The people who put our gear where it has to work — at depth, in the cold, and at the edges of the map.
Dr. Mark Erdmann
A world-renowned scientist and marine conservationist — a Duke undergraduate with a PhD from Berkeley — Mark holds the record for discovering more species of fish than anyone, with over 220 recorded and catalogued. He has published more than 180 scientific papers and five books, including a three-volume set on reef fish, and his work has made the cover of Nature.
He has logged over 16,000 dives in just about every region of the planet, Antarctica included, and leads efforts to establish Marine Protected Areas, especially across South-East Asia. Passionate about protecting and rehabilitating marine environments — the perfect person to test waterproof gear.
- fish species
- 220+
- dives logged
- 16,000+
- papers
- 180+
Dr. Richard Harris
Harry played a critical role in the 2019 rescue of the Thai junior soccer team from the flooded Tham Luang cave. Against all odds — also the title of his book — he and a small international team held the world gripped for two weeks as they brought 13 boys out alive. The rescue was documented in the NatGeo film The Rescue, and Harry was named Australian of the Year in 2019 alongside his dive partner Craig Challis.
Known in scientific circles as “Hydrogen Harry” for his work using hydrogen on rebreathers — which took him to a record depth of 245 m (804 ft) — he has authored The Art of Risk, races cars, and joins extreme expeditions. Few are as qualified to test equipment to its limit.
- record depth
- 245 m
- Tham Luang
- 13 saved
- honour
- Aus. of the Year ’19
Robbie Schmittner
Based on the Yucatán Peninsula, Robbie has spent decades pushing the limits of underwater and cave exploration. Through Robbie Schmittner Expeditions he leads multidisciplinary projects into subterranean freshwater systems — their origins, flow paths and vulnerabilities, and how human impact ripples through connected ecosystems. He has quietly mapped over 500 km of cave systems as the first human ever to enter them.
Working at the intersection of adventure, science and conservation, he collaborates with researchers, universities and institutions in some of the most remote and demanding environments on the planet. For Robbie, exploration is not about records but responsibility: using precision and resilience to protect the unseen systems that sustain life above ground.
- cave mapped
- 500+ km
- first to enter
- every metre
- base
- Yucatán
Field notes
Test reports, new releases, and the occasional failure we learned from.