The AquaTech Story

In the late 1990s, Alan Love was subsidizing his income as a physiologist by selling products on the side - handmade sport water housings for professional cameras. In a serendipitous meeting in Fiji, Love connected with professional cinematographer, Don King, and offered to design him something similar to the housing he had made for himself.

The community of high-level ocean photographers and cinematographers is a tight-knit world, and as word got out about the sport housings, more and more requests came in. AquaTech was born in the summer of 1998.

"It was a fun but uncertain point in my life. There was this underground buzz about AquaTech and requests coming in from some well-known professionals, but I was on an entirely different track, working as a physiologist and preparing for medical school,” said Love. "After spending the winter in Hawaii, it all shifted; I felt this could provide the freedom I wanted while doing something I was passionate about. I like to say I found a niche inside a niche and ran with it. I am proud to say AquaTech recently celebrated its 20th Anniversary."

Photo below of some of AquaTech's early sports housings, circa 2003:

In around 2000, Love was able to make AquaTech his full-time gig working in a small shop on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Today, AquaTech has offices and teams in Huntington Beach, Calif. and Thirroul, NSW, serving a worldwide customer base.

In 2003, Love saw another opportunity to tackle a very different challenge faced by professional and amateur photographers who work in the field, under harsh weather conditions such as rain, sleet, snow and dusty conditions. In order to protect expensive camera gear and lenses, AquaTech designed the Sports Shield ensuring the professional and amateur photographers alike can keep shooting in all weather conditions. Today the Sport Shield Rain Cover (SSRC) remains a popular product in AquaTech’s lineup.

AquaTech's housing offerings have also grown - Nikon, Canon, Sony, Fuji, Panasonic, among others - along with accessories catering to the needs of professional and prosumer photographers and videographers.

The Introduction of AxisGO for iPhone

As technology evolved over the past decade a big revelation came along with the rapid growth of smartphones with integrated cameras.

"The introduction of the iPhone 7 was the real turning point as we felt that's when the integrated camera reached a new level of quality. We saw the trend and knew that soon everyone was going to have a serious camera in their pocket," said Love. "We quickly got to work on a prototype which became the AxisGO line of products, our professional-grade water housing for iPhones. There's really nothing like it on the market because AxisGO reflects all of AquaTech's 20 years of technology and engineering, allowing users to take the world’s most popular modern-day camera, the iPhone, into the water and other extreme environments, taking whatever you can throw at it."

"AxisGO is so durable and easy to use that several of our professional Ambassadors take it along with them on different assignments or as a backup, and of course it's a lot of fun for anyone who wants to safely take their phone on an adventure. Aside from the obvious use for surfing - which is our brand roots - people love using the AxisGO for fishing, wakeboarding, snowboarding, boating, and family fun in the shallows or the pool. AxisGO opens the door for people who want a simple and safe way to capture fun photos and videos in and around the water and down to 33 feet (10m). Afterward, there's no shifting photos or video around for sharing, because they're all right there on your phone ready to edit and send!"

Ambassadors

Despite the growth of AxisGO, AquaTech is still widely regarded as the go-to brand for professionals, and its sport housings are consistently found in the gear bags of top photographers and cinematographers worldwide.

“Over the years our association with some of the world’s leading photographers has grown organically, with many becoming AquaTech Ambassadors,” said Love. “These relationships have evolved into close partnerships, built on mutual respect and a deep appreciation for the world’s oceans, wildlife and landscapes. Today many of our Ambassadors are working tirelessly to bring awareness and a deeper understanding of our oceans and those ongoing threats to this ecosystem. We’re happy to be a small part of conservation causes they support.”

Ben Thouard is a world renowned ocean photographer who resides in the tropical paradise of French Polynesia, and has been an AquaTech ambassador for several years. Thouard is well known for shooting magazine covers, advertising campaigns, award winning images from the water and around it which has led to global success and acknowledgment from his peers and clients worldwide. 

“I’ve been using AquaTech housings and accessories for nearly 15 years and I shoot with AquaTech equipment because I can work efficiently and safely in the water. I’m 100% sure that the housing and o-rings won’t fail keeping my expensive camera safe at all times in every condition. AquaTech housings are precisely designed using 3D machines and each housing is individually tested. I know that all my equipment will be protected while I’m on some of the most important shoots of my life! Finally, all AquaTech gear is perfectly designed to work with the camera equipment you’re using, which allows you to use your camera even while in the housing. And that’s very important because what happens in the ocean won’t happen a second time, and you don’t want to miss the moment because of your gear. AquaTech is by far the best water housing available on the market and I really appreciate working with such good equipment,” says Thouard.

AquaTech ambassador Ben Hicks has journeyed across the Americas and ventured to exotic locales spanning the globe to compose a profoundly diverse collection of fine-art photography that truly captures the majestic beauty of the natural world. Through his photography, Hicks aspires to raise environmental awareness by depicting the natural world in a relevant and endearing manner that everyone can connect with. Hicks is particularly focused on using his photography to communicate the importance of conserving the world’s oceans and follows key species, such as sea turtle, that serve as important indicators of the health of the world’s marine and coastal ecosystems.

“The world's oceans are changing, in fact they are being depleted by us. AquaTech housings have literally helped me create the mission of using my underwater images to bring about environmental awareness to people across the globe. I have trusted AquaTech in taking my cameras with me around the globe for over 10 years,” says Hicks.

AquaTech's ambassador team ​ - now 36 strong, includes some big names who depend on AquaTech's gear.

"We will always have products made for the professional and enthusiast but it's been amazing to see how photography has become more accessible and fun for the everyday consumer, and we're proud to be a part of both communities and to be supporting their inspirational work," added Love.

Founded in 1998, AquaTech is a leader in the design and manufacture of professional photographic accessories used in all water related activities. From our beginning we have strived to improve our design and engineering techniques around the end user experience and feedback we receive. This consistent feedback has allowed us to consistently improve and offer a wide range of lightweight and durable equipment and accessories.