Working Underwater: The Story of the Commercial Diving Industry

During the 1950s, oil and gas production
and interstate pipelines became one of the main
areas of the business revenue with the explosion
of production volume and discoveries in the
U.S. Gulf States. Pipelines were being installed
across lakes and rivers from Houston, Texas, and
Houma, Louisiana—North and East to Chicago,
Detroit, New York, and the entire east coast.
These pipelines, some of which are still in operation
today provide the fuel oil, diesel, natural
gas and gasoline that run our country. All long
term Logan Diving & Salvage divers to this day
are experts at subaqueous pipeline installation,
repair, cathodic protection, and inspection.
Cam’s brother, Joe, a professional engineer,
came on board to help with the business in
the 1950s. Cam and Joe maintained steady
work installing, maintaining and inspecting
the new subaqueous pipelines river and lake
crossings. Cam and Joe split up the work with
Cam working the pipelines, and Joe working
the bridges and cables.
Other individuals who helped build the
company in its early days include Jack Mixer,
who came on board as project manager in the
early 1970s after a tour with the US Army in
Vietnam and eventually became company
president. Jack was married to Jane Mixer formerly,
Jane Logan, Cam’s daughter.
Susan Armel, served over forty years as
office manager and bookkeeper. Susan always
had a smile for all and a can-do positive attitude
that was infectious. Susan had many
clients far and wide, both foreign and domestic,
wondering if she was single once they
heard her beautiful southern drawl. Many
Logan project managers were questioned at
length at remote job sites about the mysterious
beauty in Florida with the enchanting
southern accent that answered the phones.
LDS expanded into the Caribbean, Central
America, South America, Cuba, and even had
projects in the Persian Gulf. Expansion was
mainly by referral and word of mouth in the
early days. As projects were completed successfully,
more clients enquired and vetted the
company. The result was virtually nonstop
contracts and potential opportunities moving
forward with the surge in oil production and
energy demands, coupled with civil infrastructure
projects of a growing nation.
Departing from its usual business and
going Hollywood, Logan Diving & Salvage
provided the divers and diving support for
the popular movie, The Creature from the
Black Lagoon in 1954. This was a fun
“Outside our Wheelhouse” project that the
divers enjoyed while trying to woo the
glamorous Hollywood actresses.
Logan Diving & Salvage went on to
become the number one leading commercial
diving support provider in the
Southeastern United States, while also
regularly working all of the states east of
the Mississippi River as well as a handful
of states west of the river.
Among the many services provided
today by Logan Diving & Salvage are diving
construction, inspection, and repair services
in support of subaqueous oil and gas
pipelines, fiber optic cables, dock and pier
construction, bridge construction, dam
inspection and repair, underwater welding
and burning, vessel salvage, marine oil spill
response, industrial diving, emergency
response, trans-oceanic subaqueous cable
landings, ships husbandry, and pile driving.
Scott Anderson joined the company in the
early 1980s after a tour of duty with the U.S. Air
Force. Scott received his deep sea diver training
at Coastal School of Deep Sea Diving in Oakland,
California, prior to moving to Florida in 1984.
With a 200-foot Air Ticket from Coastal, Scott
started as a diver, progressing to dive supervisor,
project manager and eventually becoming vice
president through 2008. Logging over 3500
commercial dives, inland, coastal, and offshore
Top: Scott Anderson, Acosta Bridge,
Florida, 1989.
Above: Chris Davis wet welding.
SHARING THE HERITAGE
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