Oceans of Opportunity

Category: the Life Aquatic | an Evolution

cut throat and cash

The long list of things that truly fascinate me about being a working diver never seems to stop growing, and this is even after some 15+ years at the game. Most importantly to me is being able to find an appreciable ‘art’ in heavy and potentially dangerous tasks. Yesterdays project was a good reminder of…

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saved by the snail’s pace

Well, a fresh new project kicked off yesterday, and is proving to be a much needed refresher in underwater welding. While I’ve had a few small welding projects here and there over the last several months, this project is putting it all to the test. In the water at 0730, then burning rod after rod…

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on and in an aquatic state

Late yesterday afternoon, the phone rang and the ‘hello’ was forgone. I was met only with a  ‘you’re leaving at midnight’… This wasn’t the first time, and certainly won’t be the last, as this life aquatic as an underwater vagabond has a way of keeping the flow (excuse the pun) of work in a multitude of…

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composure, aptitude, & situational awareness

A recent series of very routine working dives reminded me of what has come to be my ‘trinity’ in diving – composure, aptitude, and situational awareness. While I infrequently dive recreationally, from time to time I do find myself in the water with new divers. More than general discomfort, anxiety, or nervousness, what jumps out…

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an in between era using in between technology

I recently returned from the field, working in a remote stretch of the Exumas, Bahamas – where I consider my home away from home. The objective? Deploy an experimental undersea habitat that, if successful, would provide for unsurpassed wet diving access to the lower limits of mesophotic coral ecosystems. As it happens, the deployment went off…

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Making Headlines | Ocean Space Habitat on Nat Geo

Having realized limitations in deep Mesophotic intervention from work in 2010, Lombardi teams up with Subsalve USA to develop a portable inflatable habitat for improved decompression efficiency. Lombardi receives second award from National Geographic Society to deploy and evaluate the system. Lombardi and Godfrey are first to successfully deploy a purpose built inflatable portable decompression…

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caught in the act…by satellite!!!

As our world gets smaller and smaller in many ways given the massive wave of (inter)connectivity technology has afforded us (for better or worse), I have often prided myself on having found some peace, solitude, and solemnity on an almost daily basis with my underwater exploits. Apparently those days are nearing an end! A friend…

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metabolic mayhem

While most experience some weight shifting through the seasons, especially here in the Northeast where distinct and sharply contrasted climates cause a sort of hibernation at times, and binge around the holidays to fatten up for the winter cold; this weight change is overwhelmingly apparent when my busy dive season kicks into gear. I can’t help…

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let them rule over the fish in the sea

Genesis 1: 26 (NIV version of the Bible) reads, ““Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea…” I was reminded of this divine empowerment after recently reading Ben Hellwarth’s new book ‘Sealab‘, which takes us on a journey through the start up and…

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interview on National Geographic Weekend

Very pleased to share this recent interview from National Geographic Weekend radio, with Host Boy Matson. Boyd and I chatted about recent developments with my portable habitat project. The development efforts are largely complete, thanks to the creativity, hard work, and generosity of Subsalve Inc. here in North Kingstown, RI. The deployment of the system will…

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