B.C.-designed dive suit to be showcased at the Pentagon

There’s some fascinating work being done at a North Vancouver shop that always sparks intense curiosity.

“Sometimes in the summer we’ll keep the door open and people will wander down the street and they have no idea what they’re looking at,” said Nuytco Research Ltd president Jeff Heaton.

What they’re looking at is more than 40 years of evolution of their atmospheric dive suit, started by founder Phil Nuytten in the early 1980s.

“Think of it as a submarine that you get into,” said Heaton. “A submarine that you wear that allows divers to get to those depths and go to places they’re not meant to go.”

Nuytco Research Ltd. has been at the forefront of this technology ever since.

“Ninety percent of our work right now is all military, specifically submarine rescue,” said Heaton. “Most Navy divers are not war fighters; they support operations like rescue, like salvage. That’s where we excel and we perform that role for many Navies worldwide.”

The DSEND (Deep Sea Expeditionary No-Decompression system suit) used by the US Navy will be showcased at the Pentagon later this week. It’s the latest design that allows divers great mobility.

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“You can walk in the suit, you can jump, you can lay down, you can roll over on your back, you can kick up your feet,” said Heaton.

The company tests all its creations on site in a tank out back. Designs also include submersibles that have been used by oil and gas companies, the scientific community, even Hollywood.

“We go back to the 80s, all the subs on The Abyss. Black Panther, was that’s the latest one, we had all of our suits in that,” said Heaton.

Future advancements will allow divers even more freedom and control over their underwater assignments, as the ingenuity at Nuytco Research Ltd. continues to lead the way in this highly specialized industry.

“Globally, we are the only company that is currently building atmospheric diving suits,” said Heaton. “This has been an amazing ride, and it’s not over.”