january 2012 issue 01

Inside this issue ƒƒ “a little bit of history” by bob barth...... 1 ƒƒ oyster bash...... 3 ƒƒ sealab-I restoration project...... 3 ƒƒ 4th annual golf tournament...... 4 ƒƒ mark v monument project...... 4 ƒƒ museum memberships, corporate partners, & sponsorships...... 5

a personal account written by bob barth Welcome A Little Bit Of History. Dear Diver, First off, from everyone I just returned from an Underwa- at the Man In The Sea ter trade show in New Orleans, Museum, we would like this gathering of divers and other to thank you for taking underwater folks has been going the time to read the on for 40 years, each year there are first issue of our all new fewer of us, most of these past 40 quarterly newsletter. Each years I have had someone lean on newsletter you receive will feature informative articles me about a Navy program that not a about a variety of subjects lot of locals know about, I am asked involving diving as well as time and time again why I don’t tell Inside of SEALAB-I, Summer 1964 information on upcoming the story about an old relic that you Back over 50 years ago the Navy events. see in front of the small museum at decided they were going to investi- The Man In The Sea the west end of Panama City Beach. gate the feasibility of getting Navy Museum needs and With time taking its toll and the divers deeper and to stay longer, it appreciates your support storytellers diminishing I told them was a lengthy process of test after in helping us preserve our that I would try, here goes. test which in-fact did prove that we large collection of rare could place men on the seabed to and one-of-a-kind exhibits As you drive down highway 98 or work much deeper and stay longer. and antique diving what might be called the west end of What were we going to give them to equipment. The museum Panama City Beach Parkway you see is a great place to visit and live in when we got there? You may a large orange rusty object sitting at get acquainted with the remember a gent who made some the Man In The Sea Museum, it may history of diving and we wonderful TV shows about diving, his appear to you as a big tank with wob- are constantly working name was ; Captain bly legs, millions of you have driven towards improving the Cousteau had developed a program museum with updated and by it but probably found it un-inter- that consisted of a series of under- new exhibits and larger esting enough to even wonder what water houses that he placed on the endeavors like this years it was. On the side of it says “SEALAB bottom of the Mediterranean near kick-off to our SEALAB-I ONE” that doesn’t tell you a heck of a France. Our Navy, now in need of an Restoration Project. Once lot either, probably doesn’t even gen- underwater house turned to Coust- again thanks for your erate a lot of curiosity, might make a support and we look eau and his concept of underwater great mullet smoker some have said. forward to another great habitats. (continued on page 2) year at the Man In The Sea Museum.  1 continued from page one A Little Bit Of History , placed In closing I might add that next at a depth of 193 month (mid Feb) will mark the 43rd feet and occupied anniversary of the death of Berry for 11 days by four Cannon, a Navy base engineer from Navy divers; that Panama City who died at 610 feet was the summer attempting to occupy SEALAB III. I of 1964. thought you might need to be told the story of this program it did af- Deemed a success, ter all lead the way to getting divers Sealab One was deeper to stay longer. The next time returned to Pan- your driving down the back beach Newly Constructed SEALAB-I Habitat City, eventu- road and pass the museum, give that After several years of great collabora- ally turned into a test platform then old house a nod,she is a part of his- tion with the Cousteau organization abandoned for about a dozen years tory, then as you pass the Navy base the Navy decided that an underwa- sitting near Stage Two on the bot- you can know too that this small base ter house was the way to go. Enters tom to rust and grow feeble. In the had a huge roll in what the fraternity the Navy Mine Defense Lab (now the early 1980’s some folks at the Navy of Navy diving and this country has Navy base here) these folks had some diving school decided that this old accomplished, best of all, they are still great engineers with some ideas, a house should be brought to the sur- at it. The premier diving school of the hand full of Navy folks showed up at face and become the relic that she Navy is here, the Navy Experimental Panama City, got together with these is today, That accomplished, the old Diving Unit (NEDU) also is here, NEDU base engineers, picked out a couple habitat became nothing more than a has been around for close to 80 years. of large tanks at the base junk yard, museum piece. The SEALAB program There is no other place in the world got some cutting torches, welding continued for another few years, they like these two organizations, a lot of machines, pieces of metal, scratch conducted two more operations the nations underwater history has pads, a lot of good ideas to kick then the project was abandoned to been made in this small town. I won- around, mistakes to corerct and tests take the concept of on to der if any of you knew that. to perform. When it was all over there greater heights, with new and better sat the Navy’s first underwater habi- systems designed to get to, and stay Bob Barth tat, SEALAB-1. on, the ocean floor.

It was late spring of 1964. All in all about two dozen Navy diving folks from all over the country had shown up in Panama City, half of them had Check out the been on the program that made Man In The Sea Museum’s SEALAB possible, they came from all walks of life, there were Navy doctors, Online Store medical folks, support divers and four Visit us online and explore our large variety of treasures including: gents who had been trained to do the bottom portion of the planned test- • Replicated Artifacts • Unique Books ing. The SEALAB habitat was taken to • Maps • T-Shirts sea (close to the old Stage Two area) • Collectables • Artwork tested, not too successfully, returned to the Navy base, to fix what had • Toys • Gifts & More been broken then taken back out to sea again for further testing, the tests Get your copy of Sealab: America’s Forgotten Quest were successfully completed, we to Live and Work on the Ocean Floor, just released didn’t know a lot about handling un- January 10, 2012. derwater houses. The green light was given, SEALAB-I One was placed on a barge, taken to an area near Dive in and see what’s in store!

2 preserving america’s rich diving history SEALAB-I Restoration Project

The success of SEALAB-I represented SEALAB-I Goes into the Atlantic a major diving milestone. SEALAB- SEALAB-I was first lowered from a The Man In The Sea Museum I’s success provided the foundation ship by cable to its resting area 192 will be having an “Oyster for the advancement of man’s ability Bash” on Friday, January 20th feet below the Atlantic off the island to dive to deeper depths and stay of Bermuda. The Navy had a sound from 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. at underwater longer. SEALAB-I can be The Dive Lab located at 1415 study station already in place off the seen at the Man In The Sea Museum Moylan Road in Panama City Bermuda coast with an underwater Beach, FL. The Oyster Bash in Panama City Beach, Florida. plateau so this along with the rela- will serve as a kick-off for tively warm waters made the island the SEALAB-I Restoration a suitable location. SEALAB-I served Project. Tickets for the as an undersea home for four Navy Oyster Bash are $25.00 each divers; Robert Thompson, Lester An- and are available at the Man derson, Bob Barth, and Sanders Man- In The Sea Museum as well as on the museum’s website ning. SEALAB-I was scheduled to stay at www.maninthesea.org. at the bottom for three weeks, but the Tickets covers all-you- project was haulted after 11 days due can-eat raw and steamed to an approaching tropical storm. The oysters, cheese grits, and hot SEALAB-I habitat was raised by the dogs. Beer will be available Deteriorating State of SEALAB-I Navy one foot every 20 minutes until for an additional charge. it reached 84 feet, at which point the First Table sponsorships are divers were transferred to a submers- also available for $500.00 In 1964 the sub- ible chamber. which includes ten tickets merged the first underwater habitat, and ten beer mugs that can The Success of SEALAB-I SEALAB-I. SEALAB-I was an experi- be refilled at no additional charge. Please come out mental underwater habitat capable At the time of the SEALAB-I experi- and support the SEALAB-I of housing humans at almost 200 ment, 200 feet was the maximum Restoration Project so we feet below sealevel. SEALAB-I was working depth for diver’s. And de- can preserve this important developed, built, and tested by the spite being raised prematurely the piece of American diving United States Navy in Bay County, SEALAB-I project was a success and history.  Florida. The purpose of the SEALAB- paved the way for diving at depths of I experiment was to 300, 600, and 1,000 prove the viability feet. The success of of “Sealab I gave us SEALAB-I also al- and test the limits of unprecedented opportunities lowed for advance- the physiological and for scientific research and ments in offshore psychological endur- development and it deserves drilling practices, ance of mankind. to be restored, protected, and submarine rescue, and underwater re- The knowledged ac- displayed with honor and quired from this first search procedures. dignity.” underwater research The SEALAB-I pro- provided unprec- —Kim Fitzpatrick totype gave way to edented proof that Executive Board, for the Institute of Diving more sophisticat- not only was satura- ed SEALAB-II and tion diving possible, but also that it SEALAB-3 underwater habitats as was possible to live at great depths well as a number of others. SEALAB- under the waters of the open oceans I is not only an important artifact of for extended periods of time. The first Bay County’s history but also for all of studies performed by ’s of America. SEALAB-I provided us with SEALAB-I also provided information the first opportunity to experience about habitat placement, umbilical’s, life underwater for extended periods humidity, and descrambling. 3 of time and we need to remember how it all started.  Man in the sea’s

4th Annual Golf Tournament The Man In The Sea Museum’s 4th Annual Golf Tournament will be Saturday, March 24, 2012 at Holiday Golf Course. Registration starts at 7:00 a.m. with an 8:00 a.m. Tee Time. The tournament will have a four man scramble format with a Shotgun Start, Cash Prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each flight and for Longest Drive for Men and Women. For additional information contact Drew Petersen at (850) 774-8680 or at [email protected]. 

Tee Box Sponsor available for $165.00 Green Sponsor available for $165.00 “Each Sponsor receives one player spot for free!” Pre-registration for the tournament is $75.00 per player which includes range balls. Green fees, cart, lunch, and door prizes.

celebrate our diving heritage Mark V Monument How it all started The Mark V Monument Project was de- Gifts and Collectables, and was able Project veloped by retired United States Navy to contract the production of 300 Diver’s around the world are joining Chief Warrant Officer Robert (Bob) A. 21-inch bronze and granite, certified, together to raise funds to erect an Barth, who enlisted the help of David serialized, limited edition, exact rep- eleven foot tall bronze and granite Sullivan from the NDSTC. Together licas of the monumnet, to be sold to Mark V Monument to honor all past, the two formed the not-for-profit assist with needed funds. The price of present, and future graduates of Florida corporation; The one of these statuettes U.S. Navy Dive Schools. Mark V Monument Proj- is $2,000.00 with ship- ect Inc. (MVMPI) and ping included and as The Mark V Monument Project is a soon after enlisted the of this publication only non-profit campaign whose mission assistance of Ed Del- around 30 remain avail- is raise enough money to build an anoy, Dave Thompson, able for purchase. If you eleven foot (11) tall bronze and gran- Kellard Jansen, and Jim are interested in own- ite “JAKE” monument with a three McCarthy, who in turn ing not only a wonder- foot (3) tall pentagon shaped granite helped to form The Mark ful piece of art but also base. Each one of the five sides of the V Monument Commi- a unique piece of his- base will have a bronze seal, which tee (MVMC). The com- tory please don’t hesi- will display one of the five services of mitee has been deeply tate to call or email with the U.S. Military. THe Mark V Monum- involved in every aspect your order. These one- net will be erected at the Naval Diving of the design to ensure of-a-kind statuettes and Salvage Training Center (NDSTC) that the finished product have been delivered to located within the Coastal Systems is technically accurate as supporters around the Station in Panama City Beach, Florida. well as guarantee that globe, from Canada, the The monumnet will be created and the “JAKE” erected be a United Arab Emirates placed to commemorate all past, monument that all past, present, and (UAE), the United Kingdom, Australia, present, and future graduates of all future graduates of Navy dive schools Hong Kong, Singapore, and U.S. cit- United States Diving Schools who will take pride in. ies coast to coast. Don’t miss out on your chance, payments using VISA, have chosen and will choose to work Own a piece of Diving History and study lifeand its endless possibili- DISCOVER, MASTERCARD, and AMER- ties within the depths of the sea. The Initially the Mark V Monument Proj- ICAN EXPRESS are accepted and your Mark V Monument will forever cele- ect Inc. solicited the diving communi- purchase is Tax exempt by the IRS un- brate the traditions of diver’s around ty for donations to design, fabricate, der section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal the world that have devoted their life’s and erect the JAKE at NDSTC, but Revenue Code, therfore allowing us work to underwater ship husbandry, even with some generous donations to issue a $600.00 deductable dona- , the salvage it became clear that far more funding tion certificate with the purchase of of ships lost at sea, and various forms would be needed to proceed with the each statuette For more information of combat and clandestine missons. project and see it into completion. you can visit our website here www. The MVMPI brainstormed the idea to markvmonument.org.  contract with Paul Guiver of Divers 4 become a member and help support our cause Memberships, Partnerships, & Sponsorships Register today to become a part of the Institute of Diving and the Man In The Sea Museum. Together we can use the past to help build the future of underwater discovery.

Museum Memberships Corporate Partners Sponsorships We invite you to become a mem- Corporate Partnerships are available Our Anchor Sponsors are those in- ber of the Man In The Sea Museum. for all businesses (whether incorpo- dividuals and businesses who have Members include individuals, organi- rated or not), foundations, and other chosen to support our museum zations, and corporations that are in- legal entities. The Corporate Partners in preserving and displaying spe- terested in underwater activities and Program provides an opportunity for cific exhibits. Sponsorships begin at exploration. We aim to promote edu- corporations and philanthropic orga- $5,000.00 and increase depending cation and preservation of undersea nizations to provide significant, en- upon the needs of the specific exhibit history and technology. during support to the museum. selected. For example, a dive suit or helmet might be sponsored at the Membership Benefits Corporate Partnership Benefits $5,000.00 level; SEALAB-1 must be • Unlimited free admission to the mu- • Free admission for all employees on sponsored at $100,000.00 or more. seum (membership card required at a specified weekend or day (execu- Our Anchor Sponsors are acknowl- admission) tive pass required) edged with plaques at their various • Advanced notice of programs, ex- • FREE one-time (1) admission passes exhibits. If you are interested in spon- hibit openings, and special events to give to employees, clients, and soring an exhibit, please give us a call! • Discounts on lectures and programs friends We need your help and will be happy to meet with you. • Invitations to members-only events • 10% Discount on purchases at the museumstore (with an executive • 10% Discount on purchases at the pass) Museums’ store • 10% Discount on facility rental for • FREE subscription to the museum’s private foundations Don’t forget! calendar, newsletter, and annual re- port • Recognition on the museum’s web- Oyster Bash @ Dive Lab site January, 20 from 3:00 -7:00 p.m. Membership Categories • Opportunity for a private tour with • Annual Individual: $35 curatorial staff 4th Annual Golf Tournament • Three Year Individual: $90 • Invitations to members-only events Saturday, March 24 • Lifetime: $1,000 Corporate Partnership Categories at Holiday Golf Course Registration starts @ 7:00 a.m. • Family Discount: With one annual • Dive Buddy Partnership - $500 (For membership, family members can businesses with up to 10 employ- be added for only $15.00 per person. Website ees) http://maninthesea.org/ • Science Diver Partnership - $1,000 & (For businesses with up to 20 em- ployees) • Deep Sea Partnership - $5,000 (For larger businesses)

In the next issue: • with highlights from the This newsletter is published by: • 2012 Underwater Intervention Man In The Sea Museum 17314 Panama City Beach Parkway Conference Panama City Beach, FL 32413 United States We welcome articles written by our readers. If you are interested in Phone: (850) 235-4101 submitting a piece to be included in one of our upcoming newsletters www.maninthesea.org simply send it to [email protected]. If we choose to ©2012 – All rights reserved include your piece we will contact you by email.