Behind the Scenes at Kraken Sports: An Interview with Founder Doug Telesky

At the DEMA 2024 Show, one of the world’s largest diving trade events, we had the opportunity to sit down with Doug Telesky, founder of Kraken Sports. Based in London, Ontario, Kraken Sports has become a trusted name in the diving and underwater photography industries, offering innovative gear tailored for divers of all experience levels. Doug shared insights into Kraken’s origins, the company’s approach to product development, and some exciting new releases.

IS: Doug, thanks for taking the time to speak with us. Can you start by introducing yourself and telling us a bit about where you’re from?

DT: Of course! I’m Doug Telesky, and I’m from London, Ontario, Canada. It’s a city roughly halfway between Detroit and Toronto.

IS: London, Ontario—is that the "wannabe" London?

DT: (Laughs) Exactly! It’s not the original, but it’s home.

IS: Is Kraken Sports based there?

DT: Yes, that’s where our headquarters are.

IS: What brings you to DEMA this year?

DT: DEMA is an incredible opportunity to connect with new people and reconnect with industry friends. It’s a big investment to attend, but the face-to-face interactions and the chance to stay part of the conversation in the dive world make it absolutely worth it.

IS: How did you come up with the name “Kraken”?

DT: The name just clicked for me. I wanted something powerful and memorable—something that captured the idea of strength and something that would destroy the competition. The Kraken was the perfect fit.

IS: Why did you decide to start Kraken Sports?

DT: Growing up in a family dive shop, I worked with standard torches and gear, but I noticed gaps in the market. Divers needed better options. I started Kraken to fill those gaps, creating products that meet real-world needs. Today, we’ve expanded into a wide range of gear, but the mission remains the same.

IS: What sets Kraken apart from other brands?

DT: Our focus is on delivering high-quality products at reasonable prices. Not everyone dives weekly or professionally, so we aim to make great gear accessible to all divers—whether they’re occasional vacationers or seasoned pros.

IS: Would you say your primary market is divers or photographers?

DT: It depends on the product. We design gear for everyone, from once-a-year divers to professionals working on high-end cinematic projects. It’s a wide spectrum, and we try to cover it all.

IS: I (Byron) personally moved to your video lights, away from Kelden and I’m very happy.

DT: Yeah, on our high-end video lights, they have a very high CRI [Color Rendering Index] so the light is very warm and natural and we have some features on many of those lights that set us apart from the rest.

IS: I think it’s both the quality and the price point that sets them apart. I can get similar quality elsewhere but it’s the price point for me that’s the key differentiator.

DT: Yeah, we all have budgets that we have to meet so I certainly understand.

IS: Do you still dive regularly?

DT: I dive whenever I can, but with a four-year-old at home, my free time is limited these days.

IS: When you do dive, is it mostly local or international?

DT: It’s a mix. Living in landlocked London, I’m surrounded by the Great Lakes, which offer fantastic freshwater diving. But I’m definitely an ocean guy at heart, and I jump at the chance for ocean dives when I can.

IS: Let’s talk about your gear. I’ve been using your +6 diopter, and it’s a fantastic addition to my kit. The stronger diopters are useful but the +6 really fills a gap.

DT: Thanks! The +6 diopter is designed to be versatile and user-friendly. It offers excellent clarity and pairs well with the autofocus on newer mirrorless cameras. Stronger diopters have their place but can be tricky to master.

IS: The other thing about the +6 is that the autofocus works really well, especially on the newer mirrorless cameras. I find it really fills a gap. I’m not the greatest fan of the really strong diopters, I just need something to help a little bit.

DT: Yeah, I understand.

IS: What new products are you showcasing at DEMA?

DT: One of our highlights is a collapsible rinse bag. It’s watertight but not dry—it has a YKK zipper that’s durable but not spill-proof. It has waterproof seams so that you can use it as a rinse tank for your gear or as a lightweight camera bag. It folds down small and comes with buckles for extra compression.

IS: Sounds perfect for dive boats so that you can keep your gear separate from other cameras but also on boats that don’t have a designated rinse bucket for cameras, it keeps your camera from drying out on the boat and then getting salt deposits.

DT: Exactly! It’s great for protecting your camera from bumps and scratches and prevents saltwater spots from drying on your dome port in the sun. It’s priced at $189.

IS: What about strobes? Any new developments?

DT: Yes, we’re introducing the KRS 40 mini strobe. It’s compact, outputs 40 watt-seconds, and runs on a single 21700 battery with USB-C charging. All of our batteries have USB-C charging so you don’t need a separate charger. It’s got a focus/spotting light. It’s simple to use, fiber optic only. We will be making a snoot for it as well. It’s ideal for macro or compact camera setups and is priced at just $365.

IS: And if someone needs more power?

DT: We’ve got the KRS 80 and KRS 160 strobes, both have circular flash tubes. The KRS 80 offers 80 watt-seconds, while the KRS 160 goes up to 160 and doubles as a video light with a 3,000-lumen output. Both models have optional warming filters, ambient blue filters, and regular diffusers. We also have restrictors for them. They’re powerful, versatile tools for more advanced users.

IS: What about this canister light? Tell us about that.

DT: When we first started the company, we only had 3 or 4 products and they were all dive torches. One of them was a mini canister light. We stopped making it years ago because we saw there was less demand for canister lights. But over the years, people keep asking us, especially old customers who used to use the mini canister, to bring the canister light back.

So this is the new version of that. It uses the same battery as our video lights but on a big single head. It’s 4000 lumens so it’s plenty bright. It’s got a fairly big cone reflector in here which gives you a nice beam. It does have a hot center but there’s plenty of spill over and you can light up a full cave no problem but the hot center is useful if you are trying to signal with it. We do have two version of the canister light. One with a straight cable and one with a 90-degree cable for side-mount.

IS: How much does that retail for?

DT: Around $1000

IS: What else are you showing?

DT: We have a redesign on both of our monitors (5” and 7”). We used to use the same battery pack as on our video lights which added some bulk at the top. We switched to use a couple of loose 21700 cells which as you can see has made the monitor much sleeker. We heard feedback from customers that they really wanted the 7” monitor but it was just too bulky on top of the camera so we’ve now addressed that. Everything else about it remains the same, same monitor, same functions etc. and the same price point.

IS: That’s an impressive lineup. Anything else you’re excited about?

DT: We do have an early sample, pre-production light (we’re calling the Spectrum 25000). It will change a bit but you can see from the front that the LED looks totally different than a standard LED. The rear will be the same as our other lights where you have a dial and an LCD screen so you can get a full rundown of what’s going on. But what’s unique with this light is that you’ll have full control over color temperature. In the final production we should be able to adjust from 4500 Kelvin up to 10,000 Kelvin all in the same light. This will be an industry first.

IS: Anything else we should know about?

DT: There’s plenty more, but those are some of the highlights. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts when you test them out!

IS: Thanks for your time, Doug!