Introducing the Molchanovs Hard Case

By Kristina Zvaritch
molchanovs.com

The Molchanovs Hard Case is a revolutionary item in the world of freediving. All around the world, freedivers are forced to pack all of their equipment in separate bags, wrapping uniquely-shaped items delicately in protective material in order to withstand the inevitable bumps and bangs from car rides, trains, and airplanes. These freedivers now have the ultimate solution thanks to Alexey Molchanov’s newest invention, which he sees as a necessity, especially for monofin divers.

The Idea

Alexey Molchanov, the co-founder of Molchanovs, had frequent requests from freedivers around the world for an easier way to travel with their monofins. Although there are already monofin soft and semi-hard bags with backpack-style straps on the market, these freedivers felt that all of their equipment in one bag was too heavy to carry on their shoulders. Instead, they wanted to fit all of their gear into a single, sturdy case on wheels that would keep their possessions well-protected.

As freediving is still quite new as a sport, Molchanovs as a company is at the roots of gear development. Just as Molchanovs was at the forefront of creating a pulley system and inflatable freediving buoys, they became the ones to introduce this valuable product to the market.

The Effort

The Hard Case was a major project for Molchanovs, and a lot of time, effort, and heart was put into the making of it. Every single aspect of the case had to be carefully contemplated over beforehand, as the Hard Case is the first of its kind on the market. With the help of 3D prototyping that calculated the strength, dimensions, and thickness of the Hard Case, five prototypes were developed, and all were subjected to structure tests within the computer and live tests performed by Alexey’s extensive traveling with his own freediving gear.

“I was really keen to have lead the development team on the Hard Case and am personally engaged with my products since I often use them myself for traveling and competitions,“ says Alexey. ”That is why this product is really important to me. As a company, we always desire to progress and continue to develop what the freediving community is looking for, whether it is innovations in our equipment, education, or training system.“

The Design

The smallest and most basic details of the Hard Case were considered as the design was created. The dimensions of the case were determined by several airline standards for the largest possible size of normal baggage, keeping Hard Case owners from having to pay for oversized baggage on most airlines. The panels of the Hard Case walls are structured with a specifically-designed wave pattern that helps reinforce the strength of the polycarbonate. The four 360° spinner wheels are made of high quality materials to ensure longevity even with frequent traveling.

A telescopic handle offers three stops for a flexible adjustment of height, while a standard suitcase handle is attached at the top of the case for more efficient handling. Even the zippers are made with comfort in mind, with large heads and a strong construction that can be locked together by the owner. The Hard Case is available in both black and blue.

The inside of the Hard Case features two separate zippered compartments with compression systems in place. One side has a cut-out for monofin foot pockets, keeping the blade well-protected and snug against the sturdy walls of the case, while the other pocket can be used for equipment that needs to remain separate and secured.

The spacious interior can fit an impressive amount of equipment, including a monofin, standard-sized bifins, silicone fins, wetsuits, lanyards, masks, weight belts, and so on. Vitomir Maričić, a Molchanovs Ambassador, was able to fit one monofin, two pairs of bifins, one pair of silicone fins, eight wetsuits, three lanyards, and several masks into his own Molchanovs Hard Case.

The Future of Freediving Travel

No longer does a traveling freediver have to pack several bags and spend extra time and effort to wrap delicate equipment individually, only to carry all of the weight on their shoulders. All of your important freediving items are able to fit into one spacious, high quality, and safe transportation system on wheels, guaranteeing you worry-free travels. For easier transportation of your equipment between dive sites, consider taking the Lightweight Bifins Bag 2 or Lightweight Monofin Bag 2 with you on your travels, both of which pack away easily inside of the Molchanovs Hard Case.

Save time and effort and invest in protection for your valuable freediving gear, and prepare yourself for priceless memories at your destination.