Kraken Sports: a lifetime around the water
Doug Taleski, founder of Kraken Sports
My dad started our family's dive shop more than 40 years ago, and I grew up in it. I've spent my entire life in and around the water. Diving equipment has always been part of my life, both behind the counter and underwater.
Growing up in a dive shop teaches you to listen. You hear what people like about their equipment, what frustrates them, and what they wish someone would do differently. That experience is where Kraken began.
Why I started Kraken
For years, we imported lights and accessories from other manufacturers. I saw opportunities to improve them, and in 2015 I started Kraken Sports to build equipment of our own.
We began with dive lights. Today, Kraken makes underwater video lights, strobes, camera housings and imaging accessories. The range has grown, but the questions behind it are still practical: what does the diver need, how will they use it, and how can we make it work better for them?
A photographer setting up a strobe system has different needs from someone filming with an action camera or choosing a torch for a night dive. Our products reflect those different uses. The goal is to help people choose equipment that suits the diving and imaging they actually do.
Taking responsibility for what we make
In 2020, we opened our own manufacturing facility in Foshan, China. Having our own facility gives us more control over the equipment we develop and how it is assembled and tested.
We also work with divers, instructors and underwater photographers whose feedback helps us improve our products. My own experience matters, but so does hearing how someone else uses a light or housing in conditions different from mine.
The family business behind the brand
My dad brought a genuine welcome to the shop and believed diving should be accessible and fun. Although he is no longer with us, that approach is something I want to carry forward at Kraken.
I started this company because I wanted to make better equipment for something that has been part of my whole life. That's still why I do it.
— Doug Taleski
