A brief tribute to this week's 50th anniversary of SEALAB I

[SEALAB Author Ben H.]

I've had a few opportunities lately to write about SEALAB's golden anniversary, and here's one essay that I think pretty well sums up the U.S. Navy's game-changing project and its legacy, written for a Los Angeles-based website called Zocalo Public Square: Zócalo Public Square :: Is the Final Frontier Under the Sea?

Some on ScubaBoard may also have seen my article about SEALAB's 50th in the July issue of Dive Training magazine, though I don't believe that one's online. . .

It's a shame this anniversary isn't getting wider attention, but I figure every mention helps.

 

[Sam Miller III]

50 years! They passed so fast

What a fantastic book! A well researched document of America's pioneering contribution to the advancement of diving technology. A true classic book that will be cherished and referenced by historical research scholars for many future generations.

A must have - must read for all divers

SDM

 

[SEALAB Author Ben H.]

Thanks for the kind words about my book, Sam. It was an honor to chronicle the history of SEALAB and the related deep diving efforts of that era. FYI, I spoke a bit about SEALAB on the occasion of its 50th on ScubaRadio the other day: ScubaRadio 7-26-14 HOUR1 : Scuba Radio

I suppose you could say the anniversary concludes on Friday, Aug. 1. It was 50 years ago on that day that those first four American aquanauts emerged from their 55-hour decompression - and diving would never be the same . . .