Everything started with a dream, get as close as possible to marine life. Monegasque apnea champion, Pierre Frolla was inspired by the wingsuit used to fly, to realize it. But his diving wetsuit does not have the vocation to fly in the air, but to move in the water. This 42-year-old athlete has accumulated apnea records from 1996 to 2007. Then, tired of competition, he decided to use his passion to make the public aware of the fragility of the marine ecosystem. “But I wanted to do it in a different way from people such as Nicolas Hulot, by continuing to dive and trying to keep in contact with the biggest marine animals like sperm whales, manta rays or sharks, to achieve things that affect people.”
A unique dive wetsuit
Pierre Frolla opened diving schools, accessible from the age of 8 to make people aware of the marine world and its problems. At the same time, he worked with Quiksilver a surf and snowboard brand, and Aqualung to create “Oceanwings”, a unique diving suit. His aim is to approach the animals, without having to make movements with the arms and legs, and thus reverse the trend attracting their curiosity and bringing them to him. That’s how the prototype came into being four years ago. Made of neoprene, this diving suit covers the entire body and extends between the legs and under the arms. Four small gas cartridges screwed to strikers allow, by inflating a pocket on the back, to go up easily to the surface.
