Journal
Discovering Aquala
Sometimes, though it may not make sense on the surface, deep down inside, you know it’s the right thing. Especially when something comes along and finds you when you weren’t especially looking for it. That’s the way it was back in early 2000 when I first discovered Aquala. That was a time in my diving career when…
Read MoreAquala Moving Forward Toward the Past
After being at the helm of Aquala for 17 years, last February I decided it was time for a change. Not a change in a typical progressive way. No, a change in a completely regressive way. I know at first that doesn’t make sense, but given our almost 70-year history, the most logical way to move forward…
Read MoreBecoming Aquala, Our First Dive into History
Bill Barada If you’ve had a chance to read the history section of our website, you’ll know that Aquala was the silent manufacturer for Bel-Aqua Watersports until 1959. Bel Aqua was founded by Los Angeles firefighter Bill Barada in 1950, but Bill actually created the first civilian drysuit in 1947. It took the next three…
Read MoreEvolving the Modern Drysuit The Cordell from Aquala
When I took over Aquala in 2000, in all honesty, I knew very little about drysuits. The history of Aquala was what captured my attention and having already been in business as well as an experienced diver, everything else I knew I could learn. Some say a lack of drysuit knowledge would be stacking the…
Read MoreAquala- Diving the Antarctic Since 1961
Aquala Stories of Exploring the Antartic by Ty Alley A few years ago, Peter Brueggeman contacted me with something that he said I might find of interest. Peter, who is now retired, was the library director for Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and through contacts made there, he went to the McMurdo Research Station in Antarctica,…
Read MoreDiving 20,000 Leagues with Pat Regan of Vulcania Submarine
It’s funny how things come together. Little bits and pieces come to light, and over time those bits join together to finally form something truly remarkable. That’s the way Vulcania Submarine and Aquala’s “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” project came to life. Little bits here and there, to form something that hadn’t been accomplished in…
Read More20000 Leagues Under the Sea Adventure Part 2
It had been eight years since Pat Regan and I first discussed this project. There were many emails and messages sent back and forth; but like many things, slow and steady won the race. We had done what others had dreamt of but no-one else had ever accomplished. We brought Harper Goff and Fred Zendar’s…
Read MoreAquala and DOXA
If you’ve had a chance to view the location photos of our suits, you might notice a common element amongst all the shots. Yes, our suits share common signature features, like the “Water green” color and the round reinforcing patches, but there’s something else. That something, while standard equipment in its day, is almost non-existent…
Read MoreThe Global Family of Vintage Diving
When I decided to refocus the line, authenticity and detail were key to the new direction. While we’ve had a “historical” model, which was essentially the same as a Coronado since 2002, we didn’t have a suit that bridged the gap between our very first tunnel entry design, and our current triple seamed, pressures valved…
Read MoreOne Reason I Dive
Over the years, I’ve been asked many times, “Why do you dive?” The answer is normally, “How much time do you have?” The answer is never simple. Sometimes I dive for adventure, sometimes it’s for time spent with my boys. Sometimes it’s for simply getting away, and sometimes it’s for putting food on the table.…
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