About Dive Rite
Dive Rite has been outfitting underwater explorers since the very beginning. In the early 1980s, you couldn’t just walk into a store and buy exploration-grade dive equipment. Lamar Hires and his dive buddies changed that when they began producing high-quality dive gear out of a small workshop, establishing Dive Rite in 1984. Since then, Dive Rite’s equipment line has expanded from thirteen tools for cave exploration to recreational and technical equipment lines that include over 200 products. What started as a small family business based in North Florida’s Cave Country has grown into a prominent global brand.
Dive Rite pioneered some of the first commercially available products for underwater exploration including the canister light, the backplate, and the Classic doubles wing. Dive Rite entered the early rebreather market in 2004 with the O2ptima CCR. The O2ptima has evolved into an even more modular unit designed for exploration and travel, the O2ptima Chest Mount.
Dive Rite’s employees are actively involved in every aspect of the dive industry including exploring, teaching, and testing the equipment Dive Rite sells. The Dive Rite team enthusiastically participates in diving every imaginable underwater environment worldwide, including caves, wrecks, reefs, and ice diving. Insights from these environments and travels are brought back to the research and development team so Dive Rite can continue the process of continuous innovation. Serious divers prefer the Dive Rite brand because it has been known for its rugged reliability for almost forty years.
Meet The Team
In Memory of Jared Hires
Jared Hires embodied the spirit of Dive Rite, pouring his passion into every aspect of diving and leading our team with an unwavering commitment to excellence. A lifelong diver, Jared dedicated himself to exploring the underwater world, sharing his love for adventure and pushing the boundaries of innovation. His genuine warmth, infectious enthusiasm, and the high standard he held for himself and those around him inspired us all to be better. Jared was not just our general manager; he was a friend, a mentor, a son, a father, a husband, and a true force for good in our community. The team at Dive Rite is committed to honoring his legacy by continuing the pursuit of excellence and keeping his spirit alive in everything we do.
