What aqua sport does

Aqua Sport Scuba Center is a Calgary, Alberta-based retail business founded in 1994 by Charlene Barker, operating primarily as an online store for scuba diving, snorkeling, freediving, and water-sports equipment. The business is structured as a sole proprietorship under one owner-operator (headcount listed as 1+) with no institutional investment, parent company, or external shareholders. Its primary sales channel is a Shopify-based e-commerce storefront at aquasportscuba.com, supported by a by-appointment pickup model at the Calgary location on Braeside Drive SW, with flexible scheduling including early-morning (6 AM) and airport drop-off arrangements.

The product offering is a multi-brand catalog spanning more than 20 diving-equipment manufacturers — including Bare, Oceanic, Hollis, Aeris, Seac, Pinnacle, Beuchat, Atomic, Aqua Lung, Cressi, Mares, Fourth Element, Shearwater, Suunto, Viking, and Zeagle — organized into curated collections such as Extra Small Adult Gear, Children's Equipment, BCDs, Regulators, Wetsuits, Drysuits, Fins, Masks, Diving Computers, Commercial Diving Products, and Clearance/Sample Sale. The store's core differentiation is size specialty (extra-small, plus-size, children's fits) and cold-water/Canadian diving use cases, backed by the owner's 20+ years of experience as an instructor, technical diver, and cave diver with documented involvement in Royal Canadian Geographic Society expeditions (Sedna 2014, Raspberry Rising 2013–2018, Bisaro Anima 2018–present).

The revenue model is straightforward direct-to-consumer retail: individual unit pricing ranging from approximately $3 for accessories to $1,692+ for premium drysuits, with frequent sale/clearance pricing and a dedicated stamped-sample discount pipeline. Distribution is online-first within Canada; US customers are served only via manual email-based ordering because Shopify checkout is constrained by tariffs. The go-to-market motion relies on organic SEO through the Shopify storefront, a content blog ("Geeky Gear Blogs"), and social sharing integrations (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest). The business exposes no public APIs, no mobile applications, and no AI/ML capabilities.

Name

aqua sport

Legal name

Aqua Sport Scuba Center

Website

https://aquasportscuba.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Aqua Sport Scuba Center is a Calgary-based online retailer founded in 1994, selling scuba, snorkeling, and water-sports equipment from 20+ brands via Shopify. It specializes in hard-to-find sizes and Canadian cold-water gear, serving recreational, technical, and cave divers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scuba Diving Equipment Retail

SIC

Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)

akta.pro primary industry

Diving & Snorkeling Retail (Scuba Gear) (CRAMAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Water Sports & Marine Recreation Retail (Paddle/Surf/Dive/Boat Accessories) (CRAMABAI)

Keywords

• Scuba diving equipment
• Diving gear retail
• Water sports equipment
• Wetsuits and drysuits
• Online dive shop

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail product sales: Direct-to-consumer e-commerce sales of scuba diving and water sports equipment. Products include wetsuits, fins, masks, BCDs, regulators, boots, gloves, accessories, and children's equipment. Sells multiple brand names including Bare, Oceanic, Aeris, Hollis, Pinnacle, Seac, Beuchat, and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Aqua Sport operates as an online retail business based in Calgary, Canada, selling scuba diving, snorkeling, and water-sport equipment. The company specializes in hard-to-find sizes including extra small adult, plus sizes, and children's equipment, and carries a multi-brand inventory of premium dive brands. The business serves a direct-to-consumer customer base across North America.

Product overview

Aqua Sport Scuba Center is a Calgary, Canada-based scuba diving retail business operating primarily online since 1994. The company offers a diverse portfolio of scuba diving equipment and watersports gear through a Shopify-powered e-commerce platform. The product offering is organized as a multi-brand retail store rather than a unified software platform, featuring equipment across multiple categories including BCDs (Buoyancy Control Devices), regulators, wetsuits, drysuits, fins, masks, boots, gloves, hoods, diving computers, and accessories. The store specializes in hard-to-find extra-small sizes and carries products from over 20 diving equipment brands including Aeris, Bare, Hollis, Oceanic, Seac, Pinnacle, Beuchat, Atomic, Aqua Lung, Cressi, Mares, Fourth Element, Shearwater, Suunto, Viking, Zeagle, and others. The company distinguishes itself through clearance and sample sale offerings, children's equipment, and specialized commercial diving products. The store is powered by Shopify e-commerce platform and does not offer software products, APIs, or AI capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wetsuits Wetsuits for scuba diving and water sports from brands including Bare, Beuchat, Pinnacle, and Aqua Lung.
• Drysuits Drysuits for cold water and technical diving from brands such as Bare and Hollis.
• Buoyancy Control Devices (BCDs) BCD vests and wings from brands such as Aeris, Hollis, Oceanic, and Aqua Lung.
• Regulators Scuba regulators and first/second stage sets from brands including Aeris, Atomic, Hollis, Oceanic, and Aqua Lung.
• Diving Fins Scuba and freediving fins from multiple brands.
• Masks and Snorkels Diving masks, snorkels, and mask-and-snorkel sets for scuba and snorkeling use.
• Dive Computers and Watches Dive computers and dive watches from premium brands such as Aeris, Oceanic, and Aqua Lung.
• Diving Boots and Socks Dive boots, neoprene socks, and water shoes from multiple brands.
• Diving Gloves and Mitts Diving gloves and mitts for thermal protection and grip.
• Diving Hoods Neoprene hoods for cold water diving.
• Dive Bags and Travel Gear Dive bags, mesh bags, and travel gear for transporting dive equipment.
• Diving Accessories General dive accessories including knives, lights, weights, and related items.
• Extra Small Adult Gear Collection Specialty collection of dive equipment in extra small adult sizes, a key differentiator for the retailer.
• Children's Equipment Collection Specialty collection of dive and snorkeling equipment sized for children.
• Commercial Diving Products Equipment tailored for commercial diving applications.
• Clearance and Sample Sale Items Discounted and sample-sale dive equipment and water-sport gear.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Leisure Pro: One of the largest online scuba equipment retailers in North America, carrying the same multi-brand mix of regulators, BCDs, wetsuits, masks and dive accessories at competitive price points. Directly comparable DTC dive equipment model and target customer base.
• Scuba.com: Established online dive shop selling scuba and snorkeling equipment across multiple brands with strong focus on wetsuits, BCDs, regulators and dive computers. Same product categories and direct-to-consumer retail model.
• ScubaToys: Online-only scuba equipment retailer offering a multi-brand catalogue of regulators, BCDs, fins and dive accessories with competitive pricing. Comparable online-first, multi-brand dive retail positioning.
• Simply Scuba: UK-based online dive retailer offering scuba and snorkeling equipment across wetsuits, BCDs, regulators, masks and dive computers from multiple brands. Closely comparable multi-brand online dive retail business model.
• Mike's Dive Store: Online dive retailer based in the UK selling scuba and snorkeling gear across wetsuits, BCDs, regulators, fins and accessories. Comparable product mix, multi-brand selection, and online-first direct-to-consumer model.
• Divers Supply: Multi-channel dive retailer combining online and brick-and-mortar sales of scuba equipment including wetsuits, regulators, BCDs and dive computers. Similar product breadth and customer focus.

Broad incumbents

• Aqua Lung: Founding scuba brand and large incumbent selling its own line of masks, regulators, BCDs, wetsuits and accessories direct to consumers. Comparable because Aqua Sport actively retails Aqua Lung products and competes with brand-direct pricing.
• Scubapro: Premium scuba equipment manufacturer and brand-direct retailer with a global catalogue of regulators, BCDs, wetsuits and dive computers. Comparable as a competing source for the same technical and recreational dive gear.
• Bare Sports: Specialty wetsuit and exposure-protection brand that Aqua Sport retails extensively. Comparable as both a supplier and competing brand-direct channel for the cold-water diving wetsuit/drysuit category that is core to Aqua Sport.
• REI: Large outdoor retailer carrying a select range of snorkeling and entry-level scuba/snorkeling gear alongside broader water sports equipment. Comparable as a broader sporting-goods incumbent competing for the same dive and snorkeling customer wallet.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aqua-sport-scuba-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about aqua sport