Dive computer tech expert, Shearwater Research Inc, has its expansion into the development and manufacturing of specialised dive equipment with the launch of the Shearwater Jetpack for Avelo diving.
The launch follows the announcement of a strategic research and development partnership between Shearwater and Avelo Labs in late 2024.
For those unfamiliar, the Avelo System is a new take on scuba diving technology which replaces the traditional tank, weights system and BCD with its Hydrotank and Jetpack.
The Hydrotank is a scuba tank with a flexible inner bladder into which compressed air or water can be pumped in order to control a diver’s buoyancy.
The Hydrotank is carried on the Jetpack, a backplate system with a battery-powered pump through which the diver controls the levels of air and water in the Hydrotank.
The result is a system said to be much lighter than the traditional setup, which Avelo says ‘supports optimal buoyancy control while enhancing precision and underwater agility’.
The new Shearwater Jetpack features an onboard gas pressure monitoring system and integrates with Shearwater dive computers that feature the Avelo Mode firmware – such as the 2024 Avelo version of Shearwater’s popular Teric – thus enabling precision gas tracking, buoyancy prediction, and real-time performance analytics.
‘Shearwater was founded with an intense focus to deliver powerful, simple, and reliable solutions for technical divers,’ said Jason Leggatt, CEO of Shearwater Research.
‘Our goal is to truly grow the technical diving community long-term, and to do that the industry needs to deliver better dive experiences so divers are more likely to commit to their diving journey.
‘Shearwater made its first move into recreational diving with the Peregrine and Tern lines, but there has been no transformational innovation in the category—until now.
‘Our collaboration with Avelo is not a departure from our roots; it’s additive. We’re lending Shearwater’s technical capability and commitment to product excellence to help build a simply better dive experience—built better from the very beginning.’
Avelo has gained a foothold in the dive industry in the last couple of years, with a number of dive centres in the US, Bonaire, Spain, Malaysia and Australia offering user- and instructor-level training.
Currently priced at around US$4,500 – $5000 for a complete system, Avelo is a pricey option over traditional gear, but supporters say it may be a game-changer for the future of scuba diving.
‘As someone who grew up on the instructional side of diving, I saw firsthand the frustrations many divers face,’ said Aviad Cahana, CEO of Avelo Labs.
‘I’ve always had an innate mindset of challenging the status quo. I kept asking: Why is scuba gear so heavy? Why can’t we make the experience better?
‘Those questions drove the invention of the Avelo System. Our partnership with Shearwater is the next step in realising that vision.’
Shearwater says that it aims to partner with Avelo grow the diving community ‘by improving first-time experiences, increasing accessibility, and advancing diver performance through cutting-edge technology.’
Concept demonstrator units of the Shearwater Jetpack made their debut at the Long Beach Scuba Show, held between 31 May and 1 June 2025, with the final configuration and full feature set scheduled to be announced at DEMA Show 2025, which will take place in Orlando, Florida between 11-14 November.
