Working Underwater: The Story of the Commercial Diving Industry
An illustrated history of the commercial diving industry. First published in 2018 by Lammert Incorporated/HPNbooks. I was responsible for coordinating with the photographer and photography sources about the manuscript and photo selection, creating the book layout, photo color correction/touch-up, prepress operations, and coordinating printing and delivery of the book.
An illustrated history of the commercial diving industry. First published in 2018 by Lammert Incorporated/HPNbooks.
I was responsible for coordinating with the photographer and photography sources about the manuscript and photo selection, creating the book layout, photo color correction/touch-up, prepress operations, and coordinating printing and delivery of the book.
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WORKING UNDERWATER<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
by Mike Cox<br />
A 50th anniversary commemorative publication <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Association <strong>of</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Contractors International
Thank you for your interest in this HPNbooks publication. For more information about o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
HPNbooks publications, or information about producing your own book with us, please visit www.hpnbooks.com.
WORKING UNDERWATER<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
by Mike Cox<br />
A 50th anniversary commemorative publication <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> Association <strong>of</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Contractors International<br />
A publication <strong>of</strong> Press and Publications,<br />
Association <strong>of</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Contractors International<br />
HPNbooks<br />
A division <strong>of</strong> Lammert Incorporated<br />
San Antonio, Texas
CONTENTS<br />
4 LEGACY SPONSORS<br />
6 THE HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL DIVING<br />
50 THE HISTORY OF THE ADCI<br />
61 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY<br />
62 SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
112 SPONSORS<br />
113 ABOUT THE AUTHOR<br />
First Edition<br />
Copyright © 2018 HPNbooks<br />
All rights reserved. No part <strong>of</strong> this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without permission in writing<br />
from <strong>the</strong> publisher. All inquiries should be addressed to HPNbooks, 11535 Galm Road, Suite 101, San Antonio, Texas, 78254. Phone (800) 749-9790, www.hpnbooks.com.<br />
ISBN: 978-1-944891-50-3<br />
Library <strong>of</strong> Congress Card Catalog Number: 2018942132<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
2<br />
<strong>Working</strong> <strong>Underwater</strong>: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
author: Mike Cox<br />
cover photographer: United States Navy<br />
contributing writer for “Sharing <strong>the</strong> Heritage”: Joe Goodpasture<br />
HPNbooks<br />
chairman and chief executive <strong>of</strong>ficer: Jean-Claude Tenday<br />
publisher and chief creative <strong>of</strong>ficer: Bernard O’Connor<br />
president and chief revenue <strong>of</strong>ficer: Ron Lammert<br />
project manager: Mary Hanley<br />
administration: Donna M. Mata<br />
Melissa G. Quinn,<br />
Lori K. Smith<br />
Kristin T. Williamson<br />
book sales: Joe Neely<br />
production: Colin Hart<br />
Evelyn Hart<br />
Glenda Tarazon Krouse<br />
Tim Lippard<br />
Craig Mitchell<br />
Christopher D. Sturdevant
An early day diver suiting up.<br />
CONTENTS<br />
3
LEGACY SPONSORS<br />
<strong>The</strong>se companies have made major contribution to <strong>the</strong> book as part <strong>of</strong> our Legacy Program. We could not have made this book possible<br />
without <strong>the</strong>ir leadership and participation.<br />
Divers Institute <strong>of</strong> Technology<br />
1341 North Northlake Way<br />
Seattle, Washington 98103<br />
206-783-5542<br />
www.diversinstitute.edu<br />
J.F. Brennan Company, Inc.<br />
Brennan Marine<br />
818 Bainbridge Street<br />
La Crosse, Wisconsin 54603<br />
608-784-7173<br />
www.jfbrennan.com<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
4
Mainstream <strong>Commercial</strong> Divers, Inc.<br />
322 C.C. Lowry Drive<br />
Murray, Kentucky 42071<br />
270-753-9654<br />
www.mainstreamdivers.com<br />
<strong>Underwater</strong> Construction Corporation<br />
110 Plains Road<br />
Essex, Connecticut 06426<br />
860-767-8256<br />
www.uccdive.com<br />
Walker <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Underwater</strong> Construction, LLC<br />
75 Waterford Road,<br />
Hammonton, New Jersey 08037<br />
609-704-8650<br />
www.walkerdiving.com<br />
LEGACY SPONSORS<br />
5
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
6
THE HISTORY OF<br />
COMMERCIAL DIVING<br />
When <strong>the</strong> sails <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> six Spanish ships rose over <strong>the</strong> horizon <strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong> long, narrow sand barrier<br />
that centuries later would come to be known as Padre Island, lookouts in <strong>the</strong> rigging made out a<br />
bearded, semi-clad man waving frantically from <strong>the</strong> wreckage <strong>of</strong> a vessel partially submerged in <strong>the</strong><br />
pounding surf.<br />
Of some 400 men, women and children who had been aboard three ships that had wrecked <strong>of</strong>f<br />
this remote shore during a storm that spring, this man was one <strong>of</strong> only a handful <strong>of</strong> survivors. Half<br />
<strong>of</strong> those on <strong>the</strong> ships had drowned during <strong>the</strong> storm. Most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> rest had been slaughtered on <strong>the</strong><br />
sand by Karankawa Indians. But for whatever reason, Francisco Vasquez had remained behind. He<br />
kept to <strong>the</strong> wreckage, for three months living mostly <strong>of</strong>f raw fish and whatever <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ship’s stores<br />
he had salvaged. Like <strong>the</strong> scurrying sand crabs that formed part <strong>of</strong> his diet, he came out only at<br />
night to avoid discovery by <strong>the</strong> Indians.<br />
Captain Garcia de Escalante Alvarado afforded <strong>the</strong> sunburned survivor clothing, food and <strong>the</strong><br />
comfort <strong>of</strong> shipboard life, but <strong>the</strong> captain had not come on a humanitarian mission. Ano<strong>the</strong>r ship<br />
had been dispatched earlier in a vain search for survivors, somehow not finding Vasquez. Now<br />
Alvarado’s task was to recover as much <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> gold, silver and o<strong>the</strong>r cargo as possible. In addition<br />
to <strong>the</strong> precious metals, coins and jewelry, <strong>the</strong> ill-fated flota (flotilla) had been carrying resins, sugar,<br />
wood, cowhides and cochinel (a red dye could be produced from <strong>the</strong>m).<br />
In <strong>the</strong> wake <strong>of</strong> one <strong>of</strong> Spain’s worst maritime disasters to that point in its history, <strong>the</strong> New World’s<br />
first known use <strong>of</strong> divers in a salvage operation would soon begin in what are now Texas waters.<br />
Four ships had set sail from Vera Cruz on April 9, 1555, and laid a course across <strong>the</strong> Gulf <strong>of</strong><br />
Mexico. Bound for Spain, <strong>the</strong>y would stop at La Havana, Cuba, and <strong>the</strong>n continue across <strong>the</strong><br />
Atlantic laden with treasure for <strong>the</strong>ir home country. <strong>The</strong> vessels had made it half-way to Cuba when<br />
on April 29 <strong>the</strong>y encountered a severe storm. Only one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> vessels reached Cuba. <strong>The</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r three,<br />
<strong>the</strong> San Esteban, <strong>the</strong> Espiritu Santo, and <strong>the</strong> Santa Maria de Yciar, wrecked on <strong>the</strong> Gulf Coast.<br />
<strong>The</strong> captain <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> San Esteban left in a salvaged boat with some <strong>of</strong> his crew to sail for Vera Cruz<br />
to summon help. <strong>The</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r survivors, thinking <strong>the</strong>y were not that far from <strong>the</strong> coastal city <strong>of</strong><br />
Tampico, set out on foot. All but one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m, a priest named Fray Marcos de Mena, ended up<br />
getting killed by Indians.<br />
A rescue mission led by Captain Angel de Villafane left Vera Cruz on June 6 shortly after word<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> tragedy reached Spanish <strong>of</strong>ficials <strong>the</strong>re. Whe<strong>the</strong>r Villafane located any human remains when<br />
he arrived six weeks after <strong>the</strong> disaster is not mentioned in later accounts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> event, but after<br />
finding no survivors, he began diving on <strong>the</strong> wreckage <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Espiritu Santo. One <strong>of</strong> his divers<br />
recovered <strong>the</strong> trunk <strong>of</strong> a man <strong>the</strong> captain had known. While <strong>the</strong> body <strong>of</strong> its owner had been lost<br />
to <strong>the</strong> sea and its creatures, <strong>the</strong> trunk held three silver disks, 100 silver coins, and fine clothing.<br />
Alvarado had left Vera Cruz on July 15, beginning his salvage operation six days later on <strong>the</strong><br />
wreckage <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> San Esteban. Anchoring his fleet safely beyond <strong>the</strong> surf, he sent crew members and<br />
divers ashore in long boats to establish a base camp on <strong>the</strong> beach. To locate <strong>the</strong> hulks, <strong>the</strong><br />
Spaniards dragged a chain between two small vessels until it snagged on wreckage. On August 20,<br />
Alvarado found <strong>the</strong> Santa Maria de Yciar, eventually recovering seven boxes <strong>of</strong> treasure she had on<br />
board when she foundered. In <strong>the</strong> process, however, <strong>the</strong> captain lost one <strong>of</strong> his salvage vessels in<br />
ano<strong>the</strong>r storm.<br />
Fortunately for <strong>the</strong> salvers, <strong>the</strong> storm-tossed ships had gone down in shallow water, only 20 feet<br />
at <strong>the</strong> deepest point. Divers using weights for rapid descent and relying only on <strong>the</strong> air <strong>the</strong>y could<br />
hold in <strong>the</strong>ir lungs, <strong>the</strong>ir eyes burning from <strong>the</strong> salt water, recovered a substantial amount <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
lost treasure—but not all <strong>of</strong> it—in an operation that continued through September 12.<br />
A map <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> nor<strong>the</strong>rn hemisphere from<br />
Speculum Orbis Terrae by Cornelius de<br />
Jode, 1593. <strong>The</strong> Age <strong>of</strong> Discovery and<br />
conquest <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> New World led to <strong>the</strong> first<br />
use <strong>of</strong> free diving for commercial purposes<br />
by Europeans in salvage operations in<br />
<strong>the</strong> Americas.<br />
THE HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL DIVING<br />
7
Above: A silver two-real coin recovered from<br />
<strong>the</strong> waters <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Gulf Coast.<br />
COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE.<br />
Below: Pearl <strong>Diving</strong> by Johannes<br />
Stradanus, c. 1596.<br />
COURTESY OF THE SAMUEL COURTAULD TRUST: WITT<br />
BEQUEST, THE FRICK COLLECTION.<br />
When <strong>the</strong> salvage expedition made it back<br />
to Vera Cruz, Spanish auditors counted<br />
35,805 pounds <strong>of</strong> recovered precious metals,<br />
jewelry and coins. But roughly 60 percent <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> treasure <strong>the</strong> wrecked fleet had been<br />
carrying remained missing, some 51,000<br />
pounds worth millions in <strong>the</strong> 21st century.<br />
<strong>The</strong> operation had cost <strong>the</strong> Spanish crown<br />
one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> salvage vessels, lost in a storm on<br />
August 30, but from <strong>the</strong> perspective <strong>of</strong> King<br />
Charles V, <strong>the</strong> effort had been worth it.<br />
<strong>The</strong> disastrous aftermath <strong>of</strong> that sixteenth<br />
century expedition marked <strong>the</strong> first time<br />
anywhere on <strong>the</strong> North American continent<br />
that free diving had been employed for<br />
economic reasons by Europeans. <strong>The</strong> story <strong>of</strong><br />
commercial diving involves a world-wide<br />
progression <strong>of</strong> scientific discovery and<br />
technological innovation on <strong>the</strong> part <strong>of</strong> a<br />
diverse group <strong>of</strong> people, but going under<br />
water purely for financial gain had its New<br />
World beginning in <strong>the</strong> crashing surf <strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong><br />
coast <strong>of</strong> Texas, some 50 miles south <strong>of</strong><br />
present-day Corpus Christi.<br />
FREE<br />
DIVING<br />
For untold thousands <strong>of</strong> years, man had<br />
been diving under water first for food and <strong>the</strong>n<br />
for material gain, but in <strong>the</strong>ir long course <strong>of</strong><br />
evolution, homo sapiens had evolved as land<br />
beings. Unlike <strong>the</strong> gilled creatures <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sea or<br />
those confined to fresh water, a man’s lungs<br />
could not derive oxygen from water. In time,<br />
humans would begin to develop mechanical<br />
means to stay under water for longer periods <strong>of</strong><br />
time and to descend ever deeper, but it all<br />
started at some distant point in pre-history<br />
when that first human sucked in a deep lungful<br />
<strong>of</strong> air, instinctively held his nose and plunged<br />
below <strong>the</strong> surface, opening stinging eyes to a<br />
water-clouded vision <strong>of</strong> ano<strong>the</strong>r world.<br />
Archeologists investigating sites dating to<br />
roughly 5500 BCE have found shells that only<br />
could have been retrieved from deep water by<br />
<strong>the</strong> hand <strong>of</strong> man. That those shells had belonged<br />
to mollusks and o<strong>the</strong>r crustations point to <strong>the</strong><br />
initial impetus for diving as being a quest for an<br />
essential part <strong>of</strong> staying alive—food.<br />
But objects <strong>of</strong> beauty considered even more<br />
desirable because <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir scarcity also attracted<br />
early men, giving <strong>the</strong>m more motivation for<br />
diving beneath <strong>the</strong> water surface.<br />
At a 7,500-year-old burial site in Umm al<br />
Quwain in <strong>the</strong> United Arab Emirates,<br />
archeologists found <strong>the</strong> oldest archeological<br />
pearl. Scientists say this is <strong>the</strong> earliest known<br />
evidence <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> long-standing pearl diving<br />
industry along <strong>the</strong> Persian Gulf. <strong>The</strong><br />
Phoenicians in <strong>the</strong> 6th century BCE are<br />
known to have traded for dive-harvested<br />
Murex shells, from which a valuable purple<br />
die could be derived. Digs in Egypt at sites<br />
dating to 3200 BCE have revealed carved<br />
mo<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> pearl. Again, only divers could have<br />
brought those shells with <strong>the</strong>ir iridescent<br />
interiors to <strong>the</strong> hands <strong>of</strong> artisans.<br />
Ancient Greece, <strong>the</strong> culture that gave <strong>the</strong><br />
world everything from philosophy and<br />
ma<strong>the</strong>matics to <strong>the</strong> notion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> republican<br />
form <strong>of</strong> government also saw <strong>the</strong> development<br />
<strong>of</strong> commercial diving as an industry. <strong>The</strong> natural<br />
resource stimulating this new industry was <strong>the</strong><br />
sponge, a cavity-filled, multi-cellular undersea<br />
organism that once processed could be used for<br />
hygienic or cosmetic proposes because it could<br />
both hold water and o<strong>the</strong>r liquids such as oil or<br />
perfume and when squeezed, release that liquid.<br />
Due to high demand for this undersea<br />
commodity, sponge diving became a<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>itable undertaking. However, it was a<br />
dangerous way to make a living. Wrote <strong>the</strong><br />
young but observant Greco-Roman poet<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
8
Oppian in <strong>the</strong> second century A.D: “No ordeal<br />
is more terrible than that <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sponge divers<br />
and no labor is more arduous for men.”<br />
Te<strong>the</strong>red divers jumped into <strong>the</strong> water<br />
clutching flat, heavy rocks so <strong>the</strong>y could<br />
quickly reach <strong>the</strong> bottom. <strong>The</strong>n, holding <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
breaths for three to five minutes and generally<br />
operating about 30 feet down, <strong>the</strong>y harvested as<br />
many sponges as <strong>the</strong>y could and stuffed <strong>the</strong>m<br />
into nets. To compensate for <strong>the</strong> pain to <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
ears from water pressure, divers poured oil into<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir ear canals. <strong>The</strong>y also filled <strong>the</strong>ir mouths<br />
with oil, spitting it out once on <strong>the</strong> bottom.<br />
Sponge diving even became an Olympic sport,<br />
with competitors judged on <strong>the</strong>ir speed and <strong>the</strong><br />
amount <strong>of</strong> sponge <strong>the</strong>y surfaced with.<br />
A traveler visiting <strong>the</strong> Greek island <strong>of</strong> Symi<br />
in 1837 recorded ano<strong>the</strong>r benefit that could<br />
accrue to <strong>the</strong> better sponge divers:<br />
When a man <strong>of</strong> any property intends to<br />
have his daughter married, he appoints a<br />
certain day. <strong>The</strong>n all <strong>the</strong> young, unmarried<br />
men [sponge divers all] repair to <strong>the</strong> seaside,<br />
where <strong>the</strong>y strip <strong>the</strong>mselves in <strong>the</strong> presence <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> fa<strong>the</strong>r and his daughter and begin diving.<br />
He who goes deepest into <strong>the</strong> sea, and remains<br />
longest under <strong>the</strong> water, obtains <strong>the</strong> lady.<br />
Of course, he who went deepest and<br />
remained longest <strong>of</strong>ten obtained early death<br />
instead <strong>of</strong> fair maiden.<br />
Free diving for sponges persisted into <strong>the</strong><br />
twentieth century, though with technological<br />
development and <strong>the</strong> invention <strong>of</strong> syn<strong>the</strong>tic<br />
sponges, it had almost become a thing <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
past by <strong>the</strong>n.<br />
DIVING<br />
MAN- MADE<br />
FOR<br />
OBJECTS<br />
Early man knew that <strong>the</strong> sea and o<strong>the</strong>r deep<br />
water, whe<strong>the</strong>r by accident <strong>of</strong> fate or <strong>the</strong> whim<br />
<strong>of</strong> one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir deities, swallowed men and <strong>the</strong><br />
vessels <strong>the</strong>y built. <strong>The</strong> sea and its creatures,<br />
from giant sharks to minute worms, sooner or<br />
later consumed flesh, wood, sail cloth and<br />
rope, but glass, pottery, metal, precious metals<br />
and gems merely sank to <strong>the</strong> bottom.<br />
Herodotus, <strong>the</strong> Greek historian, left <strong>the</strong><br />
earliest known account <strong>of</strong> divers being used<br />
in search <strong>of</strong> sunken treasure. Writing in <strong>the</strong><br />
fifth century BCE, he told <strong>of</strong> a Greek diver<br />
named Schllias (or Skyllias)—“as a diver <strong>the</strong><br />
best <strong>of</strong> all men”—and his daughter, Cyane.<br />
Both had been retained by Persian King<br />
Xerxes to bring up treasure from Persian<br />
galleys sunk by Grecian war vessels a halfcentury<br />
earlier.<br />
Fa<strong>the</strong>r and daughter (naturally having more<br />
fatty cells women were less affected by cold<br />
water) dove on <strong>the</strong> sunken ships and recovered<br />
much <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> valuables <strong>the</strong>y had held. <strong>The</strong> king<br />
had promised <strong>the</strong>m a portion <strong>of</strong> what <strong>the</strong>y<br />
found by way <strong>of</strong> compensation, but being king,<br />
he kept <strong>the</strong> booty and held <strong>the</strong>m prisoner on<br />
his galley for future diving jobs.<br />
<strong>Diving</strong> for natural sponges in <strong>the</strong><br />
mid-twentieth century.<br />
THE HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL DIVING<br />
9
A sixteenth-century painting depiciting<br />
Alexander <strong>the</strong> Great in a glass diving bell.<br />
COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND<br />
ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION<br />
During a storm, Schllias and Cyane<br />
jumped overboard and cut <strong>the</strong> anchor ropes<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Persian armada. That underwater<br />
action caused <strong>the</strong> chaos <strong>the</strong> pair had<br />
expected. Once <strong>the</strong> captains had <strong>the</strong>ir vessels<br />
under control, <strong>the</strong>y began searching for <strong>the</strong><br />
two escaped divers. Meanwhile, fa<strong>the</strong>r and<br />
daughter had swum underwater and<br />
undetected to safety at Artemisium. In doing<br />
that, <strong>the</strong> two are believed to have used hollow<br />
reeds as breathing tubes, an early instance <strong>of</strong><br />
what came to be called snorkeling.<br />
DIVING<br />
BELLS<br />
No one is known to have noted when or<br />
where it happened, but at some point prior to<br />
<strong>the</strong> beginning <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> common era 21 centuries<br />
ago, someone observed that a solid container<br />
such as a cauldron or barrel, would not fill<br />
completely if pushed down into <strong>the</strong> water.<br />
When that happens, an air pocket remains.<br />
In 360 BCE, Aristotle noted in his<br />
Problematum that to supply sponge divers “…<br />
with a facility <strong>of</strong> respiration, a kettle is let<br />
down to <strong>the</strong>m, not filled with water, but with<br />
air, which constantly assists <strong>the</strong> submerged<br />
man; it is forcibly kept upright in its descent,<br />
in order that it may be sent down at an equal<br />
level all around, to prevent <strong>the</strong> air from<br />
escaping and <strong>the</strong> water from entering….”<br />
What <strong>the</strong> Greek philosopher described<br />
came to be called a diving bell or caisson, <strong>the</strong><br />
more common term being diving bell.<br />
Alexander <strong>the</strong> Great is said to have<br />
descended in a glass diving bell as his soldiers<br />
and seamen fought to take <strong>the</strong> island <strong>of</strong> Tyre<br />
in 332 BCE. More recent scholarship,<br />
however, suggests that <strong>the</strong> story is merely a<br />
legend, appearing both in medieval Western<br />
European texts and Islamic literature. True or<br />
not, <strong>the</strong> diving bell was <strong>the</strong> first assisted form<br />
<strong>of</strong> commercial diving.<br />
By at least <strong>the</strong> second century <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
common era, a collective <strong>of</strong> Roman divers<br />
called <strong>the</strong> Corpus Urinatorum did salvage<br />
work at <strong>the</strong> port <strong>of</strong> Ostia on <strong>the</strong> mouth <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
River Tiber. <strong>The</strong>y handled underwater aspects<br />
<strong>of</strong> construction and maintenance <strong>of</strong> bridge<br />
and harbor infrastructure as well as salvage<br />
work. <strong>The</strong>se divers operated under Lex<br />
Rhodia, or <strong>the</strong> Rhodian Sea Laws. <strong>The</strong> laws<br />
had been developed to settle disputes over<br />
salvage rights. If <strong>the</strong>se divers salvaged a wreck<br />
lying deeper than 50 feet, <strong>the</strong>y received a<br />
third <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> salvage rights. Wrecks deeper<br />
than 90 feet netted a diver half <strong>the</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>it.<br />
Modern marine archeologists have found<br />
ancient shipwrecks which appear to have<br />
been probed by <strong>the</strong>se early free-divers<br />
<strong>The</strong> first known use <strong>of</strong> a diving bell after<br />
that came in 1531 CE when Italian divers<br />
used a Campana Urinatoria (“bell for diving”)<br />
to find two supposedly treasure-laden<br />
pleasure galleys that had belonged to <strong>the</strong><br />
licentious Roman emperor Caligula. Invented<br />
by Guglielmo de Lorena, an Italian physicist,<br />
<strong>the</strong> device was a barrel-shaped “bell” that<br />
went over <strong>the</strong> diver’s head and torso. With <strong>the</strong><br />
bell supported by a sturdy rope, <strong>the</strong> diver<br />
could walk on <strong>the</strong> bottom for more than an<br />
hour before he had to surface for fresh air.<br />
Seven years later, in a different part <strong>of</strong><br />
Europe, two Greek divers built a larger diving<br />
bell, one big enough to hold both inventors<br />
seated on planks inside. <strong>The</strong> pair not only<br />
were granted an audience with King Charles V<br />
<strong>of</strong> Spain, a reported 10,000 citizens <strong>of</strong> Toledo<br />
and environs showed up to see <strong>the</strong> device<br />
demonstrated. As <strong>the</strong> crowd looked on, <strong>the</strong><br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
10
ell was lowered into <strong>the</strong> Tagus River. Before<br />
entering <strong>the</strong> device, one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> divers carried a<br />
candle. After <strong>the</strong> bell had been under water for<br />
a time, it was raised and <strong>the</strong> two inventors<br />
emerged in fine shape. And <strong>the</strong>ir candle was<br />
still burning.<br />
In <strong>the</strong> following century, Oppenheim artist<br />
and inventor Franz Kessler (c. 1580-1650)<br />
designed an improved diving bell in 1616. It<br />
looked like a man-sized thimble with eyes,<br />
<strong>the</strong> diver secured by a harness inside a<br />
lea<strong>the</strong>r-covered barrel with glass view ports.<br />
Von Guericke, in 1650, invented <strong>the</strong> first<br />
truly efficient air pump. Not only would that<br />
allow fresh air to be pumped down into diving<br />
bells, it made possible scientific experimentation<br />
on pressure and decompression.<br />
Ano<strong>the</strong>r early instance <strong>of</strong> commercial<br />
diving came in 1658 when Albrecht von<br />
Treileben salvaged <strong>the</strong> Vasa, a Swedish<br />
warship sunk in Stockholm harbor 30 years<br />
before. Using a diving bell, divers working for<br />
von Treileben succeeded in raising nearly all<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ship’s bronze guns.<br />
An Englishman named Richard Norwood<br />
(1590?-1675) is credited with <strong>the</strong> first use <strong>of</strong> a<br />
diving bell in <strong>the</strong> New World. A ma<strong>the</strong>matician<br />
and surveyor (some accounts say he dabbled in<br />
piracy as well), Norwood sailed to Bermuda in<br />
1616 to survey <strong>the</strong> islands for <strong>the</strong> Somers Isles<br />
Company. Hearing <strong>of</strong> supposedly treasure-laden<br />
shipwrecks, he used a weighted, inverted wine<br />
barrel in an unsuccessful search for bounty.<br />
More successful if on a smaller scale, in 1655,<br />
one Robert Willis used some form <strong>of</strong> diving bell<br />
in New England to salvage lost property.<br />
<strong>The</strong> flowering <strong>of</strong> scientific research and <strong>the</strong><br />
arts that came with <strong>the</strong> Renaissance saw<br />
scholars developing new findings in physics<br />
and inventors experimenting with devices to<br />
assist man in underwater tasks, particularly<br />
diving bells. George Sinclair, a pr<strong>of</strong>essor at<br />
Glasgow University in Scotland wrote in 1669<br />
<strong>of</strong> his <strong>the</strong>ories regarding diving bells. In 1689,<br />
French physicist Denis Papin (1647-c. 1713)<br />
posited that a force pump or bellows could be<br />
used to provide fresh air to a diving bell.<br />
In 1686, Maine-born William Phipps (1651-<br />
1695) succeeded in getting financial backing<br />
for a venture in search <strong>of</strong> sunken treasure in<br />
what is now <strong>the</strong> Dominican Republic and Haiti.<br />
He must have been pretty persuasive, because<br />
all he had to go on was mere rumor and<br />
speculation as to <strong>the</strong> location <strong>of</strong> a lost Spanish<br />
galleon, <strong>the</strong> Nuestra Senora de la Concepion.<br />
Never<strong>the</strong>less, he found <strong>the</strong> wreck in January<br />
1687 <strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong> coast <strong>of</strong> Santo Domingo and began<br />
his salvage efforts <strong>the</strong> following month. Using a<br />
square wooden diving bell re-enforced with<br />
iron bands that had windows and a stool on<br />
which divers could sit, Phipps used enslaved<br />
natives to recover <strong>the</strong> sunken vessel’s valuable<br />
cargo. He sailed for England that April with 30<br />
tons <strong>of</strong> silver, a quantity <strong>of</strong> gold and jewels. In<br />
modern dollars, that would be a $1 million<br />
haul. On his return, he was greeted as a hero<br />
and knighted. In addition, he netted onesixteenth<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> treasure’s value and got named<br />
governor <strong>of</strong> Massachusetts.<br />
<strong>The</strong> prospect <strong>of</strong> recovering sunken treasure<br />
continued to drive innovation in diving. In<br />
1689, Sir Edmond Halley—<strong>the</strong> English<br />
astronomer who discovered <strong>the</strong> comet still<br />
bearing his name—developed a wooden diving<br />
bell with a window that could stay under water<br />
far longer than previous bells. Halley’s bell was 3<br />
W. Hooper’s rendering <strong>of</strong> Sir Edmond<br />
Halley’s diving bell.<br />
THE HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL DIVING<br />
11
A replica <strong>of</strong> John Lethbridge’s diving<br />
engine at La Cité de la Mer in<br />
Cherbourg, France.<br />
feet in diameter at <strong>the</strong> top, 5 feet in diameter at<br />
<strong>the</strong> bottom and 5 feet high. With a volume <strong>of</strong> 64<br />
cubic feet, it needed nearly 4,000 pounds <strong>of</strong><br />
lead sheathing to overcome its buoyancy.<br />
Ra<strong>the</strong>r than using a pump to supply air to<br />
his bell, he sent air down in weighted 36-<br />
gallon barrels through which fresh air could<br />
be taken in via a hose. Stale air, which he<br />
referred to as “warm” air, was released<br />
through a valve at <strong>the</strong> top <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> bell.<br />
“This I take to be an invention applicable to<br />
various uses,” he wrote, “such as fishing for<br />
pearls, diving for coral or sponges and <strong>the</strong> like,<br />
in far greater depths than has hi<strong>the</strong>rto been<br />
thought possible; also for <strong>the</strong> fitting and<br />
placing <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> foundations <strong>of</strong> moles, bridges,<br />
&c., in rocky bottoms, and for cleaning and<br />
scrubbing <strong>of</strong> ships’ bottoms when foul, in<br />
calm wea<strong>the</strong>r at sea.”<br />
Halley was not interested in becoming a<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essional diver, but he did personally test<br />
his invention. He went down 60 feet and<br />
remained submerged for more than an hour<br />
and a half.<br />
“…I found that I could do anything that<br />
required to be done just under us,” Halley<br />
wrote in describing his descent, “and that I<br />
could, for a space as wide as <strong>the</strong> circuit <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
bell, lay <strong>the</strong> bottom <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sea so far dry, as not<br />
to be over shoes <strong>the</strong>reon. And, by <strong>the</strong> glass<br />
window, so much light was transmitted, that<br />
when <strong>the</strong> sea was clear, and especially when<br />
<strong>the</strong> sun shone, I could see perfectly well to<br />
write or read….<br />
However, <strong>the</strong> scientist observed that being<br />
that deep hurt his ears “as if a quill had been<br />
thrust into <strong>the</strong>m.” Clearly, <strong>the</strong>re were<br />
additional factors in diving to be considered<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r than <strong>the</strong> availability <strong>of</strong> oxygen.<br />
While knights and nobles did <strong>the</strong> scientific<br />
work, in 1715 an English commoner named<br />
John Lethbridge (1678-1759) sought to<br />
convert <strong>the</strong>ory to money. As an alternative to<br />
<strong>the</strong> diving bell, <strong>the</strong> Devonshire man had a<br />
cooper build him a lea<strong>the</strong>r-sealed, wooden<br />
cylinder with watertight portals through<br />
which arms could protrude, making <strong>the</strong><br />
person inside look something like a walking<br />
fat cigar. He called his lead-weighted<br />
apparatus a diving engine. It was six feet long,<br />
with a diameter <strong>of</strong> two and a half feet at <strong>the</strong><br />
top, 18 inches at <strong>the</strong> bottom. That gave it a<br />
volume <strong>of</strong> about 30 gallons. Once inside,<br />
while peering through a glass window, a diver<br />
could descend to 60 feet (and to 72 feet “with<br />
great difficulty”) and stay down using <strong>the</strong> air<br />
trapped inside for about 30 minutes. Before<br />
<strong>the</strong> diver ran out <strong>of</strong> air, <strong>the</strong> “engine” would be<br />
pulled to <strong>the</strong> surface and <strong>the</strong> air inside<br />
replenished with a bellows. In <strong>the</strong> advent <strong>of</strong><br />
an emergency, <strong>the</strong> device had detachable<br />
weights so that it would pop to <strong>the</strong> surface if<br />
<strong>the</strong>y were released.<br />
Though his “engine” was not an engine in <strong>the</strong><br />
modern sense <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> word, it certainly proved to<br />
be an economic engine. Using <strong>the</strong> wooden<br />
submersible he invented, Lethbridge and his son<br />
spent <strong>the</strong> next three decades doing salvage work<br />
on shipwrecks. His contract to salvage <strong>the</strong><br />
sunken Slotter Hooge for <strong>the</strong> Dutch East India<br />
Company provided that he would be paid 10<br />
pounds sterling a month, plus expenses. Any<br />
bonuses would be up to <strong>the</strong> “generosity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
company directors.” While pr<strong>of</strong>it had for<br />
centuries been <strong>the</strong> primary motive for risking<br />
one’s life underwater, Lethbridge was arguably<br />
<strong>the</strong> first commercial diver.<br />
Sixty years after Lethbridge had his “diving<br />
engine” built, in 1775 Edinburgh confectioner<br />
Charles Spalding enhanced Halley’s diving bell<br />
design, and <strong>the</strong> astronomer’s air supply<br />
technique by developing a weight mechanism to<br />
make it easier to lower and raise <strong>the</strong> container.<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
12
1788, when John Smeaton (1724-1792)<br />
designed a diving bell made <strong>of</strong> cast iron<br />
instead <strong>of</strong> wood. He also invented <strong>the</strong> first<br />
hand-powered pump to force fresh air into<br />
<strong>the</strong> bell through a hose. His device had o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
innovations as well, including valves to keep<br />
air from being sucked back up <strong>the</strong> supply<br />
hose if <strong>the</strong> pumping stopped.<br />
In 1779, Smeaton’s device was employed<br />
in underwater repair work at <strong>the</strong> Hexham<br />
Bridge in Northumberland, England.<br />
Smeaton’s second major contribution to<br />
commercial diving was designing <strong>the</strong> world’s<br />
first cast iron diving bell. As was his wooden<br />
prototype, <strong>the</strong> iron bell was supplied with air<br />
by <strong>the</strong> pump he invented.<br />
By 1800, <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> diving bells for<br />
underwater work had become commonplace<br />
in Europe and North America. Still, as British<br />
diving historian Dr. Peter Bennett noted in his<br />
paper “A History <strong>of</strong> Deep <strong>Commercial</strong><br />
<strong>Diving</strong>,” while diving bells <strong>of</strong>fered “remotely<br />
acceptable level <strong>of</strong> safety,” <strong>the</strong>y were far from<br />
perfect. Such devices were expensive and<br />
required “considerable manpower to achieve<br />
limited diving effort that could only be<br />
undertaken in sheltered water.” <strong>The</strong> maritime<br />
world needed a more efficient system for<br />
underwater work.<br />
Above: An 1860 rendering <strong>of</strong> Charles<br />
Spalding’s diving bell. Spalding and a<br />
relative would suffocate in a diving bell <strong>of</strong><br />
his design in 1783.<br />
Left: With this imagined system, all a diver<br />
had to do was slide down a pole into a<br />
diving bell.<br />
DIVING HELMETS & SUITS<br />
In addition, he added a system <strong>of</strong> ropes so those<br />
in <strong>the</strong> bell could signal <strong>the</strong> support crew above.<br />
Improved as it was by earlier standards,<br />
Spalding and a relative suffocated in his bell in<br />
1783 <strong>of</strong>fshore from Dublin.<br />
<strong>The</strong> first American innovation in <strong>the</strong><br />
development <strong>of</strong> commercial diving came in<br />
Since <strong>the</strong> Bronze age, man had been<br />
fashioning metal helmets to protect<br />
combatants from sword blows, arrows and<br />
spears. But with <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong> highvelocity<br />
firearms and artillery, <strong>the</strong> reliance on<br />
steel helmets and suits <strong>of</strong> armor in warfare<br />
had been made obsolete.<br />
Not until 1771 did it occur to a Frenchman<br />
named Freminet that a helmet might be used to<br />
protect divers. In addition to designing a brass<br />
helmet with glass-covered eye holes, he<br />
developed a “breathing machine” that connected<br />
by two hoses to <strong>the</strong> helmet. <strong>The</strong> device was<br />
trailed behind a suited diver though he later<br />
fitted it to be carried on a diver’s back. He used<br />
his helmeted diving suit in <strong>the</strong> harbors <strong>of</strong> Le<br />
Havre and Brest for more than a decade.<br />
Helmets and diving suits (originally referred<br />
to as diving dresses) developed toge<strong>the</strong>r.<br />
THE HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL DIVING<br />
13
Above: A design for an early diving suit by<br />
Karl Klingert from 1797. This device might<br />
have worked as long as <strong>the</strong> diver did not<br />
bend over or step ono anything sharp on <strong>the</strong><br />
sea floor.<br />
Below: A sealed diving suit patented June<br />
14, 1834.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> invention <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> diving dress,” <strong>the</strong><br />
1904 edition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Encyclopedia <strong>of</strong> Britannica<br />
said, “like that <strong>of</strong> most useful appliances, was<br />
gradual, and <strong>the</strong> work <strong>of</strong> many minds.”<br />
In 1786, John and William Braithwaite<br />
came up with a more efficient version <strong>of</strong><br />
Freminet’s helmet and a year later, a German<br />
designer also developed a diving helmet. More<br />
than four decades would pass before a more<br />
efficient system <strong>of</strong> helmet, suit and air supply<br />
evolved. As with many innovations, it came<br />
about as an effort to solve some o<strong>the</strong>r problem.<br />
Charles Anthony Dean and his younger<br />
bro<strong>the</strong>r John, like so many Englishmen <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>ir time, made <strong>the</strong>ir living in <strong>the</strong> maritime<br />
world—Charles as a sailor, John as a shipyard<br />
worker who specialized in caulking <strong>the</strong> hulls<br />
<strong>of</strong> wooden ships. Both saw firsthand that<br />
drowning was not <strong>the</strong> only hazard connected<br />
to plying <strong>the</strong> vast waters separating <strong>the</strong><br />
various holdings <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> British Empire. Fire at<br />
sea or dockside could burn a ship to <strong>the</strong><br />
waterline. Even if <strong>the</strong> fire were brought under<br />
control in time to save <strong>the</strong> ship, thick,<br />
superheated smoke could kill a man.<br />
At some point in 1823 or 1824, Charles<br />
had an idea. After witnessing a fire that broke<br />
out in a stable, Charles thought what he called<br />
a “smoke helmet” could benefit firefighters.<br />
He fashioned a copper helmet with a small<br />
glass window attached to a flexible collar and<br />
suit. A lea<strong>the</strong>r hose through which air could<br />
be pumped by a bellows was attached to <strong>the</strong><br />
back <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> helmet. A final touch was a valve<br />
for <strong>the</strong> release <strong>of</strong> stale air.<br />
In 1824, he filed a patent for an “apparatus<br />
to be worn by persons entering rooms or<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r places filled with smoke or o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
vapour, for <strong>the</strong> purpose <strong>of</strong> extinguishing fire<br />
or extricating persons or property <strong>the</strong>rein.”<br />
William Barnard, <strong>the</strong> owner <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> London<br />
shipyard where Deane worked, paid him 417<br />
pounds for what was called an “indenture <strong>of</strong><br />
assignment,” essentially preempting any fur<strong>the</strong>r<br />
right Deane had to his invention. Since no one<br />
was interested in manufacturing it, Deane may<br />
have gotten <strong>the</strong> best end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> deal.<br />
In addition to <strong>the</strong>ir experience on or near<br />
<strong>the</strong> water, <strong>the</strong> bro<strong>the</strong>rs had on occasion gone<br />
beneath <strong>the</strong> surface in a diving bell. At some<br />
point it occurred to one or <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m<br />
that <strong>the</strong> helmet Charles had conceived could<br />
be used, in effect, as a miniature diving bell.<br />
Charles and John paid London engineer<br />
Augustus Siebe to build a helmet to <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
specifications in 1827. Two years later, in 10<br />
feet <strong>of</strong> water <strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong> Isle <strong>of</strong> Wight, <strong>the</strong> bro<strong>the</strong>rs<br />
salvaged <strong>the</strong> cargo <strong>of</strong> a beached ship owned by<br />
<strong>the</strong> East India Company. That shallow dive is<br />
considered <strong>the</strong> world’s first commercial dive<br />
using a diving helmet and suit.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Deane diving apparatus was far from<br />
perfect. <strong>The</strong> helmet connected to a jacket, but<br />
it was not a sealed system. In fact, water rose<br />
to <strong>the</strong> bottom <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> helmet, leaving only<br />
enough room for <strong>the</strong> wearer to see and breath.<br />
But if <strong>the</strong> diver leaned forward, <strong>the</strong> helmet<br />
could flood with water. Obviously, if a diver<br />
happened to fall, he likely would drown.<br />
Ano<strong>the</strong>r problem was that <strong>the</strong> bellows used<br />
to pump air into <strong>the</strong> Deane bro<strong>the</strong>rs’ diving<br />
apparatus could not produce enough pressure<br />
to allow for a deeper dive. <strong>The</strong> bro<strong>the</strong>rs again<br />
sought out Siebe to build <strong>the</strong>m a stronger<br />
pump. By 1832, <strong>the</strong>y were able to go down as<br />
far as 60 feet. Four years later, with an even<br />
more efficient pump, <strong>the</strong>y made it to 100 feet.<br />
In addition to <strong>the</strong>ir seminal design work, in<br />
1836 <strong>the</strong> bro<strong>the</strong>rs produced <strong>the</strong> world’s first<br />
diving manual, Method <strong>of</strong> Using Deanne’s Patent<br />
<strong>Diving</strong> Apparatus.<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
14
With <strong>the</strong> world’s first practical diving gear,<br />
<strong>the</strong> bro<strong>the</strong>rs made numerous successful dives,<br />
including salvage operations on two <strong>of</strong><br />
England’s best-known shipwrecks, <strong>the</strong> Royal<br />
George and <strong>the</strong> Mary Rose.<br />
A 100-gun, first-rate ship <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> line, <strong>the</strong><br />
Royal George had capsized <strong>of</strong>f Portsmouth in<br />
1782 with roughly 900 crew and family<br />
members drowned. At <strong>the</strong> time, it was <strong>the</strong><br />
largest warship in <strong>the</strong> world. <strong>Diving</strong> on <strong>the</strong><br />
wreckage from 1834 to 1836, Charles Deane<br />
recovered 28 <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ship’s cannon.<br />
Meanwhile, after fishing boats started getting<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir nets tangled in something on <strong>the</strong> bottom<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Solent, <strong>the</strong> straits north <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Isle <strong>of</strong><br />
Wight, <strong>the</strong> British Admiralty hired diver Henry<br />
Abbinett to see if he could determine what had<br />
been snaring <strong>the</strong> nets. In June 1836 he found<br />
that it was <strong>the</strong> wreckage <strong>of</strong> a large ship resting<br />
on its side partially imbedded into <strong>the</strong> sea floor.<br />
Ra<strong>the</strong>r than proceeding with Abbinett, <strong>the</strong><br />
Navy turned to Charles Deane based on his<br />
success in working <strong>the</strong> wreck <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Royal<br />
George. In mid-month, Dean and his partner,<br />
William Edwards, began diving on <strong>the</strong> wreck.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y brought up some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ship’s timbers,<br />
weapons and o<strong>the</strong>r artifacts to <strong>the</strong> surface.<br />
Based on <strong>the</strong> maker’s stamp on one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
recovered guns, <strong>the</strong> wreck was positively<br />
identified as <strong>the</strong> Mary Rose that August. That<br />
warship had gone down on July 19, 1545,<br />
during <strong>the</strong> Battle <strong>of</strong> Solent with <strong>the</strong> loss <strong>of</strong><br />
some four hundred lives.<br />
Even though <strong>the</strong> Mary Rose had been<br />
beneath <strong>the</strong> sea for nearly three hundred years,<br />
<strong>the</strong> diving effort was more a commercial<br />
enterprise than historical project. <strong>The</strong><br />
fishermen and Deane and his partner made<br />
money <strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong> deal, though Abbinett was denied<br />
a share in <strong>the</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>its.<br />
In 1837, Siebe introduced what came to be<br />
called <strong>the</strong> “closed” dress as opposed to <strong>the</strong><br />
earlier diving jacket, which was called an<br />
“open” dress since it was not watertight.<br />
Deane began diving on <strong>the</strong> Mary Rose again<br />
in 1840. This time, in ano<strong>the</strong>r commercial<br />
diving first, he used explosives to expose<br />
more <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> wreckage and brought up more<br />
relics that would be <strong>of</strong>fered for sale.<br />
Left: Charles and John Deane wrote <strong>the</strong> first<br />
diving manual in 1836.<br />
Right: An illustration <strong>of</strong> Charles Deane<br />
working twenty-one feet underwater <strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong><br />
London commercial dock.<br />
THE HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL DIVING<br />
15
Above: <strong>The</strong> HMS Royal George can be seen<br />
on <strong>the</strong> far right in this painting by John<br />
Cleveley <strong>the</strong> Elder, 1757. <strong>Diving</strong> dress<br />
inventor Charles Deane was hired to<br />
salvage <strong>the</strong> wreck <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Royal George in<br />
1834, carrying out dives over <strong>the</strong> course <strong>of</strong><br />
two years. Dean would ultimately salvage<br />
28 <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ship’s 100 cannons.<br />
Below: An illustration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Mary Rose, <strong>the</strong><br />
flagship <strong>of</strong> Henry VIII, by Anthony Roll.<br />
Charles Deane was hired by <strong>the</strong> Royal Navy<br />
to salvage <strong>the</strong> ship nearly three hundred<br />
years after she sank at <strong>the</strong> Battle <strong>of</strong> Solent.<br />
Just before Deane began his work on <strong>the</strong><br />
wreck that had proven to be <strong>the</strong> Mary Rose, <strong>the</strong><br />
Royal Navy resumed salvage operations on <strong>the</strong><br />
Royal George. Charles Pasley (1780-1861), a<br />
colonel in <strong>the</strong> Royal Engineers, would use<br />
explosives to break up <strong>the</strong> wreck and <strong>the</strong>n<br />
salvage as much as he could. At first, Pasley<br />
employed civilian divers, but in 1840 he began<br />
using some <strong>of</strong> his Royal Sappers. In <strong>the</strong><br />
process, he developed procedures and<br />
techniques that would become mainstays <strong>of</strong><br />
commercial diving. He regulated <strong>the</strong> length <strong>of</strong><br />
dives and allowed for a brief rest period<br />
between dives. In ordering his divers to work<br />
in pairs, he is credited with <strong>the</strong> first known use<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> so-called “buddy system” in diving.<br />
No matter Pasley’s innovative safety<br />
measures, spending time underwater at depth<br />
took a toll on <strong>the</strong> men. A doctor observed that<br />
divers came up looking “pale, languid and<br />
exhausted,” fur<strong>the</strong>r noting: “<strong>The</strong>y all agree that<br />
<strong>the</strong>y are much weakened and wasted by <strong>the</strong><br />
exertion, and as <strong>the</strong>y express it, <strong>the</strong>y are not <strong>the</strong><br />
men <strong>the</strong>y were when <strong>the</strong>y began <strong>the</strong> operation.”<br />
One <strong>of</strong> his divers made <strong>the</strong> first recorded<br />
emergency ascent when his air hose became<br />
tangled and he had to cut <strong>the</strong> line.<br />
Pasley continued his work on <strong>the</strong> Royal<br />
George until 1843. By that time, 30 more<br />
guns and everything from <strong>the</strong> ship surgeon’s<br />
instruments to silk clothing had been<br />
removed from <strong>the</strong> hulk. When <strong>the</strong> ship’s keel<br />
was raised along with its bottom tenders, <strong>the</strong><br />
wreck was considered clear and no longer a<br />
navigational hazard.<br />
Salvage work on <strong>the</strong> two wrecks had<br />
greatly advanced diving technology. “<strong>The</strong> long<br />
continued experience gained in diving while<br />
<strong>the</strong>se operations were in progress suggested<br />
improvements and alterations which had a<br />
great effect in bringing <strong>the</strong> diving dress to its<br />
present perfection as now manufactured,” <strong>the</strong><br />
1904 Encyclopedia <strong>of</strong> Britannica concluded.<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
16
Charles Deane died in 1848, but bro<strong>the</strong>r<br />
John lived on for ano<strong>the</strong>r 36 years. Still diving<br />
at age 56, he was hired by <strong>the</strong> Royal Navy to<br />
salvage sunken Russian ships in <strong>the</strong> Black Sea.<br />
That work involved diving under ice.<br />
TAYLOR’ S SUBMARINE<br />
ARMOUR<br />
Imitation may be <strong>the</strong> sincerest form <strong>of</strong><br />
flattery, but sometimes “stealing” is a more<br />
accurate word than “imitation.”<br />
In 1837, North Carolina-born William H.<br />
Taylor put out a pamphlet called A New and<br />
Alluring Source <strong>of</strong> Enterprise in <strong>the</strong> Treasures <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> Sea, and <strong>the</strong> Means <strong>of</strong> Ga<strong>the</strong>ring <strong>The</strong>m. In it,<br />
he referred to <strong>the</strong> Deane diving apparatus,<br />
which <strong>the</strong> Deanes had begun manufacturing<br />
and selling <strong>the</strong> year before.<br />
Later that year, Taylor applied for a U.S.<br />
patent for a diving suit he claimed as his own<br />
design. Taylor’s “Submarine Armour” was<br />
described as a helmet and dress which would<br />
protect a diver “from <strong>the</strong> pressure <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> water<br />
and from danger from fishes, etc., and at <strong>the</strong><br />
same time give him <strong>the</strong> free use <strong>of</strong> his limbs and<br />
enable him to be supplied with air….” When a<br />
newspaper intimated that Taylor’s invention<br />
closely resembled <strong>the</strong> Deane diving suit, Taylor<br />
protested that his gear was “...<strong>of</strong> entirely<br />
different principle and construction, and has<br />
never been known until used by me in New<br />
York.” That had happened in <strong>the</strong> late summer <strong>of</strong><br />
1837, when Taylor invited a reporter to try out<br />
his equipment in <strong>the</strong> Hudson River.<br />
<strong>The</strong> journalist survived <strong>the</strong> experience and<br />
wrote an article about it, but Taylor wanted<br />
more ink. In October, Taylor demonstrated<br />
his apparatus in a large wooden vat at Niblo’s<br />
Garden, a popular venue in New York City.<br />
Initially, Taylor intended to drum up financial<br />
backing for a deep water pearl harvesting<br />
venture and diving on treasure-filled<br />
shipwrecks in South America. While Taylor is<br />
rightfully credited as being <strong>the</strong> founding<br />
fa<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> American commercial diving, he also<br />
was an early—and successful—practitioner <strong>of</strong><br />
what today is known as public relations.<br />
By 1838, Taylor had become convinced<br />
that it made more sense to seek investors so<br />
he could begin marketing his invention in <strong>the</strong><br />
U.S. To do that, he organized <strong>the</strong> New York<br />
Sub-Marine Armour Company.<br />
“It would appear that human enterprise,<br />
not contented with exploring <strong>the</strong> fields <strong>of</strong><br />
earth and air, is seeking for itself occupation in<br />
diving beneath <strong>the</strong> waves <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ocean, and<br />
recovering <strong>the</strong>nce treasure that had been<br />
regarded as forever lost,” <strong>the</strong> Baltimore<br />
Above: W. H. Taylor founded <strong>the</strong> Submarine<br />
Armour Co. in <strong>the</strong> spring <strong>of</strong> 1838.<br />
Below: An illustration <strong>of</strong> a rebrea<strong>the</strong>r<br />
systerm from 1860.<br />
THE HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL DIVING<br />
17
James Buchanan Eads.<br />
American observed in <strong>the</strong> late spring <strong>of</strong> 1838.<br />
<strong>The</strong> article went on to credit “a Captain<br />
Taylor” with inventing “an air and water tight<br />
dress denominated ‘Submarine Armour’...as<br />
<strong>the</strong> means <strong>of</strong> visiting <strong>the</strong> foundations <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
vast deep.” That fall, Taylor won a gold medal<br />
at <strong>the</strong> annual New York Mechanic’s Fair after<br />
demonstrating his diving suit.<br />
Taylor had a partner, George W. Taylor, a<br />
New Jersey native who traded in Indian rubber.<br />
(From which diving hose was made.) <strong>The</strong> two<br />
men were not related, but beyond having <strong>the</strong><br />
same last name, <strong>the</strong>y shared a common interest<br />
in making money <strong>of</strong>f diving. In late 1838,<br />
along with o<strong>the</strong>rs, <strong>the</strong> two Taylors went to<br />
Florida to salvage wrecks. Not long after <strong>the</strong>y<br />
got <strong>the</strong>re, William Taylor’s promising career<br />
ended in his mysterious and unpublicized<br />
death. By February 1839, George Taylor was<br />
referring to himself simply as “Captain Taylor.”<br />
In essence, George Taylor had become William<br />
Taylor. He even claimed to have been from<br />
North Carolina. From 1840 to 1845, using his<br />
late partner’s diving gear, Taylor <strong>the</strong> second did<br />
marine salvage work in <strong>the</strong> New York area and<br />
<strong>the</strong> Great Lakes.<br />
In December 1845, he invited someone<br />
only identified in <strong>the</strong> press as “F.R.” to<br />
descend with him and two o<strong>the</strong>r gentlemen in<br />
a diving bell at <strong>the</strong> Washington Navy Yard.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> first sensation, after being immersed<br />
beneath <strong>the</strong> surface <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> water, was one <strong>of</strong><br />
extreme uneasiness in <strong>the</strong> whole region <strong>of</strong><br />
lympanon, with a sensation <strong>of</strong> oppression on <strong>the</strong><br />
chest, which increased constantly until we had<br />
reached <strong>the</strong> bottom <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> river,” F.R. wrote in a<br />
letter published by newspapers in <strong>the</strong> nor<strong>the</strong>ast.<br />
Not wishing his guests to suffer undue<br />
discomfort, Taylor sent a note up (F.R. did not<br />
say how) and soon one <strong>of</strong> his assistants, clad in<br />
submarine armour, descended with a chilled<br />
bottle <strong>of</strong> “very passable” champagne for <strong>the</strong><br />
diving bell occupants. <strong>The</strong> underwater party<br />
lasted about 20 minutes. No matter <strong>the</strong> sedative<br />
effect <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> bubbly, F.R. again felt <strong>the</strong> same sense<br />
<strong>of</strong> unease he had experienced on <strong>the</strong> descent.<br />
<strong>The</strong> closer <strong>the</strong> bell got to <strong>the</strong> surface, <strong>the</strong> worse<br />
he felt. “After <strong>the</strong> rim <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> bell had passed <strong>the</strong><br />
surface <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> water, and <strong>the</strong> cold air rushed in,”<br />
he concluded, “<strong>the</strong> contrast <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> atmosphere<br />
was so great as to excite much pain.”<br />
MONEY IN THE<br />
MISSISSIPPI MUD<br />
With its high volume <strong>of</strong> travel, <strong>the</strong><br />
Mississippi River claimed hundreds <strong>of</strong><br />
riverboats, <strong>of</strong>ten due to boiler explosions,<br />
collisions with o<strong>the</strong>r vessels or being<br />
breached by submerged objects. By <strong>the</strong><br />
1840s, with more than 1,200 steamboats<br />
churning up and down <strong>the</strong> mighty river and<br />
its navigable tributaries, a robust salvage<br />
industry had developed. <strong>The</strong> principle<br />
method used to retrieve cargo and equipment<br />
from wrecks was <strong>the</strong> diving bell and divers<br />
wearing in submarine armour.<br />
James Buchanan Eads pioneered <strong>the</strong><br />
development <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Mississippi River salvage<br />
business. He and his family came to St. Louis<br />
when he was 13. <strong>The</strong>y arrived in 1833 on a<br />
steamboat which caught fire at <strong>the</strong> wharf,<br />
claiming eight lives. In 1842, <strong>the</strong>n 22, Eads<br />
convinced St. Louis shipbuilder William Nelson<br />
to construct a salvage vessel to his specifications.<br />
Eads had no money to pay for such a vessel, but<br />
Nelson agreed to cover <strong>the</strong> cost in consideration<br />
<strong>of</strong> half-interest in <strong>the</strong> river salvage business Eads<br />
proposed. <strong>The</strong> steam-powered vessel Nelson<br />
built was named <strong>the</strong> Submarine. Despite its<br />
name, it did not operate underwater. But it<br />
carried divers who did. Eads would in time<br />
operate three o<strong>the</strong>r vessels on <strong>the</strong> river, <strong>the</strong><br />
Submarine 2, 3 and 4. Eventually, relying<br />
primarily on diving bells, he expanded his<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
18
usiness beyond salvage work to include <strong>the</strong><br />
underwater aspects <strong>of</strong> bridge construction and<br />
building navigational structures.<br />
While Eads was <strong>the</strong> first to do salvage work<br />
on <strong>the</strong> Mississippi, o<strong>the</strong>rs followed. In March<br />
1846, operating from a refitted former slave<br />
ship named <strong>the</strong> Spitfire, Captain George<br />
Taylor was in New Orleans to salvage <strong>the</strong><br />
steamboat Doctor Franklin, which sank <strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong><br />
wharf after it collided with ano<strong>the</strong>r riverboat.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> divers attract <strong>the</strong> notice <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
curious,” <strong>the</strong> New Orleans Daily Delta reported,<br />
“especially <strong>the</strong> one who wears <strong>the</strong> Submarine<br />
Armor, which probably was never seen worn<br />
before in this city.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> newspaper went on to explain <strong>the</strong><br />
simple business model <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> salvors: Taylor<br />
and his crew would receive 50 percent “on <strong>the</strong><br />
amount <strong>of</strong> everything brought up from <strong>the</strong><br />
sunken boat.” <strong>The</strong> value <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Doctor Franklin’s<br />
cargo was estimated as $170,000, a staggering<br />
amount <strong>of</strong> money at <strong>the</strong> time. Already, <strong>the</strong><br />
newspaper continued, <strong>the</strong> Spitfire crew had<br />
recovered $5,000-$6,000 in goods.<br />
But earning <strong>the</strong>ir money was not easy. “<strong>The</strong><br />
men have to perform a most difficult labor;<br />
first from <strong>the</strong> coldness <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> water, and next<br />
from <strong>the</strong> mud which settles upon <strong>the</strong> wreck,<br />
at <strong>the</strong> rate <strong>of</strong> about two inches thick, over <strong>the</strong><br />
deck, in every twenty-four hours.”<br />
One recovery vessel that worked <strong>the</strong><br />
river full time was <strong>the</strong> St. Louis-based Sub<br />
Occulator, which <strong>the</strong> Natchez Weekly Courier<br />
described as “looking like a foundry with a<br />
hardware store on top <strong>of</strong> it.” In <strong>the</strong> fall <strong>of</strong><br />
1847 <strong>the</strong> Sub Occulator tied up at Natchez to<br />
lay in supplies before heading downstream to<br />
dive on <strong>the</strong> wreck <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> steamboat Tennessee.<br />
“We are informed that [<strong>the</strong> Sub Occulator]<br />
has made a very neat little fortune since it<br />
commenced operation under <strong>the</strong> great highway<br />
<strong>of</strong> western commerce,” <strong>the</strong> newspaper noted.<br />
“Many fortunes have been made on <strong>the</strong><br />
Mississippi, but <strong>the</strong> Sub Occulator is <strong>the</strong> first<br />
agent that has drawn its wealth from<br />
Mississippi mud. May it go on, and go down,<br />
and draw up, until <strong>the</strong> industry <strong>of</strong> all on board<br />
has been amply rewarded.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> Mississippi salvage business flourished<br />
during <strong>the</strong> golden age <strong>of</strong> riverboats, but<br />
continued with <strong>the</strong> emergence <strong>of</strong> barge traffic.<br />
GOVERNMENT<br />
CONTRACTS<br />
When <strong>the</strong> Mexican War broke out in <strong>the</strong><br />
spring <strong>of</strong> 1846, George Taylor saw economic<br />
opportunity and soon made his way to Texas<br />
aboard <strong>the</strong> schooner Spitfire. <strong>The</strong> New Orleans<br />
Picayune noted that he had arrived in<br />
Galveston on May 21 with “all his sub-marine<br />
diving apparatus.” <strong>The</strong> article did not mention<br />
it, but his vessel also carried large Indian<br />
rubber bladders <strong>of</strong> his invention, flotation<br />
devices he called “camels.” <strong>The</strong>se could be<br />
positioned by divers and <strong>the</strong>n inflated to<br />
refloat stranded vessels from sandbars. In<br />
addition, he could <strong>of</strong>fer underwater<br />
demolition skills to clear waterways.<br />
He proceeded from Galveston to Brazos<br />
Santiago on <strong>the</strong> sou<strong>the</strong>rn tip <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> state to<br />
join <strong>the</strong> flotilla <strong>of</strong> smaller vessels supporting<br />
Commodore David Conner’s blockade <strong>of</strong><br />
eastern Mexico’s ports. In October, when<br />
Conner’s successor, Commodore Mat<strong>the</strong>w<br />
Perry, engaged Mexican forces on <strong>the</strong> Tabasco<br />
River, Taylor stood by to use his camels to lift<br />
any U.S. vessels that might become mired in<br />
<strong>the</strong> shallow river. Whe<strong>the</strong>r he actually did<br />
that is not known, but he did use explosives<br />
in removing piles driven into <strong>the</strong> river to<br />
block U.S. vessels.<br />
Having sold <strong>the</strong> U.S. Navy two diving suits<br />
and served as a civilian contractor in <strong>the</strong> early<br />
stages <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Mexican War, Taylor had a<br />
An illustration <strong>of</strong> an Army free driver,<br />
Frank Pierce, assisting with <strong>the</strong> search for<br />
a portion <strong>of</strong> railroad track during <strong>the</strong><br />
Civil War.<br />
THE HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL DIVING<br />
19
THE “ PRACTICAL DIVER”<br />
<strong>The</strong> burning <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> United States steam<br />
frigate Missouri, at Gibraltar Aug. 26th<br />
1843. William Taylor was hired by <strong>the</strong> U.S.<br />
government to salvage <strong>the</strong> vessel.<br />
COURTESY OF BROWN UNIVERSITY.<br />
potentially far more lucrative project in mind<br />
halfway across <strong>the</strong> world. He wanted to get a<br />
contract from <strong>the</strong> Navy to salvage <strong>the</strong> U.S.<br />
steam frigate Missouri, which had sunk <strong>of</strong>f<br />
Gibraltar in 1843. He did receive a modest<br />
federal contract to perform an initial survey at<br />
<strong>the</strong> wreck site, but Congress proved slow to<br />
move on <strong>the</strong> full salvage effort.<br />
Meanwhile, Taylor focused on a potentially<br />
richer prize, <strong>the</strong> sunken British man-<strong>of</strong>-war<br />
HMS Hussar. <strong>The</strong> ship had gone down on<br />
November 23, 1780, in 26 fathoms at Hell Gate<br />
<strong>of</strong>f New York during <strong>the</strong> Revolutionary War. <strong>The</strong><br />
ship carried $2 to $4 million in gold, payment<br />
intended for British troops <strong>the</strong>n battling to<br />
prevent independence <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> American colonies.<br />
Unfortunately for Taylor, he never realized<br />
ei<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se goals. (In fact, no one ever fully<br />
salvaged <strong>the</strong> Hussar.) “Captain” Taylor became<br />
ill in <strong>the</strong> spring <strong>of</strong> 1850 and never improved.<br />
He died at 43 in Washington, D.C. on April<br />
28, 1850. Local newspapers noted his death<br />
and listed his numerous accomplishments,<br />
but for a man who had succeeded in getting<br />
so much publicity in life, his passing was not<br />
widely reported. A savvy businessman and<br />
promoter, though little-known today, he and<br />
<strong>the</strong> partner he might have had a hand in<br />
getting rid <strong>of</strong>, had been key figures in <strong>the</strong><br />
development <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> commercial diving<br />
industry in <strong>the</strong> U.S.<br />
Ano<strong>the</strong>r noted American commercial diver<br />
was James Aldrich Whipple. Born July 22,<br />
1826, he grew up in Boston, Massachusetts.<br />
<strong>The</strong> son <strong>of</strong> a machinist, he demonstrated an<br />
early interest in engineering and soon had an<br />
apprenticeship with a steam engine firm. At<br />
some point, he saw a demonstration <strong>of</strong><br />
Taylor’s submarine armour and decided to<br />
develop his own helmet. His design featured<br />
an escape valve for stale air, which did away<br />
with <strong>the</strong> need for two hoses. That<br />
improvement made it easier both for <strong>the</strong> diver<br />
and his tenders above.<br />
Using his hard-helmet diving gear, pumps<br />
he also invented, a diving bell and o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
equipment, his main source <strong>of</strong> income was in<br />
underwater salvage operations. With <strong>the</strong> term<br />
“commercial diver” still in <strong>the</strong> future, he<br />
called himself a “practical diver.” Whipple<br />
traveled <strong>the</strong> world in <strong>the</strong> 1850s to dive on<br />
sunken vessels. In 1851, <strong>the</strong> owner <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
West Point Foundry presented Whipple a<br />
gold watch for raising <strong>the</strong> engines <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
steamer Pioneer, which had sunk in <strong>the</strong><br />
Hudson River. <strong>Diving</strong> on a wreck <strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong><br />
Venezuelan coast in 60 feet <strong>of</strong> water, he<br />
brought up $2 to $3 million in specie. In<br />
1861, while traveling to a salvage job he<br />
became ill and never recovered.<br />
JOHN<br />
GREEN<br />
While Taylor and Whipple seemed willing to<br />
go just about anywhere <strong>the</strong>y stood a chance <strong>of</strong><br />
making money, commercial diving pioneer John<br />
B. Green focused primarily on <strong>the</strong> Great Lakes.<br />
Born in Canada near Montreal in 1826,<br />
before he turned 10 his family moved to<br />
Ogdensburg, New York to farm along <strong>the</strong> Saint<br />
Lawrence River. In that major waterway, young<br />
Green learned to swim. He could swim for<br />
miles and stay afloat for hours at a time. If he<br />
went beneath <strong>the</strong> surface, however, it was only<br />
when he jumped in <strong>the</strong> river. When he was<br />
fourteen, his family moved again, this time to<br />
Oswego, New York. “In that locality,” Green<br />
later wrote, “I had ample opportunity to<br />
indulge my propensity for swimming by <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
bathing in <strong>the</strong> deep waters <strong>of</strong> Lake Ontario.”<br />
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20
In <strong>the</strong> spring <strong>of</strong> 1841, as Green walked<br />
along <strong>the</strong> dock in Oswego, he saw two men<br />
jump into <strong>the</strong> water and disappear beneath<br />
<strong>the</strong> surface. When <strong>the</strong>y came up a minute or<br />
so later, he asked what <strong>the</strong>y were doing. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
said <strong>the</strong>y were trying to recover a stolen clock<br />
and two boxes <strong>of</strong> soap that had been thrown<br />
into <strong>the</strong> river. Green decided to join <strong>the</strong> effort<br />
and ended up finding one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> soap boxes<br />
and <strong>the</strong> clock.<br />
“Elated by this success,” he later wrote, “I<br />
at once conceived <strong>the</strong> idea <strong>of</strong> following diving<br />
for lost property as a vocation.”<br />
Until well into <strong>the</strong> twentieth century, that’s<br />
what diving would be: A vocation. Not until<br />
<strong>the</strong> idealistic days <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 1950s, when a warweary<br />
public suddenly had time and money<br />
on <strong>the</strong>ir hands did people look at diving as a<br />
recreational sport. But for men like Green,<br />
diving would be a hard and dangerous job,<br />
not something undertaken for fun.<br />
As a young man Green for a time operated<br />
a freight scow on <strong>the</strong> Erie Canal, but he also<br />
did free diving for salvage. Occasionally he<br />
helped recover <strong>the</strong> bodies <strong>of</strong> drowning<br />
victims and once rescued a young woman<br />
who had fallen from a steamboat gangplank.<br />
For that, <strong>the</strong> girl’s fa<strong>the</strong>r gave him $500, a lot<br />
<strong>of</strong> money in <strong>the</strong> mid-19th century.<br />
<strong>The</strong> 1852 Lake Erie wreck <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> City <strong>of</strong><br />
Oswego, on which Green and possibly his wife<br />
and child were passengers (<strong>the</strong> record is<br />
confusing but likely <strong>the</strong>y died in <strong>the</strong><br />
accident), shaped <strong>the</strong> rest <strong>of</strong> his career. While<br />
participating in <strong>the</strong> hunt for <strong>the</strong> Oswego’s lost<br />
cargo, Green heard <strong>of</strong> a salvage operation<br />
underway at <strong>the</strong> site <strong>of</strong> ano<strong>the</strong>r shipwreck<br />
about 10 miles from <strong>the</strong> scene <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Oswego’s<br />
demise. Going <strong>the</strong>re, after demonstrating his<br />
free diving abilities he convinced <strong>the</strong> captain<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> salvage vessel to let him try out one <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> diving suits <strong>the</strong>y were using. <strong>The</strong> salvors<br />
liked his style and he joined <strong>the</strong> crew. After<br />
that, he spent most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> rest <strong>of</strong> his life as a<br />
commercial diver.<br />
In an era when underwater exploration<br />
generated <strong>the</strong> same sort <strong>of</strong> public interest that<br />
would later accrue to space exploration,<br />
Green got a lot <strong>of</strong> publicity. “John Green<br />
alone, in all <strong>the</strong> world, possesses <strong>the</strong> secret<br />
power to ‘go down to <strong>the</strong> depths <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
seas’...he is confident that he can reach <strong>the</strong><br />
depths <strong>of</strong> any <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Lakes at <strong>the</strong>ir greatest<br />
soundings, explore vessels and attach to <strong>the</strong>m<br />
<strong>the</strong> necessary fixtures for raising,” said <strong>the</strong><br />
Cleveland Herald. Eventually he capitalized<br />
on his name identification by writing (or<br />
more likely using a ghost writer) and<br />
publishing a book chronicling his adventures<br />
as a commercial diver.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> Green’s most significant contributions<br />
to <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong> commercial diving were<br />
his observations <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> unpleasant side effects <strong>of</strong><br />
spending time at depth. His worst experience—<br />
nearly fatal—came following a long day <strong>of</strong><br />
diving on <strong>the</strong> sunken steamship Atlantic, which<br />
had gone down in Lake Erie with a large loss <strong>of</strong><br />
life on August 20, 1852. He had dived on <strong>the</strong><br />
wreck twice before, but still sought <strong>the</strong> ship’s<br />
safe, which contained more than $30,000.<br />
Using a modified version <strong>of</strong> Taylor’s<br />
“diving armor,” Green began diving on <strong>the</strong><br />
wreck in August 1855. <strong>The</strong> vessel lay about<br />
150 feet down. Light did not penetrate to that<br />
depth, so he had to grope around on <strong>the</strong> ship<br />
in darkness. On <strong>the</strong> fifth or sixth day, he<br />
finally found <strong>the</strong> safe, touching its cool metal<br />
through a deckhouse window. He returned to<br />
<strong>the</strong> surface for a buoy and line to mark <strong>the</strong><br />
location. Each dive that morning lasted for 20<br />
to 30 minutes. After lunch, he went back<br />
down again, this time with <strong>the</strong> equipment he<br />
needed to cut into <strong>the</strong> cabin where <strong>the</strong> safe<br />
sat. This operation took about 40 minutes.<br />
An illustration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> collision <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Atlantic and <strong>the</strong> Ogdensburg on Lake<br />
Erie in 1852, from Gleason’s Pictorial. It<br />
was on his dive <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> wreckage <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Atlantic that diver John B. Green suffered<br />
a near-fatal case <strong>of</strong> paralysis caused by<br />
decompression sickness.<br />
THE HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL DIVING<br />
21
A 1939 advertisement for Merritt-Chapman<br />
& Scott, one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> largest salvage<br />
companies in <strong>the</strong> world in its day. <strong>The</strong><br />
company’s distinctive “black horse” flag can<br />
be seen at <strong>the</strong> bottom <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ad. Founded as<br />
a salvage company, its operations expanded<br />
into construction projects, including<br />
Michigan’s Mackinac Bridge, <strong>the</strong> longest<br />
suspension bridge between anchorages in <strong>the</strong><br />
Western Hemisphere. <strong>The</strong> company ceased<br />
operations in <strong>the</strong> early 1970s.<br />
Back on <strong>the</strong> surface, he sat on <strong>the</strong> deck <strong>of</strong><br />
his diving vessel to rest before making a<br />
fourth dive to attach a cable hook to <strong>the</strong> safe.<br />
But within moments, “a sharp pain shot like<br />
lightening through my lower extremities, and<br />
<strong>the</strong> next instant it went through my whole<br />
system, so prostrating me that I could not<br />
move a limb or even a muscle.” Co-workers<br />
got him ashore, where he lingered near death<br />
for two weeks. When it seemed evident that<br />
he would survive, he was taken to Buffalo,<br />
where he remained for ten days before<br />
reaching home in Boston. <strong>The</strong>re, “five tedious<br />
months” went by before he could walk again,<br />
and only with <strong>the</strong> aid <strong>of</strong> crutches.<br />
“<strong>The</strong>re have been many conjectures in<br />
regard to <strong>the</strong> cause <strong>of</strong> my paralysis,” he wrote.<br />
“Some attribute it to my meal; o<strong>the</strong>rs to <strong>the</strong><br />
pressure <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> water.”<br />
In <strong>the</strong> summer <strong>of</strong> 1856, Green organized a<br />
fourth expedition to recover <strong>the</strong> safe. Given<br />
that he still had not fully recovered, he hired<br />
two divers to do <strong>the</strong> job under his<br />
supervision. When nei<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m could get<br />
all <strong>the</strong> way down to <strong>the</strong> wreck, Green donned<br />
<strong>the</strong> diving suit and succeeded in reaching <strong>the</strong><br />
hulk. Once again finding <strong>the</strong> cabin where he<br />
knew <strong>the</strong> safe to be, he discovered that it was<br />
gone. Someone else had recovered it.<br />
Though bitterly disappointed at having lost<br />
a treasure he had been <strong>the</strong> one to find, Green<br />
sought to capitalize on his diving in less<br />
hazardous ways. Too afflicted to work<br />
underwater, he published his book and soon<br />
went on <strong>the</strong> lecture circuit. Though he still<br />
intended to at least oversee salvage operations,<br />
booze, money troubles, and <strong>the</strong> dissolution <strong>of</strong><br />
his marriage pulled him downward as surely<br />
as lead diving weights. In October 1868, he<br />
ended his life with a fatal dose <strong>of</strong> poison.<br />
During <strong>the</strong> era that author Jerry Kuntz<br />
called “diving’s heroic age,” Green had not<br />
been <strong>the</strong> only man whose willingness to risk<br />
his life underwater in <strong>the</strong> hope <strong>of</strong> financial<br />
gain had advanced <strong>the</strong> progress <strong>of</strong> commercial<br />
diving, but he had been one <strong>of</strong> its most<br />
colorful and tragic figures.<br />
By <strong>the</strong> early 1860s, <strong>the</strong> vented diving<br />
helmet, with air hose and protective suit had<br />
virtually replaced <strong>the</strong> diving bell or caisson, as<br />
it was less commonly known. <strong>Diving</strong><br />
companies developed in most major ports,<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir primary income coming from ship<br />
owners needing to have hulls cleaned or<br />
repaired. <strong>The</strong>y also recovered lost anchors<br />
and items that fell overboard.<br />
<strong>The</strong> New York firm <strong>of</strong> Merritt-Chapman &<br />
Scott had its beginning in 1860 as Coast<br />
Wrecking Company and soon reorganized<br />
under Israel Merritt as Merritt’s Wrecking<br />
Organization. In 1897, it merged with Chapman<br />
Derrick and Wrecking Company to form Merritt<br />
and Chapman Derrick Wrecking Company. <strong>The</strong><br />
company merged again in 1922 with T.A. Scott<br />
Company to form Merritt-Chapman and Scott<br />
Corporation. Before long, it had grown into <strong>the</strong><br />
largest and best-regarded salvage company in<br />
<strong>the</strong> world. Known as <strong>the</strong> “Black Horse <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Sea,” <strong>the</strong> company expanded beyond salvage<br />
work to maritime construction.<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
22
SCUBA<br />
<strong>The</strong> common perception is that <strong>the</strong><br />
development <strong>of</strong> self-contained underwater<br />
breathing apparatus (SCUBA) came during<br />
World War II. Scuba diving did play a part in<br />
<strong>the</strong> war, and exploded in use after <strong>the</strong> conflict<br />
ended, but it was not a new concept. <strong>The</strong> big<br />
difference was that what had been envisioned<br />
for years finally proved workable. At least at<br />
shallow depths, divers could operate freely<br />
without having to worry about getting <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
surface-connected air hose tangled or severed.<br />
William H. James, yet ano<strong>the</strong>r Englishman<br />
who advanced <strong>the</strong> diving industry, is credited<br />
with developing <strong>the</strong> first scuba equipment in<br />
1825. In his design, a diver wore a helmet, but<br />
<strong>the</strong> air he brea<strong>the</strong>d came from a tank <strong>of</strong><br />
compressed air fastened on his waist. James<br />
claimed a diver could stay underwater an hour<br />
with his invention, but whe<strong>the</strong>r his equipment<br />
was ever produced and used is not clear. In<br />
1839, two Canadian inventors, James Eliot and<br />
Alexander McAvity were granted a patent for<br />
an “oxygen reservoir for divers.” <strong>The</strong>ir design<br />
featured a device a diver carried on his back<br />
that contained ei<strong>the</strong>r “condensed” oxygen or<br />
“common atmospheric air proportionate to <strong>the</strong><br />
depth <strong>of</strong> water and adequate to <strong>the</strong> time he is<br />
intended to remain below.”<br />
In <strong>the</strong> United States, engineer Charles<br />
Condert invented a system where air could be<br />
contained inside a copper pipe worn around a<br />
diver’s body. <strong>The</strong> diver also wore a hood<br />
covering <strong>the</strong> top half <strong>of</strong> his body. While<br />
Condert had <strong>the</strong> right concept—a portable air<br />
supply and head covering—he drowned while<br />
trying out his invention.<br />
“Though <strong>the</strong> natural constitution <strong>of</strong> man<br />
entirely unfits him for remaining in water with<br />
safety for more than two minutes at a time, <strong>the</strong><br />
desire <strong>of</strong> obtaining valuable objects lying at <strong>the</strong><br />
bottom <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sea has led him to devise<br />
numerous expedients,” <strong>the</strong> New American<br />
Cyclopaedia noted in its 1859 edition.<br />
French mining engineer Benoit Rouguayrot<br />
designed in 1860 a cylindrical air tank<br />
attached to a demand regulator. He developed<br />
<strong>the</strong> equipment for miners to don in <strong>the</strong> event<br />
<strong>of</strong> a sudden mine shaft flood, but if it could<br />
work underwater below ground, it could<br />
work in open bodies <strong>of</strong> water as well.<br />
In 1864, Rouguayrot partnered with French<br />
naval <strong>of</strong>ficer Auguste Denayrouze to tweak his<br />
invention for use by divers whose primary air<br />
supply came from an air hose above water. A<br />
diver could detach himself from <strong>the</strong> air hose for<br />
a short time, but <strong>the</strong> tank could only hold<br />
about 30 minutes worth <strong>of</strong> air. Still, <strong>the</strong><br />
equipment marked a significant advance in<br />
diving and by 1865 it was in mass-production.<br />
Five years later, diving with <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong><br />
scuba equipment made its first appearance in<br />
fiction in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under <strong>the</strong><br />
Sea when novelist Jules Verne describes a dive<br />
in which Captain Nemo, <strong>the</strong> master <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
submarine Nautilus, saves a pearl diver from a<br />
shark attack.<br />
Above: A French inventor’s conception <strong>of</strong> an<br />
underwater breathing apparatus. Clearly,<br />
he did not envision diving in cold water.<br />
Below:A design <strong>of</strong> a diving helmet from <strong>the</strong><br />
early 1900s.<br />
THE HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL DIVING<br />
23
ALPHONSE ESQUIROS TAKES A DIVE<br />
Alphonse Esquiros, a French writer, wrote a book called English Seamen and Divers in 1868.<br />
Ra<strong>the</strong>r than have someone tell him what it was like to be a diver, he tried it himself. His<br />
account captured what diving was like only three decades after <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> first<br />
commercially available diving gear:<br />
“<strong>The</strong> helmet which covered my face and head was provided on <strong>the</strong> back...with two hollow<br />
metallic studs; one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se was protected against <strong>the</strong> intrusion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> water by a strong valve,<br />
and was intended to give vent to <strong>the</strong> air vitiated by breathing; <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r, called <strong>the</strong> pipe-holder,<br />
was to be fixed to <strong>the</strong> air-tube.”<br />
That, he explained, was a long India-rubber “pipe.” Esquiros watched as one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sailors<br />
connected one end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> hose with a pump and <strong>the</strong>n attached <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r to his helmet.<br />
“I could <strong>the</strong>n well understand how <strong>the</strong> whole <strong>the</strong>ory <strong>of</strong> this art is based,” he continued, “as<br />
might be expected, on <strong>the</strong> physical constitution <strong>of</strong> man. <strong>The</strong> diving apparatus only doubles<br />
and leng<strong>the</strong>ns his respiratory organs; <strong>the</strong> air-pump is for him nothing but his external lungs,<br />
and <strong>the</strong> air-tube is only a floating windpipe.”<br />
Once <strong>the</strong> helmet’s three glass view ports had been screwed on and Esquiros began breathing<br />
<strong>the</strong> pumped air, his hosts directed him to a ladder extending down <strong>the</strong> side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ship. Slowly,<br />
<strong>the</strong> writer began climbing down into <strong>the</strong> water. He did not stay down long and was happy to<br />
get back to <strong>the</strong> surface.<br />
Reflecting on <strong>the</strong> experience, Esquiros wrote:<br />
I knew now, by experience, all <strong>the</strong> essential details <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> art <strong>of</strong> diving, and, as <strong>the</strong> result, I could<br />
not help admiring <strong>the</strong> courage, and wondering at <strong>the</strong> acquired nature <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se men, who were not<br />
merely capable <strong>of</strong> remaining a few minutes underwater, but were able to continue <strong>the</strong>re for several<br />
hours, and to execute all kinds <strong>of</strong> different work.<br />
Yves Le Prieur.<br />
Henry A. Fleuss, a British merchant<br />
mariner, developed a self-contained diving<br />
apparatus that used compressed oxygen<br />
(instead <strong>of</strong> compressed air). <strong>The</strong> device<br />
included a rebrea<strong>the</strong>r by which carbon dioxide<br />
was made breathable again by being passed<br />
through a rope soaked in potash. <strong>The</strong><br />
apparatus Fleuss developed allowed a bottom<br />
time <strong>of</strong> up to three hours and was used in 1880<br />
by noted English diver Alexander Lambert.<br />
Wearing Fleuss’ equipment, <strong>the</strong> diver went into<br />
a flooded tunnel sixty feet down and sealed a<br />
hatchway located a thousand feet into <strong>the</strong><br />
tunnel. Fleuss’ invention is considered <strong>the</strong> first<br />
workable scuba equipment and <strong>the</strong> model for<br />
closed-circuit scuba, which is still used today.<br />
In 1933, a French naval captain, Yves Le<br />
Prieur, built on <strong>the</strong> latest version <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
nineteenth century Rouquayrol-Denayrouse<br />
equipment by attaching a specially designed<br />
demand value to a high-pressure air tank. With<br />
no regulator, a diver got fresh air by opening a<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
24
valve. Exhaled air escaped from under <strong>the</strong><br />
diver’s face mask. Two years later, though a<br />
diver could not remain underwater long with it,<br />
<strong>the</strong> device was put into use by <strong>the</strong> French Navy.<br />
Though most diving still involved <strong>the</strong> use<br />
<strong>of</strong> pressurized suits, in 1933 Louis de Corlieu<br />
received a patent for a set <strong>of</strong> spoon-shaped fins<br />
that swimmers or divers could use to enhance<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir underwater propulsion. Corlieu’s<br />
invention led to <strong>the</strong> fur<strong>the</strong>r development <strong>of</strong><br />
fins that fit on a swimmer’s feet, giving him<br />
even faster movement beneath <strong>the</strong> surface.<br />
Meanwhile, ano<strong>the</strong>r French naval <strong>of</strong>ficer,<br />
along with an engineer from a natural<br />
gas company, developed a regulator that<br />
revolutionized scuba diving. <strong>The</strong> <strong>of</strong>ficer was<br />
Jacques-Yves Cousteau (1910-1997). <strong>The</strong><br />
engineer was Emile Gagnan. <strong>Working</strong> toge<strong>the</strong>r,<br />
<strong>the</strong>y repurposed a car engine regulator so that<br />
it automatically provided compressed air to a<br />
diver anytime he took <strong>the</strong> slightest breath.<br />
Prior to <strong>the</strong>ir invention, divers using scuba<br />
equipment received compressed air constantly.<br />
<strong>The</strong> two men affixed <strong>the</strong>ir new valve to a<br />
rubber hose with a mouthpiece that was attached<br />
to two compressed air tanks. In <strong>the</strong> deep winter<br />
<strong>of</strong> 1943, Cousteau dove into <strong>the</strong> Marne River<br />
near Paris to test <strong>the</strong> new device, which worked.<br />
After some modification, <strong>the</strong> two men received a<br />
patent for what <strong>the</strong>y call an Aqua Lung.<br />
<strong>The</strong> regulator developed by Gagnan and<br />
Cousteau marked a pivotal moment in <strong>the</strong><br />
CAPTAIN WILLIAMS AND FUNERAL BOB<br />
Newspaper reporters found that interviews with commercial divers made good copy.<br />
Farmers and ranchers in Wise County in far North Texas must have marveled in reading in <strong>the</strong>ir April 20, 1883, issue <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Wise<br />
County Messenger a story headlined “Under <strong>The</strong> Sea.” Reprinted from an unnamed Philadelphia newspaper, <strong>the</strong> piece was based on an<br />
interview with Captain Anthony Williams, a commercial diver with two decades <strong>of</strong> experience.<br />
“Can you brea<strong>the</strong> as freely in your diving dress as you can out <strong>of</strong> it?” <strong>the</strong> unnamed reporter asked.<br />
“Yes, indeed,” Williams said. “When ten or twelve fathoms under [60 to 72 feet] water my breathing is as wholly devoid <strong>of</strong> effort<br />
as it is when I am walking about on dry land.”<br />
Williams <strong>the</strong>n went on to explain how diving equipment worked, communication with his surface tenders and o<strong>the</strong>r aspects <strong>of</strong><br />
commercial diving. Admitting he did get an ear ache from time to time, o<strong>the</strong>rwise, he said, “<strong>the</strong> sensations [under water] are delightful,<br />
and I feel just as well, happy and contented at <strong>the</strong> bottom <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sea as I can under any circumstances.”<br />
He did, however, sometimes get annoyed with his tenders above.<br />
“While engaged in raising <strong>the</strong> sunken schooner Dauntless, in Kingston, Jamaica, on <strong>the</strong> 18th <strong>of</strong> August, 1880, I became so<br />
disgusted at <strong>the</strong> stupidity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> men above in answering my signals that I took a book which I found in <strong>the</strong> captain’s cabin, and,<br />
sitting down read it for nearly an hour.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> Galveston News, <strong>the</strong> morning newspaper in what was <strong>the</strong>n Texas’s largest port, reprinted on Sept. 5, 1885 an interview with a<br />
diver known as Funeral Bob first published in <strong>the</strong> New York Sun. Despite his nickname, Robert B. Russell <strong>the</strong> diver was alive and doing<br />
quite well at his trade.<br />
“People always associate diving with wrecks, dead bodies or treasure,” he said, “but that’s a small part <strong>of</strong> our work, and not a<br />
particularly fine line <strong>of</strong> it ei<strong>the</strong>r.”<br />
Described as New York’s “No. 1 diver,” Russell said, “<strong>The</strong> fine work <strong>of</strong> a diver’s occupation is that in which he has to ply some trade<br />
like carpentering or pipe-laying under water. You see, a diver should be skilled at many trades to be a success.”<br />
Russell said he and his colleagues in <strong>the</strong> business only worked four hours a day, earning $6 a day. However, if a diver furnished<br />
his own equipment—boat, pump, hose, lines and dress—<strong>the</strong> price ranged from $35 to $50 a day, depending on <strong>the</strong> job.<br />
Three years later, a Chicago newspaper published ano<strong>the</strong>r interview with Capt. Williams, “<strong>the</strong> famous English diver.”<br />
Williams said he began his underwater career above <strong>the</strong> surface, supervising <strong>the</strong> raising <strong>of</strong> a sunken wreck <strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong> coast <strong>of</strong> Cornwall.<br />
“I had working for me a diver who seemed a very lazy, careless sort <strong>of</strong> fellow,” <strong>the</strong> captain began. “I was paying him by <strong>the</strong> day, and<br />
once, after being under water for a long time, he came up and reported very little progress in his work. I was angry and expressed<br />
myself strongly. He retorted with: ‘Try it yourself if you think you can do any better.’”<br />
To <strong>the</strong> diver’s surprise, Williams took him up on <strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong>fer. Once he realized his boss hadn’t been joking, <strong>the</strong> diver removed his suit<br />
and Williams put it on. “I discharged him when I came up and I have been doing my own work ever since.”<br />
THE HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL DIVING<br />
25
Above: An advertisement for Cousteau and<br />
Gagnan’s Aqua Lung.<br />
Below: <strong>Commercial</strong> divers and <strong>the</strong>ir exploits<br />
captured <strong>the</strong> public’s imagination. Stage and<br />
film actress Sarah Bernhardt can be seen in<br />
<strong>the</strong>se diving-<strong>the</strong>med photographs from <strong>the</strong><br />
late 1800s.<br />
COURTESY OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.<br />
history <strong>of</strong> diving. It was reliable and low-cost.<br />
Following World War II, <strong>the</strong> Aqua Lung<br />
went into commercial production. O<strong>the</strong>r<br />
innovations followed, but in regard to scuba<br />
diving, <strong>the</strong> work <strong>of</strong> Gagnan and Cousteau<br />
allowed diving to become mainstream.<br />
THE<br />
1890S<br />
While salvage diving had already become<br />
<strong>the</strong> mainstay <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> commercial diving<br />
industry, in <strong>the</strong> last decade <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> nineteenth<br />
century something old became something<br />
new in <strong>the</strong> U.S.<br />
Since <strong>the</strong> 1820s, it had been known that<br />
sponges could be found <strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong> Florida Keys.<br />
By <strong>the</strong> late 1840s, some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> organisms were<br />
being harvested with <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> long poles.<br />
When turtle fishermen from Key West<br />
discovered sponge beds along <strong>the</strong> western<br />
coast <strong>of</strong> Florida near where <strong>the</strong> Anclote River<br />
enters <strong>the</strong> Gulf <strong>of</strong> Mexico, spongers began<br />
working that area. John Cheyney, a<br />
businessman in <strong>the</strong> new community <strong>of</strong><br />
Tarpon Springs, opened a sponge-packing<br />
house <strong>the</strong>re in 1890 and <strong>the</strong> North American<br />
sponge industry migrated from <strong>the</strong> Bahamas<br />
and Cuba to Tarpon Springs.<br />
By <strong>the</strong> turn <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> century, <strong>the</strong> town was<br />
<strong>the</strong> largest sponge port in <strong>the</strong> U.S. and<br />
starting in 1905, some five hundred Greek<br />
sponge divers immigrated to Florida. Though<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir ancient predecessors had collected<br />
sponges by free diving, <strong>the</strong> Greeks embraced<br />
new technology and began diving in hard<br />
helmets and pump-fed diving suits. <strong>The</strong><br />
business fluctuated due to environmental and<br />
economic issues, but Tarpon Springs sponges<br />
are still exported all over <strong>the</strong> world. Not until<br />
well into <strong>the</strong> twentieth century did tourism<br />
surpass sponge harvesting as <strong>the</strong> community’s<br />
primary industry.<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
26
THE UNDERSEA GOURMET<br />
George W. Fuller had been making his living as a diver for a good while when he came up<br />
with yet ano<strong>the</strong>r way to turn a pr<strong>of</strong>it in underwater work.<br />
In talking with acquaintances about <strong>the</strong> sort <strong>of</strong> things he could accomplish with his diving<br />
apparatus, Fuller asserted that he could even catch, dress and cook a fish under water. Not only that,<br />
he boasted, he could bring it to <strong>the</strong> surface without even getting it wet, hot and ready to eat.<br />
Of course, no one believed he could do it. In fact, one gentlemen cheerfully wagered $100 that<br />
Fuller could not pull <strong>of</strong>f such a stunt. Taking <strong>the</strong> bet, Fuller set <strong>the</strong> date <strong>of</strong> his demonstration for<br />
<strong>the</strong> following week. He did that because he knew he had a little below-<strong>the</strong>-surface work to do first.<br />
<strong>The</strong> diver took his boat and a couple <strong>of</strong> his employees to a point far out into <strong>the</strong> harbor where<br />
he was fairly sure it wouldn’t be too hard to find fish. Fuller lowered a weighted barrel and <strong>the</strong>n<br />
donned his diving suit. On <strong>the</strong> bottom <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> bay, Fuller secured <strong>the</strong> barrel with ropes and <strong>the</strong>n<br />
stood up inside it. As he stood <strong>the</strong>re, air coming from his escape valve began rising to <strong>the</strong> top,<br />
steadily pushing down <strong>the</strong> water. Soon he was able to remove his helmet and before long <strong>the</strong> whole<br />
barrel was filled with air. Next, with hammer and nails, he attached a board to <strong>the</strong> side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> barrel<br />
that would serve as a shelf.<br />
<strong>The</strong> next week, with his crew, <strong>the</strong> man who had made <strong>the</strong> bet and assorted hangers on, Fuller<br />
took his boat to <strong>the</strong> approximate spot where he had te<strong>the</strong>red <strong>the</strong> barrel. <strong>The</strong>n, taking with him<br />
a lantern, a small stew pan, salt, pepper and a fishing hook, he descended to his “fish house.”<br />
He soon spotted a fish, harpooned it with a sail needle attached to a line, and pulled it inside<br />
his barrel. <strong>The</strong>re he gutted <strong>the</strong> fish, washed it, added salt and pepper and parboiled it over <strong>the</strong><br />
flame from his lantern. When <strong>the</strong> fish was done, he placed <strong>the</strong> skillet inside <strong>the</strong> water-pro<strong>of</strong><br />
lamp container, stepped out <strong>of</strong> his barrel and pulled <strong>the</strong> line signaling his men to pull him up.<br />
“I had been gone only a few minutes, and <strong>the</strong> people thought as a matter <strong>of</strong> course that I<br />
had come up to say that I could not catch <strong>the</strong> fish, never dreaming that I had caught it, dressed<br />
it and cooked it already. <strong>The</strong>y were very much surprised when...I showed <strong>the</strong>m <strong>the</strong> fish<br />
steaming hot and well-cooked.” One <strong>of</strong> those surprised people was also out $100.<br />
(<strong>The</strong> story, reprinted from <strong>the</strong> Boston Globe, appeared in <strong>the</strong> Bryan [Texas] Eagle on January 9, 1890.)<br />
One <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> earliest uses <strong>of</strong> commercial<br />
diving was sponge harvesting. <strong>The</strong> industry<br />
grew in Florida in <strong>the</strong> late 1800s.<br />
THE HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL DIVING<br />
27
Above: A sponge diver in Tarpon<br />
Springs, Florida.<br />
Below: An illustration from <strong>the</strong> 1850s <strong>of</strong><br />
Lodner D. Phillips’ design for an<br />
atmospheric diving suit made <strong>of</strong> cast steel<br />
and iron.<br />
ATMOSPHERIC<br />
DIVING SUITS<br />
Atmospheric diving suits are one-man,<br />
human-shape submersibles. For decades, <strong>the</strong><br />
principle issue in <strong>the</strong> way <strong>of</strong> making such<br />
suits practical was <strong>the</strong> need for joints that<br />
could both allow for natural body movements<br />
(so <strong>the</strong> diver could get work done) and at <strong>the</strong><br />
same time be strong enough to support <strong>the</strong><br />
necessary internal pressure.<br />
Alphonse and <strong>The</strong>odore Carmagnolle, two<br />
French inventors from Marseilles, designed<br />
<strong>the</strong> first atmospheric diving suit in 1878<br />
and received a patent on it in 1882. Made<br />
<strong>of</strong> metal, <strong>the</strong> suit consisted <strong>of</strong> 22 concentric<br />
ball-and-socket joints kept watertight by a<br />
linen wrap. Each arm had six joints, each<br />
leg four joins and <strong>the</strong>re were two joints<br />
for <strong>the</strong> body <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> suit. With all that metal,<br />
<strong>the</strong> contraption weighed 862 pounds. <strong>The</strong><br />
suit is displayed in <strong>the</strong> Musee de la Marine<br />
(Marine Museum) in Paris. To <strong>the</strong> modern<br />
eye, it looks like something out <strong>of</strong> a science<br />
fiction movie. Indeed, science fiction buffs<br />
point to it as <strong>the</strong> first robotic-looking device<br />
made by man.<br />
In Germany, in 1913 <strong>the</strong> Kiel-based firm <strong>of</strong><br />
Neufeldt and Kuhnke built two cast iron suits<br />
that <strong>the</strong> German Navy bought. Five years<br />
later, with Great Britain and Germany locked<br />
in a viscious world war, inventor Joseph Salim<br />
Peress (1896-1978) began experimenting<br />
with a stainless steel diving suit in 1918. Four<br />
years later, he patented a spherical joint that<br />
used fluid to equalize pressure.<br />
In 1930, <strong>the</strong> patent figured in Peress’s<br />
development <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Tritonia diving suit. He<br />
had started working on such a suit in <strong>the</strong><br />
1920s and by 1929 had found that using<br />
magnesium instead <strong>of</strong> steel made suits much<br />
less heavy and <strong>the</strong>refore considerably more<br />
practical. To solve <strong>the</strong> joint problem, he used a<br />
trapped cushion <strong>of</strong> oil to keep <strong>the</strong>m easy for a<br />
diver to move. In September 1930, Jim<br />
Jarrett—Peress’s head diver—used <strong>the</strong> new<br />
suit to descend to 404 feet in Loch Ness. He<br />
didn’t find <strong>the</strong> legendary Loch Ness monster,<br />
but he did find that <strong>the</strong> suit worked perfectly.<br />
Not only did <strong>the</strong> atmospheric suit keep him<br />
safe from <strong>the</strong> physiological woes <strong>of</strong> deep<br />
diving, he was able to move with no problems.<br />
Today, Peress is credited with having invented<br />
<strong>the</strong> first usable atmospheric diving suit.<br />
During <strong>the</strong> 1960s, Peress developed a more<br />
modern version <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> suit,. When it began to<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
28
e used in 1972 was referred to as a JIM suit<br />
in honor <strong>of</strong> diver Jim Jarrett. <strong>The</strong> term “JIM<br />
suit” became a generic term in <strong>the</strong> industry.<br />
Even though Peress used magnesium, <strong>the</strong> suit<br />
still weighed 1,100 pounds. Four years later,<br />
it set a record for <strong>the</strong> longest working dive,<br />
one minute less than six hours at 905 feet.<br />
Atmospheric diving suits are still being<br />
used. Despite ongoing improvements, <strong>the</strong>y<br />
still do not <strong>of</strong>fer <strong>the</strong> mobility that o<strong>the</strong>r gear<br />
affords, but for deep work, in keeping a diver<br />
at atmospheric pressure, <strong>the</strong>y do prevent <strong>the</strong><br />
majority <strong>of</strong> physiological issues that make<br />
deep diving dangerous.<br />
MEDICAL<br />
BREAKTHROUGHS<br />
<strong>Commercial</strong> diving would not exist if it<br />
had not been for <strong>the</strong> physiological discoveries<br />
and medical breakthroughs that made it<br />
relatively safe for those who venture deep<br />
underwater.<br />
<strong>Diving</strong> had evolved over <strong>the</strong> centuries, but<br />
not until <strong>the</strong> early twentieth century did<br />
significant advances occur in understanding<br />
<strong>the</strong> causes and treatment for <strong>the</strong> lifethreatening<br />
body reactions related to matters<br />
<strong>of</strong> physics and physiology—<strong>the</strong> crushing<br />
pressure <strong>of</strong> deep water and <strong>the</strong> issues related<br />
to oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide.<br />
Well understood much earlier was that<br />
diving was a dangerous way to make a living.<br />
<strong>The</strong> first significant finding in regard to <strong>the</strong><br />
effect pressure had on divers came thanks to a<br />
poisonous snake. In 1667, Sir Robert Boyle,<br />
an English physicist, observed a gas bubble in<br />
<strong>the</strong> eye <strong>of</strong> a viper he had compressed and<br />
decompressed with a pump. He wrote: “I have<br />
seen a very apparent bubble moving from side<br />
to side in <strong>the</strong> aqueous humor <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> eye <strong>of</strong> a<br />
viper at <strong>the</strong> time when this animal seemed<br />
violently distressed in <strong>the</strong> receiver from which<br />
<strong>the</strong> air had been exhausted.”<br />
Five years before, in 1662, Boyle had<br />
posited what came to be called Boyle’s Law,<br />
<strong>the</strong> modern expression <strong>of</strong> which is: “<strong>The</strong><br />
absolute pressure exerted by a given mass <strong>of</strong><br />
an ideal gas is inversely proportional to <strong>the</strong><br />
volume it occupies if <strong>the</strong> temperature and<br />
amount <strong>of</strong> gas remain unchanged within a<br />
closed system.”<br />
Based on Boyle’s research, in 1681 Abbe<br />
Jean de Hautefeuille wrote a treatise called<br />
“<strong>The</strong> Art <strong>of</strong> Breathing <strong>Underwater</strong>.” <strong>The</strong><br />
scientifically minded French priest correctly<br />
declared: “It is not possible for man to brea<strong>the</strong><br />
air at normal atmospheric pressure when he is<br />
himself underwater at depth.”<br />
In <strong>the</strong> turn <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> twenty-first-century<br />
movie Men <strong>of</strong> Honor, in which Robert De Niro<br />
A diver in a Tritonia ADS and a diver in<br />
traditional gear preparing to dive on <strong>the</strong><br />
wreckage <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> RMS Lusitania, 1935.<br />
THE HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL DIVING<br />
29
Sir Robert Boyle.<br />
plays a tough Navy diving instructor, he<br />
makes Boyle’s Law a bit easier to understand.<br />
Beyond that, it puts it into perspective:<br />
“Boyle’s Law describes <strong>the</strong> behavior <strong>of</strong><br />
gases under varying amounts <strong>of</strong> atmospheric<br />
pressure. It states that if a diver holds his<br />
breath at one hundred feet, continues holding<br />
while rising to ten feet, <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong> gases in his<br />
lungs increase four times. Now why is this<br />
important to a diver? Forget to exhale on <strong>the</strong><br />
way up, and your lungs explode.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> expansion <strong>of</strong> gases in a diver’s lungs<br />
under <strong>the</strong> conditions set forth in De Niro’s<br />
line is actually by a factor <strong>of</strong> three, not four.<br />
But <strong>the</strong> effect would be <strong>the</strong> same.<br />
In <strong>the</strong> early days, no private association or<br />
government agency existed to keep statistics<br />
on diving deaths, but fatalities were not<br />
uncommon. And adverse physical reaction for<br />
divers was very common.<br />
Worrisome symptoms connected to diving<br />
were noted and described by physicians as<br />
early as <strong>the</strong> 1840s. When his air pipe burst on<br />
October 11, 1842, Royal Navy diver John<br />
Williams had been eighty feet down. Reaching<br />
<strong>the</strong> surface in a minute and a half, he was only<br />
semi-conscious. “His face <strong>the</strong>n was a mass <strong>of</strong><br />
lividity,” a doctor reported, “his neck was<br />
exceedingly swollen, bloated and suffused<br />
with livid coloured blood.”<br />
To bring him back around, <strong>the</strong> doctor<br />
administered a turpentine enema and applied<br />
leaches to one <strong>of</strong> his arms to remove 20<br />
ounces <strong>of</strong> blood. Despite his initial pressurerelated<br />
injuries and <strong>the</strong> witch doctor-like<br />
treatment, <strong>the</strong> diver apparently enjoyed a<br />
complete recovery.<br />
In 1854, a diver working in <strong>the</strong> U.S. was<br />
not so lucky when his air hose burst at depth.<br />
When <strong>the</strong> surface crew received no response<br />
to <strong>the</strong>ir tug on <strong>the</strong> diver’s signal line, <strong>the</strong>y<br />
pulled him up immediately. When <strong>the</strong>y<br />
opened his helmet, “to <strong>the</strong>ir horror [<strong>the</strong>y]<br />
found him quite dead; although he had been<br />
down but one minute.” What <strong>the</strong>y beheld was<br />
not a pretty sight: “Blood was oozing from <strong>the</strong><br />
eyes, nose and mouth...we found <strong>the</strong> head<br />
very badly swollen, <strong>the</strong> face and neck so filled<br />
with blood as to resemble liver, while <strong>the</strong><br />
remainder <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> body was as white as<br />
unclouded marble.”<br />
As innovations in equipment enabled divers<br />
to go deeper and stay down longer, many began<br />
suffering with breathing difficulties, dizziness<br />
and disorientation, pain in <strong>the</strong> joints and<br />
paralysis. While <strong>the</strong> symptoms could be noted<br />
and described, no one understood <strong>the</strong>ir cause<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r than <strong>the</strong> obvious connection to diving.<br />
<strong>The</strong> same maladies experienced by divers<br />
also occurred on land. Tunnel builders,<br />
miners and o<strong>the</strong>rs who worked in an<br />
environment under pressure experienced<br />
difficulties. At least twelve workers died in St.<br />
Louis during construction <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Eads Bridge<br />
in 1871 from what is now known as<br />
decompression sickness, or DCS. Workers<br />
also died as <strong>the</strong> Brooklyn Bridge went up.<br />
A year later, a researcher correctly concluded<br />
that DCS could be prevented by slower<br />
compression (descents) and slower<br />
decompression (ascents). He suggested that<br />
underwater workers be limited to four-hour<br />
shifts and that recompression treatment could<br />
help severe cases. In 1873, Andrew Smith<br />
coined <strong>the</strong> term “caisson disease” in describing<br />
<strong>the</strong> health problems associated with <strong>the</strong><br />
Brooklyn Bridge project, which like <strong>the</strong> Eads<br />
Bridge had employed divers using compressed<br />
air. About <strong>the</strong> same time, since one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
symptoms <strong>of</strong> DCS is joint pain causing sufferers<br />
to bend forward, <strong>the</strong> condition came to be more<br />
commonly referred to as “<strong>the</strong> bends.”<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
30
In 1878, Paul Bert, a French physiologist,<br />
fur<strong>the</strong>r advanced <strong>the</strong> understanding <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
scientific factors involving <strong>the</strong> effect pressure<br />
had on <strong>the</strong> body. In his 1,000-page seminal<br />
study, La Pression Barometrique (<strong>The</strong> Barometric<br />
Pressure), Bert set forth <strong>the</strong> impact <strong>of</strong> both<br />
high and low air pressure on <strong>the</strong> human body.<br />
<strong>The</strong> adverse effects associated with<br />
underwater work, he wrote, were attributable<br />
to <strong>the</strong> formation <strong>of</strong> nitrogen gas bubbles. Bert<br />
also <strong>of</strong>fered what would become <strong>the</strong> standard<br />
way for divers to cope with pressure issues—<br />
coming back up gradually and using a<br />
decompression chamber to relieve symptoms.<br />
During <strong>the</strong> construction <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Hudson<br />
River Tunnel in 1889-1890, Ernest William<br />
Moir developed an airlock chamber for<br />
treatment <strong>of</strong> divers suffering from DCS. A<br />
decade later, Leonard Hill—with backing<br />
from <strong>the</strong> Siebe Gorman Co.—experimented<br />
with frogs to develop <strong>the</strong>ories regarding<br />
compression and decompression. By 1904,<br />
<strong>the</strong> diving equipment company had<br />
developed a decompression chamber.<br />
<strong>The</strong> work done in Britain was by Scottish<br />
physiologist John S. Haldane, who <strong>the</strong> Royal<br />
Navy hired to do research on decompression<br />
sickness. Along with Arthur E. Boycott and<br />
Guybon C. Damant, Haldane published a<br />
paper on <strong>the</strong> prevention <strong>of</strong> what <strong>the</strong>y called<br />
“compressed-air illness.” As Bert had found<br />
earlier, <strong>the</strong> principle way to guard against <strong>the</strong><br />
bends was for divers to practice staged<br />
ascensions. Based on this work, <strong>the</strong> Royal<br />
Navy developed a set <strong>of</strong> tables listing <strong>the</strong> rate<br />
<strong>of</strong> ascension for divers based on how deep<br />
<strong>the</strong>y go and how long <strong>the</strong>y stay under.<br />
By 1912, <strong>the</strong> U.S. Navy also was using<br />
diving tables based on <strong>the</strong> British research.<br />
In a long article on risky if pr<strong>of</strong>itable<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essions, <strong>the</strong> Houston Post observed on<br />
November 19, 1905: “[N]ow recognized as a<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>ession, [diving] is followed by a class <strong>of</strong><br />
people who devote <strong>the</strong>ir lives to <strong>the</strong> work,<br />
going to all parts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> country and working<br />
in sunken wrecks, examining <strong>the</strong> bottoms <strong>of</strong><br />
ships, searching for lost things in <strong>the</strong> deep<br />
waters, and doing anything else that requires<br />
work below <strong>the</strong> surface <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sea.”<br />
While diving tables, decompression<br />
chambers, stricter safety standards and<br />
improved equipment have gone a long way<br />
toward making commercial diving safer, even<br />
today life-threatening health issues remain to<br />
be resolved.<br />
<strong>The</strong> most significant threat to divers today<br />
is High Pressure Neurological Syndrome.<br />
“Since this is a direct, physical effect <strong>of</strong><br />
pressure, <strong>the</strong>n perhaps we really have now<br />
reached <strong>the</strong> depth limits <strong>of</strong> ambient pressure<br />
diving,” Dr. Bennet wrote. “<strong>The</strong> pressures we<br />
are now reaching are so great that our<br />
Above: Paul Bert.<br />
Below: John Scott Haldane.<br />
THE HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL DIVING<br />
31
Above: A diver preparing to repair a lock<br />
gate at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.<br />
COURTESY OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.<br />
Below: A man on a ship in a diving outfit, c.<br />
<strong>the</strong> 1910s.<br />
COURTESY OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.<br />
complex protein molecules, in particular<br />
those <strong>of</strong> our central nervous system, are being<br />
physically distorted and <strong>the</strong>ir critical<br />
properties subsequently changed.”<br />
Bennett <strong>the</strong>n expressed <strong>the</strong> problem in<br />
plainer terms: “Excursions into deeper depths<br />
can ultimately end in permanent<br />
denaturization <strong>of</strong> protein molecules from<br />
which <strong>the</strong>re will be no retreat or <strong>the</strong>rapeutic<br />
procedure. Denaturatization <strong>of</strong> protein is<br />
what happens when you hard-boil an egg.<br />
And as someone once said, you cannot unboil<br />
an egg.”<br />
More recently, Dr. David Sawatzky, in an<br />
article published January 17, 2012, in Dive<br />
Magazine said, “HPNS is a fascinating problem<br />
and one that current deep technical divers<br />
will definitively have to try and find some way<br />
to deal with.”<br />
WAR- BORN TECHNOLOGICAL<br />
ADVANCES<br />
<strong>The</strong> military use <strong>of</strong> divers is separate from<br />
<strong>the</strong> story <strong>of</strong> commercial diving with one<br />
significant exception: Technological advances<br />
made during both world wars would improve<br />
<strong>the</strong> safety and efficiency <strong>of</strong> a new generation<br />
<strong>of</strong> divers who ventured beneath <strong>the</strong> surface to<br />
get a job done, not to destroy and kill.<br />
In 1917, <strong>the</strong> U.S. Bureau <strong>of</strong> Construction<br />
and Repair introduced for <strong>the</strong> Navy <strong>the</strong> Mark<br />
V diving helmet. Capping a diving dress and<br />
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32
A two-lock recompression tank (above) and<br />
a three-lock recompression tank (right) at<br />
<strong>the</strong> U.S. Naval Submarine Base New<br />
London in Groton, Connecticut. Until 1994<br />
New London was home to <strong>the</strong> Escape<br />
Training Tower which was used to train<br />
submarine crews in escape techniques and<br />
to train naval special operations teams.<br />
COURTESY OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.<br />
with air hose and communication line<br />
attached, <strong>the</strong> Mark V would be <strong>the</strong> mainstay<br />
for underwater work for decades. When <strong>the</strong><br />
second world war broke out, <strong>the</strong> Mark V, with<br />
a few modifications from <strong>the</strong> 1917 model, was<br />
still <strong>the</strong> U.S. Navy’s standard diving helmet.<br />
While most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Navy’s diving work was<br />
accomplished by men wearing <strong>the</strong>se helmets,<br />
<strong>the</strong> war also saw <strong>the</strong> first military use <strong>of</strong> scuba<br />
equipment, face masks and swim fins.<br />
THE HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL DIVING<br />
33
Right: Divers at work on <strong>the</strong> wreck <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
USS Maine, Havana, Cuba, 1898.<br />
Below: A diver recovering shells after an<br />
explosion set <strong>of</strong>f by German saboteurs on<br />
July 30, 1916, on Black Tom Island in New<br />
York Harbor near Liberty Island.<br />
COURTESY OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.<br />
Opposite: William Badders, Master Diver,<br />
U.S.N., being helped into his underwater<br />
suit just before taking an experimental dive<br />
in <strong>the</strong> tank at Washington Navy Yard, 1938.<br />
COURTESY OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
34
THE HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL DIVING<br />
35
Above: A replica <strong>of</strong> a Mark V diving helmet.<br />
COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR.<br />
Right: Many a commercial diver learned <strong>the</strong><br />
trade as a Navy diver. This underwater<br />
sailor is undergoing training at Camp<br />
Endicott, Rhode Island, during World<br />
War II.<br />
Prior to <strong>the</strong> war, <strong>the</strong> commercial aspect <strong>of</strong><br />
diving had centered largely on salvage, <strong>the</strong><br />
repair and maintenance <strong>of</strong> vessels or building<br />
and maintaining underwater infrastructure,<br />
such as wharves and piers. <strong>The</strong>re was<br />
work, but not much. It’s been estimated<br />
that before 1941 <strong>the</strong> U.S. had only 250<br />
trained divers.<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
36
During <strong>the</strong> war, <strong>the</strong> focus on diving<br />
obviously was related to <strong>the</strong> prosecution <strong>of</strong><br />
hostilities or maritime and salvage or rescue.<br />
But with peace came a whole new career field<br />
for commercial divers, many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m former<br />
Navy frogmen.<br />
In 1946, Everett W. Edmund with partner<br />
Pat Madison started a retail business <strong>the</strong>y<br />
called M&E Marine in Camden, New Jersey.<br />
<strong>The</strong> created a division <strong>the</strong>y call MAR-VEL<br />
<strong>Underwater</strong> Equipment and <strong>the</strong>ir store became<br />
<strong>the</strong> first retail outlet to focus only on <strong>the</strong> diving<br />
industry, both commercial and recreational.<br />
<strong>The</strong>ir primary source <strong>of</strong> inventory was surplus<br />
U.S. Navy equipment, from Mark V helmets to<br />
diving suits and o<strong>the</strong>r equipment associated<br />
with surface supply diving to scuba tanks (still<br />
called “Lungs”), facemasks and swim fins.<br />
At first, <strong>the</strong>y worried how in <strong>the</strong> world<br />
<strong>the</strong>y were going to sell all <strong>the</strong> used diving gear<br />
<strong>the</strong>y acquired at auction, but in a vigorous<br />
post-war economy, business flourished. In<br />
<strong>of</strong>fering scuba gear for sale at <strong>the</strong>ir store or by<br />
Above: A U.S. Navy sailor using a Momsen<br />
Lung rebrea<strong>the</strong>r. In October 1944 <strong>the</strong> U.S<br />
submarine Tang was sunk by one <strong>of</strong> its own<br />
torpedoes east <strong>of</strong> Meizhou Island in <strong>the</strong><br />
Taiwan Strait, coming to rest in 180 feet <strong>of</strong><br />
water. Thirteen sailors escaped from <strong>the</strong><br />
vessel’s forward escape trunk, some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m<br />
using Momsen lungs. Of those thirteen<br />
sailors, five survived to be rescued. It is <strong>the</strong><br />
only known use <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Momsen lung.<br />
Left: Vice Admiral Charles Momsen.<br />
Momsen invented <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> rebrea<strong>the</strong>r which<br />
bears his name when he was a lieutenant in<br />
<strong>the</strong> U.S. Navy.<br />
THE HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL DIVING<br />
37
Oil rigs <strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong> coast <strong>of</strong> Galveston, Texas.<br />
catalog, <strong>the</strong>y found <strong>the</strong>ir largest number <strong>of</strong><br />
customers were men who dived at night in<br />
water traps for sunken golf balls to resell.<br />
OIL AND WATER<br />
For <strong>the</strong> W. Horace Williams Co. it must<br />
have seemed like just ano<strong>the</strong>r job. A steampowered<br />
construction barge had sunk<br />
adjacent to a wooden drilling platform<br />
operated by Superior Oil in <strong>the</strong> Creole field<br />
about a mile <strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong> Louisiana shore. <strong>The</strong> oil<br />
company wanted <strong>the</strong> barge raised and turned<br />
to <strong>the</strong> Williams Co. to get <strong>the</strong> job done. After<br />
all, that company had built <strong>the</strong> bridge leading<br />
to <strong>the</strong> rig.<br />
<strong>The</strong> New Orleans-based construction<br />
company hired two helmet divers to get <strong>the</strong><br />
barge up and <strong>the</strong>y got it done. That 1938 job<br />
is believed to have been <strong>the</strong> first time an oil<br />
company ever used divers in connection with<br />
an <strong>of</strong>fshore drilling operation in <strong>the</strong> Gulf <strong>of</strong><br />
Mexico. It was not, however, <strong>the</strong> first time<br />
divers had worked around an oil rig.<br />
More than 30 years earlier, a California<br />
wildcatter had built a wharf near Santa<br />
Barbara that extended into <strong>the</strong> Pacific and<br />
<strong>the</strong>n drilled a well in <strong>the</strong> seabed. Many more<br />
wells soon followed, all close to shore. In <strong>the</strong><br />
first decade <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> twentieth century, one<br />
Albert Christie is believed to be <strong>the</strong> first diver<br />
to do oil-related work <strong>of</strong>f a wharf. Christie’s<br />
half-bro<strong>the</strong>r, Rigden Crawford, did an<br />
underwater geological survey in an area<br />
between Santa Barbara and Ventura. This was<br />
in 1929 and according to Christopher Swann<br />
in his exhaustive history <strong>of</strong> oil field diving,<br />
“probably <strong>the</strong> first time a diver had<br />
investigated <strong>the</strong> seabed for oil anywhere in<br />
<strong>the</strong> world.”<br />
By <strong>the</strong> time that survey job took place, oil<br />
companies had begun to suspect that large<br />
deposits <strong>of</strong> crude lay in salt dome formations<br />
under <strong>the</strong> mud and sand in <strong>the</strong> shallow Gulf<br />
<strong>of</strong> Mexico. But despite ample demand for<br />
petroleum in <strong>the</strong> midst <strong>of</strong> war, due to <strong>the</strong><br />
threat <strong>of</strong> marauding German U-boats that<br />
brazenly operated <strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong> Gulf coast during<br />
<strong>the</strong> early years <strong>of</strong> World War II, not until after<br />
<strong>the</strong> war did oil companies look seriously<br />
toward <strong>the</strong> Gulf as a place to drill.<br />
In 1947, <strong>the</strong> Houston-based Kerr-Magee<br />
Co. oversaw construction by Brown and Root<br />
<strong>of</strong> a tennis-court size drilling platform 43<br />
miles southwest <strong>of</strong> Morgan City, Louisiana,<br />
but only 10.5 miles from shore. <strong>The</strong> rig went<br />
up in 18 feet <strong>of</strong> water, <strong>the</strong> deepest-ever<br />
<strong>of</strong>fshore operation to that point in <strong>the</strong> history<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> oil industry. <strong>The</strong> well came in on<br />
November 17 that year. Producing 960 barrels<br />
a day, it was not a spectacular well, but <strong>the</strong> era<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>fshore oil exploration and drilling had<br />
begun. And for <strong>the</strong> commercial diving<br />
industry, <strong>the</strong> completion <strong>of</strong> that modest<br />
<strong>of</strong>fshore well marked <strong>the</strong> emergence <strong>of</strong> a huge<br />
new business opportunity. <strong>The</strong> linking <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
two industries would lead to <strong>the</strong> development<br />
<strong>of</strong> technologies that would advance both<br />
petroleum production and commercial diving<br />
at a high-octane pace. Indeed, commercial<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
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diving helped revolutionize <strong>the</strong> oil industry,<br />
and vice versa.<br />
“Today, nearly all work done under water,<br />
whe<strong>the</strong>r with divers or robots, is carried out<br />
using equipment and techniques developed to<br />
meet <strong>the</strong> requirements <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong>fshore oil<br />
industry,” Swann wrote in <strong>the</strong> preface <strong>of</strong> his<br />
definitive book, <strong>The</strong> History <strong>of</strong> Oilfield <strong>Diving</strong>:<br />
An Industrial Adventure. “To a considerable<br />
extent, <strong>the</strong> history <strong>of</strong> oilfield diving is <strong>the</strong><br />
history <strong>of</strong> modern diving as a whole.”<br />
During <strong>the</strong> 1960s, as energy demand<br />
continued to rise, several diving companies<br />
grew into international corporations as oil<br />
and gas drilling moved into ever deeper water.<br />
While some production occurred in <strong>the</strong> midto-late<br />
1960s, <strong>the</strong> energy crisis <strong>of</strong> 1973, which<br />
quadrupled <strong>the</strong> price <strong>of</strong> crude oil, led to<br />
extensive exploration and drilling in one <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> roughest bodies <strong>of</strong> water in <strong>the</strong> world.<br />
Given <strong>the</strong> depth involved, <strong>the</strong> North Sea play<br />
brought rapid advances in saturation diving,<br />
which only dated back to 1964.<br />
With Americans waiting in line to buy gas<br />
before service station supplies ran out until<br />
<strong>the</strong> next refill, Comex (founded in France by<br />
Henri Delauze in 1961) had 33 diving<br />
systems and 300 divers along with a technical<br />
staff <strong>of</strong> 400. <strong>The</strong> company’s annual earnings<br />
were more than $20 million.<br />
As <strong>the</strong> figurative stacks <strong>of</strong> cash accruing to<br />
<strong>the</strong> oil industry and commercial diving grew<br />
higher and higher, commercial divers and <strong>the</strong><br />
wells <strong>the</strong>y supported went deeper and deeper.<br />
In 1973, Comex had divers working at 600<br />
feet in <strong>the</strong> North Sea; two years later <strong>the</strong> same<br />
firm salvaged an abandoned wellhead 1,092<br />
feet down <strong>of</strong>f Labrador. By 1988, a joint<br />
operation with Comex, British Petroleum, <strong>the</strong><br />
French Navy, and o<strong>the</strong>r corporate entities<br />
carried out a 1,752 foot dive.<br />
<strong>The</strong> price <strong>of</strong> crude oil fluctuates like <strong>the</strong><br />
daily ebb and flow <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> tide, only with far<br />
less predictability. When <strong>the</strong> price <strong>of</strong> a barrel<br />
<strong>of</strong> crude goes up, more drill bits go down, on<br />
land and sea. <strong>The</strong> only constant is that wells<br />
have steadily gone deeper over <strong>the</strong> years. And<br />
when those wells are in water, so do<br />
commercial divers.<br />
DIVING BELLS REDUX<br />
<strong>The</strong> oldest type <strong>of</strong> diving equipment, <strong>the</strong><br />
bell, remains a mainstay in commercial<br />
diving. Obviously, ever increasing technology<br />
has made diving bells safer and far more<br />
efficient than an upside-down weighted<br />
wooden barrel attached to a rope.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are two categories <strong>of</strong> bells, wet and<br />
closed. Wet bells are cable-suspended<br />
chambers open at <strong>the</strong> bottom. <strong>The</strong>y are used<br />
as a way to get divers down and provide <strong>the</strong>m<br />
a base <strong>of</strong> operation. <strong>The</strong> air inside is kept at<br />
ambient pressure, so <strong>the</strong>re are no extreme<br />
pressure differences. <strong>The</strong> closed diving bell is<br />
a sealed chamber. It can be used for what is<br />
called mixed gas “bounce” diving, a short dive<br />
in which decompression can be accomplished<br />
Above: An <strong>of</strong>fshore oil well drilling rig with<br />
supply boat, Kerr-McGee Oil Industries<br />
Inc., Cameron, Louisiana, c. <strong>the</strong> 1940s.<br />
COURTESY OF THE DEGOLYER LIBRARY, SOUTHERN<br />
METHODIST UNIVERSITY.<br />
Below: An American Louisiana Pipe Line<br />
Company drilling rig, 1955.<br />
COURTESY OF THE DEGOLYER LIBRARY, SOUTHERN<br />
METHODIST UNIVERSITY.<br />
THE HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL DIVING<br />
39
in <strong>the</strong> bell, and saturation diving.<br />
<strong>Commercial</strong> diving today relies more on<br />
closed bells.<br />
REMOTELY OPERATED<br />
VEHICLES<br />
Shell Oil Co., in <strong>the</strong> early 1960s,<br />
developed a device called “Mobot” that had a<br />
gyrocompass, sonar and a TV camera.<br />
Connected to a vessel, it could be<br />
maneuvered under water with thrusters.<br />
Moderately successful, <strong>the</strong> Mobot and o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
similar ROVs initially were only intended as<br />
underwater eyes, not a robotic diver.<br />
But submersible equipment that could do<br />
more than merely look around was <strong>the</strong> next<br />
obvious step in <strong>the</strong> evolution <strong>of</strong> commercial<br />
diving. That had also begun to happen in <strong>the</strong><br />
1960s, with military funding driving<br />
technological development. <strong>The</strong> pace picked up<br />
in <strong>the</strong> following decade, with both Royal Navy<br />
and U.S. Navy contractors developing devices<br />
that could recover lost objects from very deep<br />
water or to handle deep-sea rescues.<br />
<strong>The</strong> oil and gas industry, building on <strong>the</strong><br />
military technology, began developing<br />
submersible ROVs. With <strong>of</strong>fshore drilling<br />
increasingly taking place in deep water, such<br />
tools became even more important in that<br />
<strong>the</strong>y could operate at depths beyond <strong>the</strong> reach<br />
Above: A diver in full dress at Cone Lake,<br />
April 16, 1912.<br />
Right: This postcard from 1920 is simply<br />
titled “<strong>The</strong> Diver.”<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
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<strong>of</strong> human divers. Progress slowed with <strong>the</strong> big<br />
slump in oil and gas prices that came in <strong>the</strong><br />
mid-1980s, but regained momentum as oil<br />
reached record highs.<br />
Technological developments have proceeded<br />
apace since <strong>the</strong>n, with ROVs being used to do<br />
deep-sea surveying and to inspect pipelines and<br />
drilling platforms. Beyond merely being used for<br />
observation, ROVs can assist in underwater<br />
construction, maintenance and repair.<br />
COMMERCIAL DIVING IN<br />
POPULAR CULTURE<br />
Deep sea diving burst into popular culture<br />
with <strong>the</strong> publication in 1869 in France <strong>of</strong> a<br />
serial novel called Vingt mille lieues sous les<br />
mers: Tour du monde sous-marin. A year later<br />
<strong>the</strong> work <strong>of</strong> science fiction involving Captain<br />
Nemo and his submarine <strong>the</strong> Nautilus came<br />
out as a hardback book. Soon <strong>the</strong> work was<br />
translated into English and Twenty Thousand<br />
Leagues Under <strong>the</strong> Sea went on to become a<br />
classic <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> genre.<br />
In <strong>the</strong> book, Verne devotes a long scene to<br />
diving. Based on <strong>the</strong> technology <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> day, he<br />
fairly accurately described <strong>the</strong> future <strong>of</strong> diving.<br />
“You know as well as I do, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor, that<br />
man can live under water, providing he carries<br />
with him a sufficient supply <strong>of</strong> breathable air.<br />
In submarine works, <strong>the</strong> workman, clad in an<br />
impervious dress, with his head in a metal<br />
helmet, receives air from above by means <strong>of</strong><br />
forcing pumps and regulators.”<br />
“That is a diving apparatus,” said I.<br />
“Just so, but under <strong>the</strong>se conditions <strong>the</strong><br />
man is not at liberty; he is attached to <strong>the</strong><br />
pump which sends him air through an Indiarubber<br />
tube, and if we were obliged to be thus<br />
held to <strong>the</strong> Nautilus, we could not go far.”<br />
“And <strong>the</strong> means <strong>of</strong> getting free?” I asked.<br />
“It is to use <strong>the</strong> Rouquayrol apparatus,<br />
invented by two <strong>of</strong> your own countrymen,<br />
which I have brought to perfection for my<br />
own use, and which will allow you to risk<br />
yourself under <strong>the</strong>se new physiological<br />
Above: ROVs and AUVs are some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
newer tools to be embraced by <strong>the</strong><br />
commercial diving industry.<br />
COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR.<br />
Left: A student-built ROV. Programs like<br />
Marine Advanced Technology Education<br />
<strong>of</strong>fer education and internship opportunities<br />
to students interested in pursuing careers in<br />
<strong>the</strong> commercial diving industry.<br />
THE HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL DIVING<br />
41
Buster Keaton in <strong>the</strong> 1924 film<br />
<strong>The</strong> Navigator.<br />
conditions without any organ whatever<br />
suffering. It consists <strong>of</strong> a reservoir <strong>of</strong> thick<br />
iron plates, in which I store <strong>the</strong> air under a<br />
pressure <strong>of</strong> fifty atmospheres. This reservoir is<br />
fixed on <strong>the</strong> back by means <strong>of</strong> braces, like a<br />
soldier’s knapsack. Its upper part forms a box<br />
in which <strong>the</strong> air is kept by means <strong>of</strong> a bellows,<br />
and <strong>the</strong>refore cannot escape unless at its<br />
normal tension. In <strong>the</strong> Rouquayrol apparatus<br />
such as we use, two India rubber pipes leave<br />
this box and join a sort <strong>of</strong> tent which holds<br />
<strong>the</strong> nose and mouth; one is to introduce fresh<br />
air, <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r to let out <strong>the</strong> foul, and <strong>the</strong><br />
tongue closes one or <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r according to<br />
<strong>the</strong> wants <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> respirator. But I, in<br />
encountering great pressures at <strong>the</strong> bottom <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> sea, was obliged to shut my head, like that<br />
<strong>of</strong> a diver in a ball <strong>of</strong> copper; and it is to this<br />
ball <strong>of</strong> copper that <strong>the</strong> two pipes, <strong>the</strong><br />
inspirator and <strong>the</strong> expirator, open.”<br />
“Perfectly, Captain Nemo; but <strong>the</strong> air that<br />
you carry with you must soon be used; when<br />
it only contains fifteen per cent. <strong>of</strong> oxygen it is<br />
no longer fit to brea<strong>the</strong>.”<br />
“Right! But I told you, M. Aronnax, that <strong>the</strong><br />
pumps <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Nautilus allow me to store <strong>the</strong> air<br />
under considerable pressure, and on those<br />
conditions <strong>the</strong> reservoir <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> apparatus can<br />
furnish breathable air for nine or ten hours.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> first time a helmeted diver appeared<br />
on <strong>the</strong> big screen came with <strong>the</strong> release in<br />
1911 <strong>of</strong> a silent black and white short called<br />
<strong>The</strong> Diver. Subsequently remastered, <strong>the</strong> film<br />
is available today on Youtube.<br />
Five years later during World War I, with<br />
German U-Boats changing naval warfare, an<br />
American movie company produced a silent<br />
film adaptation <strong>of</strong> Verne’s novel in 1916.<br />
<strong>Commercial</strong> divers took part in <strong>the</strong> movie<br />
both as camermen and actors.<br />
With much more realistic props, sound,<br />
color and big name actors like Kirk Douglas<br />
and James Mason, in 1954 Walt Disney<br />
released his movie studio’s take on 20,000<br />
Leagues Under <strong>the</strong> Sea. Not only did <strong>the</strong> movie<br />
raise awareness <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> undersea world for<br />
millions <strong>of</strong> Baby Boomers, not to mention<br />
popularizing <strong>the</strong> mechanical means to enter<br />
that world, it brought business to commercial<br />
divers used in its filming.<br />
While 20,000 Leagues Under <strong>the</strong> Sea<br />
pumped fresh air into <strong>the</strong> world’s interest in<br />
diving, it was a 1950s television show that<br />
went a long way toward popularizing<br />
commercial diving. Diver recruitment clearly<br />
got an extra blast <strong>of</strong> oxygen in January 1958<br />
when a television show called Sea Hunt first<br />
aired. In <strong>the</strong> half-hour, black-and-white series,<br />
actor Lloyd Bridges played Mike Nelson, a<br />
former Navy frogman who became a freelance<br />
diver after leaving <strong>the</strong> military. In o<strong>the</strong>r words,<br />
he made his living as a commercial diver.<br />
<strong>The</strong> action-packed show, in which Nelson<br />
did everything from hunt treasure to disarming<br />
a lost nuclear missile, did for recreational and<br />
commercial diving what Walt Disney’s Davy<br />
Crockett did for <strong>the</strong> coon skin hat industry.<br />
O<strong>the</strong>r books and films have focused on<br />
diving and its commercial aspects, but 20,000<br />
Leagues Under <strong>the</strong> Sea and Sea Hunt were <strong>the</strong><br />
figurative hooks on each end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> anchor<br />
when it came to popularizing both<br />
avocational and vocational diving.<br />
Men <strong>of</strong> Honor, a film that debuted in 2000,<br />
is still considered <strong>the</strong> best-ever diving movie.<br />
Starring Robert De Niro and Cuba Gooding,<br />
Jr., <strong>the</strong> movie is based on <strong>the</strong> true story <strong>of</strong> Carl<br />
Brashear, played by Gooding, who was<br />
trained at <strong>the</strong> Navy’s diving school in<br />
Bayonne, New Jersey. Successfully<br />
surmounting racism and discrimination,<br />
Brashear went on to become <strong>the</strong> first African<br />
American master diver in <strong>the</strong> U.S. Navy.<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
42
ADVENTURE ( AND<br />
TRAGEDY) BENEATH<br />
THE WATER<br />
Like any pr<strong>of</strong>ession where at least some<br />
level <strong>of</strong> risk is always present, most<br />
commercial divers would say <strong>the</strong>ir career<br />
amounted to performing arduous if routine<br />
tasks in an underwater work place.<br />
But despite centuries <strong>of</strong> accumulated<br />
knowledge and constantly improving<br />
technology, working under water continues to<br />
be challenging and sometimes dangerous.<br />
Few veteran divers have not survived one or<br />
two close calls.<br />
Longtime diver Mike Hughes, founder <strong>of</strong><br />
Oceaneering International, Inc., tells <strong>of</strong> an<br />
incident that occurred when he was diving <strong>of</strong>f<br />
a submersible drilling platform in <strong>the</strong> Gulf.<br />
Seventeen stainless steel drill cases, worth<br />
roughly $10,000 each, had accidentally rolled<br />
overboard. <strong>The</strong> bottom consisted <strong>of</strong> deep<br />
mud he described as being like Jell-O. After<br />
getting 14 <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> long pipes hooked to a chain<br />
so that <strong>the</strong>y could be pulled to <strong>the</strong> surface,<br />
Hughes started trying to get to <strong>the</strong> 15th pipe.<br />
In <strong>the</strong> process, <strong>the</strong> mud closed in around him<br />
about a dozen feet below <strong>the</strong> bottom, even<br />
though it wasn’t much <strong>of</strong> one. He barely made<br />
it out, and after getting back to <strong>the</strong> drilling<br />
barge, he made <strong>the</strong> decision that <strong>the</strong> last two<br />
pipes were going to stay where <strong>the</strong>y lay.<br />
Beyond close calls like that, which<br />
improved safety standards have certainly<br />
helped to reduce though not eliminate,<br />
commercial diving sometimes involves movielike<br />
scenarios. Just a few examples:<br />
• In 1966, a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber<br />
armed with four nuclear bombs collided<br />
with a KC-135 tanker during mid-air<br />
refueling and crashed near Palomares,<br />
Spain. Three <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> devices fell on land, but<br />
<strong>the</strong> fourth went into <strong>the</strong> Mediterranean Sea,<br />
settling on <strong>the</strong> bottom 2,850 feet down.<br />
Ocean Systems, which later was acquired<br />
by Oceaneering, successfully recovered <strong>the</strong><br />
bomb after a two-and-a-half month search.<br />
• In 1982, Oceaneering received a contract to<br />
dive on <strong>the</strong> sunken ocean liner Andrea Doria,<br />
which had gone down in 240 feet <strong>of</strong> water<br />
<strong>of</strong>f Massachusetts in 1956. <strong>The</strong> man who<br />
hired <strong>the</strong> firm, department store heir Peter<br />
Gimbel, wanted <strong>the</strong> ship’s first-class safe<br />
recovered. Oceaneering got <strong>the</strong> job done,<br />
but <strong>the</strong> safe did not have nearly as much <strong>of</strong><br />
value in it as Gimbel had counted on.<br />
• In 1999, Oceaneering used an ROV to recover<br />
<strong>the</strong> Liberty Bell 7, <strong>the</strong> Mercury space capsule<br />
that sank after astronaut Gus Grissom’s<br />
o<strong>the</strong>rwise successful suborbital fight on July<br />
21, 1961. <strong>The</strong> capsule was brought up from<br />
16,100 feet, <strong>the</strong> deepest large-object salvage<br />
operation undertaken to date.<br />
<strong>The</strong> story <strong>of</strong> U.S. Navy Master Diver Carl<br />
Brashear was told in <strong>the</strong> 2000 movie Men<br />
<strong>of</strong> Honor. Brashear became <strong>the</strong> first<br />
African-American U.S. Navy Master<br />
Diver in 1970, four years after losing part<br />
<strong>of</strong> his left leg during a salvage operation<br />
to recover a nuclear bomb <strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong> coast<br />
<strong>of</strong> Spain.<br />
COURTESY OF THE U.S. NAVY.<br />
THE HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL DIVING<br />
43
THE COMMERCIAL DIVING<br />
INDUSTRY TODAY<br />
Left: Astronaut Virgil I. Grissom climbing<br />
into <strong>the</strong> Liberty Bell 7 space capsule on<br />
July 21, 1961. <strong>The</strong> capsule was lost during<br />
recovery operations and came to rest at a<br />
depth <strong>of</strong> 16,100 feet.<br />
COURTESY OF NASA.<br />
Right: <strong>The</strong> Liberty Bell 7 after its recovery<br />
by Oceaneering International in 1999.<br />
COURTESY OF NASA.<br />
Ongoing technological improvements,<br />
<strong>the</strong> continued expansion <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>fshore oil<br />
production and a generally strong national<br />
economy made commercial diving an<br />
increasingly attractive career choice for those<br />
who preferred a rigorous outdoor vocation as<br />
opposed to being behind a desk.<br />
Today, commercial diving is a multi-billion<br />
dollar a year world-wide industry, but in <strong>the</strong><br />
U.S. <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> men and women who do<br />
underwater work is surprisingly small<br />
considering income generated.<br />
<strong>The</strong> U.S. Department <strong>of</strong> Labor defines<br />
commercial diving as:<br />
Work below surface <strong>of</strong> water, using scuba<br />
gear to inspect, repair, remove, or install<br />
equipment and structures. May use a variety <strong>of</strong><br />
power and hand tools, such as drills,<br />
sledgehammers, torches, and welding<br />
equipment. May conduct tests or experiments,<br />
rig explosives, or photograph structures or<br />
marine life.<br />
Excluding those who dive as fishing<br />
workers or law enforcement <strong>of</strong>ficers, <strong>the</strong><br />
federal agency reported only 3,370 individuals<br />
working in <strong>the</strong> U.S. as commercial divers. Not<br />
surprisingly, <strong>the</strong> states with <strong>the</strong> largest number<br />
<strong>of</strong> commercial diving jobs are adjacent to<br />
water. <strong>The</strong> top five states, in number <strong>of</strong> divers,<br />
are Louisiana, Florida, Texas, Washington and<br />
Michigan, followed by Virginia, Alaska, New<br />
Jersey, Alabama and Missouri.<br />
In terms <strong>of</strong> metropolitan areas, ground zero<br />
for <strong>the</strong> largest concentration <strong>of</strong> commercial<br />
divers in <strong>the</strong> nation is greater New Orleans-<br />
Houma, Louisiana, axis followed by <strong>the</strong><br />
Houston area.<br />
LOOKING<br />
AHEAD<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
44<br />
<strong>The</strong> ever-expanding technology that<br />
eventually enabled man to work and play under<br />
water with relative safety has not stopped. On<br />
land and sea, <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> robotics is growing.<br />
In <strong>the</strong> spring <strong>of</strong> 2016, a humanoid robotic<br />
named OceanOne made news around <strong>the</strong>
world when it recovered a grapefruit-sized<br />
vase from <strong>the</strong> sunken wreckage <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> La<br />
Lune, a vessel not seen by man in nearly<br />
350 years. <strong>The</strong> flagship <strong>of</strong> France’s Louis XIV,<br />
<strong>the</strong> warship went down in 328 feet <strong>of</strong><br />
water 20 miles south <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> coastal city <strong>of</strong><br />
Toulon in 1664.<br />
Though originally designed to explore<br />
deep ocean reefs, with OceanOne’s artificial<br />
intelligence abilities, <strong>the</strong> dive <strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong> coast <strong>of</strong><br />
France made it clear that <strong>the</strong> underwater<br />
robot and its successors are <strong>the</strong> future <strong>of</strong><br />
deep-sea commercial diving.<br />
Oussama Khatib, a computer science<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor at Stanford University in Palo<br />
Alto, California, piloted <strong>the</strong> humanoid robot<br />
from a vessel on <strong>the</strong> surface. Using joysticks<br />
to control <strong>the</strong> robot’s movement, he saw<br />
everything through <strong>the</strong> robot’s two “eyes,”<br />
a set <strong>of</strong> cameras in an orange head that<br />
gives <strong>the</strong> device a distinctively human<br />
appearance, at least from its “shoulders” up.<br />
Even <strong>the</strong> robot’s two arms are reminiscent<br />
<strong>of</strong> human appendages and <strong>the</strong>y certainly are<br />
in function.<br />
Each hand has, as an article in Digital News<br />
explained, force sensors “that transmit haptic<br />
feedback to <strong>the</strong> robot’s pilot. Because <strong>of</strong> this,<br />
<strong>the</strong> driver can feel exactly what OceanOne<br />
feels, helping determine if it’s grabbing<br />
something dense or delicate.”<br />
A planned modification <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> robot will<br />
include tactile sensors in each finger.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> human can provide <strong>the</strong> robot with<br />
intuition, expertise and cognitive abilities,”<br />
<strong>the</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essor told <strong>the</strong> Stanford News. “<strong>The</strong><br />
robot can do things in areas too dangerous for<br />
a human, while <strong>the</strong> human is still <strong>the</strong>re.”<br />
In expanding on that, Khatib set forth<br />
<strong>the</strong> obvious for anyone who knows anything<br />
about commercial diving: In diving<br />
beneath <strong>the</strong> surface, despite technological<br />
advances, humans must still deal with air<br />
supply issues and <strong>the</strong> dangers <strong>of</strong> decompression<br />
sickness.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> intent is to have a human diving<br />
virtually—to put <strong>the</strong> human out <strong>of</strong> harm’s<br />
way,” <strong>the</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essor said. “Having a machine<br />
with human characteristics, that can project<br />
<strong>the</strong> human diver at depth is going to be<br />
amazing. OceanOne will be your avatar.”<br />
In Khatib’s view, <strong>the</strong> future lies in a<br />
combination <strong>of</strong> old-fashioned human skill<br />
and a sturdy, man-like diving robot that can<br />
work for longer and at great depths. Man will<br />
still have a place in commercial and all o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
aspects <strong>of</strong> diving, but he can accomplish<br />
much <strong>of</strong> what needs to be done without ever<br />
getting in <strong>the</strong> water.<br />
“[Scientists] see a future where ROVs and<br />
AUVs in <strong>the</strong>ir present form will cease<br />
to exist and are replaced by transformative<br />
e-robotics that can roam, hover, reside, and<br />
perform all underwater tasks,” notes an article<br />
in Ocean News & Technology Magazine<br />
(February 2017).<br />
<strong>Commercial</strong> divers in training preparing to<br />
embark upon careers beneath <strong>the</strong> waves.<br />
COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY<br />
POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE.<br />
THE HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL DIVING<br />
45
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
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As <strong>the</strong> industry embraces technological<br />
advances, <strong>the</strong>re is still a need for new<br />
generations <strong>of</strong> trained commercial divers.<br />
COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY<br />
POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE.<br />
THE HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL DIVING<br />
47
Modern commercial diving educational<br />
programs combine classroom instruction<br />
with hands-on training in <strong>the</strong> field.<br />
COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY<br />
POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE.<br />
Gregory R. Trauthwein, associate publisher<br />
and editor <strong>of</strong> Marine Technology Reporter<br />
Magazine put it even more plainly in <strong>the</strong><br />
January-February 2017 issue <strong>of</strong> his magazine:<br />
“<strong>The</strong> age <strong>of</strong> robotics is here and now.<br />
Advances in robotics are quickly removing<br />
people from some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> dirtiest and more<br />
dangerous jobs, inserting vehicles, sensors<br />
and systems where no man has gone, or<br />
would like to go....This reliance on<br />
automation extends to <strong>the</strong> subsea sector, as<br />
vehicles <strong>of</strong> every shape, size and price point<br />
gain capability and confidence among a<br />
growing legion <strong>of</strong> users.”<br />
Ryan Harris, an underwater archeologist<br />
with Parks Canada, studies <strong>the</strong> past with <strong>the</strong><br />
aid <strong>of</strong> modern technology. In 2014 Parks<br />
Canada located <strong>the</strong> HMS Erebus and two<br />
years later <strong>the</strong> hulk <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> HMS Terror—two<br />
English vessels lost in <strong>the</strong> Arctic Ocean in<br />
1845 while in search <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Northwest<br />
Passage—through <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> remote-operated<br />
vehicles and o<strong>the</strong>r state-<strong>of</strong>-<strong>the</strong>-art undersea<br />
technology. But despite <strong>the</strong> tremendous<br />
and ongoing high-tech advancements in<br />
underwater work, he says <strong>the</strong>re is still a place<br />
for divers in <strong>the</strong> equation.<br />
What he said in <strong>the</strong> January-February<br />
2017 issue <strong>of</strong> Marine Technology News had to<br />
do with his specialty <strong>of</strong> underwater<br />
archeology, but it applies to all aspects <strong>of</strong><br />
commercial diving:<br />
“To my mind, <strong>the</strong>re will always be an<br />
important role for hands-on underwater<br />
archaeology,” he said. “Certainly, I’m able to<br />
get much more information from a site when I<br />
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48
can get up close and have a tactile<br />
experience....While AUVs and ROVs are<br />
amazing tools, <strong>the</strong>re are some things that<br />
machines do well and certainly do better<br />
than human beings, but definitely not<br />
everything. It’s <strong>the</strong> appropriate marriage <strong>of</strong><br />
human and technology that will get <strong>the</strong><br />
job done.”<br />
A tank that is used to teach underwater<br />
welding skills to students enrolled n<br />
National University Polytechnic Institute’s<br />
commercial diving program.<br />
COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY<br />
POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE.<br />
THE HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL DIVING<br />
49
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
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THE HISTORY OF THE ADCI<br />
FORMING<br />
ADC<br />
Sound travels very well underwater, but above <strong>the</strong> surface, being heard is not always as easy. By<br />
<strong>the</strong> 1960s, it had become evident to industry leaders that commercial divers needed an<br />
organization to communicate in <strong>the</strong>ir behalf.<br />
As Swann wrote in his landmark History <strong>of</strong> Oil Field <strong>Diving</strong>, “...diving contractors in <strong>the</strong> Gulf <strong>of</strong><br />
Mexico began to realize that unless <strong>the</strong>y set up an association to police <strong>the</strong>mselves, <strong>the</strong> government<br />
in <strong>the</strong> form <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Coast Guard or some o<strong>the</strong>r body was going to do it for <strong>the</strong>m. Given <strong>the</strong><br />
competitive pressure <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> business and <strong>the</strong> strongly independent nature <strong>of</strong> diving entrepreneurs,<br />
it was no easy task.”<br />
Mike Hughes, <strong>the</strong> founder <strong>of</strong> Oceaneering International, was one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> key players in <strong>the</strong><br />
organization <strong>of</strong> ADC.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> first discussions about forming a contractor’s association started when it appeared that <strong>the</strong><br />
union was organizing a major push to unionize divers in <strong>the</strong> Gulf.” he later wrote. “<strong>The</strong> contractors<br />
thought it made sense to have a place to meet and discuss <strong>the</strong> threat <strong>of</strong> unionization and do what<br />
we could as a group to avoid conditions which would encourage divers to depend on a union.<br />
Frankly, we were more than a little irate that divers might believe some union organizers from up<br />
north could do more for <strong>the</strong>m than we would.”<br />
Ano<strong>the</strong>r major factor in <strong>the</strong> genesis <strong>of</strong> ADC was a desire on <strong>the</strong> part <strong>of</strong> contractors to have an<br />
organization that could work to standardize diver safety issues.<br />
“<strong>The</strong>re were some differences in how each contractor viewed some safety questions,” Hughes<br />
continued. “Some told <strong>the</strong> customers a [decompression] chamber would be required in a certain<br />
depth and o<strong>the</strong>rs were willing to work without one. Some contractors stretched <strong>the</strong> decompression<br />
schedules more than o<strong>the</strong>rs. <strong>The</strong>se differences caused some concern on <strong>the</strong> part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> divers.”<br />
Hughes and o<strong>the</strong>rs in <strong>the</strong> industry knew <strong>the</strong> importance <strong>of</strong> standardized procedures, but<br />
believed if <strong>the</strong>y could find a way to work things out among <strong>the</strong>mselves it would be far preferable<br />
to dealing with a union on those issues. Unions were at <strong>the</strong> height <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir power in <strong>the</strong> 1960s, but<br />
that did not mean <strong>the</strong>y were universally popular, especially in <strong>the</strong> South and Southwest.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> only problem was that we were a fiercely competitive and secretive group <strong>of</strong> contractors,<br />
many <strong>of</strong> whom had experienced various differences <strong>of</strong> opinions,” he remembered. “In more than a<br />
few cases, <strong>the</strong> issue was temporarily resolved with fists. Unfortunately, this seldom produced a<br />
permanent settlement.”<br />
At <strong>the</strong> time, <strong>the</strong> major players in <strong>the</strong> business were Taylor Divers, Dick Evans, Inc., Ocean<br />
Systems, World Wide Divers, and Santa Fe. Several smaller companies also had a respectable piece<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> market.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> first meeting as I recall was called by Ken Wallace <strong>of</strong> Taylor <strong>Diving</strong>,” Hughes went on. “We<br />
met for dinner at Chris’s Steak House out on Broadway in New Orleans. We had some great steaks<br />
and strong martinis which resulted in not many decisions, but at least no one hit anyone else that<br />
night. It was not a bad beginning for this group.”<br />
But <strong>the</strong>n, Hughes and <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r interested parties got some legal advice that an association<br />
might not be <strong>the</strong> best way to go. Such an organization, a lawyer said, might give <strong>the</strong> union a way<br />
to take on <strong>the</strong> whole industry at once ra<strong>the</strong>r than requiring <strong>the</strong>m to organize each company<br />
individually. Accordingly, <strong>the</strong>y dropped <strong>the</strong> idea <strong>of</strong> forming a contractor’s association.<br />
However, developing safety standards remained an important need. In fact, it became more urgent.<br />
As Hughes explained, “<strong>The</strong> Marine Technology Society was emerging as <strong>the</strong> principal oceanrelated<br />
industry organization. Many <strong>of</strong> us became active in MTS and used <strong>the</strong> MTS meetings as a<br />
place to come toge<strong>the</strong>r and talk about <strong>the</strong> diving industry.”<br />
Subject to constant innovation and everincreasing<br />
demands by industry,<br />
commercial divers have been given a<br />
voice—<strong>The</strong> Association <strong>of</strong> <strong>Diving</strong><br />
Contractors International.<br />
COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY<br />
POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE.<br />
THE HISTORY OF THE ADCI<br />
51
THE ADCI RESHAPES THE INDUSTRY<br />
A long, long time ago, (kind <strong>of</strong> sounds like a nursery story my mo<strong>the</strong>r used to read me, doesn’t it?) back in <strong>the</strong> early 1960s, <strong>the</strong> ADCI<br />
started with a bunch <strong>of</strong> entrepreneurial men, like:<br />
Danny Wilson, Subsea Divers<br />
Dick Evans, Dick Evans Divers<br />
Buck Frolich, Frolich Marine Divers<br />
John Gallettia, J&J Divers<br />
Mike Hughes, World Wide Divers<br />
Bob McGuire, McDermott Divers<br />
Jack Smith, S&H Divers<br />
Ken Wallace, Taylor <strong>Diving</strong> & Salvage<br />
And myself<br />
<strong>The</strong>se men and o<strong>the</strong>rs in commercial diving were involved in construction, salvage, drill rig support, inspection, pipeline, inshore,<br />
nuclear power plants, dams, and o<strong>the</strong>r underwater work. <strong>The</strong>y were hard-working men who wanted to make commercial diving a safe<br />
occupation. Each had <strong>the</strong>ir own vision <strong>of</strong> how and where <strong>the</strong>y wanted <strong>the</strong>ir companies to be in <strong>the</strong> future. <strong>The</strong>se men would work toge<strong>the</strong>r<br />
at <strong>the</strong> meetings but would cross <strong>the</strong> street if <strong>the</strong>y met each o<strong>the</strong>r outside <strong>the</strong> meetings. We started with a long table but <strong>the</strong>reafter went to<br />
round tables.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y were afraid <strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong>fshore industry would say something about <strong>the</strong>m fixing prices and or o<strong>the</strong>r shady business dealings. But <strong>the</strong> only<br />
competition we had was over competing for <strong>the</strong> best divers. At that time <strong>the</strong> only real forum that was available for <strong>the</strong> diving industry was<br />
<strong>the</strong> MTS Society.<br />
But its meetings were small and mainly directed towards R&D activities, and none <strong>of</strong> our customers really attended <strong>the</strong>se meetings.<br />
So, <strong>the</strong> ADC decided to establish <strong>the</strong> International <strong>Diving</strong> Symposium, which was held in <strong>the</strong> diving capital <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world, Morgan<br />
City, Louisiana.<br />
We solicited our vendors (twisted <strong>the</strong>ir arms) to take part in <strong>the</strong> symposium, as well as encouraged our customers and members to<br />
present technical papers. <strong>The</strong> Association’s motto at that time was: Communications, Education and Safety.<br />
Workers’ Compensation insurance was about forty-eight percent <strong>of</strong> gross payroll, so that alone was enough enticement for members to<br />
increase <strong>the</strong>ir pr<strong>of</strong>its without raising prices. That is if <strong>the</strong>y could get those rates lowered…most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> coverage came from Lloyds <strong>of</strong> London.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>of</strong>fshore industry was moving into deeper waters and was afraid that <strong>the</strong> diving industry wouldn’t be able to provide diving services<br />
at those depths. More bottom time would be required with less in-water decompression.<br />
Two very important aspects that changed commercial diving at this point <strong>of</strong> time was, in my view, were:<br />
First was <strong>the</strong> U.S. Navy. We recruited or I should say raided <strong>the</strong> Navy for master divers, technicians, operations supervisors, equipment<br />
supervisors. We had divers, but needed <strong>the</strong> deeper diving technology.<br />
I should also mention that Navy master divers were somewhat like <strong>the</strong> pied piper; <strong>the</strong>y had a following <strong>of</strong> men who trusted <strong>the</strong>m and<br />
followed <strong>the</strong>m into <strong>the</strong> commercial diving arena. Jack Lahm was <strong>the</strong> first Navy master diver our company hired. (Jack passed away several<br />
years ago, but won’t be forgotten.) With his team we moved into open-bottom bell diving.<br />
We later started using closed-bottom bells because <strong>the</strong> decompression was on deck and wouldn’t hold up <strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong>fshore industry’s<br />
equipment. Although <strong>the</strong> cost was much higher, our customers went along with <strong>the</strong> increased prices because <strong>the</strong> operations were more<br />
efficient and safer. Longer bottom times were again requested which meant that we had to move into helium diving, and <strong>the</strong>n eventually,<br />
saturation diving.<br />
Dr. Bill Gillen, who had done considerable<br />
hyperbaric research in <strong>the</strong> Navy, and was<br />
chairman <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> MTS’ “Man’s <strong>Underwater</strong><br />
Activities Committee” asked Hughes if he<br />
thought that developing standard diving<br />
safety rules would be a good project for <strong>the</strong><br />
committee. Hughes said he believed it would<br />
be and agreed to head a group tasked with<br />
giving it a try.<br />
“John Galletti was a member <strong>of</strong> our MTS<br />
committee and, in 1968, attended a meeting <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> USIA where diving safety standards were<br />
being seriously discussed,” Hughes recalled.<br />
“When we learned that an effort was under<br />
way to write standards without much industry<br />
involvement, we decided it was time to act.”<br />
That September, Hughes sent a letter to his<br />
fellow contractors requesting that <strong>the</strong>y attend<br />
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Again <strong>the</strong> U.S. Navy played a large role in assisting <strong>the</strong> commercial industry movement into <strong>the</strong>se activities. We hired some notable Navy<br />
personnel and <strong>the</strong>re were dozens more who assisted o<strong>the</strong>r member companies as well. Bud Mills contributed a lot in making commercial diving<br />
safer. He had been a medical corpsman, had lots <strong>of</strong> paperwork experience, excellent accident investigation skills—he’d been <strong>the</strong>re, done that.<br />
Bob Merriman, is <strong>the</strong> divers’ diver who deserves this award more than I do, and I hope that he receives it in <strong>the</strong> near future.<br />
Some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Navy personnel, although highly trained and very pr<strong>of</strong>essional in performing <strong>the</strong>ir duties, we thought would better serve<br />
us by moving <strong>the</strong>m into different positions based on <strong>the</strong>ir personalities, such as diving sales skills. Who best could explain in technical<br />
terms to our clients how diving in <strong>the</strong> GOM had changed? <strong>The</strong>refore, we moved Frank Mantell and Bobby Vendetto…into diving sales.<br />
Those two fellows brought us more sales at times than we could handle.<br />
<strong>The</strong>n, one day along came <strong>the</strong> “Flying Eyeball,” Dru Michel. Dru was with Taylor <strong>Diving</strong> & Salvage and introduced it into <strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong>fshore<br />
industry. Some o<strong>the</strong>rs thought that it was a good idea, like Jack Smith at S&H <strong>Diving</strong>. O<strong>the</strong>rs thought that it would cause <strong>the</strong>m to lose<br />
diving days, but eventually Dru and o<strong>the</strong>rs assisted in convincing me to purchasing some RCV 225s and later obtaining some RCV 150s.<br />
But where would I obtain <strong>the</strong> support personnel to operate and maintain those vehicles?<br />
I inquired around with our Navy divers about <strong>the</strong> Navy’s activities with ROVs. I was informed that yes <strong>the</strong> Navy did have and use <strong>the</strong>m<br />
but it was mainly black box type operations. Again <strong>the</strong> U.S. Navy to <strong>the</strong> rescue.<br />
When I asked for names <strong>of</strong> personnel I could contact for possible hiring I was told that <strong>the</strong>y knew <strong>of</strong> a fellow only by his nickname.<br />
After weeks <strong>of</strong> searching. I finally located <strong>the</strong> person whose nickname was Duke. I set up an interview with him in California. At <strong>the</strong><br />
meeting he gave me his resume, but a lot <strong>of</strong> good it did because it was marked classified on most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> answers.<br />
When I asked Duke what he did in <strong>the</strong> Navy he said it was classified. After much discussion I finally hired him, Duke Miller. Duke<br />
headed up our ROV’s worldwide. I was going to call him by his real name but no one here would know whom I was talking about.<br />
ROVs assisted in making commercial diving safer and less expensive along with moving diving into deeper depths faster than anyone expected.<br />
Earlier I mention <strong>the</strong>re were two aspects that really changed <strong>the</strong> commercial diving industry safety record, and gave it <strong>the</strong> respect it<br />
deserved. <strong>The</strong> second item was this:<br />
Well, now go back in time again into <strong>the</strong> late ’60s. <strong>The</strong> ADC board members performed all <strong>the</strong> activities for <strong>the</strong> association, gave lectures,<br />
speeches, presentations, etc to promote <strong>the</strong> organization. But when a board member performed one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se tasks, his company usually<br />
benefited by obtaining <strong>the</strong> contract and or that job.<br />
This didn’t set well with all <strong>the</strong> board members even though <strong>the</strong>y all had equal opportunity in performing those functions. <strong>The</strong> ADC<br />
started a search for someone to manage its operations.<br />
One day, Ken Wallace, who was with TD&S, which was part <strong>of</strong> Brown & Root, went to <strong>the</strong> Association <strong>of</strong> Building Contractors, a<br />
building contractors’ association that represented thousands <strong>of</strong> statewide companies, meeting in New Orleans. <strong>The</strong>re he was impressed<br />
with <strong>the</strong>ir spokesperson and brought him to <strong>the</strong> next board meeting.<br />
At that meeting we hired our first executive director, Jeff Hingle. Jeff was with us for 3 to 5 years. He now is, and has been for <strong>the</strong> past<br />
twenty-plus years, <strong>the</strong> sheriff <strong>of</strong> Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana.<br />
Now <strong>the</strong> ADC’s executive director could lead <strong>the</strong> association under <strong>the</strong> direction <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> board <strong>of</strong> directors. He would act as a third-party, nonbiased<br />
person in representing <strong>the</strong> ADC. <strong>The</strong> board was very happy. Of course o<strong>the</strong>r notable executive directors such as: Bob McArtle, Ross Saxton,<br />
and Phil Newsum followed over <strong>the</strong> past 46 years in maintaining <strong>the</strong> high standards that were established in <strong>the</strong> early years <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> association.<br />
With and through <strong>the</strong> entrepreneurial leadership <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> board <strong>of</strong> directors, today <strong>the</strong> ADC is clearly <strong>the</strong> only nationally recognized<br />
association that speaks for <strong>the</strong> commercial diving industry.<br />
- Tom Angel<br />
ADCI <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame<br />
a meeting to organize a non-pr<strong>of</strong>it industry<br />
association that would be based in Louisiana.<br />
Most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> contractors had <strong>the</strong>ir own inhouse<br />
safety standards, but that had begun to<br />
present problems.<br />
“Some <strong>of</strong> our customers were even starting<br />
to use our differences in policy as a<br />
negotiating tool,” Hughes said. ‘Company A<br />
will do such and such (basically cut some<br />
corner on safety)—why won’t you?’ As little<br />
contact as we had with each o<strong>the</strong>r, we could<br />
not easily learn whe<strong>the</strong>r this was true or not.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> contractors agreed to form <strong>the</strong><br />
Association <strong>of</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Contractors and<br />
Hughes was elected its first president with<br />
Tom Angel as secretary-treasurer.<br />
About <strong>the</strong> same time <strong>the</strong> ADC got up and<br />
running, <strong>the</strong> commercial diving industry<br />
THE HISTORY OF THE ADCI<br />
53
THE ADCI RESHAPES ITSELF<br />
When I first became aware <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> positive effects <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Association <strong>of</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Contractors (ADC) I was a diving supervisor/diver with a<br />
few years experience in deep bounce and saturation diving, mostly working overseas.<br />
<strong>The</strong> first underwater convention I attended was in <strong>the</strong> late 1970s. I was working for Ocean Systems and had just completed a sixweek<br />
rotation on a exploration drill ship in Venezuela. My flight landed in New Orleans just as <strong>the</strong> underwater event was getting<br />
underway. What an eye opener <strong>the</strong> event was—all <strong>the</strong> latest equipment, all <strong>the</strong> latest research, and <strong>the</strong> people who were behind all <strong>the</strong><br />
new technology, plus every bar in <strong>the</strong> French Quarter was full <strong>of</strong> divers. <strong>The</strong>y were easy to spot since most were physically fit and wearing<br />
a waterpro<strong>of</strong> watch.<br />
<strong>The</strong> equipment on display and technical papers were eye and brain candy to me. I just couldn’t get enough. This was where <strong>the</strong> shakers<br />
and movers <strong>of</strong> our industry ga<strong>the</strong>red to talk about new procedures, equipment, research, and, <strong>of</strong> course, <strong>the</strong> camaraderie.<br />
I still have my copy <strong>of</strong> Decompression Sickness and its <strong>The</strong>rapy, organized by <strong>the</strong> Association <strong>of</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Contractors and <strong>the</strong> Institute for<br />
Environmental Medicine. (University <strong>of</strong> Pennsylvania, April 1978, C. J. Lambertsen, editor.)<br />
I attended quite a few <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se annual shows through <strong>the</strong> years but it wasn’t until a few years later that I was introduced to <strong>the</strong> inner<br />
workings <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ADCI while I was working for Andre Galerne (IUC). He had just been elected president <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ADCI and was fully engaged<br />
in <strong>the</strong> process <strong>of</strong> resetting and <strong>the</strong> association to include <strong>the</strong> inland divers, international members and <strong>the</strong> creation <strong>of</strong> <strong>Underwater</strong> Magazine.<br />
We had quite a few conversations about its purpose and direction <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ADC. He had a vision for <strong>the</strong> association.<br />
More years pass and I am appointed to <strong>the</strong> ADCI board <strong>of</strong> directors representing two major diving companies—Stolt and <strong>the</strong>n Cal Dive<br />
International. Here is where <strong>the</strong> reality hit me (remember I am a card-carrying member) that every member <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> board is sitting at <strong>the</strong><br />
meetings with one goal—to ensure <strong>the</strong> standards and level <strong>of</strong> safety meet or exceed best industry standards, as well as regulatory standards.<br />
<strong>The</strong> meetings are interesting. After all, this is <strong>the</strong> heartbeat <strong>of</strong> commercial diving operational sanity. Some members have different views<br />
but, at <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> day, <strong>the</strong> voting on each issue was completed via a majority consensus. A couple <strong>of</strong> years later I was honored to be<br />
elected to be chairman <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> board and president <strong>of</strong> ADCI. This job lasted for six one-year terms.<br />
As one can imagine, this was not an easy job; you learn as each moment passes. During <strong>the</strong> first meeting I perspired like I was in a<br />
sauna. I learned to keep my mouth closed until o<strong>the</strong>rs had spoken; I tried to keep my opinion till last. I studied and implemented “Robert’s<br />
Rules <strong>of</strong> Order” in a relaxed manner to allow a free exchange <strong>of</strong> ideas and opinions as everyone was entitled to express his opinion. I found<br />
myself at times acting as a referee ra<strong>the</strong>r than chairman. Fifteen-minute breaks helped to re-focus <strong>the</strong> agenda.<br />
We created an aggressive agenda to re-write <strong>the</strong> consensus standards for <strong>the</strong> twenty-first century, and a new evergreen standard now<br />
called <strong>the</strong> International Consensus Standards for <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> and <strong>Underwater</strong> Operations, 6.0 Edition. This was a major task<br />
because we started from scratch to completely review every issue and wrote <strong>the</strong> standards to meet and exceed best industry practices. This<br />
realized <strong>the</strong> new Occupational Safety and<br />
Health Administration (OSHA was created in<br />
December 1970) likely would try to come up<br />
with safety rules that would be federally<br />
imposed. <strong>Industry</strong> leaders wanted to develop<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir own standard operating procedures and<br />
<strong>the</strong>n if necessary, spar with OSHA over <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
adequacy and acceptability.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> OSHA threat did not go away just<br />
because we formed ADC and continued to<br />
work on <strong>the</strong> MTS safety standards,” Hughes<br />
said. “<strong>The</strong> day came when we were notified<br />
that...formal open hearings on diving<br />
safety standards would be held in<br />
Washington. I was elected to go to<br />
Washington and speak. I worked hard at<br />
putting toge<strong>the</strong>r a passionate argument that<br />
ADC knew more about commercial diving<br />
than <strong>the</strong> government bureaucrats ever would.<br />
We wanted to convince OSHA to let us finish<br />
our standards and <strong>the</strong>n have <strong>the</strong>m accepted.”<br />
Hughes flew to Washington and went to<br />
<strong>the</strong> building where <strong>the</strong> hearings were<br />
underway. <strong>The</strong>re was a large auditorium with<br />
a podium on <strong>the</strong> main floor between <strong>the</strong> front<br />
seats and a raised stage.<br />
“I took a seat in <strong>the</strong> back <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> auditorium<br />
and looked <strong>the</strong> situation over,” he said. “<strong>The</strong> government<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficials who were <strong>the</strong>re to hear testimony<br />
were seated up on <strong>the</strong> stage behind a long<br />
table which stretched across <strong>the</strong> stage. <strong>The</strong>re<br />
were at least fifteen <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m, but <strong>the</strong>y all seemed<br />
to be coming and going, talking to each o<strong>the</strong>r, or<br />
even sleeping. What <strong>the</strong>y were not doing was listening<br />
to <strong>the</strong> people who were testifying.”<br />
Even worse, <strong>the</strong> podium was turned so it<br />
faced <strong>the</strong> audience in <strong>the</strong> auditorium, not <strong>the</strong><br />
OSHA <strong>of</strong>ficials on <strong>the</strong> stage.<br />
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54
took nearly three years and many hours on <strong>the</strong> part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> executive committee to finish. I cringe to think <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> corrections and many<br />
typos we discovered.<br />
We also reviewed <strong>the</strong> by-laws <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> association and added teeth to <strong>the</strong> membership, where if a member <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> association acts in a manner<br />
disregarding <strong>the</strong> consensus standards <strong>the</strong> board can review and ei<strong>the</strong>r terminate or suspend <strong>the</strong> membership <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> company. Why, you ask?<br />
Well, if one company acts foolishly and unsafe by ignoring <strong>the</strong> consensus standards it affects <strong>the</strong> credibility <strong>of</strong> every member <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> association.<br />
We also initiated a mandatory reporting <strong>of</strong> accidents and fatalities, as well as membership audits <strong>of</strong> personnel document and equipment<br />
inspection, maintenance, and testing.<br />
<strong>The</strong> new standards have:<br />
• A minimum bailout bottle capacity for all depths.<br />
• Emergency Diver Evacuation Standards requiring a means <strong>of</strong> diver evacuation from saturation systems.<br />
• PVHO maintenance guide.<br />
• Contaminated water diving guide.<br />
• <strong>Diving</strong> on DP vessels.<br />
• Translated into Spanish and Chinese.<br />
Various new committees were formed:<br />
• Saturation <strong>Diving</strong> Safety Committee.<br />
• Civil Engineering <strong>Diving</strong> Committee.<br />
• Medical Physician Committee.<br />
How did this help <strong>the</strong> association? <strong>The</strong> membership was one hundred percent behind this and <strong>the</strong> response from our regulatory agencies<br />
was very positive. <strong>Working</strong> relationships were signed with <strong>the</strong> U.S. Coast Guard, OSHA and ANSI (American National Standards Institute),<br />
and ACDE (Association <strong>of</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Educators).<br />
Yes, <strong>the</strong> Association <strong>of</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Contractors International has been a very positive experience for <strong>the</strong> industry and <strong>of</strong> course me. It was<br />
an honor to be a part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> association.<br />
<strong>The</strong> future is very bright for <strong>the</strong> ADCI. <strong>The</strong> ongoing question is, “What are we doing well and what can we do to make it better to<br />
uphold our values <strong>of</strong> safety, education, and communication?”<br />
Finally, we cannot forget Phil Newsum who has been <strong>the</strong> focal point <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> success <strong>the</strong> association since he first became executive<br />
director…he gets things done. Thank you Phil.<br />
- Bill Crowley<br />
Past President, ADCI<br />
<strong>The</strong> Divex display from <strong>the</strong> 1991 ADCI<br />
convention.<br />
THE HISTORY OF THE ADCI<br />
55
<strong>The</strong> show floor at an ADCI convention is<br />
<strong>the</strong> chance for <strong>the</strong> ADCI’s 600 members to<br />
display <strong>the</strong>ir latest technical innovations,<br />
products, and services.<br />
COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> person testifying couldn’t even see <strong>the</strong><br />
people on <strong>the</strong> stage,” Hughes said. “<strong>The</strong> only<br />
people in <strong>the</strong> audience were people like me who<br />
were <strong>the</strong>re to testify. Basically we were talking to<br />
each o<strong>the</strong>r and <strong>the</strong> government was ignoring us.<br />
<strong>The</strong> more I watched <strong>the</strong> madder I got.”<br />
<strong>Diving</strong> safety standards were only one <strong>of</strong><br />
numerous issues before <strong>the</strong> panel that day.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> man who spoke before me was a<br />
representative <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Michigan Highway<br />
Contractors Association,” Hughes said. “My<br />
turn finally came and <strong>the</strong>y called me up to <strong>the</strong><br />
front <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> auditorium. As I walked up, not<br />
one single person on <strong>the</strong> stage was even<br />
looking at me, much less acting like <strong>the</strong>y<br />
intended to listen.”<br />
Hughes put his speech down on <strong>the</strong><br />
podium and gripped his hands on ei<strong>the</strong>r side.<br />
<strong>The</strong> speaker’s stand was made <strong>of</strong> heavy oak,<br />
about three feet square and five feet high.<br />
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56
THE ADCI CONTINUES TO BUILD UPON ITS SUCCESSES<br />
Regardless <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> places I have worked, or <strong>the</strong> positions that I have held, I have been<br />
fortunate enough to have spent my entire diving career working for ADCI member companies.<br />
<strong>The</strong> ADCI Consensus Standards for <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> and <strong>Underwater</strong> Operations are not<br />
only recognized as best industry practice here in <strong>the</strong> U.S., but in many o<strong>the</strong>r parts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se standards, combined with <strong>the</strong> wealth <strong>of</strong> experience that our diverse membership<br />
provides, have been vital resources to our organization; providing us with <strong>the</strong> guidance<br />
necessary to conduct diving operations as safely as possible.<br />
Having also served on <strong>the</strong> ADCI board <strong>of</strong> directors for nearly a decade, I can attest to <strong>the</strong><br />
fact that our membership is passionate, knowledgeable, and committed; constantly evolving<br />
and working to be at <strong>the</strong> forefront <strong>of</strong> best practices for our industry.<br />
Without a doubt, having been elected as <strong>the</strong> ADCI’s president for 2017 is one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
greatest honors <strong>of</strong> my commercial diving career. I am consistently surrounded by good people<br />
working to achieve one goal—building upon <strong>the</strong> success <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> past fifty years in order to keep<br />
divers safe.<br />
- Bryan Nicholls<br />
President, ADCI<br />
“I dragged it around until it faced <strong>the</strong><br />
stage,” Hughes continued. “<strong>The</strong> microphone<br />
on <strong>the</strong> podium made a heck <strong>of</strong> a racket as <strong>the</strong><br />
podium grated on <strong>the</strong> floor.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> noise got <strong>the</strong> attention <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> panel and<br />
even woke up two men who had been asleep.<br />
“I realize you gentlemen have had a long<br />
day, but I’ve come a long way to say<br />
something which is very important to me and<br />
my fellow contractors,” Hughes said. “I’d<br />
appreciate it if you could at least give me your<br />
attention for a few minutes.”<br />
At that, he recalled, <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs waiting in<br />
<strong>the</strong> auditorium burst into applause.<br />
His talk, he said, probably didn’t have<br />
much to do with <strong>the</strong> eventual outcome <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> OSHA regulations, but it did feel to<br />
him like ADC had at least gotten a hearing<br />
in Washington.<br />
“A lot <strong>of</strong> us worked hard for several more<br />
years to hammer out a reasonable<br />
understanding about diving safety standards,”<br />
he continued. “It was truly an effort <strong>of</strong> most <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> contractors, large and small. That effort<br />
also showed us we could work toge<strong>the</strong>r and<br />
weren’t such bad guys after all. ADC has come<br />
a long way since <strong>the</strong>n, but it probably won’t<br />
encounter anything as challenging as getting<br />
that first group <strong>of</strong> guys toge<strong>the</strong>r.”<br />
As Dive Training Magazine explained, “<strong>The</strong><br />
basic ADC <strong>Commercial</strong> Diver certification is<br />
Entry Level Tender/Diver. To earn more<br />
advanced certifications, a diver must log<br />
experience in <strong>the</strong> field (called “field days”)<br />
and underwater (referred to as “working<br />
dives”). Divers are required to receive<br />
on-<strong>the</strong>-job training to be eligible for<br />
more advanced commercial diver certification<br />
unless <strong>the</strong>y received <strong>the</strong> required formal<br />
training through an accredited commercial<br />
diving school, military dive school, or<br />
<strong>the</strong> equivalent.”<br />
Today <strong>the</strong> ADCI—now based in<br />
Houston—has more than 600 member<br />
companies, furnishing services and support<br />
for <strong>the</strong> conduct <strong>of</strong> safe underwater operations<br />
from 41 nations throughout <strong>the</strong> world.<br />
Encompassing <strong>of</strong>fshore and inland sectors <strong>of</strong><br />
diving, ADCI is comprised <strong>of</strong> segments from<br />
<strong>the</strong> business, educational and medical<br />
communities. ADCI cooperates and participates<br />
with state and federal regulatory agencies and<br />
works closely with all stakeholders to develop<br />
standards that are consistent and attainable,<br />
while meeting <strong>the</strong> highest standards <strong>of</strong> safety<br />
for underwater operations.<br />
ADCI now has four membership<br />
classifications. General membership is for<br />
THE HISTORY OF THE ADCI<br />
57
ADCI sets industry standards for<br />
educationa nd safety that have made a<br />
lasting, positive impact upon <strong>the</strong> commercial<br />
diving industry.<br />
COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY<br />
POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE.<br />
those members who conduct commercial<br />
diving as a substantial part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir business.<br />
Associate members support general members<br />
through <strong>the</strong> training <strong>of</strong> personnel engaged in<br />
commercial diving services, and/or through<br />
<strong>the</strong> manufacturing/supporting <strong>of</strong> goods and<br />
services. Supporting members are “for pr<strong>of</strong>its”<br />
or “not for pr<strong>of</strong>its” that support <strong>the</strong> mission<br />
and purpose <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ADCI. This includes<br />
government regulatory authorities, oversight<br />
agencies and military authorities among<br />
o<strong>the</strong>rs. Affiliate membership includes any<br />
organization that supports <strong>the</strong> purposes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
ADCI that is invited by <strong>the</strong> board <strong>of</strong> directors.<br />
<strong>The</strong> mission <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ADCI is:<br />
• To promote <strong>the</strong> highest level <strong>of</strong> safety in<br />
<strong>the</strong> practice <strong>of</strong> commercial diving and<br />
underwater operations.<br />
• To promote proper and adequate training<br />
and education for industry personnel.<br />
• To foster open communication within <strong>the</strong><br />
underwater industry.<br />
• To hold all members accountable<br />
in adherence to <strong>the</strong> Consensus<br />
Standards for <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> and<br />
<strong>Underwater</strong> Operations.<br />
Recognized as <strong>the</strong> premiere association<br />
that issues safe diving guidelines through<br />
its International Consensus Standards for<br />
<strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> and <strong>Underwater</strong><br />
Operations, ADCI is also <strong>the</strong> primary entity<br />
for <strong>the</strong> issuance <strong>of</strong> certifications for diving<br />
personnel in <strong>the</strong> United States. and many<br />
regions globally.<br />
ADCI has formal partnerships with <strong>the</strong> U.S.<br />
Coast Guard, <strong>the</strong> American Salvage<br />
Association, <strong>the</strong> U.S. Navy’s Naval Sea Systems<br />
Command (Supervisor <strong>of</strong> Salvage and <strong>Diving</strong>),<br />
as well as with several navies in <strong>the</strong> Latin<br />
America and Asia Pacific sectors. <strong>The</strong> U.S.<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Labor, Occupational Safety and<br />
Health Administration (OSHA) “recognizes<br />
ADCI standards as <strong>the</strong> best established<br />
industry practice.”<br />
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58
CELEBRATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ADCI<br />
At my first ADC meeting in 1974 little did I think I’d observe this<br />
50th Anniversary <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> organization. <strong>The</strong> success <strong>of</strong> ADC (now<br />
ADCI) has only been achieved through <strong>the</strong> efforts <strong>of</strong> many<br />
committed persons and member companies; all working to enhance<br />
and continually improve safety throughout <strong>the</strong> international<br />
commercial diving pr<strong>of</strong>ession while simultaneously cooperating and<br />
educating <strong>the</strong> implementing government agencies under whose laws<br />
we must operate. I am proud to have served in many roles over <strong>the</strong><br />
years and to have been given an opportunity to contribute.<br />
- Ross Saxon, Ph.D. LCDR USN (Ret)<br />
Former Executive Director, ADCI<br />
ADCI <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame<br />
Congratulations to <strong>the</strong> ADCI on its fifty-year anniversary! And<br />
many thanks to <strong>the</strong> ADCI for its dedication and service to <strong>the</strong><br />
commercial diving industry. <strong>The</strong> ADCI has done more to promote and<br />
implement commercial diving safety than any o<strong>the</strong>r entity. From<br />
drafting <strong>the</strong> first National Safety Consensus Standard to <strong>the</strong> present<br />
International Safety Consensus Standard, to commercial diver<br />
certification, to <strong>the</strong> present audit initiative, and so many, many more<br />
activities, that not only promoted diver safety, but also protected its<br />
member firms from overregulation by government and outside<br />
entities. All industry stakeholders owe a debt <strong>of</strong> gratitude to <strong>the</strong> ADCI,<br />
and must continue to support this organization in our ultimate goal <strong>of</strong><br />
getting our divers and dive support crews home safely!<br />
Again, Congratulations to <strong>the</strong> ADCI for 50 great years!<br />
- Jon Hazelbaker<br />
<strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Consultant<br />
Hammerhead Marine Services, LLC<br />
ADCI <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame<br />
Congratulations to ADCI, and particularly <strong>the</strong> great André<br />
Galerne, for creating a modern, cohesive, internationally respected,<br />
organization from a group <strong>of</strong> strongly independent individuals who<br />
operated a “My Way or <strong>the</strong> Highway” system <strong>of</strong> a mongrel industry<br />
(non)co-operation back in <strong>the</strong> 1940s-1970s. A true fifty-year<br />
American success story!<br />
- Leslie Leaney<br />
Co-founder, Historical <strong>Diving</strong> Society USA<br />
Founder, <strong>The</strong> Journal <strong>of</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> History<br />
Founding Trustee, Santa Barbara Maritime Museum<br />
ADCI <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame<br />
<strong>The</strong> ADCI, including all <strong>the</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essionals and o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
Passionate Men and Women, who unselfishly contributed,<br />
voluntarily, with <strong>the</strong>ir time and hard work to make <strong>the</strong> Association<br />
a definitive voice for <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong>, have been an<br />
enormous part <strong>of</strong> my pr<strong>of</strong>ession and my career, spanning over forty<br />
years to date. Thank you and happy fiftieth anniversary!<br />
- Mike Brown<br />
Onyx Services, Inc.<br />
Past President, ADCI<br />
I want to congratulate <strong>the</strong> many people, both staff and<br />
volunteers, who have made <strong>the</strong> ADCI what it is today—fifty years,<br />
truly a remarkable milestone! From very humble beginnings, <strong>the</strong><br />
organization has grown to represent our industry throughout <strong>the</strong><br />
world and, most importantly, to help ensure <strong>the</strong> safety <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> guy on<br />
<strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> hose!<br />
- Craig Fortenbery<br />
Founder, Mainstream <strong>Commercial</strong> Divers, Inc.<br />
Past President, ADCI<br />
For over thirty years <strong>the</strong> ADCI has been a reliable ally to Dryden<br />
<strong>Diving</strong>. We could not have reached <strong>the</strong> level <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essionalism we<br />
have today without <strong>the</strong>m. Thanks to <strong>the</strong>ir guidance our crews are<br />
among <strong>the</strong> most pr<strong>of</strong>essional in <strong>the</strong> industry.<br />
- Donald Dryden<br />
President, Dryden <strong>Diving</strong> Company, Inc.<br />
I have witnessed in my twenty-five years with <strong>the</strong> ADCI its<br />
progress from requiring not much more from its diving contractors<br />
than its desire to operate safely, and having no diver certification, to<br />
an association with universally accepted standards for contractors<br />
and training centers, plus universal certifications for divers.<br />
Congratulations, ADCI!<br />
- Barbara Treadway<br />
Manager, Administrative Services, ADCI<br />
East Coast Chapter Chairman<br />
THE HISTORY OF THE ADCI<br />
59
THE COMMERCIAL DIVING HALL OF FAME<br />
Since 2005, ADCI has inducted selected nominees into <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame. <strong>The</strong>se individuals are nominated from all walks<br />
<strong>of</strong> life and represent men and women who throughout <strong>the</strong>ir lifetime have made a recognized and lasting contribution to commercial diving.<br />
<strong>The</strong> genesis <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> program goes back a year before, when in 2004, <strong>the</strong> board <strong>of</strong> directors decided to establish <strong>the</strong> Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame with <strong>the</strong><br />
first group <strong>of</strong> inductees being those who had previously been awarded ei<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> John B. Galletti Memorial Award (established in 1978) or<br />
<strong>the</strong> Tom Devine Memorial Award (established in 1995).<br />
That initial group included 33 persons and one additional dedicated Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame selectee to represent 2004. This group had 25 prior<br />
John B. Galletti Memorial Award winners and 8 prior Tom Devine Memorial Award honorees.<br />
With <strong>the</strong> passage <strong>of</strong> time <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame nominees has slowed. This may be due to a lack <strong>of</strong> understanding <strong>of</strong> what <strong>the</strong><br />
Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame is intended to represent or simply because as <strong>the</strong> commercial diving community continues to grow <strong>the</strong> contributions <strong>of</strong><br />
individual persons become less evident. It also may be that some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> individuals deserving recognition are from small nations where <strong>the</strong><br />
commercial diving community is not as well recognized as in o<strong>the</strong>r parts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> globe. Even so, many people from <strong>the</strong> industry’s global<br />
community have dedicated <strong>the</strong>ir lives to improving commercial diving in one way or ano<strong>the</strong>r. <strong>The</strong>se may be men and women who have<br />
been commercial divers, developers <strong>of</strong> equipment, contributors to <strong>the</strong> medical sciences used to keep divers safe, safety pr<strong>of</strong>essionals who<br />
recognize and alert <strong>the</strong> community to on-<strong>the</strong>-job hazards, individuals who establish companies to employ commercial divers or o<strong>the</strong>rs who<br />
produce improved tools for underwater use.<br />
- Adapted from ADCI website.<br />
List <strong>of</strong> Prior Awardees<br />
(Note: Posthumous awards are noted by <strong>the</strong> letter “P”)<br />
John B. Galleti Memorial Award<br />
Capt. George Bond (P) 1978<br />
Cdr. Jackie Warner (P) 1979<br />
Dr. Chris Lambertsen 1980<br />
Hugh (Dan) Wilson 1981<br />
Bev Morgan 1982<br />
D. Michael Hughes 1983<br />
Dick Evens (P) 1984<br />
George W. Samson (P) 1985<br />
Jim Joiner 1986<br />
Henri Delauze 1987<br />
Phil Nuytten 1988<br />
Murray Black (P) 1989<br />
Lad Handelman 1990<br />
Dr. Joseph McInnis 1991<br />
Herbert G. Newbury (P) 1992<br />
John T. Johnson 1993<br />
Jack D. Smith, Jr. 1994<br />
Andre Galerne 1995<br />
Ellis R. Cross (P) 1996<br />
Joe Savoie (P) 1997<br />
Steve Helburn 1998<br />
Bill Dore 1999<br />
Bob Kirby 2000<br />
Ross Saxon 2001<br />
Conway Whitey Grubbs (P) 2002<br />
R. H. (Dutchy) Holland 2003<br />
Tom Devine Memorial Award<br />
Ms. Bernice McKenzie 1995<br />
Juan R. Cr<strong>of</strong>ton 1996<br />
Mike McGovern 1997<br />
Fred Aichele 1999<br />
Rick Jager 2000<br />
John Hazelbaker 2001<br />
Jim Caldwell 2002<br />
Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame Award<br />
Bob Barth 2005<br />
Rodney Cruze 2006<br />
Dick Long 2006<br />
Torrence Parker 2006<br />
Jack Reedy 2006<br />
Walter (Whitey) Stephens 2007<br />
Wilber (Jerry) O’Neill 2007<br />
Dr. Jeff Zhang 2008<br />
Dr. Robert Workman (P) 2008<br />
John Manlove (P) 2008<br />
Norman Ketcham 2008<br />
Lazaro Del Castillo 2008<br />
Dr. Joseph Serio 2009<br />
Leonard Greenstone 2009<br />
Robert W. Honaker 2009<br />
Bud Mills 2010<br />
Bob Ratcliff 2010<br />
Ben Miller 2011<br />
Tom Angel 2011<br />
Joe Sanford (P) 2011<br />
Paul Leblanc 2012<br />
Drew Michel 2012<br />
Lawrence Goldberg 2013<br />
Bob Merriman 2013<br />
Richard Geyer 2013<br />
Van T. Bell (P) 2014<br />
George Cundiff 2014<br />
Dr. Keith Van Meter, M.D. 2014<br />
Dr. John Beran 2015<br />
Denny Swartz 2015<br />
S. Joe Vidrine 2015<br />
Mike Von Alvensleben 2016<br />
George Wiswell 2016<br />
Leslie Leaney 2017<br />
Owen Boyles 2017<br />
Mike Ward 2018<br />
Craig Fortenbery 2018<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
60
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY<br />
Delgado, James P. Misadventures <strong>of</strong> a Civil War Submarine: Iron, Guns and Pearls. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2012.<br />
Green, John B. <strong>Diving</strong>, With and Without Armor: Containing <strong>the</strong> Submarine Exploits <strong>of</strong> J.B. Green, <strong>the</strong> Celebrated Submarine Diver. Buffalo:<br />
Faxon's Steam Powered Press, 1859.<br />
Hughes, D. Michael. Oceaneer: From <strong>the</strong> Bottom <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Sea to <strong>the</strong> Boardroom. NP, 2015.<br />
Kuntz, Jerry. <strong>The</strong> Heroic Age <strong>of</strong> <strong>Diving</strong>: America's <strong>Underwater</strong> Pioneers and <strong>the</strong> Great Wrecks <strong>of</strong> Lake Erie. Albany: State University <strong>of</strong> New York<br />
Press, 2016.<br />
Marx, Robert F. <strong>The</strong> History <strong>of</strong> <strong>Underwater</strong> Exploration. New York: Dover Publications, 1978, 1990.<br />
Swann, Christopher. <strong>The</strong> History <strong>of</strong> Oilfield <strong>Diving</strong>: An Individual Adventure. Santa Barbara, California: Oceanaut Press, 2007.<br />
COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE.<br />
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY<br />
61
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
62
SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
SPECIAL<br />
THANKS TO<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>iles <strong>of</strong> businesses, organizations,<br />
and families that have contributed to<br />
Collins Engineers, Inc.<br />
<strong>the</strong> development and continued growth <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> commercial diving industry<br />
<strong>Underwater</strong> Construction Corporation..............................................64<br />
J.F. Brennan Company, Inc. ............................................................70<br />
Logan <strong>Diving</strong> & Salvage ................................................................74<br />
Eason <strong>Diving</strong> & Marine Contractors, Inc. ........................................78<br />
Mainstream <strong>Commercial</strong> Divers, Inc. ..............................................80<br />
<strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> & Marine Services, Inc. ......................................82<br />
Divers Institute <strong>of</strong> Technology ........................................................84<br />
W.J. Castle P.E. & Associates, P.C. ..................................................86<br />
DRS Marine Inc. ..........................................................................88<br />
Global <strong>Diving</strong> & Salvage, Inc. ........................................................90<br />
Marine <strong>Diving</strong> Technology Class <strong>of</strong> 1973—<br />
Santa Barbara City College.......................................................92<br />
American Marine Corporation ........................................................94<br />
Teichman Group <strong>of</strong> Companies ........................................................96<br />
STS Chile<br />
(STS Marine Engineering and Constructing Limited) ......................98<br />
Walker <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Underwater</strong> Construction LLC ..................................100<br />
Marion Hill Associates <strong>Diving</strong> and Marine Services Group.................102<br />
ONYX Services, Inc. ....................................................................104<br />
U.S. <strong>Underwater</strong> Services, LLC .....................................................105<br />
Subsalve USA.............................................................................106<br />
Hammerhead Marine Services, LLC<br />
<strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Services, Inc. .............................................107<br />
Dryden <strong>Diving</strong> Company, Inc. .......................................................108<br />
Chesapeake Bay <strong>Diving</strong>, Inc..........................................................109<br />
Resolve Marine Group .................................................................110<br />
Association <strong>of</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Contractors International...............................111<br />
Enviroscience, Inc.<br />
Historical <strong>Diving</strong> Society USA<br />
Lakes & Rivers<br />
Contractors, Inc.<br />
National University<br />
Polytechnic Institute<br />
<strong>The</strong> Ocean Corporation<br />
Randive, Inc.<br />
SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
63
UNDERWATER<br />
CONSTRUCTION<br />
CORPORATION<br />
Approaching fifty years <strong>of</strong> industry<br />
innovation and job creation<br />
Above: Co-Founder, John Chiangi, Sr.,<br />
in 1972 preparing to test radiological dive<br />
equipment to be used at <strong>the</strong> Yankee Rowe<br />
Nuclear Plant.<br />
Below: UCC divers completing <strong>the</strong> first<br />
successful radiological dives at <strong>the</strong> Yankee<br />
Rowe Nuclear Plant in January <strong>of</strong> 1973.<br />
<strong>Underwater</strong> Construction Corporation (UCC)<br />
was founded in 1969 by John Chiangi, Sr.<br />
and Stuart Leech. Both men had previously<br />
worked for a Connecticut-based company<br />
called Marine Contracting, Inc. where <strong>the</strong>y<br />
gained <strong>the</strong>ir respective knowledge in commercial<br />
diving. It was here in <strong>the</strong> 1960s<br />
that <strong>the</strong>y performed <strong>the</strong> first commercial<br />
saturation dives at Smith Mountain Dam in<br />
Virginia. Although very little commercial<br />
diving had been performed at power plants<br />
in <strong>the</strong> past, this method <strong>of</strong> diving service<br />
was rapidly growing in <strong>the</strong> industry. <strong>The</strong><br />
founders took this experience and shaped<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir vision to expand UCC’s diving services<br />
into <strong>the</strong> fossil, nuclear, and hydro-electric<br />
power markets.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> company’s first significant<br />
milestones occurred in <strong>the</strong> early 1970s when<br />
UCC pioneered radiological diving, and<br />
made <strong>the</strong> first <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se dives at <strong>the</strong> Yankee<br />
Rowe Nuclear Plant in Rowe, Massachusetts.<br />
This inventive approach, although new,<br />
caught on quickly and, by <strong>the</strong> early 1980s,<br />
<strong>the</strong> company’s radiological diving was<br />
being performed in several nuclear plants<br />
throughout <strong>the</strong> domestic United States. UCC’s<br />
unique ability to <strong>of</strong>fer such a specialized<br />
service helped <strong>the</strong> company expand its<br />
marine diving applications at an accelerated<br />
pace. Throughout <strong>the</strong> 1980s, UCC had<br />
numerous service contracts with customers<br />
in <strong>the</strong> power industry, as well as with owners<br />
<strong>of</strong> several water dependent facilities.<br />
In 1986 <strong>the</strong> founders decided it was time<br />
to leave <strong>the</strong> company when it was acquired<br />
by a publicly owned asbestos abatement company<br />
named <strong>The</strong> Brand Companies. Under<br />
public ownership, Chiangi’s son, John, Jr.,<br />
took over as president <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> company. At<br />
this time, UCC was still relatively small with<br />
annual revenues <strong>of</strong> less than 5 million and<br />
roughly thirty employees. However, UCC’s<br />
new parent company pushed for rapid growth<br />
regardless <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> means. By <strong>the</strong> late 1980s,<br />
UCC, through its parent company, began<br />
acquiring and starting-up separate companies,<br />
most <strong>of</strong> which were unrelated to diving.<br />
During <strong>the</strong> next several years, UCC struggled<br />
with its identity and navigated through<br />
name and ownership changes when <strong>The</strong><br />
Brand Companies was finally acquired.<br />
Despite <strong>the</strong>se hurdles, UCC continued to<br />
grow in both <strong>the</strong> specialized radiological<br />
diving and marine diving services. In fact,<br />
1987 would be <strong>the</strong> year <strong>the</strong> company<br />
completed its first international project at a<br />
nuclear plant in Taiwan. As a result, <strong>the</strong><br />
company went on to successfully complete<br />
several nuclear plant projects throughout<br />
Taiwan from <strong>the</strong> late 1980s and into <strong>the</strong><br />
early 2000s.<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
64
<strong>The</strong> year 1989 proved to be a monumental<br />
year for UCC when its parent company<br />
acquired Lakeshore Marine, located in<br />
St. Joseph, Michigan. This allowed <strong>the</strong> company<br />
to expand its operations west to <strong>the</strong><br />
Great Lakes region and service a host <strong>of</strong> new<br />
customers. Additionally, it enabled UCC to<br />
more effectively service existing clients, like<br />
one noteworthy customer located on Lake<br />
Michigan, which UCC signed a contract with<br />
in 1987, and happens to be UCC’s longest<br />
running contract to date. <strong>The</strong> company’s<br />
primary Midwest <strong>of</strong>fice eventually relocated<br />
to Stevensville, Michigan, where it remains<br />
today. Over <strong>the</strong> past twenty-eight years <strong>the</strong><br />
hard work and effort <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Midwest division<br />
now accounts for roughly thirty percent <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> company’s combined annual revenues.<br />
Also in 1989, while still under <strong>the</strong> pressures<br />
<strong>of</strong> its parent company, UCC took on<br />
two <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> largest projects <strong>the</strong> company had<br />
ever performed up until that time. <strong>The</strong> first<br />
was a massive re-rack project at a nuclear<br />
plant in California. This was a two-year<br />
project that alone accounted for roughly one<br />
half <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> company’s annual revenues. <strong>The</strong><br />
second was a challenging marine construction<br />
project for Metro-North Commuter Railroad<br />
in Connecticut that involved <strong>the</strong> extensive<br />
rehabilitation <strong>of</strong> four railroad bridges over<br />
a two-year period. Both projects were a<br />
great success and helped <strong>the</strong> company gain<br />
substantial recognition in <strong>the</strong> nuclear and<br />
marine diving industry.<br />
In <strong>the</strong> early 1990s, ano<strong>the</strong>r significant<br />
milestone achievement for UCC came from<br />
<strong>the</strong> company’s extensive R&D with underwater<br />
welding, which was a highly-specialized<br />
service that nuclear power plants around <strong>the</strong><br />
world could benefit from. UCC had already<br />
caught <strong>the</strong> attention <strong>of</strong> a worldwide reactor<br />
service company, which hired <strong>the</strong>m to perform<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir first international underwater<br />
welding project at <strong>the</strong> C<strong>of</strong>rentes nuclear site<br />
in Spain. This endeavor created a viable new<br />
market and a multitude <strong>of</strong> new welding projects<br />
for UCC to be involved in. In 1991, UCC<br />
received approval from Japanese authorities to<br />
weld in Japan, thus creating additional new<br />
opportunities for <strong>the</strong> company. To enhance<br />
this endeavor, a state-<strong>of</strong>-<strong>the</strong>-art hyperbaric<br />
facility was established in Essex, Connecticut,<br />
where it is still used today to perform R&D,<br />
and underwater welding training and certifications<br />
used on safety-related components<br />
around <strong>the</strong> world.<br />
In 1994, after eight years as president,<br />
John, Jr., parted with <strong>the</strong> company his<br />
fa<strong>the</strong>r founded some twenty-five years before.<br />
Ra<strong>the</strong>r than replace him, <strong>the</strong> parent company<br />
chose to leave <strong>the</strong> business in <strong>the</strong> capable<br />
hands <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> existing management group, all<br />
<strong>of</strong> whom had worked for <strong>the</strong> company for<br />
many years. In that same year, UCC began<br />
a relationship with one <strong>of</strong> its long-time<br />
competitors in <strong>the</strong> re-racking market that<br />
Above: UCC diver/welder entering<br />
<strong>the</strong> water at a nuclear plant where<br />
modifications were performed on<br />
reactor components.<br />
Below: View <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> internal portion <strong>of</strong><br />
a reactor vessel inside a nuclear plant.<br />
<strong>The</strong> purple glow is <strong>the</strong> highly-irradiated<br />
fuel that will be removed prior to diving.<br />
Even with <strong>the</strong> fuel removed, advanced<br />
methods are necessary to protect <strong>the</strong> diver<br />
from radiation exposure. This is one <strong>of</strong><br />
several areas within a nuclear facility that<br />
UCC conducts highly-specialized diving.<br />
SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
65
Left: <strong>The</strong> three new owners along with<br />
representatives from <strong>the</strong> Connecticut<br />
Development Authority (CDA) and Webster<br />
Bank shortly after acquiring <strong>the</strong> company in<br />
December <strong>of</strong> 1996. From left to right; UCC<br />
Vice President/Secretary Michael Pellini;<br />
UCC President/CEO John Lawton; CDA<br />
Representative; Vice President/Treasurer<br />
William Feeley and Webster<br />
Bank representative.<br />
Right: UCC completing extensive dam<br />
rehabilitation on <strong>the</strong> Tennessee River in<br />
1999. <strong>The</strong> work involved repairs to <strong>the</strong><br />
downstream apron <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> dam over a period<br />
<strong>of</strong> several months.<br />
proved to be a significant move that continues<br />
to benefit <strong>the</strong> company to this day. <strong>The</strong> <strong>of</strong>fices<br />
in Connecticut and Michigan continued to<br />
grow as <strong>the</strong> company attained more annual<br />
contracts and took on such large projects as<br />
<strong>the</strong> Keokuk Dam on <strong>the</strong> Mississippi River<br />
in Iowa as well as chemical feed line installations<br />
and mollusk remediation throughout<br />
Lake Michigan.<br />
For <strong>the</strong> next several years <strong>the</strong> underwater<br />
welding program was intensifying and providing<br />
UCC many new opportunities both<br />
domestically as well as internationally. By<br />
1995, UCC had completed its first safetyrelated<br />
welds at a Nuclear Plant in North<br />
Carolina and its first dryer cut-up at a<br />
nuclear site in Japan. <strong>The</strong>se were two significant<br />
advancements in UCC’s welding and<br />
reactor services program that brought <strong>the</strong><br />
company additional and well deserved recognition<br />
in <strong>the</strong> nuclear industry.<br />
In 1996, UCC was awarded a long-term<br />
contract in Ludington, Michigan, which helped<br />
<strong>the</strong> company grow to roughly $10 million<br />
in annual revenues. <strong>The</strong>n, after a decade <strong>of</strong><br />
public ownership, <strong>the</strong> company was privately<br />
acquired by three standout employees who<br />
were part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> management group entrusted<br />
to run <strong>the</strong> company in 1994. All three had<br />
worked many years for <strong>the</strong> company as<br />
divers and, eventually, in management. <strong>The</strong><br />
new leadership team was comprised <strong>of</strong><br />
John Lawton, who served as president while<br />
Michael Pellini and William Feeley served<br />
as <strong>the</strong> company’s two vice presidents. <strong>The</strong><br />
acquisition was successful due in part to <strong>the</strong><br />
assistance it received from Connecticut state<br />
agencies like <strong>the</strong> Department <strong>of</strong> Economic<br />
and Community Development (DECD) and<br />
<strong>the</strong> Connecticut Development Authority<br />
(CDA). <strong>The</strong>se two agencies, in combination<br />
with Webster Bank, helped <strong>the</strong> three new<br />
owners accomplish <strong>the</strong> transaction and<br />
reclaim <strong>the</strong> company’s original name, which<br />
is synonymous with commercial diving.<br />
Also in 1996, UCC made an important<br />
decision to open a new <strong>of</strong>fice in Soddy Daisy,<br />
Tennessee, to service <strong>the</strong> vast network <strong>of</strong><br />
power producing facilities along <strong>the</strong><br />
Tennessee Valley River System. By early 1997<br />
<strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong>fice was staffed and fully operational.<br />
This expansion into Tennessee helped <strong>the</strong><br />
company in its pursuit <strong>of</strong> future growth in<br />
<strong>the</strong> Sou<strong>the</strong>ast region. Some twenty years later,<br />
through <strong>the</strong> talented leadership and support<br />
staff, <strong>the</strong> Tennessee <strong>of</strong>fice now accounts for<br />
roughly twenty-five percent <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> company’s<br />
annual revenues.<br />
<strong>The</strong> impact <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> aggressive new ownership<br />
was apparent almost immediately, and by<br />
<strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> 1997, UCC had annual revenues <strong>of</strong><br />
approximately $11 million and seventy-five<br />
employees. <strong>The</strong> new management group was<br />
mostly comprised <strong>of</strong> veteran employees who<br />
had worked as divers for <strong>the</strong> company for<br />
many years; “<strong>The</strong>y are a diverse and talented<br />
group <strong>of</strong> individuals that William Feeley and<br />
I have worked with for many years, both<br />
diving and in management. <strong>The</strong> fact that<br />
<strong>the</strong>y all still work at <strong>the</strong> company in major<br />
roles is a true testament to <strong>the</strong>ir dedication.<br />
We could have never achieved our success<br />
without this group and <strong>the</strong> people that<br />
support <strong>the</strong>m,” comments Pellini.<br />
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66
By 1998 <strong>the</strong> company was well into developing<br />
its nuclear underwater coatings program.<br />
This involved state-<strong>of</strong>-<strong>the</strong>-art methods<br />
and products that could withstand high levels<br />
<strong>of</strong> radiation as well as be applied underwater<br />
in nuclear plants on various underwater<br />
components without <strong>the</strong> need for dewatering.<br />
Moreover, <strong>the</strong> company was heavily involved<br />
with large-scale modification projects at<br />
nuclear plants with one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m requiring<br />
upwards <strong>of</strong> fifty-six divers, many <strong>of</strong> whom<br />
were highly skilled underwater welders.<br />
In 1998, UCC was awarded a first-<strong>of</strong>-itskind<br />
project at a world-famous <strong>the</strong>me park<br />
in Orlando, Florida. This project involved<br />
<strong>the</strong> extensive rehabilitation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> largest<br />
salt water aquarium in <strong>the</strong> world. It was a<br />
technically challenging project that had<br />
more than twenty divers working for several<br />
months while <strong>the</strong> attraction stayed open to<br />
<strong>the</strong> public. At this same time, UCC was<br />
continuing to forge strong relationships with<br />
some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world’s largest companies in <strong>the</strong><br />
nuclear industry in preparation for <strong>the</strong> future.<br />
Business slowed slightly in <strong>the</strong> early 2000s<br />
as some nuclear contracts came to an end.<br />
However, <strong>the</strong> company rebounded in 2003,<br />
when it acquired work for all three <strong>of</strong> its<br />
regional <strong>of</strong>fices. One <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> projects undertaken<br />
by UCC was a highly technical and challenging<br />
assignment in Japan for one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> largest<br />
manufacturers <strong>of</strong> nuclear reactors in <strong>the</strong> world.<br />
More than thirty divers worked at <strong>the</strong> site<br />
for several months and <strong>the</strong> outcome <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
project proved a tremendous success, bringing<br />
forward more opportunities in Japan.<br />
By <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> 2004, UCC had record<br />
growth, which roughly tripled its annual<br />
revenues since <strong>the</strong> three new owners acquired<br />
it in 1996. <strong>The</strong> Connecticut corporate <strong>of</strong>fice<br />
was responsible for roughly two thirds <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> company’s revenues that year due to a<br />
large influx <strong>of</strong> nuclear plant services.<br />
Additionally, <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r two <strong>of</strong>fices, Michigan<br />
and Tennessee, were continuing to grow in<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir respective regions, which represented<br />
<strong>the</strong> remaining one-third. UCC continued to<br />
prosper over <strong>the</strong> next few years with projects<br />
involving its specialized underwater coatings,<br />
reactor services and welding, marine services<br />
and general diving.<br />
In 2008, UCC had an incredible year;<br />
when <strong>the</strong> company had its second-best<br />
revenue year in history. UCC had a considerable<br />
amount <strong>of</strong> both radiological and marine<br />
diving services during <strong>the</strong> year. <strong>The</strong> Michigan<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice had two large projects: one at a nuclear<br />
site in Florida and <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r for a utility<br />
customer on Lake Michigan. <strong>The</strong> Michigan<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice achieved its highest revenues to date.<br />
In addition, <strong>the</strong> Connecticut and Tennessee<br />
<strong>of</strong>fices had successful years with <strong>the</strong>ir large<br />
client base, which continued to grow steadily.<br />
UCC marked <strong>the</strong> completion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> company’s<br />
fortieth year <strong>of</strong> service and its sixth straight<br />
year <strong>of</strong> sustainable growth.<br />
Above: UCC completing turnkey repairs on<br />
multiple mooring cells at an Ohio River<br />
fossil plant in 2012.<br />
Below: UCC diver preparing to complete a<br />
dive on Lake Michigan. In <strong>the</strong> background is<br />
<strong>the</strong> company’s eighty-foot Jack-up Barge<br />
that supports multiple diving operations.<br />
SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
67
Left: Equipment being mobilized to<br />
Ludington, Michigan, where UCC personnel<br />
annually install, maintain and remove <strong>the</strong><br />
largest barrier net in North America.<br />
UCC has been responsible for this 2.4 mile<br />
net since 1996.<br />
Right: UCC diver/welder completing<br />
underwater test welds in preparation to<br />
travel abroad to a nuclear plant where<br />
reactor modifications were performed.<br />
Work remained consistent for <strong>the</strong> next few<br />
years and, by 2011, UCC’s Michigan <strong>of</strong>fice<br />
expanded its marine diving operations fur<strong>the</strong>r<br />
west to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In addition,<br />
<strong>the</strong> acquisition <strong>of</strong> Seaview <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>of</strong> Seymour,<br />
Wisconsin in 2014, provided this <strong>of</strong>fice<br />
<strong>the</strong> ability to expand into Green Bay and<br />
<strong>the</strong> surrounding areas. UCC continued its<br />
acquisitions and in 2015 made two additional<br />
purchases to expand its Midwest division.<br />
<strong>The</strong> first was Sea-Brex <strong>Diving</strong> located just<br />
a short distance from UCC’s existing <strong>of</strong>fice<br />
in Stevensville. <strong>The</strong> second was Great Lakes<br />
<strong>Diving</strong> located in Rockford, Michigan. Now<br />
with three acquisitions, all within two years,<br />
<strong>the</strong> Michigan <strong>of</strong>fice needed a larger location.<br />
In <strong>the</strong> summer <strong>of</strong> 2015, UCC moved across<br />
<strong>the</strong> street into its new 50,000-square-foot<br />
facility. At this same time, <strong>the</strong> Connecticut<br />
division was making a relentless push to enter<br />
<strong>the</strong> decommissioning market in <strong>the</strong> United<br />
Kingdom. Success came when <strong>the</strong> company<br />
was awarded a contract at a nuclear site<br />
in England. This, in turn, led UCC to open<br />
its first international subsidiary, <strong>Underwater</strong><br />
Construction Corporation, UK, LTD. In 2016,<br />
UCC pioneered <strong>the</strong> first radiological dives<br />
in <strong>the</strong> country, fur<strong>the</strong>r establishing itself as<br />
an elite diving authority.<br />
In 2014, Lawton retired from <strong>the</strong> company<br />
after serving as its president for <strong>the</strong> previous<br />
eighteen years. <strong>The</strong> two remaining owners,<br />
Pellini and Feeley remained as co-chairmen<br />
and promoted <strong>the</strong> company’s Chief Financial<br />
Officer Raymond Palumbo, to <strong>the</strong> position <strong>of</strong><br />
President and CEO. Ironically, after being so<br />
intrigued with UCC, Palumbo came to <strong>the</strong><br />
company eighteen years prior in 1996 from<br />
<strong>the</strong> very same bank (Webster Bank) that<br />
assisted <strong>the</strong> three owners with <strong>the</strong> purchase.<br />
In 2014 and 2015 <strong>the</strong> company’s international<br />
reputation was fur<strong>the</strong>r enhanced when<br />
UCC was awarded multiple reactor projects<br />
with a worldwide reactor service company<br />
at a nuclear plant in Mexico. <strong>The</strong>se projects<br />
involved highly technical applications, extensive<br />
tooling design and mock-ups to complete<br />
steam dryer repairs on several reactor units.<br />
Today, UCC is recognized as one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
largest in-land diving companies <strong>of</strong> its kind,<br />
both in <strong>the</strong> United States and internationally.<br />
UCC’s corporate headquarters, along with its<br />
three regional <strong>of</strong>fices and international<br />
subsidiary, provide marine diving and radiological<br />
diving to many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> largest utility<br />
owners in <strong>the</strong> power generation industry. In<br />
addition, UCC provides a variety <strong>of</strong> services<br />
to numerous clients and diverse industries,<br />
including port authorities, private waterfront<br />
owners, government and municipal owners,<br />
<strong>the</strong> DOE, manufacturing owners, general<br />
contractors, and many more. <strong>The</strong> company’s<br />
vast expertise in radiological diving has<br />
afforded UCC <strong>the</strong> incredible opportunity to<br />
work with some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> largest companies in<br />
<strong>the</strong> power generation industry. To its credit,<br />
UCC has performed highly specialized radiological<br />
diving throughout <strong>the</strong> domestic<br />
United States and worldwide in more than<br />
twenty-two countries including, Japan, South<br />
Korea, China, Taiwan, Brazil, Spain, Sweden,<br />
Switzerland, and England, to name a few.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company is proud to employ more<br />
than 200 commercial divers and support<br />
staff. <strong>The</strong>ir marine diving operations support<br />
customers throughout New England, <strong>the</strong><br />
Mid-Atlantic, <strong>the</strong> Midwest, <strong>the</strong> Tennessee<br />
Valley and sou<strong>the</strong>rn area regions, as well<br />
as numerous locations across <strong>the</strong> domestic<br />
United States. All <strong>the</strong> company’s international<br />
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68
services are performed from its corporate<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice located in Essex, Connecticut, where<br />
roughly one-half <strong>of</strong> its workforce is located.<br />
UCC has been an active member in many<br />
organizations, including <strong>the</strong> Long Island<br />
Marine Community for many years and is<br />
a proud member <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Connecticut Maritime<br />
Coalition. <strong>The</strong> company takes an active and<br />
responsible role in supporting several charitable<br />
programs both nationally recognized as<br />
well as in its own communities.<br />
“It’s no doubt that our competitive edge<br />
is our dedicated people,” comments Pellini.<br />
“We have highly talented people in <strong>the</strong><br />
company that have been with us for more<br />
than twenty years. This includes some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
best underwater welders in <strong>the</strong> world, as well<br />
as divers who are well trained on nuclear<br />
components. We also have some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
best marine staff, who are performing some<br />
very challenging marine-related work on<br />
Lake Michigan, <strong>the</strong> Tennessee River and<br />
throughout New England, from mooring cell<br />
repairs to dam rehabilitation.” Pellini also<br />
adds, “Although <strong>the</strong> business has grown<br />
four times under <strong>the</strong> current ownership<br />
that took over twenty years ago, it all comes<br />
down to our people.”<br />
UCC has <strong>the</strong> expertise, resources, and<br />
flexibility to perform large turnkey projects or<br />
support small local tasks on a call-out basis.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company strives to provide innovative,<br />
high-quality, cost-effective services that are<br />
consistent with its commitment to <strong>the</strong><br />
safety <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> employees and customers. UCC<br />
meets or exceeds <strong>the</strong> requirements <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Occupational Safety and Health Administration<br />
(OSHA) and <strong>the</strong> Association <strong>of</strong> <strong>Diving</strong><br />
Contractors International (ADCI). All divers<br />
are certified as commercial divers and maintain<br />
current first aid and CPR certifications.<br />
<strong>The</strong> goal is to bring only <strong>the</strong> highest degree <strong>of</strong><br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essionalism to every job. <strong>The</strong> company<br />
is an equal opportunity employer and has<br />
been a proud member <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ADCI for more<br />
than twenty years.<br />
“We see a very bright future for <strong>Underwater</strong><br />
Construction Corporation,” says Pellini. “We’re<br />
coming <strong>of</strong>f our third year <strong>of</strong> record growth<br />
and enjoyed our best year ever in 2016.<br />
We already have a considerable amount <strong>of</strong><br />
new work for <strong>the</strong> next year or two and<br />
anticipate doing even better as we continue<br />
to grow even fur<strong>the</strong>r. We are anticipating<br />
growth in <strong>the</strong> specific areas that we understand<br />
well and will continue to foster strong<br />
relationships with our customers.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> company would like to acknowledge<br />
its senior managers: Keith McClintock, Philip<br />
McDermott, Darrell Moody, and James Nichols,<br />
as well as <strong>the</strong>ir dedicated and hardworking<br />
operations managers, project managers,<br />
supervisors, divers and support staff and,<br />
finally, to <strong>the</strong> assistance it received some<br />
twenty years ago from <strong>the</strong> two Connecticut<br />
agencies and Webster Bank. This has helped<br />
<strong>the</strong> company create and maintain jobs in<br />
Connecticut as well as in o<strong>the</strong>r states<br />
where UCC has regional <strong>of</strong>fice locations.<br />
UCC looks to continue its successful growth<br />
as it nears close to its fiftieth-year anniversary.<br />
For more information on UCC’s mission<br />
and services, please visit www.uccdive.com.<br />
Above: Five <strong>of</strong> UCC’s veteran employees<br />
receiving <strong>the</strong>ir Mark IV dive helmet for<br />
twenty years <strong>of</strong> outstanding service in 2016.<br />
To date, UCC has recognized forty<br />
employees for twenty years <strong>of</strong> service.<br />
Clockwise from left to right; Donald Hunt,<br />
Phillip Such, William Lee, Jon Shelton,<br />
and Mark Pawlus.<br />
Below: Today’s senior management<br />
staff from left to right; Sou<strong>the</strong>rn<br />
Regional Manager Darrell Moody;<br />
Co-Chairman/Treasurer William Feeley;<br />
Midwest Regional Manager Keith<br />
McClintock; Co-Chairman/Secretary<br />
Michael Pellini; Director <strong>of</strong> Finance<br />
James Nichols; Nuclear and Nor<strong>the</strong>ast<br />
Regional Manager Philip McDermott and<br />
President/CEO Raymond Palumbo.<br />
SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
69
J.F. BRENNAN<br />
COMPANY, INC.<br />
Above: A an early picture <strong>of</strong> a diver suiting<br />
up on a Brennan bridge construction<br />
project, c. 1937.<br />
Below Left: Sealing a c<strong>of</strong>ferdam, c. 1938<br />
Below Right: Missouri River articulated<br />
block mat installation, c. 1994. Left to<br />
right: Craig Bar<strong>the</strong>ld, Darryl Balu, and<br />
Mike Boser.<br />
J.F. Brennan Company (Brennan) is a<br />
marine construction, environmental services,<br />
and harbor management company headquartered<br />
in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Over <strong>the</strong> last<br />
century, Brennan has worked along <strong>the</strong><br />
inland waterways on challenging above- and<br />
below-water construction projects. Since <strong>the</strong><br />
beginning, diving has always been an essential<br />
part <strong>of</strong> serving <strong>the</strong> needs <strong>of</strong> clients who own<br />
and operate water-based infrastructure.<br />
Brennan was founded as Brennan Bro<strong>the</strong>rs<br />
Construction in 1919 when bro<strong>the</strong>rs, James<br />
and Eugene Brennan, left <strong>the</strong> family farm<br />
and began to build bridges in nor<strong>the</strong>ast Iowa.<br />
As <strong>the</strong>y grew, <strong>the</strong>y took on larger projects,<br />
many <strong>of</strong> which were located on rivers and<br />
streams. <strong>The</strong> bro<strong>the</strong>rs eventually hired Walt<br />
Boltz, who had dive experience and could<br />
carry out an underwater inspection or help<br />
seal a c<strong>of</strong>ferdam. Using rudimentary equipment,<br />
this individual would depend heavily<br />
on topside crews to help position him<br />
correctly, supply air, and retrieve him from<br />
<strong>the</strong> bottom <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> river.<br />
By <strong>the</strong> mid-1950s <strong>the</strong> construction <strong>of</strong> an<br />
improved U.S. highway system had provided<br />
many opportunities for <strong>the</strong> bro<strong>the</strong>rs to<br />
expand into southwestern Wisconsin and<br />
sou<strong>the</strong>astern Minnesota. Larger projects<br />
required floating marine plants, so <strong>the</strong>y began<br />
building barges to support <strong>the</strong>ir equipment.<br />
In 1959 <strong>the</strong> bro<strong>the</strong>rs split and James<br />
formed J.F. Brennan Company in La Crosse,<br />
Wisconsin. Work continued on bridge structures,<br />
but as <strong>the</strong> next generation began to take<br />
leadership roles, <strong>the</strong>y started focusing on<br />
work for <strong>the</strong> U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Army<br />
Corps <strong>of</strong> Engineers. James’ son, Ralph, and<br />
son-in-law, Roger Binsfeld, continued to build<br />
a substantial fleet <strong>of</strong> barges and workboats to<br />
serve both public and private owners <strong>of</strong> riverbased<br />
infrastructure. Brennan quickly morphed<br />
into a marine contractor who pursued<br />
work along <strong>the</strong> Upper Mississippi River from<br />
St. Louis, Missouri to St. Paul, Minnesota.<br />
In 1971, Roger decided it was time to have<br />
a full-time diver on staff. He heard that a<br />
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70
young crew member named Ray Kronfrost<br />
had taken a scuba class <strong>the</strong> previous winter.<br />
Roger asked Ray to assist with a few dive<br />
inspections. Before long, Ray was assisting<br />
with salvage work. In 1976, Ray went to commercial<br />
dive school and returned to work as<br />
Brennan’s only diver for over a decade.<br />
Throughout <strong>the</strong> 1980s and 1990s, Brennan<br />
became one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> largest marine contractors<br />
in <strong>the</strong> Upper Mississippi River. As needed,<br />
freelance divers were hired to support <strong>the</strong><br />
growing needs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> topside construction<br />
crews. In 1993, Tony Binsfeld, <strong>the</strong> third<br />
generation <strong>of</strong> ownership, saw an opportunity<br />
to expand beyond <strong>the</strong> Mississippi River and<br />
provide services to utility companies that<br />
owned hydroelectric dams. He hired a<br />
seasoned superintendent, Earl Boser, who<br />
brought five individuals with him, including<br />
two certified divers; his son, Michael Boser,<br />
and Darrell Belleau. This crew made up <strong>the</strong><br />
newly formed Industrial Division, which<br />
specialized in both above and below-water<br />
concrete repairs and scour remediation. Earl<br />
had high expectations for his divers and<br />
was adamant about working hard and doing<br />
things <strong>the</strong> right way. His younger son, Neil<br />
Boser, began diving soon afterward to keep up<br />
with growing demand and later become a lead<br />
superintendent. In 1996, Tony hired David<br />
Cullum who, for <strong>the</strong> next twenty-two years,<br />
grew <strong>the</strong> division and served a large number<br />
<strong>of</strong> industrial clients throughout <strong>the</strong> country.<br />
This division specialized in preplaced<br />
aggregate concrete, a tried and true method <strong>of</strong><br />
underwater concrete placement that is<br />
especially resistant to <strong>the</strong> yearly freeze-thaw<br />
cycles found in <strong>the</strong> Midwest.<br />
By 1999 <strong>the</strong> demand for diving for lock<br />
and dam and railroad projects was so great<br />
that Brennan created an <strong>of</strong>ficial dive program<br />
separate from <strong>the</strong> Industrial Division. Craig<br />
Bar<strong>the</strong>ld, an experienced Brennan crew<br />
member, attended dive school and earned his<br />
commercial diving certificate. His role was to<br />
assist <strong>the</strong> growing marine construction<br />
operations with all <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir diving needs.<br />
Under Craig’s leadership, <strong>the</strong> Dive<br />
Department grew to as many as twelve divers<br />
who traveled throughout <strong>the</strong> country and<br />
worked for a variety <strong>of</strong> owners <strong>of</strong> water-based<br />
infrastructure. His crew included a multitude<br />
<strong>of</strong> individuals who would become <strong>the</strong><br />
foundation on which future dive operations<br />
were built.<br />
<strong>The</strong> story <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Brennan Dive Group cannot<br />
be told without including Pro-Dive<br />
Incorporated. Pro-Dive was founded in 1975<br />
Above: Ray Kronfrost standing in front <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> Winona, Minnesota, Railroad Bridge<br />
Crossing in 1978<br />
Below: Gary Dondlinger and Mike Boser at<br />
a timber cribbing repair job in 1995.<br />
SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
71
Above: Jon Burchill performing an<br />
underwater bridge repair for <strong>the</strong> Minnesota<br />
DOT in Minneapolis, Minnesota, c. 2015.<br />
Below: Jacob Rodgers assisting Ross Brocies<br />
in Sabula, Illinois, c. 2014.<br />
by Randy Jacobs and his two partners, who<br />
focused on <strong>the</strong> inland towing industry by<br />
patching leaking barges and clearing fouled<br />
wheels. <strong>The</strong>y grew slowly through <strong>the</strong> 1980s<br />
and 1990s, pioneering new technologies<br />
such as lightweight diving helmets and<br />
band masks with bailout bottles. Located in<br />
Ottawa, Illinois, <strong>the</strong>y worked mostly along<br />
<strong>the</strong> Illinois River and Upper Mississippi River<br />
in support <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> rehabilitation projects on<br />
various lock and dams.<br />
In <strong>the</strong> early 1990s, <strong>the</strong> ADC increased its<br />
presence in <strong>the</strong> Midwest. Randy embraced <strong>the</strong><br />
opportunity to learn new methods and share<br />
ideas with o<strong>the</strong>r divers who worked along<br />
<strong>the</strong> inland waterways. Randy and Pro-Dive<br />
became one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> founding members <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Midwest Chapter <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ADC, with Randy<br />
serving in a number <strong>of</strong> positions, including<br />
<strong>the</strong> chapter representative on <strong>the</strong> ADC Board<br />
<strong>of</strong> Directors.<br />
Throughout <strong>the</strong> 1990s and 2000s, Pro-<br />
Dive built a loyal customer base as <strong>the</strong><br />
industry and Pro-Dive changed to accommodate<br />
new regulations. Pro-Dive crews carried<br />
out contaminated and potable water projects,<br />
water-based structure inspections, hull<br />
inspections, pipeline inspections, concrete<br />
repairs, and several o<strong>the</strong>r inland diving<br />
activities. During this time, Pro-Dive teamed<br />
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72
with Brennan on numerous opportunities to<br />
complete large-scale and technically advanced<br />
dive projects. <strong>The</strong> two companies were culturally<br />
aligned and, when working toge<strong>the</strong>r, <strong>the</strong><br />
crews were indistinguishable. <strong>The</strong> Pro-Dive<br />
crews integrated completely with fellow<br />
Brennan divers and topside crews.<br />
In 2014, J.F. Brennan Company acquired<br />
Pro-Dive and, under Randy’s leadership, a<br />
stand-alone Dive Group was formed. All<br />
diving was consolidated under Randy, numbering<br />
nearly twenty divers initially. <strong>The</strong><br />
combination <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> two firms opened <strong>the</strong><br />
door for rapid growth into several market<br />
areas such as dam construction, marine construction,<br />
railroad services, environmental<br />
services, and harbor management services.<br />
As <strong>of</strong> 2018, <strong>the</strong> Brennan Dive Group numbers<br />
over fifty ADCI Certified <strong>Commercial</strong><br />
Divers. Backed by some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> largest assets<br />
and most experienced construction crews<br />
along <strong>the</strong> inland waterways, <strong>the</strong> scope and<br />
ability <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Brennan Dive Group has<br />
expanded to include deep water diving,<br />
underwater construction and repair, environmental<br />
remediation, penetration dives, vessel<br />
repair and more. Safety is at <strong>the</strong> center <strong>of</strong> each<br />
and every project at Brennan as evident by its<br />
world-class safety program and exemplary<br />
safety statistics. Continued investment in <strong>the</strong><br />
latest technologies and a company culture<br />
that promotes innovation will ensure <strong>the</strong><br />
Brennan Dive Group remains on <strong>the</strong> cutting<br />
edge <strong>of</strong> underwater capabilities. As Brennan<br />
enters its fourth generation <strong>of</strong> leadership, <strong>the</strong><br />
Dive Group is an integral part <strong>of</strong> Brennan’s<br />
ability to better serve its clients and meet <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
high expectations.<br />
To learn more about J.F. Brennan, check<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir website at www.jfbrennan.com.<br />
Above: Eric Hanson climbing out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
river at Lock and Dam 16 on <strong>the</strong> Upper<br />
Mississippi River, c. 2016.<br />
Below Left: Blake Rocque and Tony Labarge<br />
heading out to a dive job.<br />
Below Right: Bro<strong>the</strong>rs Klayton and Tanner<br />
Brietbach assisting with a dive chamber in<br />
Hot Springs, Arkansas, c. 2017.<br />
SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
73
LOGAN DIVING & SALVAGE<br />
Top, right: Joe Logan on left.<br />
Below: Scott Anderson, Oakland,<br />
California.<br />
Bottom, right: Scott Anderson at <strong>the</strong><br />
Defiant wreck.<br />
Logan <strong>Diving</strong> & Salvage has been deeply<br />
involved with <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> Deep Sea<br />
<strong>Diving</strong> and Marine Construction communities<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Americas for over seventy years.<br />
<strong>The</strong> firm was started in 1947 by Campbell<br />
“Cam” Logan who was a U.S. Navy diver during<br />
World War II and received his training on<br />
board <strong>the</strong> USS Normandy, which sank in New<br />
York Harbor after she caught fire. Cam went<br />
on to become <strong>the</strong> Chief Navy <strong>Diving</strong> Officer at<br />
Mayport, Florida, after <strong>the</strong> war and spent his<br />
USN time supporting ships husbandry and<br />
aircraft recovery operations. Campbell separated<br />
from <strong>the</strong> USN in 1947 and started<br />
Logan <strong>Diving</strong> & Salvage.<br />
Marine vessel salvage jobs from hurricanes,<br />
accidents and mishaps were always<br />
available to <strong>the</strong> company from <strong>the</strong> beginning.<br />
However, heavy marine salvage was<br />
sporadic and unscheduled, prompting<br />
Logan <strong>Diving</strong> & Salvage to branch out<br />
and <strong>of</strong>fer marine construction diving support<br />
services for bridges, dams, power plants,<br />
electric cables, communication cables, oil,<br />
gas, and water pipelines as well as services<br />
for heavy industries such as pulp/paper<br />
and hydroelectric power. Additionally,<br />
underwater welding and burning has been<br />
and continues to be a major part <strong>of</strong> day to<br />
day operations.<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
74
During <strong>the</strong> 1950s, oil and gas production<br />
and interstate pipelines became one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> main<br />
areas <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> business revenue with <strong>the</strong> explosion<br />
<strong>of</strong> production volume and discoveries in <strong>the</strong><br />
U.S. Gulf States. Pipelines were being installed<br />
across lakes and rivers from Houston, Texas, and<br />
Houma, Louisiana—North and East to Chicago,<br />
Detroit, New York, and <strong>the</strong> entire east coast.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se pipelines, some <strong>of</strong> which are still in operation<br />
today provide <strong>the</strong> fuel oil, diesel, natural<br />
gas and gasoline that run our country. All long<br />
term Logan <strong>Diving</strong> & Salvage divers to this day<br />
are experts at subaqueous pipeline installation,<br />
repair, cathodic protection, and inspection.<br />
Cam’s bro<strong>the</strong>r, Joe, a pr<strong>of</strong>essional engineer,<br />
came on board to help with <strong>the</strong> business in<br />
<strong>the</strong> 1950s. Cam and Joe maintained steady<br />
work installing, maintaining and inspecting<br />
<strong>the</strong> new subaqueous pipelines river and lake<br />
crossings. Cam and Joe split up <strong>the</strong> work with<br />
Cam working <strong>the</strong> pipelines, and Joe working<br />
<strong>the</strong> bridges and cables.<br />
O<strong>the</strong>r individuals who helped build <strong>the</strong><br />
company in its early days include Jack Mixer,<br />
who came on board as project manager in <strong>the</strong><br />
early 1970s after a tour with <strong>the</strong> US Army in<br />
Vietnam and eventually became company<br />
president. Jack was married to Jane Mixer formerly,<br />
Jane Logan, Cam’s daughter.<br />
Susan Armel, served over forty years as<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice manager and bookkeeper. Susan always<br />
had a smile for all and a can-do positive attitude<br />
that was infectious. Susan had many<br />
clients far and wide, both foreign and domestic,<br />
wondering if she was single once <strong>the</strong>y<br />
heard her beautiful sou<strong>the</strong>rn drawl. Many<br />
Logan project managers were questioned at<br />
length at remote job sites about <strong>the</strong> mysterious<br />
beauty in Florida with <strong>the</strong> enchanting<br />
sou<strong>the</strong>rn accent that answered <strong>the</strong> phones.<br />
LDS expanded into <strong>the</strong> Caribbean, Central<br />
America, South America, Cuba, and even had<br />
projects in <strong>the</strong> Persian Gulf. Expansion was<br />
mainly by referral and word <strong>of</strong> mouth in <strong>the</strong><br />
early days. As projects were completed successfully,<br />
more clients enquired and vetted <strong>the</strong><br />
company. <strong>The</strong> result was virtually nonstop<br />
contracts and potential opportunities moving<br />
forward with <strong>the</strong> surge in oil production and<br />
energy demands, coupled with civil infrastructure<br />
projects <strong>of</strong> a growing nation.<br />
Departing from its usual business and<br />
going Hollywood, Logan <strong>Diving</strong> & Salvage<br />
provided <strong>the</strong> divers and diving support for<br />
<strong>the</strong> popular movie, <strong>The</strong> Creature from <strong>the</strong><br />
Black Lagoon in 1954. This was a fun<br />
“Outside our Wheelhouse” project that <strong>the</strong><br />
divers enjoyed while trying to woo <strong>the</strong><br />
glamorous Hollywood actresses.<br />
Logan <strong>Diving</strong> & Salvage went on to<br />
become <strong>the</strong> number one leading commercial<br />
diving support provider in <strong>the</strong><br />
Sou<strong>the</strong>astern United States, while also<br />
regularly working all <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> states east <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> Mississippi River as well as a handful<br />
<strong>of</strong> states west <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> river.<br />
Among <strong>the</strong> many services provided<br />
today by Logan <strong>Diving</strong> & Salvage are diving<br />
construction, inspection, and repair services<br />
in support <strong>of</strong> subaqueous oil and gas<br />
pipelines, fiber optic cables, dock and pier<br />
construction, bridge construction, dam<br />
inspection and repair, underwater welding<br />
and burning, vessel salvage, marine oil spill<br />
response, industrial diving, emergency<br />
response, trans-oceanic subaqueous cable<br />
landings, ships husbandry, and pile driving.<br />
Scott Anderson joined <strong>the</strong> company in <strong>the</strong><br />
early 1980s after a tour <strong>of</strong> duty with <strong>the</strong> U.S. Air<br />
Force. Scott received his deep sea diver training<br />
at Coastal School <strong>of</strong> Deep Sea <strong>Diving</strong> in Oakland,<br />
California, prior to moving to Florida in 1984.<br />
With a 200-foot Air Ticket from Coastal, Scott<br />
started as a diver, progressing to dive supervisor,<br />
project manager and eventually becoming vice<br />
president through 2008. Logging over 3500<br />
commercial dives, inland, coastal, and <strong>of</strong>fshore<br />
Top: Scott Anderson, Acosta Bridge,<br />
Florida, 1989.<br />
Above: Chris Davis wet welding.<br />
SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
75
Above: Chris Davis and Joe Busuttil, Royal<br />
Navy Submarine.<br />
Top, right: Brandon Fuhrman Offshore<br />
Jacksonville, Florida.<br />
by <strong>the</strong> age <strong>of</strong> fifty-five. Scott is well suited to provide<br />
an experienced, safe and productive environment<br />
for new and current employees. Scott<br />
has negotiated, managed, administered, and executed<br />
large marine construction and industrial<br />
diving projects in <strong>the</strong> USA, USVI, Puerto Rico,<br />
Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Honduras,<br />
Panama, Bahamas, Curacao, Cuba, and Belize.<br />
Chris Davis joined LDS in <strong>the</strong> early 2000s<br />
after serving in Iraq with <strong>the</strong> U.S. Army. Chris<br />
received his commercial diver training at<br />
Divers Academy, International. Chris started<br />
out as a diver and progressed to dive supervisor,<br />
diving superintendent, and project manager.<br />
Chris has worked with LDS over <strong>the</strong><br />
years and managed projects in <strong>the</strong> Gulf <strong>of</strong><br />
Mexico, USA, Puerto Rico and <strong>the</strong> Bahamas.<br />
Chris continues to play an integral role in all<br />
phases <strong>of</strong> field operations for <strong>the</strong> company<br />
with an emphasis and specialty in Marine<br />
Substructures and Subaqueous pipelines.<br />
Sarah Anderson joined <strong>the</strong> company in<br />
2008 as <strong>of</strong>fice manager and bookkeeper. Sarah<br />
graduated from <strong>the</strong> University <strong>of</strong> Central<br />
Florida in 1999 and now oversees all day to<br />
day <strong>of</strong>fice duties and staff as well as helping<br />
with project logistics and <strong>the</strong> Puerto Rico operation’s<br />
admin side. Sarah handles all regulatory<br />
compliance and also works closely with <strong>the</strong><br />
Association <strong>of</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Contractors International<br />
to ensure adherence to ADCI Consensus<br />
Standards. Scott and Sarah purchased <strong>the</strong> business<br />
from <strong>the</strong> original owners in 2008 and continue<br />
to operate <strong>the</strong> corporation today.<br />
Joe Busuttil first joined LDS in 2002 after<br />
ten years <strong>of</strong> mixed gas diving experience in<br />
<strong>the</strong> Gulf <strong>of</strong> Mexico. Joe started out as diver<br />
and quickly progressed to dive supervisor. Joe<br />
is now a fulltime estimator and project manager.<br />
He plays an integral role in all phases <strong>of</strong><br />
daily operations from marine construction to<br />
ships husbandry.<br />
Sharon Carey came on board in 2010 as an<br />
administrative and staff manager. Sharon handles<br />
day to day admin and ensures ADCI/EM<br />
385 diver requirement compliance in addition<br />
to project planning.<br />
Logan <strong>Diving</strong> & Salvage domestically has<br />
been involved with many major heavy construction<br />
bridge projects in Florida and<br />
Georgia, including <strong>the</strong> Bridge <strong>of</strong> Lions in Saint<br />
Augustine; I-95 Fuller Warren Bridge; Main<br />
Street Bridge; Wonderwood Bridge, and Beach<br />
Boulevard Bridges in Jacksonville, Florida.<br />
Logan <strong>Diving</strong> & Salvage and <strong>the</strong> USCG<br />
negotiated a Basic Order Agreement (BOA) in<br />
1990 to cover casualty vessels and marine oil<br />
spill response in <strong>the</strong> USCG 7th District from<br />
Jacksonville, Florida to San Juan, Puerto Rico.<br />
This BOA is in effect today with dive teams<br />
ready to deploy and be operational within<br />
twenty-four hours <strong>of</strong> activation.<br />
<strong>The</strong> firm’s recent subaqueous fiber optic<br />
cable projects include <strong>the</strong> Undersea Warfare<br />
Training Range (USWTR) Cables for <strong>the</strong><br />
United States Navy <strong>of</strong>fshore Jacksonville;<br />
Alcatel Fiber Optic Cable landings in<br />
Jacksonville and Fort Lauderdale, Florida;<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
76
and Alcatel Fiber Optics in Cable landing<br />
Condado Beach, Puerto Rico.<br />
Ships Husbandry on large ocean-going vessels<br />
is a significant portion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> work carried<br />
out over <strong>the</strong> years and today from Jacksonville<br />
to Panama and all ports in between. Logan<br />
<strong>Diving</strong> & Salvage is certified as an In Water<br />
Survey Specialist with <strong>the</strong> American Bureau <strong>of</strong><br />
Shipping (ABS), Det Norske Veritas<br />
Germanischer Lloyds (DNV-GL), and Lloyds<br />
Register (LR). Class surveyors rely on Logan<br />
<strong>Diving</strong> & Salvage to inspect and document<br />
existing vessel conditions for dry dock extensions,<br />
vessel certifications, and purchases.<br />
O<strong>the</strong>r services include underwater welding,<br />
in water hull repair, coatings, cathodic protection<br />
and running gear maintenance.<br />
Logan <strong>Diving</strong> & Salvage has performed<br />
many projects in Central America with <strong>the</strong><br />
majority in Honduras since <strong>the</strong> early 1980s<br />
during times <strong>of</strong> severe civil unrest and<br />
peace from Chouleteca to Roatan. Panama<br />
diving operations have been carried out from<br />
Colon to <strong>the</strong> Canal to Fort Sherman/US<br />
ARMY. Most recently a project was completed<br />
in Belize City.<br />
Caribbean operational response has included<br />
multiple projects in <strong>the</strong> Dominican<br />
Republic in Santo Domingo, Puerto Haina,<br />
and Boca Chica. Haitian diving and salvage<br />
operations have been successfully carried out<br />
in Port Au Prince and Saint-Marc. Cuban projects<br />
have been limited to GITMO in <strong>the</strong> recent<br />
past. Bahamian operations have been carried<br />
out in Abaco, West End, Freeport, Treasure<br />
Island, and on <strong>the</strong> Grand Bahama Bank.<br />
Jamaican operations are still in play<br />
today with crews working regularly in<br />
Kingston and Port Royal in support <strong>of</strong> shipping<br />
and civil infrastructure.<br />
Providing special operations to a variety <strong>of</strong><br />
clients, on one such project, Logan <strong>Diving</strong> &<br />
Salvage was contracted to help move <strong>the</strong><br />
Shuttle Explorer to Houston Space Center via<br />
barge assisting with boat service and delivery<br />
docking. Logan <strong>Diving</strong> & Salvage is also<br />
involved with <strong>the</strong> current private space programs<br />
and reusable rocket recovery.<br />
Logan <strong>Diving</strong> & Salvage is headquartered<br />
in Jacksonville, Florida, and also operates a<br />
Caribbean Division out <strong>of</strong> Catano, Puerto<br />
Rico. Logan <strong>Diving</strong> & Salvage maintains a<br />
full-time residence and equipment warehouse<br />
in San Juan, Puerto Rico. As a registered<br />
Puerto Rican Corporate Entity, LDS is well<br />
positioned to respond to <strong>the</strong> Caribbean from<br />
its San Juan facilities.<br />
Scott ran <strong>the</strong> Puerto Rico <strong>of</strong>fice from <strong>the</strong><br />
late 1980s to 2011. Shifting time between<br />
<strong>the</strong> states and <strong>the</strong> island as needed. Revenue<br />
and volume <strong>of</strong> work increased steadily.<br />
<strong>Working</strong> in San Juan, Mayaguez, Guayanilla,<br />
Guayama, Arecibo, Rincon, Fajardo, and<br />
Humacao to name a few, Logan <strong>Diving</strong> &<br />
Salvage has been blessed with a large network<br />
<strong>of</strong> friends and associates in Puerto Rico and<br />
<strong>the</strong> Caribbean maritime communities.<br />
Continuing to this day to support <strong>the</strong> maritime<br />
shipping and port infrastructure interest<br />
in Puerto Rico, <strong>the</strong> Caribbean, USVI, Haiti,<br />
Jamaica, and <strong>the</strong> Dominican Republic from<br />
<strong>the</strong> Puerto Rico Office.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company currently has approximately<br />
twenty-five employees, over seventy-five percent<br />
<strong>of</strong> whom are honorably discharged veterans<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> U.S. Armed Forces.<br />
LDS has doubled its <strong>of</strong>fice and warehouse<br />
space in Jacksonville to 20,000 square feet in<br />
<strong>the</strong> last five years and maintains ten high<br />
speed-low drag dive work boats, and dive<br />
trailers ready to mobilize at a moment’s notice.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company has enjoyed constant growth <strong>of</strong><br />
plus twenty percent annually since 2008.<br />
Logan <strong>Diving</strong> & Salvage supports our<br />
veterans and a number <strong>of</strong> community and<br />
charitable activities, including East Pointe<br />
Church, Fellowship <strong>of</strong> Christian Athletes,<br />
Rivertown Church Haiti Outreach, Haven for<br />
Hope, Dreams Come True, Vietnam Veterans,<br />
and <strong>the</strong> VFW.<br />
To learn more about Logan <strong>Diving</strong> &<br />
Salvage and its services, check <strong>the</strong>ir website<br />
at www.logandiving.com.<br />
Logan <strong>Diving</strong> & Salvage was contracted to<br />
help move <strong>the</strong> Shuttle Explorer to Houston<br />
Space Center.<br />
SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
77
EASON DIVING<br />
& MARINE<br />
CONTRACTORS,<br />
INC.<br />
Tom Eason.<br />
Tom Eason’s exposure to commercial diving<br />
began in high school and college when<br />
he worked at a local marina and on <strong>of</strong>fshore<br />
fishing boats in Charleston, South Carolina.<br />
After graduating from college in 1976, Eason<br />
founded Eason <strong>Diving</strong> Company as a sole<br />
proprietorship and began diving on recreational<br />
and workboats to clean <strong>the</strong> hulls,<br />
change propellers, and o<strong>the</strong>r routine underwater<br />
maintenance and repairs. <strong>The</strong> business<br />
quickly grew into working for local shipyards,<br />
repairing and maintaining <strong>the</strong>ir drydocks<br />
and railways, as well as performing ship<br />
husbandry services for <strong>the</strong> large U.S. Navy<br />
fleet home ported in Charleston. As a selftaught<br />
commercial diver, Eason attended <strong>the</strong><br />
Ocean Corporation in Houston for formal<br />
underwater burning and welding training.<br />
In 1980 <strong>the</strong> company was incorporated as<br />
Eason <strong>Diving</strong> & Marine Contractors, Inc. with<br />
Eason as its president. <strong>The</strong> company’s <strong>of</strong>fices<br />
and workshops were built adjacent to <strong>the</strong> U.S.<br />
Naval Base in Charleston, where <strong>the</strong>y remain<br />
in use today.<br />
In <strong>the</strong> early 1980s, Eason <strong>Diving</strong> expanded<br />
geographically and began providing diving<br />
services to an increasingly diverse clientele<br />
including power plants, engineering firms,<br />
marine construction companies, <strong>the</strong> railroad,<br />
and governmental agencies including state<br />
DOT’s, U.S. Army Corps <strong>of</strong> Engineers, U.S.<br />
Coast Guard, U.S. Environmental Protection<br />
Agency, U.S. Department <strong>of</strong> Energy, and<br />
NOAA. With <strong>the</strong> closing <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Charleston<br />
Naval Base in <strong>the</strong> mid-1990s, <strong>the</strong> company<br />
greatly increased its services to <strong>the</strong> hydroelectric<br />
and nuclear power generation industries<br />
heavily concentrated in <strong>the</strong> Sou<strong>the</strong>ast United<br />
States, where it continues to work for <strong>the</strong><br />
same clients today. Extensive diving work<br />
on <strong>the</strong> fuel handling systems and working<br />
in spent fuel pools <strong>of</strong> nuclear power plants<br />
became a specialty, with procedures developed<br />
to protect <strong>the</strong> diver from radioactivity. In<br />
1991, Eason attended <strong>the</strong> first <strong>Underwater</strong><br />
Bridge Substructures Course held for divers<br />
at New Mexico State University and <strong>the</strong><br />
firm inspected over a thousand DOT and<br />
railroad bridges.<br />
In 1994 <strong>the</strong> tank barge, Morris J. Berman,<br />
grounded near San Juan, Puerto Rico spilling<br />
800,000 gallons <strong>of</strong> crude oil onto <strong>the</strong> economically<br />
and environmentally sensitive shoreline<br />
areas. Eason <strong>Diving</strong> was tasked with <strong>the</strong> underwater<br />
cleanup <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> submerged oil that sank in<br />
<strong>the</strong>se areas. Eason <strong>Diving</strong>, utilizing twelve<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
78
divers with Eason as <strong>the</strong><br />
site Dive Supervisor,<br />
worked sixty-one days<br />
nonstop to successfully<br />
and safely complete <strong>the</strong> oil<br />
recovery work. Eason<br />
coauthored <strong>the</strong> Federal<br />
On-Scene Coordinator<br />
(FOSC) report and presented<br />
<strong>the</strong> oil recovery<br />
section by divers at <strong>the</strong><br />
1995 International Oil<br />
Spill Conference held in<br />
Long Beach, California.<br />
Performing <strong>the</strong> Berman<br />
and numerous o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
vessel casualty cleanups, Eason <strong>Diving</strong><br />
became <strong>the</strong> preferred contractor to <strong>the</strong><br />
USCG and U.S. EPA in responding to oil and<br />
hazardous material spills requiring diving in<br />
contaminated water.<br />
In 2001, as a result <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> USCG encountering<br />
questionable commercial diving<br />
activities during salvage and pollution<br />
response operations, Eason was asked to<br />
assist <strong>the</strong> District 7 Marine Safety Division<br />
in developing guidelines for conducting<br />
compliant and safe diving operations. <strong>The</strong>se<br />
guidelines, in <strong>the</strong> form <strong>of</strong> a “<strong>Commercial</strong><br />
Divers’ Checklist” were ultimately incorporated<br />
into <strong>the</strong> Coast Guard <strong>Diving</strong> Policies and<br />
Procedures Manual.<br />
From <strong>the</strong> beginning as a one man operation<br />
to eventually employing fifteen full-time<br />
divers, with double that during peak work<br />
periods, <strong>the</strong> company was fortunate to<br />
employ many dedicated and skilled personnel<br />
over <strong>the</strong> years. Eason <strong>Diving</strong>’s work practices<br />
exceeded <strong>the</strong> OSHA <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong><br />
Standard and as a long-time member<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Association <strong>of</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Contactors<br />
International, complied with <strong>the</strong>ir more rigorous<br />
Consensus Standards with <strong>the</strong> company<br />
always ensuring that equipment and personnel<br />
certifications were kept current.<br />
“Most importantly, I owned and operated<br />
a very safe commercial diving company for<br />
forty years, never having had an employee<br />
encounter a life threatening injury,” Eason<br />
says. “This became a goal I was obsessed<br />
with and spared no cost in obtaining <strong>the</strong><br />
proper equipment to make every diving<br />
job as safe as possible.” Eason insisted that<br />
no job be undertaken unless <strong>the</strong> company<br />
could adequately address every potential<br />
hazard and alleviate concern for diver safety.<br />
A remote operated vehicle (ROV) and current<br />
flow meters were purchased to deploy prior<br />
to diver entry in situations <strong>of</strong> potential differential<br />
pressure, and custom dive boats with<br />
entry doors were built providing safer diver<br />
ingress and egress.<br />
In <strong>the</strong> late 1990s, Eason made multiple<br />
trips to Russia and a trip to Azerbaijan as a<br />
volunteer for an American nonpr<strong>of</strong>it organization<br />
assisting emerging local diving companies<br />
in operating <strong>the</strong>ir businesses after <strong>the</strong><br />
collapse <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Soviet Union.<br />
During his career, Eason served on<br />
many local commissions including <strong>the</strong><br />
Charleston Commissioners <strong>of</strong> Pilotage,<br />
<strong>the</strong> South Carolina Maritime Security<br />
Commission, and <strong>the</strong> USCG Federal Area<br />
Maritime Security Committee. He also served<br />
on <strong>the</strong> Association <strong>of</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Contractors,<br />
International Board <strong>of</strong> Directors as <strong>the</strong><br />
elected Vice Chair and Chair <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> East<br />
Coast Chapter for ten years.<br />
In 2014, Moran Environmental Recovery,<br />
LLC (MER) acquired Eason <strong>Diving</strong> & Marine<br />
Contractors, Inc. and merged it into subsequently<br />
acquired Mainstream <strong>Commercial</strong><br />
Divers (MCDI) in 2017. At that time, Eason<br />
retired from day-to-day operations but<br />
remains involved in <strong>the</strong> diving industry as an<br />
advocate for diver safety.<br />
SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
79
MAINSTREAM<br />
COMMERCIAL<br />
DIVERS, INC.<br />
Craig Fortenbery.<br />
Mainstream <strong>Commercial</strong> Divers, Inc., headquartered<br />
in Murray, Kentucky was founded in<br />
1988 by Craig Fortenbery. While in college,<br />
Craig lived at <strong>the</strong> University’s biology station<br />
on <strong>the</strong> Tennessee River and performed <strong>the</strong> diving<br />
work for several pr<strong>of</strong>essors’ environmental<br />
studies. One <strong>of</strong> his primary pr<strong>of</strong>essors introduced<br />
him to <strong>the</strong> owner <strong>of</strong> a small commercial<br />
diving firm and Craig began working for <strong>the</strong><br />
firm as he put himself through college.<br />
Finding he enjoyed <strong>the</strong> challenges inherent<br />
with this type <strong>of</strong> work, he received additional<br />
commercial training and worked for o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
companies and on government contracts as a<br />
diver until founding Mainstream.<br />
Since its formation, Mainstream has grown<br />
to become one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> nation’s largest inland<br />
commercial diving contractors providing<br />
diving and technical services nationwide in<br />
environments ranging from shallow water,<br />
utilizing air as <strong>the</strong> breathing medium, to<br />
deeper projects using mixed gas.<br />
Mainstream provides full-service underwater<br />
construction, repair, and inspection work<br />
as well as technical services including hydrographic<br />
surveying, engineering and design<br />
services, environmental surveys and biological<br />
assessments (especially related to endangered<br />
freshwater mussels) as well as confined space<br />
entry services. <strong>The</strong> company has worked on<br />
in-water structures <strong>of</strong> all types, successfully<br />
completing many difficult projects across <strong>the</strong><br />
country. <strong>The</strong> company is committed to providing<br />
underwater construction and inspection<br />
services <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> highest quality while maintaining<br />
an impeccable safety record.<br />
MCDI has personnel with extensive training<br />
and experience in underwater inspection and<br />
construction techniques and has successfully<br />
performed underwater inspection, construction,<br />
and maintenance projects on numerous<br />
dams, large and small bridges, pipelines, water<br />
intake and outfall systems, stilling basins,<br />
mooring cells and mooring dolphins, docks,<br />
water storage tanks, wastewater treatment facilities,<br />
marine ways, and commercial vessels and<br />
barges. MCDI crews routinely work at heavy<br />
construction sites, major industrial sites, power<br />
plants, and governmental sites. A major factor<br />
in MCDI’s reputation as one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> premier<br />
inland commercial diving companies is its<br />
divers, all <strong>of</strong> whom, in addition to <strong>the</strong>ir commercial<br />
dive school training, are certified commercial<br />
divers through <strong>the</strong> Association <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Diving</strong> Contractors International (ADCI.)<br />
<strong>The</strong> MCDI facility in Kentucky is comprised<br />
<strong>of</strong> three custom-built buildings making<br />
up approximately 20,000 square feet <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>fice,<br />
shop, and equipment warehouse space on a<br />
three and a half-acre site. <strong>The</strong> facility has a<br />
7,000-gallon, 15-foot-deep, dive training/test<br />
tank for underwater welding and cutting<br />
training and for practice performing complicated<br />
underwater tasks. <strong>The</strong> facility also has a<br />
large classroom, which is used for training as<br />
well as project planning meetings.<br />
Due to <strong>the</strong> large number <strong>of</strong> underwater<br />
construction, inspection, and repair projects<br />
performed by MCDI, <strong>the</strong> company has an<br />
extensive inventory <strong>of</strong> specialty equipment to<br />
support daily operations including mixed gas<br />
diving equipment, decompression chambers,<br />
all types <strong>of</strong> underwater tooling for construction<br />
and inspection projects, truck-able<br />
barges, crane, vessels, etc.<br />
MCDI is a member <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Association <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Diving</strong> Contractors International (ADCI),<br />
whose goals are to promote safety, education<br />
and communication within <strong>the</strong> diving<br />
industry. In addition to certifying commercial<br />
divers, <strong>the</strong> ADCI publishes <strong>the</strong> most<br />
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80
comprehensive set <strong>of</strong> safety standards for commercial<br />
diving operations, <strong>the</strong> International<br />
Consensus Standards for <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong><br />
and <strong>Underwater</strong> Operations. <strong>The</strong> ACDI diver<br />
certification program and <strong>the</strong> ADCI Consensus<br />
Standards are recognized by <strong>the</strong> U.S. Coast<br />
Guard and OSHA. MCDI meets or exceeds all<br />
OSHA, USCG, and <strong>the</strong> ADCI Consensus<br />
Standard requirements.<br />
Craig, founder <strong>of</strong> MCDI, is highly regarded<br />
in <strong>the</strong> industry and is a long time board<br />
member and <strong>the</strong> immediate past president<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Association <strong>of</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Contractors<br />
International. Craig wrote <strong>the</strong> current MCDI<br />
diving safe practices manual and, as an ADCI<br />
Board member, Executive Committee member,<br />
and Consensus Standards Review Committee<br />
member, was actively involved in writing <strong>the</strong><br />
newest edition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ADCI Consensus<br />
Standards (Version 6.2). Craig states, “I feel<br />
that one <strong>of</strong> my most valuable and fulfilling contributions<br />
to this industry has been my active<br />
involvement with <strong>the</strong> ADCI, working with its<br />
many talented members as we have developed<br />
and implemented <strong>the</strong> most comprehensive set<br />
<strong>of</strong> diving safety standards in existence.”<br />
MCDI’s dive operations manager and diving<br />
supervisors are responsible for <strong>the</strong> implementation<br />
and adherence <strong>of</strong> MCDI’s safety<br />
program at each individual jobsite but all<br />
employees have <strong>the</strong> right and obligation to<br />
stop a job if an unsafe condition exists. Craig<br />
is most proud <strong>of</strong> Mainstream’s exemplary safety<br />
record through <strong>the</strong> company’s many years<br />
<strong>of</strong> operation.<br />
MCDI utilizes only commercially certified<br />
divers—not recreationally trained SCUBA<br />
divers—and all required extensive equipment<br />
and personnel certifications, training and testing<br />
are kept current. Additionally, Mainstream<br />
has its own in-house training programs that<br />
foster continued education and knowledge for<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir divers for <strong>the</strong> unique situations <strong>the</strong>y may<br />
encounter in <strong>the</strong> inland diving environment.<br />
In October 2015, Mainstream <strong>Commercial</strong><br />
Divers, Inc. was acquired by Moran<br />
Environmental Recovery (MER). MER is a<br />
diversified environmental company that previously<br />
(in 2014) had acquired Eason <strong>Diving</strong> and<br />
Marine Contractors located in Charleston,<br />
South Carolina. Prior to <strong>the</strong>se acquisitions,<br />
Mainstream and Eason had performed numerous<br />
jobs toge<strong>the</strong>r and had a strong relationship<br />
and comparable approach to safety and quality<br />
in <strong>the</strong> workplace. In January 2017, Mainstream<br />
<strong>Commercial</strong> Divers, Inc., and Eason <strong>Diving</strong> &<br />
Marine Contractors, Inc., merged to become<br />
one company with both <strong>the</strong> Murray and<br />
Charleston locations working under <strong>the</strong><br />
Mainstream <strong>Commercial</strong> Divers, Inc. name as<br />
part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> MER family <strong>of</strong> companies. Since<br />
Mainstream and Eason crews have worked<br />
toge<strong>the</strong>r on many large projects over <strong>the</strong> years,<br />
making <strong>the</strong> transition to becoming one company<br />
was a natural fit.<br />
Looking to <strong>the</strong> future, <strong>the</strong> merger <strong>of</strong> Eason<br />
<strong>Diving</strong> & Marine Contractors and Mainstream<br />
<strong>Commercial</strong> Divers will provide <strong>the</strong> resources<br />
for <strong>the</strong> company to provide even better services<br />
to its customers in <strong>the</strong> years to come.<br />
SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
81
COMMERCIAL<br />
DIVING &<br />
MARINE<br />
SERVICES, INC.<br />
<strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> & Marine Services, Inc.<br />
has provided quality diving services for over<br />
forty years and its name and reputation are well<br />
known throughout <strong>the</strong> inland diving industry.<br />
Wayne Brusate explains he started diving<br />
in 1971 as a sport diver. Occasionally, someone<br />
would ask him to recover <strong>the</strong>ir wallet<br />
or fishing gear in <strong>the</strong> St. Clair River. This<br />
soon expanded into recovering larger things<br />
like outboard motors and small boats and<br />
<strong>the</strong>n automobiles.<br />
Around 1975, Wayne started working for<br />
his uncle, Keith Malcolm, at Malcolm Marine<br />
in St. Clair, Michigan, as a deckhand/diver.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company did all sorts <strong>of</strong> marine work<br />
from seawall construction, tug and barge work,<br />
to Great Lakes salvage jobs. “I learned a lot<br />
in those years,” Wayne says. “Salvage jobs<br />
were tough and when working ‘no cure, no<br />
pay’ it could cost you more to complete <strong>the</strong><br />
salvage than what you were going to be paid.”<br />
By 1977, Wayne felt he was ready to go out<br />
on his own and founded <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong><br />
& Marine Services, Inc., based in Marysville,<br />
Michigan. Wayne looked after <strong>the</strong> diving part<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> business while his wife, Donna, ran<br />
a daycare, managed <strong>the</strong> bookkeeping and<br />
answered <strong>the</strong> business phone at home.<br />
Wayne recalls that it was difficult building<br />
a client base, and to fill in <strong>the</strong> gaps, he <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
worked for marine contractors doing pile<br />
driving and underwater work as needed.<br />
He credits Charlie Cosgro, a heavy gear diver,<br />
with teaching him how to work safely in<br />
tough, zero visibility conditions.<br />
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82
“Work was not steady during <strong>the</strong> early<br />
years <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> business,” Wayne recalls. “When<br />
we had a job, I would contact some <strong>of</strong> my<br />
fellow divers and put a crew toge<strong>the</strong>r.<br />
Greg Lashbrook, Arnie Chickonoski and<br />
Tom Clingenpeel were very skilled both<br />
underwater and topside. As work increased,<br />
we added additional personnel, including<br />
Kathy Johnson and Colette Wi<strong>the</strong>rspoon,<br />
two very experienced divers.” Wayne notes<br />
that while Kathy and Colette may not have<br />
been as physically strong as some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> male<br />
divers, <strong>the</strong>y were pretty smart. “This proved<br />
to be just as effective as brawn and <strong>the</strong>y<br />
had no problems going through eighteen and<br />
twenty-four inch pipes, which most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
guys could not do,” Wayne adds.<br />
Many <strong>of</strong> Wayne’s divers came right out <strong>of</strong><br />
Dive School and one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m, Roger Randall,<br />
ended up marrying Wayne and Donna’s<br />
daughter, Laura. Roger went on to start his<br />
own dredging business. Both daughters,<br />
Laura and Anna, are divers and <strong>the</strong> grandchildren<br />
also enjoy <strong>the</strong> water.<br />
<strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> & Marine Services,<br />
Inc. has grown steadily over <strong>the</strong> years and<br />
its dive crews have performed numerous<br />
salvage operations, sonar surveys, zebra<br />
mussel removal and maintenance <strong>of</strong> various<br />
industrial and municipal facilities throughout<br />
<strong>the</strong> Great Lakes region.<br />
<strong>The</strong> list <strong>of</strong> unique services provided by<br />
<strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> & Marine Services, Inc.,<br />
includes confined space diving in deep<br />
vertical shafts containing high methane<br />
levels. This highly specialized crew has been<br />
called in to perform critical repairs from<br />
California to Florida.<br />
For details about <strong>the</strong>se services, consult<br />
<strong>the</strong> firm’s website at www.workingdiver.com.<br />
As a member <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Association <strong>of</strong> <strong>Diving</strong><br />
Contractors International since 1993, <strong>Commercial</strong><br />
<strong>Diving</strong> and Marine Services, Inc., holds to <strong>the</strong><br />
highest commercial diving safety and operational<br />
standards in <strong>the</strong> country.<br />
<strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> & Marine Services, Inc.,<br />
is a union company and all divers and tenders<br />
are proud members <strong>of</strong> Pile Drivers Local 687 in<br />
Detroit, Michigan. Keith Mear and Ted Binnall,<br />
each with more than twenty years with <strong>the</strong> company<br />
are <strong>the</strong> lead dive supervisors.<br />
Wayne has always been active in <strong>the</strong> local<br />
search and rescue community. He joined<br />
<strong>the</strong> local sheriff dive team in 1971 and<br />
remains very active. He joined a volunteer<br />
fire department in 1985 and retired from<br />
fire service in 2006.<br />
Today, Wayne works primarily on <strong>the</strong><br />
administration side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> business, bidding<br />
<strong>the</strong> work and troubleshooting difficult jobs.<br />
Looking back on <strong>the</strong> company’s success,<br />
Wayne says he learned early in his career<br />
that dedicated employees, top <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> line<br />
equipment and a desire to be <strong>the</strong> best would<br />
build <strong>the</strong> company’s reputation and clientele.<br />
Opposite, top: <strong>Working</strong> in <strong>the</strong><br />
St. Clair River.<br />
Opposite, bottom: Salvage team.<br />
Top: Lake Huron pipeline work.<br />
Above: Decontamination <strong>of</strong> diver.<br />
SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
83
DIVERS<br />
INSTITUTE OF<br />
TECHNOLOGY<br />
Divers Institute <strong>of</strong> Technology (DIT) in<br />
Seattle is pleased to congratulate ADCI as<br />
we both celebrate fifty years serving <strong>the</strong> commercial<br />
diving industry. Since its inception,<br />
DIT has trained thousands <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
divers for elite commercial diving companies<br />
worldwide. DIT’s comprehensive seven-month<br />
program trains divers in initial skills and<br />
certification requirements for both U.S. and<br />
international commercial diving.<br />
DIT’s educational philosophy is to provide<br />
high-quality education that is sound in<br />
concept; implemented by an experienced,<br />
competent, and dedicated faculty; and<br />
designed to serve those seeking a solid<br />
foundation in <strong>the</strong> skills and knowledge<br />
required for <strong>the</strong> commercial diving industry.<br />
DIT emphasizes hands-on training that is<br />
relevant to employers’ needs and focuses on<br />
areas which <strong>of</strong>fer long-term employment.<br />
<strong>The</strong> school was founded in 1968 by<br />
John Manlove after a twenty-year U.S. Navy<br />
diving career that included training<br />
personnel for advanced qualifications. John<br />
was joined by co-founder Leiter Hockett,<br />
who was later succeeded by Navy Veteran<br />
Dyer ‘Jack’ Bisplingh<strong>of</strong>f as co-owner and<br />
president. Navy Veteran Charles ‘Chuck’<br />
Litzo joined <strong>the</strong> early leadership team and<br />
helped students acquire financial aid to<br />
attend DIT.<br />
Graduate, instructor and later owner,<br />
John Ritter recalls, “<strong>The</strong> school was like a<br />
family. <strong>The</strong> original facilities were a converted<br />
refrigeration barge salvaged by John Manlove.<br />
Ra<strong>the</strong>r than pay John for <strong>the</strong> work, <strong>the</strong><br />
owners gave him <strong>the</strong> barge. He had an idea,<br />
and a school was born.” Some students<br />
cleaned <strong>the</strong> barge and kept <strong>the</strong> pumps<br />
running in exchange for free lodging in <strong>the</strong><br />
crow’s nest.<br />
DIT was a family investment. Manlove’s<br />
wife, Marlene, wrote <strong>the</strong> first DIT brochure<br />
and helped establish <strong>the</strong><br />
business and John, Jr., was<br />
an instructor. <strong>The</strong> Manloves’<br />
six children spent weekends<br />
literally scraping candle wax<br />
<strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong> floors <strong>of</strong> “<strong>The</strong> Barge.”<br />
“On Fridays, after classes<br />
ended, John would hold<br />
‘church’ in his <strong>of</strong>fice to hear <strong>the</strong> BS from <strong>the</strong><br />
week,” recalls daughter, Lizabeth Manlove<br />
Horton. “He always served ‘mountain oysters’<br />
to <strong>the</strong> most unsuspecting newbie. I’m sure<br />
booze shots were also involved.”<br />
“At times Dad would get a call that a<br />
student had gotten into a scrape <strong>of</strong> some<br />
sort and he’d go straighten it out,” remembers<br />
daughter, Cindy Manlove Moran. “Dad touched<br />
a lot <strong>of</strong> lives. His no-nonsense way was<br />
rough, but fair. He didn’t mince his words.<br />
He was called ‘Big John’ because <strong>of</strong> his<br />
stature and also because <strong>of</strong> his character<br />
and presence.”<br />
“He was a giant <strong>of</strong> a man with a huge<br />
heart, loved <strong>the</strong> ocean and was so very proud<br />
<strong>of</strong> his vision,” Horton says.<br />
DIT was first accredited in 1973 (NATTS),<br />
maintaining continuous accreditation in good<br />
standing ever since, including a transfer to<br />
ACCSC in <strong>the</strong> 1990s.<br />
When <strong>the</strong> original location’s floating barge<br />
sank into <strong>the</strong> ship canal connecting Lake<br />
Union and Puget Sound, DIT relocated to<br />
Eleventh Avenue in Ballard. Five portable<br />
trailers served as classrooms and administrative<br />
<strong>of</strong>fices. Dive stations were four floating<br />
barges with <strong>the</strong> deep dive vessel, <strong>the</strong> sixtyfive<br />
foot, M/V Response.<br />
Manlove retired in 1986, selling <strong>the</strong> school<br />
to retired First Class Navy Diver Ritter, who<br />
<strong>the</strong>n ran DIT for thirteen years; however,<br />
Manlove was soon back assisting at <strong>the</strong><br />
school. He conducted diver training at DIT<br />
until <strong>the</strong> day he died—January 3, 2006.<br />
<strong>The</strong> school changed hands again in 1999<br />
when Jamestown Marine Services (JMS), led<br />
by retired Navy Commander Bruce Banks<br />
and retired Navy Engineering Duty Officer<br />
Captain Jack Ringelberg, purchased DIT.<br />
JMS was well-poised to assume school<br />
leadership and expand into <strong>the</strong> international<br />
diving community. <strong>The</strong> two principles provided<br />
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84
extensive expertise in marine engineering,<br />
diving instruction and underwater operations.<br />
Commander Banks was a Navy Special<br />
Operations Officer who held command <strong>of</strong><br />
two salvage vessels, served as <strong>the</strong> executive<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficer <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Navy Experimental <strong>Diving</strong><br />
Unit (NEDU), and as commanding <strong>of</strong>ficer<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Naval <strong>Diving</strong> and Salvage Training<br />
Center (NDSTC). Captain Ringelberg specialized<br />
in Naval Architecture and was commanding<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficer at NEDU. In 2000, <strong>the</strong>y<br />
appointed retired Navy Commander and<br />
former saturation diver, John Paul Johnston<br />
as DIT’s executive director.<br />
DIT expanded into <strong>the</strong> international<br />
standards arena in 1999, collaborating with<br />
<strong>the</strong> Workers’ Compensation Board <strong>of</strong> British<br />
Columbia. Navy Master Diver Richard<br />
“Ragman” Radecki, Banks, and o<strong>the</strong>rs continued<br />
writing, developing and implementing<br />
new commercial diver training standards<br />
under <strong>the</strong> auspices <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Canadian Standards<br />
Association. In 2003, DIT became <strong>the</strong> first<br />
U.S. diver training establishment accredited by<br />
Diver Certification Board <strong>of</strong> Canada (DCBC).<br />
ADCI Executive Director Phil Newsum was<br />
<strong>the</strong> first DCBC certified diver in <strong>the</strong> U.S.<br />
School facilities have been continually<br />
upgraded and expanded since 1999. In 2011,<br />
DIT moved to its current Seattle campus at<br />
1341 North Northlake Way, now housing<br />
four floating barges as dive training stations,<br />
a designated welding and metals shop with<br />
two underwater welding tanks, and <strong>the</strong><br />
M/V Response.<br />
DIT is staffed by an experienced instructor<br />
team: many are graduates who returned to<br />
teach after diving careers <strong>of</strong>fshore, inland and<br />
internationally; approximately fifty percent<br />
are veterans. Average tenure among current<br />
instructors is five years; several have taught<br />
more than ten years.<br />
DIT prides itself on <strong>the</strong> quality <strong>of</strong> graduates<br />
entering <strong>the</strong> diving industry upon graduation.<br />
Significant numbers <strong>of</strong> DIT graduates<br />
have gone on to highly successful pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
commercial, recreational, and regulatory<br />
diving careers, including industry leaders <strong>of</strong><br />
several notable commercial diving companies.<br />
Divers Institute <strong>of</strong> Technology has proudly<br />
supplied skilled divers to <strong>the</strong> marine industry<br />
for half a century and plans to follow that<br />
same path into <strong>the</strong> future with growth in new<br />
areas <strong>of</strong> marine technologies.<br />
SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
85
W.J. CASTLE,<br />
P.E. &<br />
ASSOCIATES,<br />
P.C.<br />
W.J. Castle, P.E. & Associates, P.C. was<br />
founded by William J. Castle, P.E., S.E. in<br />
1983. W.J. Castle & Associates is a consulting<br />
engineering company specializing in bridge,<br />
marine, and structural engineering, including<br />
underwater inspection and evaluation. W.J.<br />
Castle is a certified VOSB (Veteran-Owned<br />
Small Business) and SBE (Small Business<br />
Enterprise) engineering firm located in<br />
Hainesport, New Jersey. He is a licensed pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
engineer in New Jersey, Pennsylvania,<br />
New York, Maryland, Florida, Virginia, West<br />
Virginia, and Delaware.<br />
A native <strong>of</strong> Pennsylvania, Castle received<br />
a two-year degree in Civil Engineering<br />
Technology from Penn State University. After<br />
gaining considerable experience in bridge<br />
design from working at PennDOT and o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
consulting engineering firms, Castle became<br />
<strong>the</strong> Bridge Engineer at Burlington County,<br />
New Jersey in 1974. Eventually, he decided to<br />
start his own company and stay in Burlington<br />
County, New Jersey.<br />
“I had always wanted to own my own<br />
business, so I thought I would give it a shot,”<br />
Castle explains. “I opened a one-man shop<br />
in my house and gave myself three months<br />
to see if I could come up with enough work to<br />
keep going.”<br />
In <strong>the</strong> early 1980s, <strong>the</strong>re were very few<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essional engineer-divers in <strong>the</strong> whole<br />
country, so Castle developed an underwater<br />
inspection program to work with contractors<br />
and engineers. He credits Jim Caldwell <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Caldwell Marine with helping him with commercial<br />
diving and developing that field <strong>of</strong><br />
engineering in his company.<br />
“I was able to gain a lot <strong>of</strong> experience and<br />
underwater diving soon became our trademark,”<br />
Castle says. “<strong>The</strong>se abilities also helped<br />
attract o<strong>the</strong>r types <strong>of</strong> engineering work.”<br />
Over a period <strong>of</strong> several years and different<br />
locations, <strong>the</strong> company eventually moved to<br />
its current location in Hainesport, New Jersey<br />
with a staff <strong>of</strong> fifteen. In 2006, Castle purchased<br />
three acres in Hainesport, designed his<br />
building, and constructed <strong>the</strong> current 10,000-<br />
square-foot headquarters.<br />
W.J. Castle & Associates has a diverse list <strong>of</strong><br />
services including: design, rehabilitation, and<br />
inspection <strong>of</strong> various marine structures, hydrographic<br />
survey, sonar imaging, submarine cable<br />
location and repair, and NDT testing, etc.<br />
However, underwater inspection remains one<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> core services <strong>of</strong>fered. All divers are certified<br />
ADC commercial divers and are members<br />
<strong>of</strong> ADC. Much <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> diving equipment has<br />
been custom designed based upon <strong>the</strong> extensive<br />
experience obtained through <strong>the</strong> years and<br />
built to Castle’s specifications with great attention<br />
given to mobility and efficiency required<br />
for underwater inspection.<br />
A few years ago, W.J. Castle invested in<br />
sonar technology as a way to stay up-to-date<br />
with <strong>the</strong> latest technology. Kongsberg-Mesotech<br />
Scanning Sonar and JW Fisher Side Scan Sonar<br />
imaging have been instrumental in both <strong>the</strong><br />
inspection and construction fields enabling W.J.<br />
Castle to perform top notch work.<br />
As business increased, Castle saw an opportunity<br />
to expand. He and his wife, Janet, decided<br />
to start a construction company, with Janet<br />
as owner and president. Hydro-Marine<br />
Construction Co., Inc., specializing in marine<br />
construction, was founded in 1997. A certified<br />
Woman Business Enterprise (WBE) in multiple<br />
states, Hydro-Marine is Union affiliated and is<br />
staffed with highly trained, certified commercial<br />
divers who are dedicated to <strong>the</strong> highest quality<br />
underwater diving contracting. In 1999, Castle<br />
developed a third company, Simplified Bridge<br />
Systems, Inc. (SBS), which specializes in <strong>the</strong><br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
86
custom design and fabrication <strong>of</strong> small to medium<br />
span bridges. <strong>The</strong>se three companies, now<br />
referred to as “<strong>The</strong> Castle Group”, <strong>of</strong>fer a<br />
diverse field <strong>of</strong> services in both engineering and<br />
construction. As a result <strong>of</strong> this unique organization,<br />
Castle’s engineers have extensive experience<br />
in not only underwater inspection and<br />
design, but actual construction providing <strong>the</strong><br />
most comprehensive inspection, design and<br />
construction services that are practical, functional,<br />
cost efficient, and designed to work in<br />
<strong>the</strong> complexity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> real world.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Castle Group’s clientele has included<br />
both private organizations such as marinas,<br />
condominium associations, oil companies,<br />
major contractors and <strong>the</strong> public sector.<br />
Castle’s Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Engineers are highly qualified<br />
as both commercial divers and structural<br />
engineers providing a “unique blend” <strong>of</strong> technical<br />
and practical abilities. This “blend” <strong>of</strong><br />
knowledge provides a more efficient and accurate<br />
underwater inspection, which results in a<br />
complete structural evaluation.<br />
Innovation to engineering problems has been<br />
a key component to Castle’s continued success<br />
in <strong>the</strong> ever competing field <strong>of</strong> engineering.<br />
W.J. Castle, P.E. & Associates, P.C. is located<br />
at 1345 Route 38, Hainesport, New Jersey,<br />
and has a satellite <strong>of</strong>fice in Philadelphia.<br />
Centrally located, W.J. Castle can easily travel<br />
to Delaware, New York, and Pennsylvania for<br />
any inspection or construction project.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Castle Group has grown in recent years<br />
and now employs over 20 people, including<br />
13 engineering staff and 18 union divers as<br />
needed. <strong>The</strong> Castle Group has worked in<br />
Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania<br />
and Virginia and o<strong>the</strong>r surrounding states.<br />
<strong>The</strong> firm’s growth was given a big boost<br />
four years ago when it was selected to shore<br />
up and streng<strong>the</strong>n a failing foundation at <strong>the</strong><br />
Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.<br />
Castle came up with an innovative engineering<br />
concept to solve <strong>the</strong> problem and when<br />
additional problems were discovered with <strong>the</strong><br />
foundation, <strong>the</strong> $3 million project became a<br />
$4.5 million project.<br />
<strong>The</strong> key to keeping <strong>the</strong> company equitable<br />
is diversification. <strong>The</strong> Castle Group is not<br />
content to sticking with one type <strong>of</strong> client or<br />
one type <strong>of</strong> service. <strong>The</strong> economy fluctuates<br />
and as one source dries up, ano<strong>the</strong>r may open<br />
if you are ready and willing to go after it.<br />
Looking to <strong>the</strong> future, Castle hopes to see<br />
<strong>the</strong> companies grow by thirty to fifty percent,<br />
which would take it to around $10 million in<br />
annual revenues. Castle feels he and his wife<br />
have been successful because <strong>the</strong>y have tried<br />
to look ahead and not take anything for granted.<br />
“Nothing lasts forever and you have to<br />
keep moving, keep up with <strong>the</strong> trends, diversify<br />
and move into new fields,” he says.<br />
William has been involved with both <strong>the</strong><br />
Pennsylvania State University Advisory<br />
Council and Development Fund and has set<br />
up scholarships at both Penn State and<br />
Burlington County College. Castle has been a<br />
member <strong>of</strong> Association <strong>of</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Contractors<br />
for several years and served three years as<br />
director <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> association’s East Coast<br />
Chapter. He is active in a number <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
engineering associations and involved<br />
in local church and civic endeavors. He<br />
was a member <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ASCE Committee that<br />
developed standards for <strong>the</strong> underwater<br />
inspection on piers and o<strong>the</strong>r marine structures<br />
in 2001. He also helped develop a twoweek<br />
and one-week underwater inspection<br />
course at Penn State University and NJIT.<br />
Castle is approved by numerous states to<br />
give certified talks that provide PDH for<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Engineers.<br />
Janet is a member <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ADC, Women’s<br />
Business Enterprise National Council, and<br />
Utility Transportation Contractors Association.<br />
In addition to being a certified commercial<br />
diver, Janet is actually involved with church<br />
activities and has taken missonary trips to<br />
Nicaragua. She is also active in regional organization<br />
and CEO meetings, which has helped<br />
<strong>the</strong> Castle Group to improve its overall organization<br />
and become more efficient.<br />
SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
87
DRS MARINE<br />
INC.<br />
Top: Owner Richard Williams.<br />
Bottom: Vice President and Dive Supervisor<br />
Jeff Williams.<br />
DRS Marine Inc., a commercial diving company<br />
located in <strong>the</strong> San Francisco Bay Area,<br />
has provided a wide range <strong>of</strong> maritime services<br />
for more than three decades. DRS Marine can<br />
handle any task in <strong>the</strong> marine or diving industry<br />
24/7, 365 days a year, from wharf pile<br />
repair, ship husbandry, dams and powerhouses<br />
to underwater welding and diffuser outfall<br />
pipelines by utilizing surface-supplied air diving<br />
or mix-gas diving techniques to 260 feet.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company was founded in 1985 by<br />
Richard Williams and several partners,<br />
including Don Mays, Dom Ferreria, and Buck<br />
Kamphausen. Williams, who serves as president,<br />
grew up on a high sierra ranch in<br />
California and attended Oklahoma State<br />
University, where he studied Chemistry and<br />
Geology. He went on to complete dive school<br />
in 1978 and worked several marine jobs<br />
throughout <strong>the</strong> industry before starting his<br />
own company.<br />
“We struggled during <strong>the</strong> first year and<br />
decided we needed more organization,”<br />
Williams explains. “We incorporated <strong>the</strong> firm,<br />
worked up a pr<strong>of</strong>essional business plan,<br />
elected a president, and began building <strong>the</strong><br />
company. We concentrated on serving our customers…<strong>the</strong><br />
word-<strong>of</strong>-mouth about our service<br />
and capabilities is really what got us going.”<br />
DRS continues its philosophy <strong>of</strong> treating every<br />
client’s request with 110 percent effort and<br />
results, no matter <strong>the</strong> size <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> project.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company’s thirty-three years <strong>of</strong><br />
success is directly attributable to teamwork,<br />
safety, and pride <strong>of</strong> craftsmanship. “At DRS,<br />
<strong>the</strong> goal is to complete each job safely, on<br />
time, and with excellent quality,” says<br />
Williams. <strong>The</strong> company is driven by a team <strong>of</strong><br />
marine craftsman, many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m long-term<br />
with over fifteen years <strong>of</strong> service, who bring a<br />
wide variety <strong>of</strong> skills, knowledge, and experience<br />
to each project.<br />
In 1995, DRS added ROV (remotely operated<br />
vehicle) technology to <strong>the</strong>ir portfolio to<br />
provide underwater inspection services for<br />
various projects. <strong>The</strong> company expanded<br />
again in 1997 when Williams bought out<br />
Sweetwater Construction, a marine pile driving<br />
firm. Services added include sheet pile<br />
c<strong>of</strong>ferdams, wharf pile driving, abandon mine<br />
closures, marshland restoration and levee<br />
maintenance projects.<br />
Williams estimates that three-quarters<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> company’s projects represent repeat<br />
business, an indication <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> trust and confidence<br />
customers place in DRS Marine. Most<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> company’s business originates from<br />
California, Nevada, Arizona, Washington,<br />
Hawaii, and has recently expanded into<br />
South Carolina.<br />
Here are a few <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> projects successfully<br />
completed by DRS Marine:<br />
• On a Central Valley Dam in California,<br />
DRS did a complete removal <strong>of</strong> a thirty-ton<br />
bulkhead and its hydraulic system in 150<br />
feet <strong>of</strong> water, finishing several days ahead<br />
<strong>of</strong> schedule. DRS returned <strong>the</strong> following<br />
year and cycled <strong>the</strong> refurbished bulkhead<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
88
in/out for lower tunnel repairs. Work was<br />
accomplished utilizing mixed-gas diving<br />
technique to a depth <strong>of</strong> 260 feet.<br />
• Pile driving activities include constructing<br />
a new 350-foot pier at Lake Tahoe, Nevada<br />
for <strong>the</strong> United States Forest Service. <strong>The</strong><br />
largest crane barge ever on <strong>the</strong> lake was<br />
put toge<strong>the</strong>r for this operation. Crew completed<br />
<strong>the</strong> project during <strong>the</strong> winter <strong>of</strong><br />
2013 in three feet <strong>of</strong> snow.<br />
• For <strong>the</strong> construction <strong>of</strong> Calaveras Dam,<br />
DRS removed <strong>the</strong> original outlet screen for<br />
<strong>the</strong> dam and executed a full bottom survey<br />
for layout <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> entire project. A 300-<br />
cubic yard concrete foundation was placed<br />
on CIDH piles, which support <strong>the</strong> new fish<br />
screen outlet structure. Dredging, concrete<br />
placement, formwork layout, drill support,<br />
crane work, heavy steel and demolition<br />
were all completed successfully.<br />
DRS owns its headquarters in Vallejo,<br />
California, encompassing two large warehouses,<br />
administrative <strong>of</strong>fices, and storage yard<br />
with diving, fabrication and heavy construction<br />
equipment, all located on a two-and-ahalf-acre<br />
tract. A facility in Oakley, California,<br />
harbors tug boats, crane barges, and pile<br />
driving equipment.<br />
“Company growth <strong>the</strong> last five years has<br />
skyrocketed,” says Williams. “We’re finding<br />
that a lot more <strong>of</strong> our clients want turnkey<br />
jobs and we are able to give <strong>the</strong>m that. We can<br />
provide it all so <strong>the</strong>y don’t need to involve<br />
several different companies for one project.”<br />
DRS Marine will continue to groom long-term<br />
employees to become successors for <strong>the</strong> company<br />
to maintain its legacy <strong>of</strong> service.<br />
DRS Marine is a member <strong>of</strong> ADCI and contributes<br />
annually to <strong>the</strong> Civil Air Patrol and<br />
Vallejo Police sponsored Christmas Shopping<br />
for Children.<br />
For more information about DRS Marine<br />
Inc., visit <strong>the</strong> website at www.drsmarine.com.<br />
“I want to give thanks to my wife Patty for<br />
all <strong>the</strong> help and support she gave along <strong>the</strong><br />
way. I also wish to give <strong>the</strong> greatest appreciation<br />
to all <strong>the</strong> men/women that protect this<br />
country and make it possible for all <strong>of</strong><br />
us to live and prosper in this great nation,<br />
including my fa<strong>the</strong>r, Walter Williams (WWII);<br />
my bro<strong>the</strong>r, Howard Williams (Cold War);<br />
and bro<strong>the</strong>r, Clifford Williams, Bronze Star<br />
recipient, (Iraq War).”<br />
God Bless America.<br />
Bottom: Vice President and Dive Supervisor<br />
Mark Land.<br />
SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
89
Above: Bolting <strong>the</strong> company sign down.<br />
GLOBAL DIVING & SALVAGE, INC.<br />
Below: Salvage and wreck operations<br />
involve complex planning and adherence<br />
to strict environmental and insurance<br />
requirements. Every call is unique and <strong>the</strong><br />
Global team is quick to respond with a<br />
thorough plan.<br />
Global <strong>Diving</strong> & Salvage, Inc. is a leading<br />
provider <strong>of</strong> marine construction and infrastructure<br />
services and an internationally<br />
recognized casualty responder.<br />
Global was founded nearly forty years ago<br />
and <strong>the</strong> importance <strong>of</strong> responding quickly to<br />
any challenge is embedded in <strong>the</strong> company’s<br />
DNA. Once <strong>the</strong> small group <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
divers decided to form Global in 1979, events<br />
moved very quickly. <strong>The</strong> company’s first<br />
president, Greg Harem, was met at a bar at<br />
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport shortly<br />
after touching down from a dive job in<br />
Texas by a group that included John Graham,<br />
Thom Davis, Mark Niccoli, Joe Antonucci and<br />
Norm McCullum. Harem was sworn in over<br />
drinks before he even got to baggage claim.<br />
Tim Beaver soon joined <strong>the</strong> ranks as well.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company was founded with <strong>the</strong><br />
purpose <strong>of</strong> providing day-to-day diving,<br />
ship husbandry, marine construction, small<br />
vessel salvage, and spill response services in<br />
<strong>the</strong> Puget Sound region. <strong>The</strong> company’s<br />
philosophy was simple: provide tough, smart,<br />
and pr<strong>of</strong>essional services for <strong>the</strong> maritime<br />
community, deliver outstanding customer<br />
service, and focus on employee safety.<br />
In <strong>the</strong> early days, a Global crew would<br />
clean up small oil spills in <strong>the</strong>ir Harbor<br />
Island neighborhood, responding in sandals,<br />
shorts, and T-shirts. After <strong>the</strong> jobs, Jackie<br />
Lewis (<strong>of</strong>fice manager AKA “<strong>The</strong> Queen”)<br />
would walk over with a roll <strong>of</strong> paper towels<br />
and root beer floats.<br />
<strong>The</strong> jobs soon got much bigger and <strong>the</strong><br />
company grew quickly as it established a<br />
reputation for having crews available any<br />
time <strong>of</strong> day or night. “We never wanted to tell<br />
a customer that we couldn’t do something<br />
or give <strong>the</strong>m any reason to look elsewhere,”<br />
explains Graham. “When o<strong>the</strong>r companies<br />
did that, <strong>the</strong>ir customers came looking to<br />
us and we never let <strong>the</strong>m down.”<br />
Global soon earned a reputation as <strong>the</strong><br />
company to call on for any marine construction,<br />
emergency response or salvage job.<br />
Today, Global is one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> few full-service<br />
underwater marine contractors that provides<br />
project management, in-house engineering,<br />
marine and upland environmental services,<br />
as well as <strong>the</strong> full spectrum <strong>of</strong> commercial<br />
diving services. This is done through Global’s<br />
five core services—marine construction,<br />
marine casualty response, energy support<br />
services, marine and environmental services,<br />
and Global technical services.<br />
Global has been involved in several<br />
high-pr<strong>of</strong>ile projects over <strong>the</strong> years. On<br />
December 22, 1988, <strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong> coast <strong>of</strong> Grays<br />
Harbor, Washington, <strong>the</strong> towline connecting<br />
<strong>the</strong> tug Ocean Service to <strong>the</strong> Nestucca<br />
snapped. While trying to recapture <strong>the</strong><br />
drifting barge in severe wea<strong>the</strong>r, <strong>the</strong> port<br />
rudder <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Ocean Service punctured a<br />
cargo tank resulting in a release <strong>of</strong> 227,000<br />
gallons <strong>of</strong> fuel into <strong>the</strong> bay. <strong>The</strong> spill required<br />
a massive response and Global hired approximately<br />
thirty workers from nearby tribes<br />
to assist.<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
90
Global was also one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> first subcontractors<br />
brought in to assist when <strong>the</strong><br />
Exxon Valdez caused one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> largest oil<br />
spills in U.S. history. Global crew members<br />
were on site in Valdez, Alaska, for <strong>the</strong> next<br />
year-and-a-half, working on lightering <strong>the</strong><br />
vessel and supporting <strong>the</strong> oil spill cleanup.<br />
In 2000, Vice President <strong>of</strong> Marine<br />
Construction Mike Langen and CEO/President<br />
Devon Grennan, laid <strong>the</strong> groundwork for a<br />
new company initiative—Safety, Quality <strong>of</strong><br />
Service, and Growth (SQG). This shifted<br />
some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> company’s structure from<br />
remaining founders Graham and Beaver and<br />
involved a larger group to have a voice in <strong>the</strong><br />
future direction <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> company.<br />
After Hurricane Ivan in 2004, Global’s<br />
focus on safety and quality ushered in an<br />
entirely new category <strong>of</strong> dive work. <strong>The</strong><br />
hurricane left several downed platforms in<br />
<strong>the</strong> Gulf <strong>of</strong> Mexico—most needing saturation<br />
divers to remove <strong>the</strong> downed platforms<br />
and control and kill <strong>the</strong> trapped live wells.<br />
Global navigated a major growth effort<br />
between 2000 and 2009, including <strong>the</strong><br />
acquisition <strong>of</strong> Inshore Divers <strong>of</strong> Rio Vista,<br />
California in 2004 and Offshore Divers <strong>of</strong><br />
Anchorage, Alaska in 2009.<br />
Today, Global is headquartered in Seattle,<br />
Washington, and operates an Alaska <strong>of</strong>fice<br />
in Anchorage, a nor<strong>the</strong>rn California <strong>of</strong>fice<br />
in Vallejo, a sou<strong>the</strong>rn California <strong>of</strong>fice in<br />
Signal Hill, and a Texas <strong>of</strong>fice in Houston,<br />
along with several remote <strong>of</strong>fices that<br />
facilitate immediate response operations<br />
throughout <strong>the</strong> country. Currently, <strong>the</strong><br />
company has approximately 250 fulltime<br />
employees.<br />
Global’s leadership team includes CEO/<br />
President Devon Grennan; Vice President <strong>of</strong><br />
Operations Dan Pierson; Vice President <strong>of</strong><br />
Marine Construction, Engineering and<br />
Technology Mike Langen; Vice President <strong>of</strong><br />
Casualty Response David Devilbiss; Vice<br />
President <strong>of</strong> Finance and Administration<br />
Trinity Ng-Yeung; and Vice President <strong>of</strong><br />
Quality Assurance Jennifer Jensen.<br />
Global employees are deeply involved in<br />
many community organizations, including<br />
Seattle Children’s Hospital. Over <strong>the</strong> past ten<br />
years, Global employees and partners have<br />
helped raise more than $300,000 to support<br />
<strong>the</strong> hospital’s mission.<br />
In addition, Global has been a supporter<br />
<strong>of</strong> Puget Sound Maritime (PSM) for more<br />
than a decade. PSM’s mission is to create<br />
appreciation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Puget Sound region’s<br />
maritime past to better understand <strong>the</strong> present.<br />
Global <strong>Diving</strong> & Salvage, Inc., is an active<br />
participant in <strong>the</strong> Association <strong>of</strong> <strong>Diving</strong><br />
Contractors International (ADCI). Dan Pierson<br />
currently serves on <strong>the</strong> association’s board<br />
<strong>of</strong> directors.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company’s continued growth and<br />
success has been built by execution <strong>of</strong> its<br />
guiding core values <strong>of</strong> honesty, teamwork,<br />
and pr<strong>of</strong>essional pride. “As proud as we are <strong>of</strong><br />
our history, and where we have been, we have<br />
many chapters still left that we are writing,”<br />
says Grennan. “And everyone at Global gets<br />
to contribute to <strong>the</strong> story. We’re honored<br />
to work with such a committed group <strong>of</strong><br />
people who exhibit <strong>the</strong> same principles.”<br />
Below: Global has more than thirtyfive<br />
years <strong>of</strong> underwater construction<br />
experience. <strong>The</strong> company addresses needs<br />
<strong>of</strong> customers in both public and private<br />
sectors; creating custom solutions for<br />
complex problems.<br />
SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
91
MARINE<br />
DIVING<br />
TECHNOLOGY<br />
CLASS OF<br />
1973–SANTA<br />
BARBARA CITY<br />
COLLEGE<br />
Marine Technology Program Instructors:<br />
Bob Christensen, Jim Parker, and<br />
Ramsey Parks.<br />
Friendships forged and lessons learned<br />
forty-five years ago still bind <strong>the</strong> 1973 graduates<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Marine <strong>Diving</strong> program at Santa<br />
Barbara City College. Twenty-six <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> original<br />
forty-four classmates in <strong>the</strong> Class <strong>of</strong> 1973<br />
entered <strong>the</strong> workforce immediately after graduation.<br />
As many as fifteen are still active in <strong>the</strong><br />
industry and a number have developed <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
own companies, ranging from a tourist<br />
submarine business in <strong>the</strong> Asia Pacific to a<br />
civil engineering diving firm in San Francisco.<br />
Graduates <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Class <strong>of</strong> 1973 have<br />
managed <strong>the</strong> deepest dive ever recorded in<br />
<strong>the</strong> Gulf <strong>of</strong> Mexico, developed underwater<br />
welding and nondestructive testing technology,<br />
and participated in <strong>the</strong> top-secret mission<br />
to recover a Russian nuclear submarine.<br />
“Our class was unique because <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> close<br />
bonds created toge<strong>the</strong>r at <strong>the</strong> MT Noble Street<br />
shop playing volleyball, building Jorgie’s Reef<br />
on <strong>the</strong> beach near SBCC, learning to operate<br />
Otto’s boats out <strong>of</strong> Santa Barbara Harbor, and<br />
making dives in <strong>the</strong> ADS IV bell system <strong>of</strong>fshore,”<br />
says Tom Belcher. Ano<strong>the</strong>r graduate,<br />
Gary Kane, notes that, “Our instructors were<br />
legends in <strong>the</strong> industry and became a major<br />
influence on all <strong>of</strong> us.”<br />
Three <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> instructors best remembered<br />
by <strong>the</strong> Class <strong>of</strong> 1973 are Bob Christensen, Jim<br />
Parker, and Ramsey Parks. <strong>The</strong>y conducted<br />
classes for <strong>the</strong> two-year program that included<br />
everything from physical oceanography to<br />
fundamentals <strong>of</strong> marine engines and compressors,<br />
and from underwater construction to<br />
marine law and economics.<br />
“We couldn’t ask for any better and <strong>the</strong>y<br />
certainly trained us on how to act, figure out,<br />
and defend ourselves and to develop our<br />
abilities and skill sets into what we were to<br />
become,” comments Belcher.<br />
“We were trained pr<strong>of</strong>essionally by our great<br />
teachers and we owe <strong>the</strong>m big time,” adds Pete<br />
Metson. “<strong>The</strong>y provided us with <strong>the</strong> opportunity<br />
to have a successful career, make a lot <strong>of</strong><br />
money, and work with a lot <strong>of</strong> great people.”<br />
Among <strong>the</strong> graduates who went on to successful<br />
careers in <strong>the</strong> industry are Gary Kane,<br />
John McClure, Pete Metson, Tom Belcher,<br />
Tom Ulrich, Ray Chamberlain, William “Billy”<br />
Robinson, and Greg Bryant.<br />
Ulrich grew up in Santa Barbara and<br />
had his scuba certification by <strong>the</strong> age <strong>of</strong><br />
fourteen. His early career took him to many<br />
locations including <strong>the</strong> Gulf <strong>of</strong> Mexico, <strong>the</strong><br />
North Sea, Mexico, Japan, <strong>the</strong> Pacific Basin,<br />
and his current home in Alaska. He has made<br />
it through <strong>the</strong> ranks to become Alaska<br />
Regional Manager and Vice President with<br />
American Marine International.<br />
Chamberlain has spent forty years <strong>of</strong>fshore<br />
working in diving internationally, ROVs, and<br />
as a client’s representative. Chamberlain<br />
believes that <strong>the</strong> marine technology program<br />
at SBCC gave its graduates <strong>the</strong> skills and confidence<br />
to pursue <strong>the</strong>ir ambitions. “I have<br />
fond memories and lots <strong>of</strong> gratitude for our<br />
instructors,” he says.<br />
Metson went to work for SubSea<br />
International soon after graduation and wasted<br />
little time in rising up <strong>the</strong> corporate ladder,<br />
eventually becoming <strong>the</strong> number two man.<br />
Metson was involved in building <strong>the</strong> first<br />
permanent North Sea fixed platform jacket<br />
installations in <strong>the</strong> BP Forties Field. He<br />
obtained his MBA from Tulane and completed<br />
his dive career by helping build SSI into a<br />
mega-firm that is now a major part <strong>of</strong> SubSea<br />
Seven, one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> largest underwater contractors<br />
in <strong>the</strong> world.<br />
Kane left Santa Barbara and spent <strong>the</strong><br />
next ten years establishing himself in <strong>the</strong><br />
industry, working with Metson, Belcher,<br />
Ulrich, Robinson, Chamberlain, and o<strong>the</strong>rs<br />
in <strong>the</strong> North Sea. After returning to <strong>the</strong> Gulf<br />
<strong>of</strong> Mexico, he continued working <strong>of</strong>fshore<br />
where he supervised a working saturation<br />
dive to 1,073 feet, a record still today. Moving<br />
on in his career, he opened his own consultancy<br />
company in 1996, which he sold in<br />
2015. An active writer, he has written over a<br />
dozen articles for <strong>Underwater</strong> Magazine.<br />
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McClure started his diving career as a Navy<br />
diver in <strong>the</strong> rivers <strong>of</strong> Vietnam. After discharge,<br />
he graduated from <strong>the</strong> new SBCC Marine<br />
Technology Program. McClure’s commercial<br />
dive experience includes thousands <strong>of</strong> hours<br />
underwater, involving a full spectrum <strong>of</strong> projects<br />
deep to shallow, from simple to complex,<br />
using many modes <strong>of</strong> diving. He worked for<br />
Union Carbide for fourteen years, becoming<br />
project manager, and is currently Vice<br />
President/COO <strong>of</strong> Pacific Subsea Saipan, Inc.,<br />
engaged in tour submarine operations in Asia.<br />
Belcher’s varied career has involved him<br />
in dive projects throughout <strong>the</strong> world. He<br />
founded <strong>Underwater</strong> Resources in 1982<br />
and spent thirty-five years performing<br />
shallow/deep air, gas diving services to 230<br />
feet, ROV and sonar inspections, and heavy<br />
civil construction. Belcher developed techniques,<br />
equipment and methodology to<br />
conduct te<strong>the</strong>red dive penetrations within<br />
flooded tunnels/pipelines up to 3,000 feet<br />
to perform internal inspections and repairs.<br />
Robinson worked in <strong>the</strong> Gulf <strong>of</strong> Mexico<br />
and <strong>the</strong> North Sea, conducting air, gas, and<br />
sat diving. He is a talented leader <strong>of</strong> people<br />
and became operations manager for geophysical<br />
survey projects. Robinson is experienced<br />
in all facets <strong>of</strong> shallow and deep-water diving.<br />
Bryant worked throughout Sou<strong>the</strong>ast<br />
Asia and became <strong>the</strong> diving superintendent<br />
<strong>of</strong> a 1,000-foot saturation system in <strong>the</strong><br />
Philippines. He received a BSME degree from<br />
Cal Poly and became an assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essor in<br />
<strong>the</strong> Marine Technology program. He <strong>the</strong>n<br />
became a Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Engineer and partnered<br />
with McClure in Pacific Offshore Contractors<br />
before becoming robotics system manager for<br />
NASA’s space station. Bryant has also worked<br />
for Walt Disney and Universal Studios and<br />
was involved in <strong>the</strong> motion picture, <strong>The</strong> Abyss.<br />
Bryant remains active as a commercial diver<br />
and engineer.<br />
Two <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Class <strong>of</strong> 1973 were lost while<br />
working. Richard Walker died at 500 feet in<br />
<strong>the</strong> North Sea and ano<strong>the</strong>r classmate, Ron<br />
Smith, was killed during an accidental detonation<br />
<strong>of</strong> explosives. “<strong>The</strong> memories <strong>of</strong> Dick<br />
and Ron and <strong>the</strong> circumstances <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir deaths<br />
still to this day play a part in my pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
decisions,” says Kane<br />
Those from <strong>the</strong> Class <strong>of</strong> 1973 who went<br />
on to careers in <strong>the</strong> industry include: Tom<br />
Belcher, Gib Blevins, Greg Bryant, Ray<br />
Chamberlain, John Colgate, Ken Corsen, Walt<br />
Croson, Andy Culwell, Burt Davis, Hal<br />
Epstein, Gary Fisher, Bob Hargis, Wade<br />
Harris, Pat Helmstetter, Gary Kane, Joe Krivi,<br />
Leslie Lynch, Gary Margadant, John McClure,<br />
Pete Metson, Craig Roberts, Billy Robinson,<br />
Bill Rudolph, Ron Smith, Jack Spinney, Jim<br />
‘Diego’ Terres, Tom Ulrich, Richard Walker,<br />
and Russ Westfall.<br />
“Our Class <strong>of</strong> ’73 was on <strong>the</strong> cutting edge<br />
<strong>of</strong> changes in deep diving technology, and we<br />
were among <strong>the</strong> pioneer divers and technicians<br />
who responded to <strong>the</strong> industry need to<br />
expand limits and work deeper,” comments<br />
McClure. “We have remained connected over<br />
<strong>the</strong> years both pr<strong>of</strong>essionally and socially.<br />
Sharing common goals and life experiences<br />
with classmates is <strong>the</strong> adhesive that bonds us<br />
toge<strong>the</strong>r today.”<br />
Top: Marine Tech Field Lab, Bell<br />
<strong>Diving</strong> Class.<br />
Below: Left to right: John McClure, Tom<br />
Ulrich, Billy Robinson, Gary Kane, Ray<br />
Chamberlain, Pete Metson, Greg Bryant<br />
and Tom Belcher.<br />
SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
93
AMERICAN<br />
MARINE<br />
CORPORATION<br />
Since its beginnings as a start-up commercial<br />
diving business called American Divers<br />
Inc., in 1973, American Marine Corporation,<br />
has grown to become one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> more respected<br />
firms in <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> industry.<br />
American Marine Corporation (AMC)<br />
provides commercial diving, specialty marine<br />
contracting and vessel support services to<br />
clients in both <strong>the</strong> public and private<br />
sectors. AMC has been responsible for prime<br />
construction projects ranging from new pier<br />
and breakwater construction to harbor dredging<br />
and ocean outfall installation and repair.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company operates workboats, derrick<br />
barges, flat barges, cranes, dive vessels, and<br />
crew boats. <strong>The</strong> firm’s three operating regions<br />
are Hawaii and <strong>the</strong> outer Pacific Islands, <strong>the</strong><br />
west coast <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> United States, and Alaska.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company is based out <strong>of</strong> Honolulu,<br />
Hawaii, <strong>the</strong> original location. From <strong>the</strong>se<br />
<strong>of</strong>fices, operations extend nationally, and at<br />
times internationally.<br />
AMC began nearly forty-five years ago<br />
when a partnership was formed within a small<br />
dive shop adjacent to Honolulu Harbor.<br />
Pat Wolter, was born and raised in France<br />
and by 1973 had started American Divers<br />
Inc., <strong>the</strong> first formal diving company in Hawaii<br />
to provide general commercial diving services,<br />
with a focus on dive support for marine<br />
construction companies. Robert Shahnazarian<br />
had come to Hawaii from New Jersey on a<br />
University <strong>of</strong> Hawaii swimming scholarship<br />
and it was a natural first step for him<br />
to be involved in waterfront activities. Scott<br />
Vuillemot, starting from a young age, had been<br />
involved in <strong>of</strong>fshore federal funded infrastructure<br />
projects in <strong>the</strong> Islands and had spent time<br />
on <strong>the</strong> West Coast in formal commercial dive<br />
school training. <strong>The</strong>se three young men were<br />
<strong>the</strong> core <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> initial expansion <strong>of</strong> American<br />
Divers Inc., which incorporated in 1975.<br />
<strong>The</strong> focus <strong>of</strong> this expansion was <strong>the</strong> installation<br />
<strong>of</strong> coastal ocean outfall projects as funded<br />
by federal law. In 1972 <strong>the</strong> law became<br />
known as <strong>the</strong> Clean Water Act. This law established<br />
<strong>the</strong> basic structure for regulating pollutant<br />
discharges into <strong>the</strong> waters <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> United<br />
States and gave <strong>the</strong> EPA <strong>the</strong> authority to implement<br />
pollution control programs such as<br />
setting wastewater standards for industry. In<br />
Hawaii, <strong>the</strong>re were three primary ocean outfalls<br />
to be constructed as well as significant<br />
repair projects to existing systems. Good work<br />
for this young group <strong>of</strong> motivated divers.<br />
<strong>The</strong> pivotal year for <strong>the</strong> young company<br />
was 1979. <strong>The</strong> Hawaii outfall projects were<br />
drying up, but similar new opportunities were<br />
opening up in <strong>the</strong> Caribbean in Puerto Rico.<br />
Larger marine construction companies had<br />
been pleased with <strong>the</strong> work <strong>of</strong> American<br />
Divers, Inc., and <strong>of</strong>fered <strong>the</strong>m work on <strong>the</strong><br />
Bayamon Ocean Outfall serving San Juan<br />
Puerto Rico. This significant project called for<br />
support boats so Pat and Scott made <strong>the</strong> first<br />
<strong>of</strong> many trips to New Orleans, searching for<br />
reliable support vessels. <strong>The</strong>y decided on two<br />
boats; a small tug and crew boat. <strong>The</strong>se vessels<br />
added ano<strong>the</strong>r business line to <strong>the</strong> company<br />
and American Workboats was formed in 1979.<br />
Puerto Rico provided American Workboats<br />
and American Divers, Inc., with good and<br />
steady work for over four years. While Pat ran<br />
<strong>the</strong> established Hawaii operation, Bob and Scott<br />
ran <strong>the</strong> two companies in Puerto Rico, providing<br />
solid dive and vessel support services on<br />
three large outfall projects, in <strong>the</strong> Caribbean.<br />
Subsequent to <strong>the</strong> completion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se<br />
major projects in <strong>the</strong> Caribbean, <strong>the</strong> work<br />
dried up to a point where a decision was made<br />
to relocate <strong>the</strong> division on <strong>the</strong> West Coast.<br />
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This primary regional location <strong>of</strong> American<br />
Divers Inc., and American Workboats grew<br />
steadily between 1983 and 1987, fueled by<br />
several large projects in Sou<strong>the</strong>rn California,<br />
including construction <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Diablo Canyon<br />
nuclear power plant and <strong>the</strong> San Rafael ocean<br />
outfall project. <strong>The</strong> West Coast proved itself as<br />
a good market for <strong>the</strong>se maturing businesses.<br />
Tragedy struck <strong>the</strong> company in 1987 when<br />
Pat’s helicopter crashed as he was landing on a<br />
grounded barge to consider wreck removal<br />
options <strong>of</strong>f <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Big Island <strong>of</strong> Hawaii. Pat was<br />
killed, and in short order, everything changed<br />
for <strong>the</strong> company. That evening, Scott flew back<br />
to Hawaii to take over management <strong>of</strong> that<br />
division, after being away for eight years.<br />
Pat’s death convinced Bob and Scott to seriously<br />
discuss and plan <strong>the</strong> future <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> company<br />
as well as to write a new business plan. <strong>The</strong><br />
first step in this plan was <strong>the</strong> establishment <strong>of</strong><br />
an administrative arm to help <strong>the</strong> company<br />
manage and track growth, and provide customer<br />
service and support. Ano<strong>the</strong>r decision,<br />
was to create an environmental arm to prosecute<br />
and support coastal spills and waterfront<br />
environmental needs. Pacific Environmental<br />
Corporation (PENCO) was formed.<br />
<strong>The</strong> following decade was a time for development<br />
for <strong>the</strong> companies, including an opportunity<br />
for permanent expansion in Alaska. In<br />
1993 a decision was made to enter <strong>the</strong> market<br />
through <strong>the</strong> acquisition <strong>of</strong> equipment and personnel<br />
<strong>of</strong> a failing marine group in <strong>the</strong> region.<br />
By 1998, with <strong>the</strong> company growing rapidly,<br />
Bob and Scott decided it was time to formalize<br />
a new structure for <strong>the</strong> company’s<br />
future. <strong>The</strong> companies were realigned to serve<br />
three basic markets in <strong>the</strong> three regions and<br />
American Marine Services Group (AMSG) was<br />
developed as a reference to <strong>the</strong> overall organization.<br />
American Divers, Inc., was renamed<br />
to become American Marine Corporation.<br />
“A major part <strong>of</strong> our growth philosophy is<br />
to plan and control <strong>the</strong> various facets <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
businesses, from <strong>the</strong> administration to personnel<br />
and equipment,” Scott explains.<br />
“Things along <strong>the</strong> road don’t always work out<br />
<strong>the</strong> way a plan is originally conceived, but<br />
perseverance and good business practices go a<br />
long way toward reaching your goals.”<br />
Today, AMSG focuses on specialty marine<br />
construction projects, commercial diving, tug<br />
and work vessel support, crew boat operations,<br />
and vessel inspection and repair services.<br />
<strong>The</strong> environmental arm under PENCO has<br />
developed into a nationally recognized group<br />
<strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essionals. Although <strong>the</strong> AMSG <strong>of</strong>fices<br />
are in <strong>the</strong> Pacific region, <strong>the</strong> company performs<br />
work routinely on <strong>the</strong> Gulf and East<br />
Coasts, North Slope Alaska, Central America,<br />
and internationally. Offices in Honolulu,<br />
Anchorage, and Los Angeles are staffed with<br />
local personnel who have spent <strong>the</strong> majority<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir careers in those regions <strong>of</strong>fering a<br />
solid basis <strong>of</strong> local knowledge.<br />
American Marine Services Group and<br />
its operating companies; American Marne<br />
Corporation, Pacific Environmental Corporation<br />
and American Workboats currently are moving<br />
in <strong>the</strong> direction <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> second generation with<br />
<strong>the</strong> intent <strong>of</strong> providing “Excellence in<br />
Operations” for ano<strong>the</strong>r fifty years.<br />
To learn more about American Marine<br />
Corporation, check <strong>the</strong> website at<br />
www.amarinecorp.com. Pacific Environmental<br />
Corporation may be located at www.penco.org.<br />
SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
95
Above: Teichman Group Founder, Rudy<br />
Teichman, on a salvage project.<br />
Below: <strong>Diving</strong> operations.<br />
TEICHMAN GROUP OF COMPANIES<br />
<strong>The</strong> Teichman Group <strong>of</strong> Companies operates<br />
one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most extensive emergency<br />
response networks in <strong>the</strong> world and is<br />
committed to serving <strong>the</strong> needs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> shipping<br />
and energy industries with <strong>the</strong> highest<br />
standards <strong>of</strong> safety and quality.<br />
Pre-positioned throughout <strong>the</strong> United<br />
States, its territories, Singapore, Europe, and<br />
South America, <strong>the</strong> Teichman Group owns<br />
and maintains a comprehensive inventory<br />
<strong>of</strong> state-<strong>of</strong>-<strong>the</strong>-art commercial diving, fast<br />
response firefighting systems, inert gas and<br />
nitrogen generators, high capacity dewatering<br />
pumps, ship-to-ship lightering systems,<br />
anti-pollution systems, three-dimensional<br />
sonar, remotely operated vehicle systems,<br />
and myriad <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r response equipment.<br />
Equipment is packaged so it can be rapidly<br />
transported by air, land, or sea. <strong>The</strong> specialized<br />
portable assets are complemented by<br />
floating and portable heavy lift and salvage<br />
support vessels ready to meet both routine<br />
and emergency response challenges.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company was established in 1957<br />
when Rudy Teichman, an experienced<br />
machinist, established T&T Marine Ways,<br />
Inc., a small shipyard at <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> Teichman<br />
Point in Galveston, Texas. At first, <strong>the</strong> business<br />
consisted <strong>of</strong> a dock for working on<br />
small vessels, a machine shop, and a small<br />
dredge. Later, a marine railway was built to<br />
perform dry repairs on small vessels. In 1960,<br />
Rudy bought a wooden tug named Josephine,<br />
that he rebuilt to provide towing services<br />
to <strong>the</strong> area.<br />
<strong>The</strong> shipyard was destroyed when Hurricane<br />
Carla hit Galveston in 1961, but Rudy started<br />
over and by 1964, was expanding, hiring<br />
more employees, and building bigger and<br />
better facilities.<br />
Recognizing <strong>the</strong> need for a salvage and<br />
diving company along <strong>the</strong> Texas coast,<br />
Rudy started T&T Marine Salvage, Inc., to<br />
raise sunken boats and barges. In 1976,<br />
Rudy bought a steam crane with a capacity<br />
<strong>of</strong> seventy-five tons for heavy lift work.<br />
Today, T&T owns and operates a wide<br />
assortment <strong>of</strong> equipment, providing a variety<br />
<strong>of</strong> services including heavy lift, response,<br />
salvage, and marine firefighting.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Teichman Group’s dedicated commercial<br />
diving company, T&T Subsea, provides<br />
high quality marine salvage support, ship<br />
husbandry and under hull cleaning, class<br />
approved hull and propeller repairs, vessel<br />
and facility inspections, marine construction,<br />
and contaminated water diving, among o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
underwater services worldwide.<br />
T&T Subsea continues to retain a competitive<br />
advantage by providing safe and high<br />
quality services, while faithfully adhering to<br />
T&T founder’s core values <strong>of</strong> honesty, integrity,<br />
and hard work. On every project, T&T Subsea<br />
provides comprehensive reports, including<br />
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photographs and video documentation that<br />
fully satisfy classification society and regulatory<br />
requirements. Additionally, T&T implements<br />
a comprehensive quality-assurance program<br />
that includes client feedback throughout <strong>the</strong><br />
project. This valuable customer feedback<br />
ensures <strong>the</strong> company is continuously improving<br />
processes and procedures.<br />
Rudy’s son, Kevin, learned <strong>the</strong> business<br />
and operational aspects <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> salvage industry<br />
from <strong>the</strong> ground up, under his fa<strong>the</strong>r’s<br />
mentorship. Following Rudy’s passing in<br />
2012, Kevin stepped forward to lead and<br />
expand <strong>the</strong> Teichman Group into what is<br />
now, an international corporation with<br />
bases <strong>of</strong> operation around <strong>the</strong> world. As<br />
Managing Director, Kevin, has implemented a<br />
strategic plan that includes expanding <strong>of</strong>fices<br />
in Europe, South America and Asia. His<br />
efforts have been attributed with enhancing<br />
marine safety, emergency response, and<br />
environmental protection efforts worldwide.<br />
In addition to <strong>the</strong> salvage and diving<br />
businesses, Kevin also helps manage two oil<br />
spill response cooperatives, Clean Gulf<br />
Associates and Clean Channels Cooperative,<br />
including managing all emergency response<br />
equipment and personnel. <strong>The</strong> Teichman<br />
Group <strong>of</strong> Companies now maintains one<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> nation’s largest inventory <strong>of</strong> portable<br />
salvage and oil spill response equipment.<br />
In addition, T&T has developed a comprehensive<br />
non-floating oil detection and<br />
recovery capability to meet national U.S.<br />
Coast Guard classification requirements.<br />
Under Kevin’s leadership, <strong>the</strong> Teichman<br />
Group’s fleet <strong>of</strong> boats, and salvage and oil<br />
spill response equipment inventory continues<br />
to grow. <strong>The</strong> company now has <strong>the</strong> capacity<br />
to recover more than two million barrels <strong>of</strong><br />
oil per day with more than 300,000 feet<br />
<strong>of</strong> containment boom. Given <strong>the</strong> Teichman<br />
Group’s capacity and capabilities, <strong>the</strong> company<br />
is contracted by over 100 oil and gas<br />
producers with over sixty percent <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
tank ship industry selecting T&T to be<br />
named as <strong>the</strong>ir salvor <strong>of</strong> choice on <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
vessel response plans.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Teichman Group has responded to<br />
hundreds <strong>of</strong> marine casualty incidents and oil<br />
spills, from saving sinking <strong>of</strong>fshore oil rigs<br />
to refloating <strong>the</strong> Battleship Texas that saw<br />
battle in both World Wars. Additionally, T&T<br />
has successfully completed marine salvage<br />
operations from <strong>the</strong> Equator to <strong>the</strong> Arctic.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company is based in Galveston, Texas,<br />
with bases <strong>of</strong> operation throughout <strong>the</strong><br />
U.S., Singapore, Peru, Germany, Ne<strong>the</strong>rlands,<br />
and Guam.<br />
For more information about <strong>the</strong> Teichman<br />
Group <strong>of</strong> Companies, check <strong>the</strong> website at<br />
www.teichmangroup.com.<br />
Above: Offshore salvage operations.<br />
Below: Lightering a grounded ship.<br />
SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
97
STS CHILE<br />
(STS MARINE<br />
ENGINEERING<br />
AND<br />
CONSTRUCTION<br />
LIMITED)<br />
STS Chile is <strong>the</strong> largest and<br />
most experienced subsea engineering<br />
and services company in<br />
Chile and a leader in Latin<br />
America. STS designs and builds<br />
maritime and underwater works<br />
through sophisticated engineering<br />
and <strong>the</strong> best construction methods<br />
that <strong>of</strong>fer safety and ensures<br />
<strong>the</strong> highest quality possible.<br />
Founded in 1960 by Claudio<br />
Castro Jonas with <strong>the</strong> passion <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> pioneers opening and developing<br />
<strong>the</strong> future <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> underwater<br />
world, STS provides integral<br />
maintenance <strong>of</strong> ports and underwater pier<br />
structures; repair <strong>of</strong> underwater oil and gas<br />
pipelines; underwater engineering design and<br />
construction <strong>of</strong> underwater lines. In addition,<br />
<strong>the</strong> company is involved in rescues and salvages;<br />
supports construction and installation<br />
stages <strong>of</strong> oil platforms and underwater lines;<br />
constructs submerged structures; and provides<br />
general maintenance <strong>of</strong> SPM.<br />
In recent years, STS Chile has conducted a<br />
re-engineering process based on <strong>the</strong> highest<br />
international standards, developing and<br />
incorporating management control and quality<br />
assurance as well as <strong>the</strong> business assurance<br />
concept according to ISO 9001 standards.<br />
STS is <strong>the</strong> first maritime company in Chile to<br />
be certified with <strong>the</strong> new 2015 version by <strong>the</strong><br />
prestigious and demanding Lloyd’s Register<br />
QA. <strong>The</strong> company is also certified with integrated<br />
management system ISO 14001:2015<br />
and OHSA 18001, all accredited in <strong>the</strong><br />
United Kingdom.<br />
To date, STS is <strong>the</strong> first company in Latin<br />
America to be audited and certified by<br />
ADC International for 2016, under <strong>the</strong> standards<br />
<strong>of</strong> underwater operations according to<br />
International Consensus Standards version 6.2<br />
auditing initiative.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se high standard certifications confirm<br />
STS’s goal <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>fering clients <strong>the</strong> best quality<br />
and safe engineering and underwater construction<br />
services.<br />
STS encourages a safety oriented philosophy<br />
and is proud <strong>of</strong> a record <strong>of</strong> over two<br />
million underwater man hours without<br />
accidents. <strong>The</strong> company incorporates <strong>the</strong><br />
Health Safety Environmental and Community<br />
(HSEC) system as its guide.<br />
STS has <strong>the</strong> largest infrastructure <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
diving systems and equipment in Chile<br />
and Latin America. An internationally certified<br />
staff develops continuous maintenance and<br />
update processes for more than 500 tons <strong>of</strong><br />
equipment. This allows <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong><br />
parallel projects in Chile and overseas with <strong>the</strong><br />
highest standards <strong>of</strong> ISO 9001:2015 QAQC.<br />
STS is <strong>the</strong> first company in Chile to<br />
become a general member <strong>of</strong> Association <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Diving</strong> Contractors International (ADCI) to<br />
participate in conferences, seminars, and<br />
international expositions to promote technological<br />
advances on safety in commercial diving<br />
through <strong>the</strong> best industry practices and<br />
international standards. CEO Castro is also<br />
founder <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Chilean Association <strong>of</strong> <strong>Diving</strong><br />
Contractors and Chairman <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Chilean<br />
Chapter <strong>of</strong> ADCI.<br />
Safety is a primary concern <strong>of</strong> STS and has<br />
recorded more than two million underwater<br />
immersions without accident during its fiftyseven<br />
years <strong>of</strong> existence. During this period,<br />
STS has executed more than eighty percent <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> maintenance and installation <strong>of</strong> oil and<br />
gas terminals throughout Chile. This allows<br />
STS to <strong>of</strong>fer more technical and economic<br />
advantages for providing highly efficient and<br />
economically viable underwater service<br />
promptly in Latin America and beyond.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company currently employs fifty-seven<br />
people in management, engineering, design,<br />
administration and maintenance. <strong>The</strong>se<br />
employees are based in two main <strong>of</strong>fices:<br />
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Marine Engineering in Vina del Mar and<br />
Subsea Operations and administrative staff in<br />
<strong>the</strong> Port <strong>of</strong> Quintero. <strong>The</strong> company contracts<br />
with surface-supplied air divers and supervisors,<br />
mixed gas, ROV personnel and bell saturation<br />
dive supervisors, depending on <strong>the</strong> size<br />
and scope <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> projects being executed.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company has produced continuous<br />
growth <strong>of</strong> more than ten percent annually<br />
for <strong>the</strong> past ten years. Customers include<br />
international engineering companies, mining,<br />
ports, oil and gas, power plants and desalination<br />
plants. Project sizes and revenue are up<br />
to ten million USD, but has developed bigger<br />
multimillion dollar marine projects in joint<br />
ventures or partnerships.<br />
STS contributes directly to its local communities<br />
in Quintero by sponsoring elder<br />
homes and programs for disabled children.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company funds a scholarship for academic<br />
excellence in one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most prestigious<br />
schools in Chile. STS also donates funds<br />
for ADCI scholarships. Because <strong>of</strong> its HSEC<br />
philosophy, STS is involved with every local<br />
community in which it performs projects.<br />
<strong>The</strong> business plan for STS Chile includes<br />
becoming <strong>the</strong> leader in engineering design<br />
and construction <strong>of</strong> Marine Works for<br />
Desalination Plants in <strong>the</strong> American South<br />
Pacific and internationalization to grow its<br />
Latin American market during <strong>the</strong> next five<br />
years in subsea engineering and saturation,<br />
deep dive projects and to grow its marine<br />
engineering projects abroad.<br />
SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
99
WALKER<br />
DIVING<br />
UNDERWATER<br />
CONSTRUCTION<br />
LLC<br />
Top: Diver in a forty-eight inch water main<br />
in New Jersey (2009).<br />
Bottom: Founder Glenn Walker working on<br />
a diving helmet (1970).<br />
Walker <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Underwater</strong> Construction,<br />
LLC, based in Hammonton, New Jersey, has<br />
been a well-known name in commercial<br />
diving in <strong>the</strong> Nor<strong>the</strong>ast for sixty years. <strong>The</strong><br />
company was founded in 1957 by Glenn<br />
Walker. His family had been in commercial<br />
fishing on <strong>the</strong> New Jersey coast for generations.<br />
However, when <strong>the</strong> family sold <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
boat, Glenn stayed in <strong>the</strong> water and took up<br />
ano<strong>the</strong>r maritime career. Operating as Glenn<br />
Walker, Inc., his new company grew steadily<br />
from a one man diving operation, to a company<br />
that employed ten divers and provided<br />
diving services across <strong>the</strong> eastern half <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
United States, from New Jersey to Missouri.<br />
<strong>The</strong> diving company still proudly bears <strong>the</strong><br />
Walker name to this day.<br />
In 1973, Glenn decided to leave <strong>the</strong> diving<br />
industry to pursue o<strong>the</strong>r adventures. He sold<br />
<strong>the</strong> business to Harry Streit and headed<br />
westward. Harry had been working at <strong>the</strong><br />
Philadelphia Naval Station and was looking<br />
for a business opportunity and new adventures<br />
<strong>of</strong> his own. With <strong>the</strong> assistance <strong>of</strong> some<br />
friends, Harry acquired <strong>the</strong> diving company<br />
and renamed it Walker <strong>Diving</strong> Contractors,<br />
Inc. By keeping <strong>the</strong> Walker name, he kept <strong>the</strong><br />
goodwill and contacts that had been built up<br />
over <strong>the</strong> years.<br />
Harry owned and operated <strong>the</strong> business for<br />
more than thirty years during which time he<br />
employed almost every member <strong>of</strong> his family,<br />
making this a true family business. Walker<br />
<strong>Diving</strong> took on numerous unique and challenging<br />
projects. One project involved several<br />
years <strong>of</strong> surface decompression diving for <strong>the</strong><br />
US Army Corps <strong>of</strong> Engineers in Georgia,<br />
while ano<strong>the</strong>r required designing special<br />
pipe to slip-line a siphon for <strong>the</strong> City <strong>of</strong><br />
Philadelphia. By taking on bold challenges<br />
and succeeding where o<strong>the</strong>rs were reluctant<br />
to go, Walker <strong>Diving</strong> became <strong>the</strong> largest<br />
inland diving company in <strong>the</strong> eastern half <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> nation. In <strong>the</strong> late 1980s, Harry bought<br />
Portadam, Inc. (a portable dam company) and<br />
founded W. H. Streit, Inc. (a marine construction<br />
company.) <strong>The</strong> family ran all three affiliated<br />
companies until <strong>the</strong>y were sold upon<br />
Harry’s retirement in October 2004.<br />
Several years before he retired, Harry<br />
signed Walker <strong>Diving</strong> and W. H. Streit with<br />
Local Union 454, <strong>the</strong> Wharf and Dock<br />
Builders <strong>of</strong> Philadelphia, which is <strong>the</strong> local<br />
union <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> United Bro<strong>the</strong>rhood <strong>of</strong><br />
Carpenters. Becoming a union employer<br />
allowed Walker <strong>Diving</strong> to rapidly hire<br />
large numbers <strong>of</strong> capable, experienced<br />
divers and to work for many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> larger<br />
heavy and highway contractors who were<br />
also union affiliated. This partnership with<br />
organized labor continues to provide Walker<br />
<strong>Diving</strong> with many benefits including <strong>the</strong> ability<br />
to rapidly hire large numbers <strong>of</strong> capable<br />
experienced divers and <strong>the</strong> ability to use <strong>the</strong><br />
nationwide training resources <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> United<br />
Bro<strong>the</strong>rhood <strong>of</strong> Carpenters.<br />
In 2004 when Alex Kalafatides purchased<br />
<strong>the</strong> diving company, he renamed it Walker<br />
<strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Underwater</strong> Construction Corp. Alex<br />
had grown up in a maritime family, and he<br />
and his wife provided renewed energy to <strong>the</strong><br />
small diving company, which had in recent<br />
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100
years been overshadowed by W. H. Streit, Inc.<br />
With <strong>the</strong>ir efforts, <strong>the</strong> Walker <strong>Diving</strong> name<br />
again became well known in <strong>the</strong> industry.<br />
Additionally, <strong>the</strong>y brought on an experienced<br />
and capable project management staff. Those<br />
managers continue to allow Walker <strong>Diving</strong><br />
to solve <strong>the</strong> complex underwater challenges<br />
presented by <strong>the</strong> aging infrastructure in<br />
<strong>the</strong> Nor<strong>the</strong>ast.<br />
In 2009 <strong>the</strong> Kalafatideses decided to focus<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir efforts on ano<strong>the</strong>r business opportunity<br />
and <strong>the</strong> diving company was again sold. <strong>The</strong><br />
new and current owner, David Earp, is a Navy<br />
veteran who grew up in New Jersey. With a<br />
degree in Ocean Engineering from <strong>the</strong> US<br />
Naval Academy and ten years <strong>of</strong> experience<br />
leading Navy Divers and SEALs, David was<br />
thrilled by <strong>the</strong> opportunity to remain in <strong>the</strong><br />
diving community in a new capacity. He has<br />
retained to this day <strong>the</strong> business name,<br />
Walker <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Underwater</strong> Construction.<br />
Since David’s arrival in 2009, Walker<br />
<strong>Diving</strong> has grown rapidly. With more<br />
resources and improved equipment, <strong>the</strong> experienced<br />
management team at Walker <strong>Diving</strong> is<br />
once again competing for and successfully<br />
completing larger and more challenging<br />
underwater projects. Walker <strong>Diving</strong> has been<br />
selected to build several intake and outfall<br />
systems for new natural gas power plants.<br />
Additionally, Walker <strong>Diving</strong> has established<br />
itself as a capable and trustworthy partner<br />
in <strong>the</strong> construction industry, frequently<br />
employed by larger marine contractors when<br />
<strong>the</strong>y need to add additional diving capability,<br />
beyond <strong>the</strong>ir in-house dive crews. Walker<br />
<strong>Diving</strong> provides services as a subcontractor to<br />
both union and non-union general contractors.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y also perform as a prime contractor<br />
when <strong>the</strong> scope <strong>of</strong> work is an appropriate fit.<br />
In recent years, Walker <strong>Diving</strong> has modernized<br />
its facilities, equipment and procedures.<br />
<strong>The</strong> staff has expanded to include more<br />
project managers, a full time safety director<br />
and additional <strong>of</strong>fice staff to keep up with <strong>the</strong><br />
increasingly complex regulations in <strong>the</strong> construction<br />
industry. <strong>The</strong> expanded team works<br />
hard each day to live up to its slogan, “<strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Experts.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> aging infrastructure in <strong>the</strong> Nor<strong>the</strong>ast<br />
will continue to provide complex underwater<br />
challenges and <strong>the</strong> Walker <strong>Diving</strong> team is prepared<br />
to provide <strong>the</strong> required solutions. Walker<br />
<strong>Diving</strong> looks forward to engaging with our construction<br />
colleagues to solve challenging underwater<br />
problems in <strong>the</strong> region and to driving<br />
innovation in <strong>the</strong> inland diving industry.<br />
Top: Diver on a jobsite in New York harbor.<br />
Skyline can be seen in background (2017).<br />
Bottom, left: David Earp prepping for a dive<br />
while in <strong>the</strong> Navy (1997).<br />
Bottom, right: Barge used to construct a new<br />
cooling water intake for a power plant in<br />
Pennsylvania (2010).<br />
SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
101
MARION HILL<br />
ASSOCIATES<br />
DIVING AND<br />
MARINE<br />
SERVICES<br />
GROUP<br />
Top: Divers in <strong>the</strong> Gatehouse.<br />
Below: Howard Kline.<br />
Marion Hill Associates, an<br />
inland diving and marine construction<br />
contractor located<br />
near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,<br />
provides a unique mix <strong>of</strong> topside<br />
and marine contractors,<br />
commercial divers, and environmental<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essionals. Teams<br />
from MHA routinely handle<br />
unique problems encountered<br />
in underwater construction.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company was founded<br />
in December 1980 by Richard<br />
Riley, Sr., and Richard “Rich”<br />
Riley, Jr. Richard Sr. was a<br />
partner in a construction company<br />
that specialized in plant<br />
and mill construction. When<br />
<strong>the</strong> company was awarded a<br />
contract to build a hydroelectric<br />
plant outside Pittsburgh,<br />
<strong>the</strong>re were no local marine<br />
contractors willing to take on<br />
<strong>the</strong> project. Having some<br />
experience in scuba, he completed<br />
<strong>the</strong> project with a<br />
small team. Rich enjoyed <strong>the</strong><br />
work so much he decided to<br />
attend dive school at <strong>the</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Dive<br />
School <strong>of</strong> New York, which was operated by<br />
Andre Galerne.<br />
After graduating from dive school, Rich<br />
went to work for Galerne on an international<br />
project. Once <strong>the</strong> project was completed,<br />
Rich returned to Pittsburgh for a brief<br />
respite and met Tracy, who would become<br />
his wife. At that point, he decided to put<br />
away his passport and focus his efforts on<br />
developing a company to service <strong>the</strong><br />
Pittsburgh region.<br />
With <strong>the</strong> help <strong>of</strong> contacts developed in <strong>the</strong><br />
days <strong>of</strong> steel mill construction, Marion Hill<br />
Associates was able to gain a foothold in <strong>the</strong><br />
Pittsburgh marketplace. <strong>The</strong> growth <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se<br />
relationships provided access to bigger and<br />
better projects.<br />
MHA’s first underwater project was to<br />
place 1,000 cubic yards <strong>of</strong> concrete underneath<br />
a hydroelectric plant. This was<br />
done with a two-man dive team, while a<br />
third man floated on an inner tube keeping<br />
time on <strong>the</strong> surface. It took two different<br />
concrete contractors to keep up with <strong>the</strong><br />
supply for <strong>the</strong> project. <strong>The</strong> tremie was<br />
moved into place with come-a-longs and<br />
<strong>the</strong> total underwater placement was completed<br />
in ten hours.<br />
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Today, MHA is comprised <strong>of</strong> approximately<br />
twenty divers, tenders, operators, pilots,<br />
laborers, and mechanics. <strong>The</strong> company<br />
prides itself on <strong>of</strong>fering a wide variety <strong>of</strong> services<br />
for nearly any inland marine customer.<br />
MHA has long-standing relationships with<br />
power plants, steel mills, paper mills, water<br />
authorities, drilling contractors, nuclear<br />
power plants, sewage treatment, and most<br />
any o<strong>the</strong>r business that calls <strong>the</strong> river home.<br />
MHA also has a marine construction division<br />
that <strong>of</strong>fers services ranging from piledriving<br />
dock building to river drilling. MHA<br />
is proud to service customers ranging from<br />
small property owners looking to have a dock<br />
built at a riverfront home, all <strong>the</strong> way up to<br />
multi-year contracts with such companies as<br />
General Electric, Department <strong>of</strong> Defense, and<br />
<strong>the</strong> USACE.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company strives for safety in all its<br />
construction and diving projects and has<br />
been awarded <strong>the</strong> Chief <strong>of</strong> Engineers Safe<br />
Performance Award for <strong>Underwater</strong> <strong>Diving</strong><br />
Projects performed in <strong>the</strong> Pittsburgh Division<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> U.S. Army Corps <strong>of</strong> Engineers, and a<br />
Public Service Commendation by <strong>the</strong> U.S.<br />
Coast Guard. MHA is committed to providing<br />
a safe working environment for its employees,<br />
subcontractors and job site owners.<br />
A number <strong>of</strong> dedicated individuals<br />
have contributed to <strong>the</strong> company’s growth<br />
and success over <strong>the</strong> years. Vice President<br />
Leen Dykstra has an extensive background<br />
in inland construction diving and has been<br />
with <strong>the</strong> company more than twenty years.<br />
MHA employs 15 to 20 divers spread across<br />
3 dive teams. <strong>The</strong> dive supervisors—Mike<br />
Folweiler, Josh Gostomski, and Steve<br />
Benaventeùhave all been with <strong>the</strong> company<br />
for ten years or more. MHA also operates a<br />
marine construction division headed by<br />
Superintendent Les May.<br />
Rich’s son, Gwynn Riley, now serves <strong>the</strong><br />
company as Business Development Manager<br />
and represents <strong>the</strong> third generation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
family involved in <strong>the</strong> firm.<br />
MHA regularly donates time, money<br />
and equipment to <strong>the</strong> Boy Scouts <strong>of</strong> America.<br />
Rich is <strong>the</strong> recipient <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> James E. West<br />
Fellowship Award, which acknowledges<br />
distinguished contributions to <strong>the</strong> Boy<br />
Scouts <strong>of</strong> America. MHA is also <strong>the</strong> proud<br />
recipient <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> U.S. Army Corps <strong>of</strong> Engineers<br />
safety award.<br />
Marion Hill Associates is located at 1740<br />
Fifth Avenue in New Brighton, Pennsylvania.<br />
To learn more about <strong>the</strong> company, check <strong>the</strong><br />
website at www.marionhilldivers.com.<br />
Top: A dock used by Marion Hill.<br />
SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
103
ONYX SERVICES,<br />
INC.<br />
Above: ONYX setting articulating concrete<br />
mats on a pipeline in Biscayne Bay, Florida.<br />
Below: Splashing a diver to inspect pipe.<br />
ONYX Services, Inc. is a diversified pipeline<br />
services company based in Houston, Texas.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company specializes in pipeline inspection,<br />
maintenance and repair. ONYX partners<br />
with a broad range <strong>of</strong> clients across all energy<br />
sectors and environments, including land,<br />
marsh, and underwater.<br />
ONYX Services, Inc., began in January<br />
2012 after a small group with knowledge<br />
and experience in oil and gas service agreed<br />
to pursue a common goal <strong>of</strong> working for<br />
<strong>the</strong>mselves and owning a business.<br />
<strong>The</strong> mission <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> new company was<br />
to provide all pipeline operators a one<br />
call resource for <strong>the</strong>ir inspection, repair,<br />
maintenance, and construction needs on<br />
land, marsh, or underwater. Pr<strong>of</strong>essional,<br />
knowledgeable and experienced crews provide<br />
and implement cost effective solutions<br />
for any location, wherever customers work.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y summed up <strong>the</strong> services <strong>the</strong>y <strong>of</strong>fered<br />
with <strong>the</strong> slogan, “Got Pipe? Get ONYX!”<br />
It took a few months to secure all <strong>the</strong><br />
permits, licenses, and insurance required<br />
to get <strong>the</strong> business going. Finally, several<br />
experienced people were hired and ONYX<br />
hung out its shingle and began work in <strong>the</strong><br />
North Houston, Texas, area. Starting with<br />
some basic equipment and a leased building<br />
and land purchased three years later, it was<br />
not long before <strong>the</strong> first small project was<br />
awarded. Soon, through word-<strong>of</strong>-mouth and<br />
lots <strong>of</strong> cold calling, more and more projects<br />
were awarded. ONYX has now performed<br />
work in all <strong>the</strong> contiguous forty-eight states.<br />
ONYX had to overcome a major challenge<br />
when a drought-ending flood early in 2014<br />
left six inches <strong>of</strong> water in <strong>the</strong> building after<br />
<strong>the</strong> rain stopped. With no power in <strong>the</strong> area,<br />
but plenty <strong>of</strong> customers calling for ONYX’s<br />
services, all employees not already working<br />
on projects started cleaning <strong>the</strong> building<br />
while continuing to answer <strong>the</strong> needs <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>ir clients. This went on for several days<br />
and on through <strong>the</strong> weekend before things<br />
began to gain a semblance <strong>of</strong> order. However,<br />
ONYX’s clients never realized <strong>the</strong> chaos<br />
caused by <strong>the</strong> flooded building as all <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
needs were met during <strong>the</strong> post-flood cleanup.<br />
ONYX has grown steadily year after year<br />
and had approximately fifty employees in<br />
2016. <strong>The</strong> company and its employees take<br />
great pride in supporting <strong>the</strong> local high<br />
schools and many youth teams in <strong>the</strong> area.<br />
Looking to <strong>the</strong> future, ONYX plans to<br />
remain highly diversified in its clientele<br />
and services with a focus on North America<br />
and <strong>the</strong> Upstream and Midstream oil and<br />
gas sectors.<br />
To learn more about ONYX Services, check<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir website at www.onyxincorporated.com.<br />
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U.S. <strong>Underwater</strong> Services, LLC has a solid<br />
history <strong>of</strong> more than two decades as a commercial<br />
diving contractor in <strong>the</strong> inland, Gulf<br />
<strong>of</strong> Mexico and international markets. USUS<br />
provides a wide range <strong>of</strong> commercial diving,<br />
inspection, repair and maintenance services to<br />
industries such as oil and gas, shipping, public<br />
works, defense and marine infrastructure.<br />
USUS was founded in Burleson, Texas, in<br />
1995 by a young entrepreneur and sport<br />
diving enthusiast who saw an opportunity<br />
to utilize diving to assist local municipalities<br />
in maintaining <strong>the</strong>ir water systems.<br />
Soon after, commercially trained and certified<br />
divers were added to <strong>the</strong> team, providing<br />
legitimization and a path to becoming a true<br />
commercial diving contractor. By 1997 <strong>the</strong><br />
company had expanded into <strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong>fshore<br />
Gulf <strong>of</strong> Mexico market, and over <strong>the</strong> next<br />
several years, USUS expanded its client base<br />
and rig support/diving services to nearly every<br />
major <strong>of</strong>fshore driller in <strong>the</strong> Gulf <strong>of</strong> Mexico.<br />
Key individuals in <strong>the</strong> company’s early<br />
years included <strong>the</strong> Canadian duo <strong>of</strong> Jason<br />
Smith and Scott Miller, as well as Scott<br />
Farris, Bryan Nicholls, David Wolfe, Compton<br />
Cooper, Rich Campbell and Craig L<strong>of</strong>tin.<br />
In 2006, private equity firm, Benford Capital,<br />
purchased controlling interest <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> company.<br />
<strong>The</strong> following year, Australian-based Neptune<br />
Marine Services purchased USUS and integrated<br />
<strong>the</strong> company into its international portfolio<br />
<strong>of</strong> oilfield and energy service companies.<br />
After <strong>the</strong> devastating Hurricanes Katrina,<br />
Rita and Ike in 2005-2007, USUS was<br />
involved in a variety <strong>of</strong> post-hurricane work,<br />
including platform inspections, site surveys,<br />
debris removal and subsea structural repairs.<br />
<strong>The</strong> additional <strong>of</strong>fshore work generated by<br />
<strong>the</strong>se storms enabled USUS to expand its<br />
service <strong>of</strong>ferings and accelerated <strong>the</strong> company’s<br />
growth for <strong>the</strong> next several years.<br />
In 2010, USUS recorded several significant<br />
milestones, some <strong>of</strong> which included: <strong>the</strong><br />
rebranding <strong>of</strong> USUS to Neptune <strong>Underwater</strong><br />
Services; <strong>the</strong> relocation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> operations<br />
base to a newly remodeled 50,000-squarefoot<br />
facility in Mansfield, Texas; <strong>the</strong><br />
completion <strong>of</strong> its largest multi-platform<br />
inspection campaign; and <strong>the</strong> deepest mixed<br />
gas diving projects in <strong>the</strong> company’s history.<br />
U.S. UNDERWATER SERVICES, LLC<br />
In 2012 <strong>the</strong> management team <strong>of</strong> USUS,<br />
with <strong>the</strong> help <strong>of</strong> Benford Capital and<br />
Coppermine Capital, purchased <strong>the</strong> assets <strong>of</strong><br />
NUS in a management buyout. <strong>The</strong> new privately<br />
held entity, U.S. <strong>Underwater</strong> Services,<br />
LLC was formed; reestablishing <strong>the</strong> USUS<br />
brand within <strong>the</strong> commercial diving industry.<br />
USUS prides itself on being an employer <strong>of</strong><br />
veterans and a supporter <strong>of</strong> veteran’s causes.<br />
In 2014 <strong>the</strong> company was recognized as a<br />
Patriotic Employer by <strong>the</strong> Office <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Secretary <strong>of</strong> Defense for its support <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
National Guard and Reserves.<br />
U.S. <strong>Underwater</strong> Services joined ADCI in<br />
1996, only a year after its founding. <strong>The</strong><br />
company’s current President/COO, Bryan<br />
Nicholls, has served on <strong>the</strong> ADCI Board<br />
<strong>of</strong> Directors since 2009, was second vice<br />
president from 2014-2017, and was elected<br />
president <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ADCI in 2017.<br />
SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
105
SUBSALVE USA<br />
Above: Crew at work on <strong>the</strong> salvage <strong>of</strong> a<br />
vintage submarine.<br />
Below: <strong>The</strong> front cover <strong>of</strong> a Subsalve USA<br />
product catalog.<br />
Bottom: A diver ascending to <strong>the</strong> surface<br />
with an anchor secured to an underwater<br />
lift bag.<br />
Richard Fryburg knew exactly what he<br />
wanted to do as a career! Fryburg started<br />
diving at age fifteen and at seventeen, he failed<br />
at raising <strong>the</strong> 300-ton sunken tug boat Mount<br />
Hope from Narragansett Bay using 5,000-gallon<br />
oil tanks. Fryburg began designing and<br />
manufacturing underwater lift bags in his parent’s<br />
garage in Worcester, Massachusetts and<br />
in 1977 Subsalve USA was born.<br />
Fryburg graduated from Long Island<br />
University in 1977 with a degree in marine<br />
geology. He was far more interested in developing<br />
underwater flotation than working for<br />
<strong>of</strong>fshore drilling companies. With <strong>the</strong> help<br />
<strong>of</strong> his fa<strong>the</strong>r, George, he moved Subsalve USA<br />
to Providence, Rhode Island, and began<br />
marketing and manufacturing a line <strong>of</strong> underwater<br />
lift bags and traveling to trade shows<br />
around <strong>the</strong> country. This created <strong>the</strong> Subsalve<br />
USA brand and enabled expanding <strong>the</strong> product<br />
line to a larger range <strong>of</strong> standard open<br />
bottom and enclosed lift bags. Subsalve USA<br />
grew to <strong>of</strong>fer custom flotation devices and<br />
systems for special applications that exceed<br />
<strong>the</strong> capabilities <strong>of</strong> standard products. <strong>The</strong><br />
company developed proprietary products,<br />
including <strong>the</strong> Quad Bag—a multipurpose dive<br />
bag, <strong>the</strong> VRS-2000—vehicle recovery system<br />
and <strong>the</strong> MarkV/ORCA <strong>Underwater</strong> Ordnance<br />
Disposal System.<br />
Subsalve USA developed <strong>the</strong> skill and<br />
experience to become an innovator in buoyancy<br />
and engineered inflatable products<br />
including: Pipe Pluggers used in construction<br />
operations; Inflat-a-Tank—inflatable containment<br />
and storage bladders; Water Load Test<br />
Bags for crane testing; Fend-Air—a product<br />
line <strong>of</strong> marine inflatable fenders; and Aircraft<br />
Lift Bags–used to remove crashed or crippled<br />
aircraft from runways.<br />
Subsalve USA was awarded a U.S. Navy<br />
EOD contract for 170 units <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> government<br />
designed MARK II Mod I Flotation Bladder<br />
for use in <strong>the</strong> removal <strong>of</strong> mines. Over <strong>the</strong><br />
following years, Fryburg worked with <strong>the</strong><br />
U.S. Navy to modify <strong>the</strong> outdated system,<br />
ultimately developing Subsalve’s state-<strong>of</strong>-<strong>the</strong>art<br />
Mark V-Explosive <strong>Underwater</strong> Ordnance<br />
Disposal System, which has been delivered to<br />
<strong>the</strong> U.S. Navy and twenty Navies worldwide.<br />
Following <strong>the</strong> 9/11 attack, demand for <strong>the</strong><br />
system increased and resulted in modifications<br />
to <strong>the</strong> system and a sole source development<br />
contract with <strong>the</strong> U.S. Navy with <strong>the</strong> new<br />
Mark V/ORCA System. Subsalve USA now<br />
has contracts with <strong>the</strong> U.S. Navy and many<br />
foreign navies for <strong>the</strong> MarkV/ORCA system.<br />
Under Fryburg’s guidance and tireless<br />
work ethic over <strong>the</strong> last forty years, Subsalve<br />
USA has become a world-leading innovator<br />
in buoyancy and engineered inflatables with<br />
brand recognition and loyalty around<br />
<strong>the</strong> world. Subsalve USA has had many highpr<strong>of</strong>ile<br />
projects including James Cameron’s<br />
record-breaking solo dive to <strong>the</strong> bottom <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> Mariana Trench documented by National<br />
Geographic, underwater habitats for Discovery<br />
Channel’s Shark Week and National Geographic,<br />
projects for NASA, Texas A & M University,<br />
Oracle Team USA, Disney, Exxon Mobil,<br />
Warner Bro<strong>the</strong>rs, Woods Hole Oceanographic,<br />
and many o<strong>the</strong>rs.<br />
After forty years in business, Subsalve USA<br />
was acquired by Performance Inflatables in<br />
May 2017 with Fryburg taking a new position<br />
as Chief Growth Officer, which will insure<br />
that Subsalve USA will continue to <strong>of</strong>fer <strong>the</strong><br />
highest quality products and service available<br />
in <strong>the</strong> industry and will be raising <strong>the</strong> world<br />
to new heights for years to come.<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
106
Looking back on a long and successful<br />
career, Jon Hazelbaker explains that he has<br />
been fascinated by <strong>the</strong> underwater world<br />
since childhood, watching Mike Nelson<br />
(Lloyd Bridges) on <strong>the</strong> television series, Sea<br />
Hunt. At age ten, Jon purchased his first scuba<br />
tank and regulator by mail for $40. By age<br />
twelve, he had purchased ano<strong>the</strong>r tank and<br />
started a pool cleaning business. As a teenager,<br />
he worked part-time in a dive shop, and<br />
for a small inland commercial dive firm.<br />
Jon’s career now spans nearly fifty years in<br />
<strong>the</strong> commercial diving and marine construction<br />
industries as an inland “hard-hat/heavy-gear”<br />
diver and as <strong>the</strong> owner/operator <strong>of</strong> commercial<br />
diving and marine construction companies.<br />
His career began in 1968 when he made<br />
his first commercial dives while working as<br />
a young diver for a small commercial dive<br />
firm in <strong>the</strong> Midwest. He attended commercial<br />
dive school after high school (1967) and<br />
joined <strong>the</strong> United Bro<strong>the</strong>rhood <strong>of</strong> Carpenters<br />
and Joiners as an apprentice in 1969.<br />
He became a journeyman “hard-hat” diver in<br />
1972 and maintained his membership in<br />
<strong>the</strong> union until his retirement in 2003.<br />
Jon founded his own dive firm,<br />
<strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Services, Inc., in 1969<br />
and over a thirty-year span and with <strong>the</strong><br />
addition and assistance <strong>of</strong> two vital partners—Tony<br />
Kiefer (1978) and Thomas “Tim”<br />
Garnette (1983)—grew it to be one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
larger inland dive firms in <strong>the</strong> country. In<br />
1994, <strong>the</strong>y sold <strong>the</strong> firm to American Oilfield<br />
Divers, Inc., and Jon stayed on as a vice<br />
president and general manager <strong>of</strong> American<br />
Inland Marine, Inc., and, subsequently, Stolt<br />
Offshore-General Contracting Division.<br />
Jon has been a strong supporter <strong>of</strong> ADCI<br />
throughout his career. His company first<br />
joined ADCI in 1989 and he was elected to<br />
<strong>the</strong> Board <strong>of</strong> Directors, where he served for<br />
seven years. He was <strong>the</strong> founding chair <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
association’s Midwest chapter and served in<br />
that capacity from 1990 to 1993. He chaired<br />
<strong>the</strong> ADCI National Committee on <strong>Underwater</strong><br />
Bridge Inspection Standards from 1990-1994.<br />
<strong>The</strong> bridge committee was <strong>the</strong> forerunner <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> present engineering diving committee,<br />
and was instrumental in making critical<br />
revisions to <strong>the</strong> FHWA Manual’s chapter on<br />
HAMMERHEAD MARINE SERVICES, LLC<br />
COMMERCIAL DIVING SERVICES, INC.,<br />
Also associated with:<br />
AMERICAN OILFIELD DIVERS, INC.,<br />
AMERICAN INLAND DIVERS, INC.,<br />
<strong>Underwater</strong> Inspection to eliminate<br />
references to recreational diving<br />
certifications, and more closely align<br />
with <strong>the</strong> ADCI consensus standard<br />
and current industry standards.<br />
In 2001, Jon was awarded <strong>the</strong><br />
Tom Devine Memorial Award, presented<br />
to those individuals making<br />
“significant contributions to <strong>the</strong><br />
practice <strong>of</strong> commercial diving.”<br />
He was inducted into <strong>the</strong> ADCI<br />
<strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame in 2005,<br />
and in 2014, he was presented <strong>the</strong> ADCI<br />
President’s Award <strong>of</strong> Excellence.<br />
Today, Jon lives in South Florida with his<br />
wife, Colleen, and provides consulting services<br />
to <strong>the</strong> industry through his new company,<br />
Hammerhead Marine Services, LLC. He provides<br />
services as an expert witness on diving<br />
accidents and contract disputes; he served as<br />
one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> instructors for <strong>the</strong> U.S. Army Corps<br />
<strong>of</strong> Engineers Dive Safe Safety Administration<br />
courses; serves <strong>the</strong> ADCI on special projects;<br />
and as a designated third-party auditor, conducting<br />
dive safety audits on member dive<br />
firms, and commercial diving schools.<br />
Additional information is available at<br />
www.hammerheadmarineservicesllc.com.<br />
Jon Hazelbaker, founder<br />
AMERICAN INLAND MARINE, INC.,<br />
CEANIC, STOLT OFFSHORE,INC.<br />
Top: Jon Hazelbaker, raw water intake<br />
repair project, Lake Michigan.<br />
Above: Jon Hazelbaker receiving <strong>the</strong> 2014<br />
ADCI President’s Award <strong>of</strong> Excellence.<br />
SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
107
DRYDEN DIVING<br />
COMPANY, INC.<br />
Above: Donald Dryden.<br />
Dryden <strong>Diving</strong> Company, Inc., is owned<br />
and operated by Donald Dryden, whose family<br />
has been in <strong>the</strong> marine construction industry<br />
since <strong>the</strong> 1930s. Don started working in <strong>the</strong><br />
marine construction industry in 1970 and<br />
founded Dryden <strong>Diving</strong> in 1979. <strong>The</strong> company<br />
was incorporated in 1985.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company’s early success was due to <strong>the</strong><br />
fact that Don was an experienced journeyman<br />
dockbuilder prior to attending commercial<br />
dive school. Dive school taught him how to<br />
go underwater, he already knew how to work<br />
when he got <strong>the</strong>re.<br />
In <strong>the</strong> early days <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> nuclear industry,<br />
Don and company pioneered some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
first diving in radioactively contaminated<br />
water on reactors and nuclear fuel handling<br />
systems. Over <strong>the</strong> past thirty-five years, <strong>the</strong><br />
company has conducted safe and efficient<br />
diving operations at eleven American nuclear<br />
power plants and has current blanket service<br />
agreements with two.<br />
In response to <strong>the</strong> needs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> nuclear<br />
power plant industry, Dryden <strong>Diving</strong> developed<br />
its on-call response program. Dryden is<br />
one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> few commercial dive companies<br />
that maintain a crew <strong>of</strong> divers with staged<br />
equipment on standby to respond to emergent<br />
work at any time <strong>of</strong> any day. <strong>The</strong> company’s<br />
emergent work dive crews <strong>of</strong>ten work<br />
at five or more different locations in one<br />
week. Clients know <strong>the</strong>y have a dependable,<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essional, and well-equipped crew ready<br />
when <strong>the</strong>y need <strong>the</strong>m.<br />
Today, Dryden <strong>Diving</strong> continues to perform<br />
marine construction, salvage and<br />
nuclear diving as well as potable water,<br />
contaminated water, marine structure inspection,<br />
and ship husbandry for domestic and<br />
international shipping.<br />
In 2013, Dryden <strong>Diving</strong> initiated <strong>the</strong><br />
development <strong>of</strong> a wet welding program. Today,<br />
Dryden <strong>Diving</strong> has qualified procedures and<br />
diver/welders to perform Class B structural<br />
welds as per AWS D3.6M:2010 for A36 and<br />
A572 steel. <strong>The</strong> company intends to qualify a<br />
stainless steel procedure for <strong>the</strong> nuclear<br />
industry by <strong>the</strong> fall <strong>of</strong> 2017. <strong>The</strong> company’s<br />
diver/welders provide pr<strong>of</strong>essional structural<br />
welding services directly from Dryden <strong>Diving</strong><br />
as well as for o<strong>the</strong>r diving companies requiring<br />
‘wet stick’ structural welds.<br />
Dryden <strong>Diving</strong>’s affiliation with <strong>the</strong> United<br />
Bro<strong>the</strong>rhood <strong>of</strong> Carpenters gives <strong>the</strong> company<br />
access to <strong>the</strong> approximately 1,000<br />
commercial divers in its membership<br />
nationwide. This ready pool <strong>of</strong> trained<br />
diving mechanics allows Dryden <strong>Diving</strong><br />
to operate anywhere in <strong>the</strong> United<br />
States with a largely local workforce.<br />
Dryden <strong>Diving</strong> has conducted diving<br />
operations a mile from its <strong>of</strong>fice in<br />
New Jersey to Palau in <strong>the</strong> Pacific Ocean.<br />
Dryden <strong>Diving</strong> Company, Inc., looks<br />
forward to continuing servicing <strong>the</strong><br />
broad customer base it has developed<br />
over <strong>the</strong> years and meeting <strong>the</strong> challenges<br />
<strong>of</strong> new technology and markets<br />
as <strong>the</strong>y arise. For additional information,<br />
visit www.drydendiving.com.<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
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Chesapeake Bay <strong>Diving</strong>, Inc., based in<br />
Portsmouth, Virginia, provides a broad range<br />
<strong>of</strong> services, including ships husbandry, salvage,<br />
construction, water treatment facilities,<br />
power generation facilities, along with many<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r underwater needs. <strong>The</strong> firm’s experienced,<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essional divers provide services<br />
coast-to-coast as well as internationally.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company was founded in 1986 by<br />
Bill and Donna Santabar. As Donna recalls,<br />
Bill noticed a ‘For Sale’ sign on <strong>the</strong> property<br />
next door to his one day and came in to<br />
announced he was going to buy <strong>the</strong> building<br />
and make it into a dive shop. “My reply was,<br />
‘You are crazy!’” Donna says. “It’s a good thing<br />
he didn’t listen to me.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> new business was a natural for Bill,<br />
who was <strong>the</strong> diving supervisor at <strong>the</strong> Norfolk<br />
Naval Shipyard after retiring from <strong>the</strong> Navy’s<br />
Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team at Fort<br />
<strong>Story</strong>. Bill earned numerous awards for developing<br />
underwater techniques and promoting<br />
efficiency while underwater.<br />
After operating <strong>the</strong> dive shop for fourteen<br />
years, Bill was ready to retire and play golf. <strong>The</strong><br />
business was sold in 2000 to three employees:<br />
Aaron Addison, Jay Wilson and Martin Dorn.<br />
Addison trained under Bill, Wilson was a scout<br />
swimmer in <strong>the</strong> Marine Corps before attending<br />
dive school and signing on with Chesapeake<br />
Bay <strong>Diving</strong>. Dorn served in <strong>the</strong> U.S. Navy and<br />
joined CBD shortly after. Bill deemed <strong>the</strong> trio<br />
capable <strong>of</strong> carrying on <strong>the</strong> Santabar legacy. “Bill<br />
was like a second fa<strong>the</strong>r to me,” Addison says.<br />
“We’ve tried to pick up where he left <strong>of</strong>f.”<br />
In recent years, Chesapeake Bay <strong>Diving</strong> has<br />
expanded its heavy salvage capability and has<br />
been involved in clean up following a number<br />
<strong>of</strong> Gulf Coast hurricanes. <strong>The</strong> company has<br />
<strong>the</strong> resources to cleanly extract petroleum or<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r products from submerged vessels while<br />
protecting <strong>the</strong> safety <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> local ecosystem.<br />
Chesapeake Bay <strong>Diving</strong> can design, manufacture<br />
and install any c<strong>of</strong>ferdam a vessel may<br />
need. It can also help set up a maintenance<br />
schedule for hull inspections, hull cleanings,<br />
propeller polishing, and seachest cleanings.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se inspections help lower fuel costs and<br />
insure hull integrity.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company is also involved in construction<br />
work, including form work, welding, burning,<br />
CHESAPEAKE BAY DIVING, INC.<br />
epoxy injection, and jacketing. In addition,<br />
Chesapeake Bay <strong>Diving</strong> provides turnkey power<br />
generation services that include stop logs, cleaning<br />
intake gratings and trash racks, repairing<br />
and replacing valve, and all o<strong>the</strong>r maintenance.<br />
Chesapeake Bay <strong>Diving</strong> also has <strong>the</strong><br />
means to locate and inspect submerged and<br />
buried pipelines to verify coverage prior to<br />
potential exposure, and to perform any o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
pipeline maintenance.<br />
“We’ve done about everything <strong>the</strong>re is to do<br />
over <strong>the</strong> years, from finding a lost engagement<br />
ring to huge salvage operations,” Addison<br />
comments. “We’ve got a well rounded group <strong>of</strong><br />
guys who are well trained and equipped.<br />
“We’re proud <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> work we do and look<br />
forward to carrying on <strong>the</strong> proud tradition<br />
begun by Bill Santabar.”<br />
Above: Chesapeake Bay <strong>Diving</strong> attending a<br />
container ship at <strong>the</strong> local cargo terminal.<br />
Bottom: Bill Santabar diving on <strong>the</strong><br />
Chesapeake Light Tower.<br />
SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
109
RESOLVE<br />
MARINE GROUP<br />
Joe Farrell outside <strong>of</strong> Resolve Marine<br />
Group’s headquarters.<br />
Joe Farrell was only twelve years old<br />
when his family moved from <strong>the</strong> inner<br />
city <strong>of</strong> Boston to <strong>the</strong> Quincy, Massachusetts,<br />
coast, and at that age, he found a job<br />
with a boat rental firm. His love <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
sea was born from this experience and<br />
sparked a career that eventually became<br />
Resolve Marine Group, a worldwide leader<br />
in salvage and wreck removal, emergency<br />
response, and maritime training.<br />
At eighteen years <strong>of</strong> age, he joined <strong>the</strong><br />
United States Coast Guard. After attending a<br />
U.S. Navy diving school, he became a ship’s<br />
diver and an engineman on a USCG icebreaker<br />
working in <strong>the</strong> Arctic, followed by duty as<br />
an explosives advisor in Vietnam. After four<br />
years, he left <strong>the</strong> military and joined <strong>the</strong> U.S.<br />
Navy’s Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation<br />
Center (AUTEC) in Andros Island, Bahamas.<br />
He spent <strong>the</strong> next four years recovering torpedoes<br />
as a diver jumping out <strong>of</strong> helicopters,<br />
strapping <strong>the</strong> surface floating weapons and<br />
flying <strong>the</strong>m under <strong>the</strong> helicopters back to <strong>the</strong><br />
AUTEC base.<br />
After leaving <strong>the</strong> Bahamas, Joe served as<br />
<strong>the</strong> Chief Engineer on a large Dutch-built<br />
oceangoing salvage tugboat. After a few<br />
years working onboard <strong>the</strong> tug, <strong>the</strong> owners<br />
allowed Joe to use <strong>the</strong> tugboat in an attempt<br />
to independently develop work. Joe was able<br />
to use <strong>the</strong> tugboat to perform <strong>the</strong> salvage projects<br />
and eventually allowed to purchase <strong>the</strong><br />
vessel. He promptly renamed <strong>the</strong> tugboat<br />
Resolve after having resolved what he wanted<br />
to do in life.<br />
Over <strong>the</strong> next ten years, Resolve undertook<br />
salvage jobs in <strong>the</strong> warm waters <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Caribbean, working on various small<br />
freighters and island vessels. Following <strong>the</strong><br />
1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska, <strong>the</strong><br />
Coast Guard established new regulations for<br />
OPA-90 and Joe realized if he wanted to<br />
remain in business, he would need to meet<br />
those requirements. In short, Resolve needed<br />
a shipboard firefighting team and <strong>the</strong> best way<br />
was to build his own training facility. Resolve<br />
soon became <strong>the</strong> only salvage company with<br />
an in-house team <strong>of</strong> experts who also served<br />
as pr<strong>of</strong>essional firefighting instructors. This<br />
effort led to establishment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Resolve<br />
Maritime Academy, which has trained more<br />
than 37,000 pr<strong>of</strong>essional marines and port<br />
firefighters from around <strong>the</strong> world.<br />
Resolve’s core business is vessel emergency<br />
response and has more fully stocked and<br />
owned response warehouses globally than any<br />
emergency vessel responder. <strong>The</strong> company<br />
operates worldwide and with facilities and<br />
staff in Singapore, Shanghai, Gibraltar,<br />
Mumbai, London, Rotterdam, Cape Town,<br />
Florida, Alabama, and Alaska, in addition to<br />
twenty-two OPA-90 SMFF depots in <strong>the</strong><br />
United States.<br />
Resolve has also successfully performed<br />
extremely complex salvage operations<br />
throughout <strong>the</strong> world. <strong>The</strong> company has<br />
experienced salvage masters, naval architects,<br />
engineers and divers standing ready to assist<br />
clients around <strong>the</strong> clock.<br />
In 2006, Resolve, in conjunction with<br />
<strong>the</strong> U.S. Navy, sank <strong>the</strong> decommissioned<br />
USS Oriskany aircraft carrier to create <strong>the</strong><br />
world’s largest artificial reef <strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong> coast <strong>of</strong><br />
Pensacola, Florida. <strong>The</strong> challenging project<br />
took more than two years and more than 150<br />
full-time personnel. While completing <strong>the</strong><br />
project, Joe learned <strong>the</strong> Oriskany was <strong>the</strong><br />
aircraft carrier that a young Lieutenant<br />
Commander named John McCain flew <strong>of</strong>f on<br />
October 26, 1967. McCain was shot down<br />
over Hanoi and spent five and a half years as<br />
a captive <strong>of</strong> North Vietnam. It was also on <strong>the</strong><br />
deck <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Oriskany where McCain’s fa<strong>the</strong>r,<br />
Admiral Jack McCain, assumed command <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> Navy’s Pacific Fleet while his son was<br />
being tortured in Hanoi.<br />
As a token <strong>of</strong> appreciation, Joe saved a<br />
porthole from <strong>the</strong> Oriskany and presented it to<br />
McCain, now a U.S. Senator, in his <strong>of</strong>fice at<br />
<strong>the</strong> U.S. Capitol.<br />
For nearly thirty-eight years, Resolve<br />
Marine Group has met some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> biggest<br />
maritime challenges throughout <strong>the</strong> world. As<br />
Resolve has grown, it has remained steadfast<br />
in its commitment to reinvest pr<strong>of</strong>its in people<br />
and businesses that align with Resolve’s<br />
core mission: to protect life, <strong>the</strong> environment,<br />
and property at sea. Joe attributes his phenomenal<br />
and successful growth and good fortune<br />
to giving more <strong>the</strong>n you ask for in return<br />
and to simply treat people <strong>the</strong> way you would<br />
like to be treated.<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
110
ASSOCIATION<br />
OF DIVING<br />
CONTRACTORS<br />
INTERNATIONAL<br />
BY PHIL NEWSUM<br />
<strong>The</strong> Association <strong>of</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Contractors<br />
International stands today as more than just a<br />
trade association. Since 1968, <strong>the</strong> ADCI has<br />
become <strong>the</strong> voice and symbol <strong>of</strong> safety for<br />
commercial diving and underwater operations.<br />
<strong>Industry</strong> stakeholders such as government<br />
regulatory agencies, militaries, schools,<br />
vendors, manufacturers, <strong>the</strong> medical and<br />
insurance communities, as well as those that<br />
engage in <strong>the</strong> operations <strong>of</strong> commercial diving<br />
all look to <strong>the</strong> ADCI as <strong>the</strong> premier entity for<br />
<strong>the</strong> establishment <strong>of</strong> industry best practices.<br />
One reason for <strong>the</strong> longstanding sustainability<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Association is its willingness to engage<br />
in open dialogue with <strong>the</strong> industry when developing<br />
<strong>the</strong> guidelines and recommendations<br />
within <strong>the</strong> International Consensus Standards<br />
for <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> and <strong>Underwater</strong><br />
Operations. <strong>The</strong> hallmark and strength <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Association is its diverse make up, which allows<br />
it to approach industry challenges on a variety<br />
<strong>of</strong> levels. <strong>The</strong> ADCI’s regional chapter framework<br />
provides an outlet for both members and<br />
non-members to share <strong>the</strong>ir lessons learned and<br />
notable operations conducted, all <strong>of</strong> which supports<br />
<strong>the</strong> Association’s focus on safety, education,<br />
and communication.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re have been many individuals over<br />
<strong>the</strong> course <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> last fifty years who have<br />
helped make <strong>the</strong> ADCI what it is today. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
can be found in <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Hall<br />
<strong>of</strong> Fame, serving on a committee or on <strong>the</strong><br />
Board <strong>of</strong> Directors. <strong>The</strong>y can be found working<br />
on a pipeline, a dam, or in an <strong>of</strong>fice.<br />
Supporters <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Association serve <strong>the</strong> industry<br />
in a variety <strong>of</strong> different ways. Over <strong>the</strong><br />
course <strong>of</strong> its history, <strong>the</strong> ADCI has become<br />
adept at listening to and acting upon feedback<br />
in <strong>the</strong> best and most effective way to better<br />
<strong>the</strong> conduct <strong>of</strong> underwater operations. In<br />
short, <strong>the</strong> key to <strong>the</strong> ADCI’s first fifty years<br />
and <strong>the</strong> key to its next fifty years, will be its<br />
ability to embrace change and focus its efforts<br />
for change on positive terms.<br />
As <strong>the</strong> current Executive Director <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
ADCI, I am honored to serve in <strong>the</strong> footsteps<br />
<strong>of</strong> those who’ve paved <strong>the</strong> way for me to try to<br />
make a difference. I am also blessed to work<br />
every day with <strong>the</strong> longest tenured employee<br />
in <strong>the</strong> Association, <strong>the</strong> Grande Dame and my<br />
colleague, Barbara Treadway. No one person<br />
has seen more <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> progression <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ADCI<br />
firsthand than Barbara.<br />
I have also encountered o<strong>the</strong>rs who have<br />
helped me to lead organizational change, build<br />
positive industry relationships, learn from my<br />
mistakes, be open to new ideas, take <strong>the</strong><br />
initiative, and fix fatal flaws. I cherish <strong>the</strong><br />
opportunity to hold this position and be a part<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> positive impact that <strong>the</strong> Association <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Diving</strong> Contractors International has on <strong>the</strong><br />
underwater industry.<br />
<strong>Underwater</strong> Intervention, UI 2018.<br />
SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
111
SPONSORS<br />
American Marine Corporation.............................................................................................................................................................94<br />
Association <strong>of</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Contractors International ................................................................................................................................111<br />
Chesapeake Bay <strong>Diving</strong>, Inc. .............................................................................................................................................................109<br />
Collins Engineers, Inc. ........................................................................................................................................................................63<br />
<strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> & Marine Services, Inc.........................................................................................................................................82<br />
Divers Institute <strong>of</strong> Technology.............................................................................................................................................................84<br />
DRS Marine Inc. .................................................................................................................................................................................88<br />
Dryden <strong>Diving</strong> Company, Inc............................................................................................................................................................108<br />
Eason <strong>Diving</strong> & Marine Contractors, Inc. ...........................................................................................................................................78<br />
Enviroscience, Inc...............................................................................................................................................................................63<br />
Global <strong>Diving</strong> & Salvage, Inc. .............................................................................................................................................................90<br />
Hammerhead Marine Services, LLC/<strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> Services, Inc................................................................................................107<br />
Historical <strong>Diving</strong> Society USA .............................................................................................................................................................63<br />
J.F. Brennan Company, Inc. .................................................................................................................................................................70<br />
Lakes & Rivers Contractors, Inc..........................................................................................................................................................63<br />
Logan <strong>Diving</strong> & Salvage......................................................................................................................................................................74<br />
Mainstream <strong>Commercial</strong> Divers, Inc. ..................................................................................................................................................80<br />
Marine <strong>Diving</strong> Technology Class <strong>of</strong> 1973—Santa Barbara City College................................................................................................92<br />
Marion Hill Associates <strong>Diving</strong> and Marine Services Group ................................................................................................................102<br />
National University Polytechnic Institute ............................................................................................................................................63<br />
<strong>The</strong> Ocean Corporation ......................................................................................................................................................................63<br />
ONYX Services, Inc...........................................................................................................................................................................104<br />
Randive, Inc........................................................................................................................................................................................63<br />
Resolve Marine Group.......................................................................................................................................................................110<br />
STS Chile (STS Marine Engineering and Constructing Limited)...........................................................................................................98<br />
Subsalve USA....................................................................................................................................................................................106<br />
Teichman Group <strong>of</strong> Companies...........................................................................................................................................................96<br />
U.S. <strong>Underwater</strong> Services, LLC .........................................................................................................................................................105<br />
<strong>Underwater</strong> Construction Corporation................................................................................................................................................64<br />
W.J. Castle P.E. & Associates, P.C. .......................................................................................................................................................86<br />
Walker <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Underwater</strong> Construction LLC ...................................................................................................................................100<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
112
ABOUT THE AUTHOR<br />
M IKE<br />
C OX<br />
Mike Cox, an elected member <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Texas Institute <strong>of</strong> Letters, is <strong>the</strong> author <strong>of</strong> more than a<br />
score <strong>of</strong> non-fiction books and hundreds <strong>of</strong> articles over <strong>the</strong> course <strong>of</strong> a career dating back more<br />
than forty years. In 2010 he received <strong>the</strong> A. C. Greene Lifetime Achievement Award<br />
and has earned numerous o<strong>the</strong>r recognitions for his writing over <strong>the</strong> years. His most noted work<br />
is a two-volume history <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> legendary Texas Rangers, published in 2008-2009. A long-time<br />
newspaper writer turned state government spokesman, Cox lives in Austin. When not writing,<br />
he spends as much time as he can fishing and hunting or traveling and o<strong>the</strong>rwise enjoying life<br />
in Texas.<br />
ABOUT THE AUTHOR<br />
113
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An Illustrated History <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Mobile Bay Region<br />
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An Illustrated History <strong>of</strong> Montgomery County, Texas<br />
Historic Ocala: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> Ocala & Marion County<br />
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An Illustrated History <strong>of</strong> Omaha and Douglas County<br />
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Historic Wilmington & <strong>The</strong> Lower Cape Fear:<br />
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Iron, Wood & Water: An Illustrated History <strong>of</strong> Lake Oswego<br />
Jefferson Parish: Rich Heritage, Promising Future<br />
More Than a River: Decatur-Morgan County<br />
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Preserving Tradition, Embracing Innovation<br />
Miami’s Historic Neighborhoods: A History <strong>of</strong> Community<br />
Old Orange County Courthouse: A Centennial History<br />
Plano: An Illustrated Chronicle<br />
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A Contemporary History <strong>of</strong> Fort Worth & Tarrant County<br />
Rich With Opportunity:<br />
Images <strong>of</strong> Beaumont and Jefferson County<br />
Salt Lake City: Livability in <strong>the</strong> 21st Century<br />
San Antonio, City Exceptional<br />
<strong>The</strong> San Gabriel Valley: A 21st Century Portrait<br />
Southwest Louisiana: A Treasure Revealed<br />
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Tyler: A Natural Beauty<br />
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Water, Rails & Oil: Historic Mid & South Jefferson County<br />
WORKING UNDERWATER: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Commercial</strong> <strong>Diving</strong> <strong>Industry</strong><br />
114
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