Tackle the Elements – Ti Tackle

Mark Berta has spent his life on the water in the Keys, and if there’s one thing he’s seen time and time again, it’s the rusted pliers, frozen tools, and corroded gear bleeding orange stains into otherwise pristine boats. As the founder of Sea Swivel, Mark built a name on solving real problems for real fishermen.

Again and again, he kept noticing the same frustration—no matter how nice the boat or how great the angler, the same pair of pliers tossed in the cupholder would be rusted shut in just a few trips, succumbing to the elements. That weak link stuck with him… so he fixed it.

Mark only uses premium materials, and he realized the same titanium he’d been using for Sea Swivel’s Mag Mount trolling motor support system would be the perfect solution for the rusty tools.

Thus, Ti Tackle was born. Its name and logo are inspired by titanium’s symbol on the periodic table, and the company is built on the same mindset as Sea Swivel: eliminate what fails and over-build what matters. Every tool in the Ti Tackle line is CNC machined from a solid block of Grade 5 billet titanium. No coating, no gimmicks—just gear built to outlast the elements.

While Mark was designing tools that could tackle the elements of the Keys, another significant development was taking shape in his personal life. He and Samantha, his partner in business and life since that fateful day they met on the KLS playground, exchanged vows on Tea Table Key. The private island ceremony was perfect, complete with their rescue dogs Ziggy and Ziti sporting suits and ties.

Samantha continues to be Mark’s secret weapon in business, adding her creativity to branding and handling calls and online sales for both Sea Swivel and Ti Tackle– all while running Florida Keys Eats, her Keys-based food blog.

Their Offshore Pliers Multi Tool was Ti Tackle’s first design and has set the tone for all that follows. These aren’t just rust-proof pliers—they’re complete multi-tools featuring a snap ring tool, needlenose pliers, nut driver, crimper, and bottle opener. They feature dual cutting tips with dedicated inner cutters for steel leaders and outer ones for monofilament and braid, ensuring the longevity of the outer blade– though both hardened tungsten carbide blades are easily replaceable. The tool even comes with an extra set!

Mark puts his titanium tools through rigorous testing—1,000 hours of salt fog chamber testing, equivalent to ten years of marine use. The result? Not a single blemish on the titanium tools. Meanwhile, the stainless steel control samples (the same 316 steel used by most tool brands) emerged completely rusted. These results support Mark’s belief that when it comes to tackle gear, if it’s not titanium, it’s temporary.

The current Ti Tackle lineup includes four precision-engineered tools, each backed by a lifetime warranty: offshore pliers multi tool, inshore pliers, adjustable wrench, and Lock-N-Lips fish lip

gripper. Mark is preparing to release titanium stern lifting rings, also known as D-rings, for boats, maintaining the same bolt patterns and dimensions so boat owners won’t need to drill new holes.

“D-rings are some of the rustiest parts on boats, and they’re the first of the high-rust boat parts we’re going to tackle with titanium.”

This fall, Mark and Samantha will open their first storefront in Tavernier, showcasing both Sea Swivel and Ti Tackle products. It’s a big step in becoming even more ingrained in the community they’ve grown up in, providing clever solutions and durable gear for the very people that inspired these products.

Visit TitaniumTackle.com and follow @Ti.Tackle on Instagram and Facebook for updates.