Founded in 2010 as a Maui backyard project, Black Project Hawaii designs and produces fins and paddles for windsurfing and stand-up paddling. Co-founder Chris Freeman and his team test their equipment on Maui’s year-round ocean waters, drawing on local athletes and the island’s deep connection to both sports. The company says its products have earned 28 world titles and set world records.
Pro-LiteBorn from two airline-working surfers’ need to protect their boards, Pro-Lite has made surfboard travel bags since 1982. The Ventura-based, 100% employee-owned company is known for being the first U.S. maker of travel-grade surfboard bags and now develops protection and gear for surfers who travel by air or head out for the day.GREENSBURG, PA
QuestSubFounded in Philadelphia in 2019, QuestSub makes spearfishing and freediving gear, including modular fins and carbon blades, for underwater explorers. The company draws on two decades of product-design and manufacturing experience, using European and American materials and testing its equipment with professional freedivers and spearfishermen in ocean and freshwater conditions.
Natures Shapes SurfboardsSince 1993, Mike Becker has shaped Natures Shapes Surfboards from a personal hobby into a Long Island surfboard manufacturer known for making every board on Long Island. Based in Sayville, the company also developed the patented Carbon Compact, a two-piece board system created for surfers who want to travel with their boards more easily.SAYVILLE, NY
Immersion ResearchSince 1997, Immersion Research has been a paddler-built maker of technical outdoor gear, tested by athletes and developed in-house in Hood River, Oregon. Its Confluence, Pennsylvania, home base and Hood River facility also support a repair operation that services gear from any brand, extending the life of equipment used by paddlers and rescue professionals.CONFLUENCE, PA