The Ocean Is Where We Belong
From the sea of Italy’s Liguria to the vast oceans of the world, Cressi and its lifestyle ambassadors have a passion for the underwater realm.The Mediterranean coastline of Liguria, a crescent-shaped region in northwest Italy, is belovedfor its sun-kissed beaches and rocky coastal areas, centuries-old seafront villages and towns,stunning mountains and lovely rolling hills that drop down into the Ligurian Sea. This sparkling sliver of coastline is where Cressi started in 1946, in the port city of Genoa, when two brothers,Egidio and Nanni Cressi, began producing masks and spearguns by hand [ Read the story here ]. The brothers collaborated on making products for the emerging spearfishing community thatwere attracted to Italy’s northern Mediterranean coast and its offshore underwater treasures.
Since those early days, the company has remained an integral part of the spearfishing and freediving community. Cressi’s contributions to the scuba diving community have also been significant, including two remarkable product innovations that made the sport safer and more enjoyable—the first open-heel adjustable dive fin and the first diving mask with a dedicated nose pocket [Product Catalogue here]. It is fitting that that Egido and Nanni chose Genoa as the home for manufacturing their products—the Liguria region is richly steeped in its maritime traditions. The marine canyons off shore offer some of the best diving in the Mediterranean. The epicenter of scuba andfreediving here, about 30 kilometers or 18 miles east of Genoa, is the famous seaside village of Portofino, the birthplace of Italian diving.
Today, Cressi is still based in Genoa and is one of only a few companies in the world that manufactures a full line of equipment and accessories for each of its markets. But what sets Cressi apart is that from the very beginning, its corporate mission and philosophy has been asimple one, based on its long history of being connected to the sea—the ocean is a way of life. This deeply felt philosophy is not only embraced by the Cressi family and corporate team, it isone that is also embodied by Cressi’s lifestyle ambassadors. Together, we are stewards of theocean, possessing a true passionfor the sea. We at Cressi are proud of our heritage of being connected and dedicated to the sea. Since 1946, Cressi has inspired men and women to live their dreams of being underwater explorers. The Cressi brand has been built on the dreams and passion oftwo brothers who wanted tomake products that would let others share this passion safely and easily. It takes years of hardwork, sweat and tears to build a company like Cressi. We are proud of our humble beginningsand excited for our future.
From the Field is an online community that encourages and celebrates the underwater life. Very few companies are as committed as Cressi is to the ocean and to the people who share that passion. When you become part of the Cressi community, you become part of something bigger. We invite you to join us and our Ambassadors on this extraordinary journey. After all, the ocean is where we belong.
Patricia Wuest
Maitland, Florida, USA Dive Magazine Journalist, Scuba Gear Tester, Ocean Conservationist. As the editor- in- chief of Scuba Diving and Sport Diver magazines, Patricia has had a 25- year career in dive…Read More