Camp underwater by using this tent
SINCE THE DAWN of the fashionable SCUBA age ushered in by Jacques Cousteau within the early 1940s, ocean explorers are seeking new ways to remain under the ocean for extended stretches. Restricted by tank size and human physiology struggling, SCUBA divers must periodically come up for air, sometimes within minutes of hitting bottom.
Enter the Ocean Space Habitat, conceived of as kind of underwater “basecamp.”
“We’ve been in foreign places where, if you get bent, you'll kiss your butt goodbye,” says National Geographic underwater photographer Jennifer Hayes.forced to dive conservatively—which can severely affect their work.
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In the case of an emergency, “such an in-water recompression shelter [would have] a really large upside,” notes Hayes, “the ability to speak during an undesirable and potentially life-threatening experience.”
Another obvious plus is air conservation.
Since it had been first tested within the late 1930s, “saturation diving,” when a diver remains struggling for long periods instead of acclimating to surface pressure repeatedly, has allowed increased access to the world’s oceans.
Undersea “habitats” to accommodate longer dives aren’t a replacement idea: the only form, the submersible , has been around for many years , during a host of creative iterations.notes anthropologist Kenneth Broad of the University of Miami, though there are often CO2 build up without proper gas flushing, “so please don’t do this reception .”)
It lets researchers work for days, weeks, or maybe months within the reefs off Key Largo, Florida without arising for air until the work is completed .
You Can Take It With You
it at another site, as needed. “Having the choice of such a transportable rig would be a welcome addition to the exploration science arsenal,” says Broad.
Plus, its affordable, costing less to shop for than some single diving operations cost to run. “I wish to think [it offers] a chance for a very ‘immersive’ experience,” Lombardi wrote in an email. “The tent allows us to require home a touch quite we might as temporary visitors using conventional SCUBA techniques.”
“It could even be a valuable shared resource,” he adds, for a gaggle curious about long underwater science excursions or maybe “underwater tea parties and picnic lunches.”
The habitat allows you to try to to more of what you’re coming for, whether you’re a photographer or coral researcher or citizen scientist.”
But what’s most enjoyable , he says, is what the gear could mean for those that don’t normally work beneath the ocean . “Imagine if a tourist, normally limited to a one-hour dive, could stay under through that magical transition from sunlight to twilight to darkness—with all the life that emerges,” he says. “People could experience the ocean during a whole new way.”
With the patent stamp still fresh, Burleson and Lombardi are seeking partners for brand spanking new expeditions. “For divers able to explore the chances , we hope they'll get in-tuned ,” he says. “We are able to get this out there.”
Enter the Ocean Space Habitat, conceived of as kind of underwater “basecamp.”
Deep Trouble
Using a conventional self-contained underwater breathing device (SCUBA) comes with several constraints. For one, deeper dives mean shorter amounts of your time on the ocean floor since the physical body consumes air faster because it moves deeper. An improper ascent can cause aeroembolism or “the bends,” when gas bubbles build up within the blood and tissues. And reaching a chamber to treat the damaging condition are often difficult and expensive.“We’ve been in foreign places where, if you get bent, you'll kiss your butt goodbye,” says National Geographic underwater photographer Jennifer Hayes.forced to dive conservatively—which can severely affect their work.
Safety First
Lombardi and Burleson’s habitat aims to unravel that problem, among others. Inspired by some “uh oh” diving experiences, when, on a fast-shrinking air supply he required extra-long decompression stops within the open ocean, Lombardi wanted to style a breathing room—sheltered from cold and predators—for decompression, emergencies, and “productive use of unproductive time.”.
In the case of an emergency, “such an in-water recompression shelter [would have] a really large upside,” notes Hayes, “the ability to speak during an undesirable and potentially life-threatening experience.”
Another obvious plus is air conservation.
Under Pressure
Since it had been first tested within the late 1930s, “saturation diving,” when a diver remains struggling for long periods instead of acclimating to surface pressure repeatedly, has allowed increased access to the world’s oceans.Undersea “habitats” to accommodate longer dives aren’t a replacement idea: the only form, the submersible , has been around for many years , during a host of creative iterations.notes anthropologist Kenneth Broad of the University of Miami, though there are often CO2 build up without proper gas flushing, “so please don’t do this reception .”)
It lets researchers work for days, weeks, or maybe months within the reefs off Key Largo, Florida without arising for air until the work is completed .
You Can Take It With You
it at another site, as needed. “Having the choice of such a transportable rig would be a welcome addition to the exploration science arsenal,” says Broad.
Plus, its affordable, costing less to shop for than some single diving operations cost to run. “I wish to think [it offers] a chance for a very ‘immersive’ experience,” Lombardi wrote in an email. “The tent allows us to require home a touch quite we might as temporary visitors using conventional SCUBA techniques.”
“It could even be a valuable shared resource,” he adds, for a gaggle curious about long underwater science excursions or maybe “underwater tea parties and picnic lunches.”
The habitat allows you to try to to more of what you’re coming for, whether you’re a photographer or coral researcher or citizen scientist.”
But what’s most enjoyable , he says, is what the gear could mean for those that don’t normally work beneath the ocean . “Imagine if a tourist, normally limited to a one-hour dive, could stay under through that magical transition from sunlight to twilight to darkness—with all the life that emerges,” he says. “People could experience the ocean during a whole new way.”
With the patent stamp still fresh, Burleson and Lombardi are seeking partners for brand spanking new expeditions. “For divers able to explore the chances , we hope they'll get in-tuned ,” he says. “We are able to get this out there.”
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