About this item
Highlights
- How British Columbia became an international hotspot for submarines, submersibles, Newtsuits, underwater robotics, Arctic sonar and a host of other cutting-edge undersea technologies.
- Author(s): Vickie Jensen
- 256 Pages
- Transportation, Ships & Shipbuilding
Description
About the Book
How British Columbia became an international hotspot for submarines, submersibles, Newt Suits, underwater robotics and a host of other cutting-edge undersea technologies.
Book Synopsis
How British Columbia became an international hotspot for submarines, submersibles, Newtsuits, underwater robotics, Arctic sonar and a host of other cutting-edge undersea technologies.
In Deep, Dark & Dangerous, maritime historian Vickie Jensen explores the fascinating story of British Columbia's rise to become a world leader in the underwater tech industry. She profiles both trailblazing innovators and newcomers to the field, and traces BC's colourful history and bright future as a front runner in the world of subsea technology innovation.
This little-known saga began in the early 1960s. Two commercial hard-hat divers from the Vancouver area, Don Sorte and Al Trice, realized that they needed a small manned submersible with robot arms for deep-sea work. They couldn't 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 home-made version, but just over two years and $100,000 later, their Pisces I was successfully making two-thousand-foot 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 Vancouver's first scuba shop as a teenager to becoming a commercial diver and starting his undersea construction company at age twenty-five. 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 BC's remarkable and continuing subsea reputation. Written with colour and flair, this is a fascinating and exciting story that anyone can enjoy.
Review Quotes
"If you care about exploration and ocean technology, Deep, Dark and Dangerous should be on your reading list. It introduces pioneers in underwater discovery and technological entrepreneurship, all hailing from British Columbia. It's surprising how rich the province is with this history. But the book is not just a historical overview: Up-and-comers can learn how to get in the game, too. --Sea Technology magazine
We know the surface of the moon and Mars better than the Earth because most of our world is hidden in permanent darkness under the oceans. Here is the remarkable tale of the pioneering Canadian inventors who took on a challenge as great as space exploration, involving deep diving subs, high pressure suits and robotics to explore our dark planet. Meet the innovative thinkers who led the way on a journey into truly deep space. --Bob McDonald, host of Quirks & Quarks
British Columbia's contributions to increasing human access to the final frontier in the deep are magnificently chronicled in this comprehensive account by one of the best maritime writers in the world, Vickie Jensen. What sets this book apart is how it rightly focuses on the people who did this work, and those who continue to explore and work in the depths. Masterfully told, powerfully written, and wonderfully illustrated, this is a must-have, must-read book. --James Delgado, maritime archaeologist, explorer, author, and former director of the Vancouver Maritime Museum