This paper describes the present international requirement for a means of continuous application, to operational purpose, of research results obtained in studies concerning manned undersea activity. The general need for facilitating such technology utilization is described. The means adopted, by establishment of a major technical transfer center, is intended to provide opportunity for offshore oil and diving industry, national government and university to conjoin in mutual technical support.
Positive steps must be taken now to provide for continued success and safety in manned ambient or atmospheric pressure undersea operations. These steps involve diving, oil and offshore construction industries, research and research support agencies of national governments, and those few university laboratories still able to offer leadership or scientific support to this field. At this present stage of offshore operations development it is absolutely necessary to bring the technical arms of industry, government, and university together, into a path of mutual technical assistance and support (4)
Offshore drilling and construction activity have, to this point in time, exactly paralleled the related development of capability in diving operations. The slow evolution of progress in diving changed to more rapid open-sea advance only when interests of industry in offshore oil explorations created a demand for the diving capability upon which all but a few of the most recent of oil well completion endeavors have depended (4). Fortunately the demand for diving services could be met in part by information, concepts and even engineering solutions that had been independently generating in some civilian and naval laboratories, and which could be further expanded to stimulate even greater improvement in operational application.
While recent progress has been dramatic, the improvements in effectiveness and safety in deep, moderate and shallow diving have not been accomplished easily or smoothly (3). Often advance has been blocked for prolonged periods by disinterest or "protective" control by national agencies, by misguided proprietary concern within diving companies, by disinterested detachment of oil companies, and by application of limited federal funds to peripheral development projects sought by influential, large companies.
The real improvement of capability and safety in offshore underwater operations has developed at the "senior working level" in industry, navy and university, from the informed combining of research and operational experience. This has brought deep and prolonged operations within the reach of many commercial organizations. Some operating groups are at present constructing the mechanical systems which will permit man to work at depths approaching particular physiological limits.
However, the combining of detailed information from usually different technical backgrounds is not at all efficient when handicapped by secretiveness and unawareness of the opportunity presented by close communication. Long years of lag (sometimes as long as five to ten years) in cross-influence and utilization of critical knowledge have been the most usual pattern. It is this serious lag in technical applications that still needs to be overcome.
