Thanks, Bruno, for this incredibly tough question!
I think I will have to put this question to several pilots as we all have different opinions on what influenced us! This is certainly a topic that could be debated for hours, and the candidates are pretty strong, and the choices will change if you are interested in science/exploration, tourism, record setting or military operations.
The amazing thing about being a member of the SOG is that I have been able to talk with many of the operators and pilots of these truly historic submersibles.
I will go first! Here is my list of five influential submersibles (That had an influence on me!)
Alvin (1964): Alvin is a manned submersible that has been instrumental in various deep-sea explorations. Operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, it played a crucial role in the discovery of hydrothermal vents and the exploration of the Titanic wreck. Alvin continues to be an active and important tool for marine researchers. This is the submersible that got me into science and ultimately a career at sea. When Bob Ballard’s book on discovering the Titanic was released, I was blown away. At the time our home computer took about 30 minutes to load and here was a submersible and a small ROV (Jason Jnr) exploring the wreck of the Titanic miles under the Atlantic Ocean. I was hooked and look where it got me….130 expeditions later I’m working with submersibles. Seriously, this amazing submersible has found nuclear bombs, wrecks, hydrothermal vents……its a Top Trump winner!
Trieste (1960): The Trieste is famous for reaching the deepest point in the world’s oceans, the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, in 1960. It carried Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh to a depth of about 35,797 feet (10,911 meters). This marked a significant milestone in deep-sea exploration and our understanding of the extreme conditions at the ocean’s depths. A true record breaker and humanity’s first dive to the ocean’s deepest point!
Nautile (1984): Nautile, operated by Ifremer (the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea), has been involved in numerous deep-sea explorations. Notably, it was used in the exploration of the Titanic wreck in 1986 and has been an important asset in studying hydrothermal vent ecosystems and deep-sea biology. There’s just something about Nautille…..beautiful and plenty of achievements.
Limiting Factor (renamed: Bakunawa): Limiting Factor is a crewed deep-submergence vehicle (DSV) manufactured by Triton Submarines and owned and operated by Gabe Newell’s Inkfish ocean-exploration research organization. It currently holds the records for the deepest crewed dives in all five oceans. Limiting Factor was commissioned by Victor Vescovo for $37 million. It is commercially certified by DNV for dives to full ocean depth, and is operated by a pilot, with facilities for an observer. The vessel was used in the Five Deeps Expedition, becoming the first crewed submersible to reach the deepest point in all five oceans. Over 21 people have visited Challenger Deep, the deepest area on Earth, in the DSV. Limiting Factor was used to identify the wrecks of the destroyers USS Johnston at a depth of 6,469 m (21,224 ft), and USS Samuel B. Roberts at 6,865 m (22,523 ft), in the Philippine Trench, the deepest dives on wrecks. It has also been used for dives to the French submarine Minerve (S647) at about 2,350 m (7,710 ft) in the Mediterranean Sea, and RMS Titanic at about 3,800 m (12,500 ft) in the Atlantic
DSV Aurelia (2022): There is one reason that this submersible is in my top five submersible – I watched it being assembled, christened and then dove on its first harbor and sea trials. After this I participated in its first science missions in the Maldives and Chagos. I have a great affection for this sub, and I hope it goes on to achieve as much as the submersibles above! Beyond being my first submersible, it is currently the world’s deepest diving acrylic sphere submersible, capable of diving down to 2200m (7500ft)
And a bonus “submersible”…..the first one that ever exposed me to “being under water”…..who remembers these!
