ISSUE 01 - Magazine - Page 18
18
DEEPSEA MGZN
FILSON LIFE FILMS
BREATHE
The Mark V Diving Helmet: The Workhorse
by Filson
Located in Seattle, WA, the Divers Institute of Technology
(DIT) was founded in 1968 and is one of the premier commercial diving schools in the world. Learn more about the
school and its rigorous training program on The Filson
Journal here: https://fal.cn/3vFoP
The Mark V diving helmet is the stu昀昀 of legends. A slight
glimpse of its bulbous spun copper dome, dominated by
four large brass and glass viewports, instantly transports
people to another realm.
Created for the United States Navy as part of the Mark
V diving rig, it 昀椀rst went into service in 1916. Designed to
withstand the stresses of deep sea and salvage diving, it
allowed divers to go deeper than ever before. It heralded
a new phase in ocean diving, whose e昀昀ects are still felt
today.
05 — Blue Palace Crete
06 — Belmond La Residencia
07 — The Maxi Dress
08 — Ra昀氀es Intanbul
While the entire rubberized canvas suit with its massive
lead-soled boots and eighty-four-pound weight belt encircling the waist is an impressive sight. It’s the otherworldly
helmet perched atop an enormous breastplate studded
with lockdown bolts that draw the eye. Weighing in at 昀椀fty昀椀ve pounds, the helmet provided divers with fresh air, and
the all-important comms link to the surface through the
numerous umbilical lines attached to the rear of the hat.
When the diver had the helmet lowered over his head, he
knew that it was time to get to work. Once their assistant
screwed the helmet a quarter turn into twisted its locking groove, the outer world disappeared. Looking out the
metal-wrapped porthole directly in front of their face, they
knew that it was up to their skills and level head to get the
job done down low.
When the US Navy went to war, the Mark V became a vital
part of their arsenal. In both 1917-18 and 1941-45, the suit
saw considerable increases in production and use across
the globe. While it is still used today by many commercial
diving companies, it was phased out by the US Navy in the
early 1980s in favor of the Mark 12 Surface Supported Diving System. While the new rig is impressive, it is doubtful
it will ever achieve the mythical status that the Mark V has
attached to it.
.The Filson Journal here
https://www.昀椀lson.com/blog/pro昀椀les/heading-into-thedeep-divers-institute-of-technology/
