The hour-long series focuses on the adventures of two Southern California divers, Drake Andrews (Larsen) and Larry Lahr (Slate), who made their living salvaging sunken wrecks.

To reflect the changes in the format, the series was retitled Malibu Run, with a lively theme performed by pianist Andre Previn.

[1] Dyan Cannon, Russ Conway, Donna Douglas, Peter Falk, Robert Knapp, Sam Levene, Audrey Meadows, Carroll O'Connor, Susan Oliver, Burt Reynolds, Sue Randall, Madame Spivy, Inger Stevens, Jane Withers, Keenan Wynn, James Coburn, Jim Davis, Larry Pennell and Ken Curtis, these two last actors, later of Ripcord fame.

Despite its short run, The Aquanauts was popular with the programmers at Buffalo TV station WNYP-TV, who at one point aired the series every day at the same time.

[2] A paperback novel was published dated February 1961 by Popular Library titled The Aquanauts by Daniel Bard and featuring Keith Larsen's character Drake Andrews.