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Phil Nuytten

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René Théophile Nuytten
OC OBC
Nuytten receiving the Order of British Columbia in 1992
Nuytten receiving the Order of British Columbia in 1992
Born(1941-08-13)13 August 1941
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Died13 May 2023(2023-05-13) (aged 81)
NationalityCanadian
Occupation(s)Entrepreneur, deep-ocean explorer, scientist, inventor
Years active1955–2023
EmployerSelf
OrganizationNuytco Research Ltd.
Known forNewtsuit

René Théophile "Phil" Nuytten OC OBC (13 August 1941 – 13 May 2023) was a Canadian entrepreneur, deep-ocean explorer, scientist, inventor of the Newtsuit, and founder of Nuytco Research Ltd.[1][2][3]

He pioneered designs related to diving equipment,[3] and worked with NASA for more than 25 years on applications related to undersea and space technologies.[2]

Today, his equipment is used by a wide range of organizations, including the National Geographic Society, NASA, and is standard for almost a dozen navies.[3]

Early life

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Nuytten was born in Vancouver, British Columbia of Métis ancestry. He was subsequently formally adopted into the Kwakiutl nation.[3] He began to design diving gear as a teenager, and opened the first dive shop in Western Canada at the age of 15.[3] At the age of 16, he was one of the first two rescue divers on scene after the 1958 Second Narrows Bridge collapse.[4]

Career

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Nuytten worked in numerous countries as a commercial diver. In his work for the commercial, scientific, and military industries, he developed equipment and deep-water diving, and technical diving techniques.[2]

During the 1960s and 1970s, Nuytten was involved in the development of mixed-gas decompression tables. He was part of a team that accomplished the first 600 FSW (feet of seawater) ocean "bounce" dives on Project Nesco.[2]

In the 1970s, he co-founded Oceaneering International, Inc. This company became one of the largest underwater skills companies in the world.[2]

In 1983, Nuytten appeared on the cover of National Geographic due to his dives into arctic waters to Breadalbane.[2][5]

Death

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Nuytten died the 13 May 2023 aged 81, his family releasing an obituary detailing the significance of his life and contributions to the scientific field.[6][7]

Media appearances

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Print

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Resulting from his contributions to marine diving technologies, Nuytten appeared in the media numerous times, including: National Geographic, Time, Newsweek, Popular Science, Discovery, Fortune, Scientific American and Business Week.[2]

Film and television

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For twenty years, Nuytten was featured in and worked on the production of films and television programs based on technology he developed, such as:[1]

  • Descent of Man (CBC)
  • Mysteries of the Sea (NBC)
  • Pressure Point (Walt Disney)
  • [Pacific Abyss] (BBC)
  • [Jaws of Death] (Bruce Martin Productions)
  • [Octopus Hunt] National Film Board of Canada)
  • [28 Above, Below] (National Film Board of Canada
  • [D Day, Underwater] (Discovery Channel)

Nuytten provided the submersibles and was the senior technical advisor for the film The Abyss. His Newtsuit is featured in the IMAX movie Flight of the Aquanaut.[1]

Newtsuit

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A Newtsuit
Main article: Newtsuit

In 1979, Nuytten started work on the Newtsuit, a one-atmosphere diving suit. The revolutionary new design featured fully articulated rotary joints.[8] This patented breakthrough design is now used in many subsequent atmospheric diving suits.[2]

Exosuit

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In 2000, Nuytten announced that he was developing a new type ultra lightweight powered exoskeleton called the Exosuit[9] This new design was being considered for use as a submarine escape device by the Canadian Department of Defense.[2]

Vent-Base Alpha

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It was announced in September 2018 that Nuytten was designing and planned to build an underwater human settlement off of the coast of Vancouver, Canada, in the Pacific Ocean.[10] A prototype was to be built as early as 2019, with cylindrical living chambers powered from Stirling engines powered by hydrothermal vent sources.[11] The buildings would be built on land and transported likely to the Juan de Fuca Strait, and submerged a few thousand feet below the surface.[12]

Awards and commendations

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Nuytten CV" (PDF). Gallant Aquatic Ventures International. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Phil Nuytten, Ph.D. - NOGI". Auas-nogi.org. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Rolex Awards for Enterprise > Press Room > 2008 Selection Committee > Phil Nuytten". Rolexawards.com. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
  4. ^ Richter, Brent (18 May 2023). "North Vancouver's undersea pioneer Phil Nuytten dead at 81". North Shore News. Glacier Media Group. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  5. ^ MacInnis, Joseph B. (July 1983). "Exploring a 140-Year-Old Ship Under Arctic Ice". National Geographic. 164 (1). Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society: 104A–104D.
  6. ^ "Dive industry mourns passing of Phil Nuytten". 16 May 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  7. ^ Mackie, John (1 March 2024). "Stunning First Nations art collection assembled by B.C. diving pioneer Phil Nuytten on display". Vancouver Sun. Postmedia. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  8. ^ Kesling, Doug E. "Atmospheric Diving Suits – New Technology May Provide ADS Systems that are Practical and Cost-Effective Tools for Conducting Safe Scientific Diving, Exploration, and Undersea Research". In: Pollock NW, ed. Diving for Science 2011. Proceedings of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences 30th Symposium. Dauphin Island, AL: AAUS; 2011. Archived from the original on 15 April 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2013.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  9. ^ "Products: Exosuit". nuytco.com. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  10. ^ "Building a city under the sea". BBC News. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  11. ^ Thadeusz, Frank (18 September 2018). "Evacuation plan: the inventor building the world's first underwater city". sea-glob.com. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  12. ^ Moshakis, Alex (15 April 2018). "Who'd like to live under the sea?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  13. ^ "Renowned B.C. underwater inventor appointed to Order of Canada". CBC News. 27 August 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
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