexico and safeguarding hundreds of jobs.
Expanding dominance
The acquisition significantly expands HEAD’s footprint in the global water sports market, combining two major industry forces. Aqualung joins a portfolio that already includes Mares, acquired in 1971, SSI (2014) and the swimming brand Zoggs (2020). According to HEAD, the integration is expected to unlock “significant synergies” and bolster the group’s manufacturing, research and development and global distribution capacities.
Preserving legacy brands
HEAD confirmed it will maintain and develop Aqualung’s core brands—Aqualung, Apeks and Aquasphere—and continue growing its professional and military division. Founded in 1943 following Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Émile Gagnan’s invention of the aqua-lung, Aqualung has long been considered a pioneering force in scuba diving.
Implications
The acquisition unites several of the industry’s most recognisable names under one umbrella. Divers, instructors and dive centres may soon see tighter integration of products and services across HEAD’s ecosystem—particularly between Mares, SSI and Aqualung. While the acquisition secures Aqualung’s future, it also marks a significant consolidation of power within the dive industry.
