Deep, Dark and Dangerous: The Story of British Columbias Worldclass Undersea Tech Industry
How British Columbia became an international hotspot for submarines, submersibles, Newtsuits, underwater robotics, Arctic sonar and a host of other cuttingedge undersea technologies.In Deep, Dark & Dangerous, maritime historian Vickie Jensen explores the fascinating story of British Columbias rise to become a world leader in the underwater tech industry. She profiles both trailblazing innovators and newcomers to the field, and traces BCs colourful history and bright future as a front runner in the world of subsea technology innovation.This littleknown saga began in the early 1960s. Two commercial hardhat divers from the Vancouver area, Don Sorte and Al Trice, realized that they needed a small manned submersible with robot arms for deepsea work. They couldnt find one to buy, so they decided to partner with machinist Mack Thomson and build their own. Experts told them it would be suicidal to try a homemade version, but just over two years and $100,000 later, their Pisces I was successfully making twothousandfoot dives. They formed International Hydrodynamics, which went on to build fourteen submersibles and produce a generation of experts that would launch an entire industry of subsea companies in BC.During the same period, Phil Nuytten went from opening Vancouvers first scuba shop as a teenager to becoming a commercial diver and starting his undersea construction company at age twentyfive. Now, Nuytten is best known for his atmospheric diving suits, Newtsuit and Exosuit, along with a series of submersibles for scientific research.Drawing on her background in documenting both history and industry, Jensen uncovers the stories of over forty subsea pioneers, both historical and current, and details the innovations that are responsible for BCs remarkable and continuing subsea reputation. Written with colour and flair, this is a fascinating and exciting story that anyone can enjoy.
Description
How British Columbia became an international hotspot for submarines, submersibles, Newtsuits, underwater robotics, Arctic sonar and a host of other cuttingedge undersea technologies.In Deep, Dark & Dangerous, maritime historian Vickie Jensen explores the fascinating story of British Columbias rise to become a world leader in the underwater tech industry. She profiles both trailblazing innovators and newcomers to the field, and traces BCs colourful history and bright future as a front runner in the world of subsea technology innovation.This littleknown saga began in the early 1960s. Two commercial hardhat divers from the Vancouver area, Don Sorte and Al Trice, realized that they needed a small manned submersible with robot arms for deepsea work. They couldnt find one to buy, so they decided to partner with machinist Mack Thomson and build their own. Experts told them it would be suicidal to try a homemade version, but just over two years and $100,000 later, their Pisces I was successfully making twothousandfoot dives. They formed International Hydrodynamics, which went on to build fourteen submersibles and produce a generation of experts that would launch an entire industry of subsea companies in BC.During the same period, Phil Nuytten went from opening Vancouvers first scuba shop as a teenager to becoming a commercial diver and starting his undersea construction company at age twentyfive. Now, Nuytten is best known for his atmospheric diving suits, Newtsuit and Exosuit, along with a series of submersibles for scientific research.Drawing on her background in documenting both history and industry, Jensen uncovers the stories of over forty subsea pioneers, both historical and current, and details the innovations that are responsible for BCs remarkable and continuing subsea reputation. Written with colour and flair, this is a fascinating and exciting story that anyone can enjoy.
