Meet BLU3: The Portable Dive System Making the Underwater World More Accessible

What if exploring beneath the surface didn’t require hauling heavy scuba tanks, scheduling tank fills, or carrying a full set of traditional dive equipment?

BLU3 is creating lightweight, battery-powered dive systems designed to make shallow-water exploration simpler, more portable, and more accessible.

Born from Brownie’s Third Lung, BLU3 was launched in 2017 with one central idea: make getting underwater easier.

“We wanted to make it a simple, portable, battery-powered dive system,” said Blake Carmichael, CEO of BLU3.

Instead of carrying a scuba tank on your back, BLU3’s system floats on the surface while supplying air to the diver below. The compact unit can be packed into a backpack, recharged between uses, and brought along for boating trips, travel, underwater exploration, boat maintenance, and more.

How Does BLU3 Work?

At first glance, the system almost looks too simple.

The floating unit remains on the surface while the diver breathes through a hose connected to it. When the diver inhales, the system recognizes the breath and activates its compressor, drawing fresh air from above the water and delivering it through the hose.

When the diver exhales, the compressor switches off.

That on-demand design helps conserve battery power instead of running continuously.

According to Carmichael, BLU3 designed its compressor, motors, and internal system in South Florida with a focus on keeping everything as compact, lightweight, and user-friendly as possible.

The result is an entirely different experience from carrying a traditional scuba cylinder underwater.

Meet the Nomad Mini and Nomad

BLU3 currently offers two primary systems for recreational shallow-water diving.

The Nomad Mini weighs approximately 12 pounds and is rated for diving to depths of up to 15 feet.

The larger Nomad weighs approximately 15 pounds and allows users to explore depths of up to 30 feet.

The system can also be configured with two batteries for extended runtime.

For boaters, those depths can open the door to a surprisingly wide range of activities.

You might use the system to explore around a boat or dock, search for objects underwater, clean the bottom of a vessel, or simply spend more time discovering the marine environment below you.

“There are so many applications,” Carmichael said.

A Dive System You Can Travel With

One of BLU3’s biggest advantages is its portability.

Traditional scuba equipment can be bulky and heavy, particularly when tanks are involved. Tanks also need to be refilled after use.

BLU3 replaces the traditional tank with a rechargeable, battery-powered surface system.

The Nomad Mini weighs around 12 pounds, while the Nomad weighs approximately 15 pounds, making either system considerably easier to transport than a conventional scuba setup.

For boat owners and travelers who want quick access to shallow-water diving without bringing an entire collection of dive equipment, that simplicity is part of the appeal.

Pack the system, charge the battery, bring it aboard, and you have another way to explore once you reach the water.

Is BLU3 a Replacement for Scuba Diving?

Not exactly.

Carmichael was quick to point out that BLU3 isn’t designed to replace traditional scuba diving.

Instead, the company hopes to make underwater exploration accessible to more people.

“Our mission is to introduce new people to the underwater world,” he said.

That could include someone who has always wanted to experience diving but feels intimidated by traditional scuba gear. It may also appeal to former divers who no longer want to carry heavy tanks or deal with the logistics of filling them.

For boat owners who only need to go a short distance beneath the surface, a full scuba setup may simply be more equipment than the situation requires.

BLU3 gives those users another option.

There are still adventures where traditional scuba equipment makes more sense. Divers looking to explore deep wrecks or travel significantly deeper underwater will need equipment designed for those environments.

But when the goal is convenience, portability, and shallow-water exploration, the Nomad systems occupy an interesting space between snorkeling and traditional scuba diving.

Why Systems Like BLU3 Matter for Boaters

For boat owners, being able to comfortably spend time below the surface isn’t just about recreation.

Sometimes you need to see what’s happening underneath your vessel.

Maybe something became tangled around a propeller.

Maybe you dropped something overboard.

Maybe it’s time to inspect or clean the bottom of the boat.

Or maybe you’ve anchored in clear water and simply want to see what’s down there.

Having a compact dive system onboard gives owners another tool for those moments.

Instead of dedicating significant storage space to tanks and traditional scuba equipment, BLU3’s Nomad systems are designed around portability.

And on a boat, where every inch of storage matters, that’s an important distinction.

Making the Underwater World Feel a Little Closer

Marine innovation doesn’t always have to mean larger boats, more complicated electronics, or increasingly elaborate equipment.

Sometimes innovation is about removing barriers.

BLU3 takes something that can traditionally feel equipment-heavy and technical and reimagines it around a simple idea: what if going underwater could be easier?

A backpack-sized system floats above you. You breathe through the hose. The compressor responds when you inhale. And suddenly the world beneath your boat becomes much more accessible.

For longtime divers, it offers a lightweight alternative for certain shallow-water situations.

For boat owners, it creates another way to maintain and enjoy their vessels.

And for people who have always looked beneath the surface and wondered what it would be like to explore a little farther down, BLU3 may offer an approachable place to begin.

Sometimes all it takes is simpler equipment to make the underwater world feel a whole lot closer.