I was bicycling down to Summerland for lunch today and happened upon the unloading of this interesting looking submersible as I passed through the harbor area. So I stopped and took a few little videos and still images. Click on this first image for the videos.
The Waitt Institute was founded in 2005 by Ted Waitt. For those of us old enough in computer history this is the man who founded Gateway Computers, you might remember their boxes as the ones that looked like cows.
From their website: The Waitt Institute Dual DeepWorker is a one-atmosphere, two-person manned submersible with a maximum operating depth of 2,000 feet and life-support capable of sustaining two persons for a total of 92 hours while underwater. It weighs 6,000 pounds, is 8.5 feet long and 5.75 feet wide.
The sub was delivered from its manufacture in Vancouver, Canada in 2006 after which it went to the large salt water tank in Rosarito, Mexico that was used to film Titanic and Master and Commander. Since the training in Mexico, the sub has participated in two surveys off the coast of Ventura, California working for NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service and University of California, Santa Barbara. Last year the sub took a long trip to the shores of Ireland where it participated in an expedition to map the famous shipwreck Lusitania. Click here to be taken to the Waitt Institute web site for much more information. Quite the serendipitous prelunch break.
One Response to “The Dual DeepWorker Submersible in SB”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
What, no cows on them?! Leave it to you to find the most curious things!