During WWII Ludovico Mares was a diver for the Austrian Navy, and after the war, he continued to dive, focusing on submarine recoveries. At the end of WWII, like many other Austrian exiles, he was forced to emigrate. This is how he came to Rapallo, where at first, he taught figure skating to make ends meet. His passion for the sea and his drive to innovate then prompted him to begin making dive equipment.
Initially he produced a few spearguns, followed by a few masks and some fins. After a few years however, his enterprising spirit and thirst for innovation helped spread the word about Mares products, which became increasingly appreciated and used around the world.
The original, innovative spirit and a drive to constantly seek the very best in the design and manufacture of every product are still the hallmarks behind this company that has introduced so many technical and technological innovations in diving over the years.
Today, Mares offers five main product lines, designed to meet the wide range of needs of water sports fans:
– The classic Mares line, with products for all SCUBA divers, including young divers
– The XR – Extended Range line, designed for people who want to expand their interests to include more demanding dives
– The Pure Passion line, for freediving and spearfishing fans
– The Aquazone line, with products designed especially for swimming and snorkelling
– The Diving Center line, with unique products designed with the specific needs of dive centres in mind.
– In 2003, Mares purchased all the rights to DACOR.
– In 2016, Mares acquired the company rEvo, specializing in rebreathers. With this new addition, the Mares product range can truly meet the needs of anyone who loves diving and the sea.
So, back to where we started: could Ludovico Mares have imagined all of this? We would like to think so, because a love for the sea and a relentless quest for innovation and the very best performance – everything that defined Ludovico Mares – is in the very DNA of Mares.
