Phil Nuytten
Encyclopedia
Phil Nuytten is a Canadian entrepreneur
, deep-ocean
explorer, scientist
, inventor of the Newtsuit
, and founder of Nuytco Research Ltd.
He has pioneered designs related to diving equipment
, and has worked with NASA
for more than 25 years on applications related undersea and space technologies
.
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.
. He was subsequently formally adopted into the Kwakiutl
nation. While still in his teens, he began to design diving gear, and opened the first dive shop
in Western Canada
.
techniques.
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 ocean "bounce" dives on Project Nesco.
In the 1970s, he co-founded of Oceaneering International
, Inc., This company became one of the largest underwater skills companies in the world.
In 1984, Dr. Nuytten appeared on the cover of National Geographic Magazine
due to his dives into arctic waters to , the HMS Breadalbane.
Print
Resulting from his contributions to marine diving technologies, Nuytten has appeared in the media numerous times, including: National Geographic Magazine
, Time, Newsweek, Popular Science, Discovery, Fortune, Scientific American and Business Week.
His Newtsuit is featured in the IMAX
movie Flight of the Aquanaut
.
Nuytten provided the submersibles and was the senior technical advisor for the film The Abyss
.
called the Exosuit. This new designed is being consider for use as a submarine escape device by the Canadian Department of Defense
.
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, deep-ocean
Deep sea
The deep sea, or deep layer, is the lowest layer in the ocean, existing below the thermocline and above the seabed, at a depth of 1000 fathoms or more. Little or no light penetrates this part of the ocean and most of the organisms that live there rely for subsistence on falling organic matter...
explorer, scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
, inventor of the Newtsuit
Newtsuit
The Newtsuit is an atmospheric diving suit designed and originally built by Phil Nuytten.The suit is used for work on ocean drilling rigs, on pipelines, salvage jobs, photographic surveys, and is standard equipment in many of the world’s navies....
, and founder of Nuytco Research Ltd.
He has pioneered designs related to diving equipment
Diving equipment
Diving equipment is equipment used by underwater divers for the purpose of facilitating diving activities. This may be equipment primarily intended for this purpose, or equipment intended for other puprposes which is found to be suitable for diving use....
, and has worked with NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
for more than 25 years on applications related undersea and space technologies
Space technology
Space technology is technology that is related to entering, and retrieving objects or life forms from space."Every day" technologies such as weather forecasting, remote sensing, GPS systems, satellite television, and some long distance communications systems critically rely on space infrastructure...
.
Today, his equipment is used by a wide range of organizations, including the National Geographic Society
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
, NASA, and is standard for almost a dozen navies.
Early life
Nuytten was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is a MétisMétis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
. He was subsequently formally adopted into the Kwakiutl
Kwakiutl
The term Kwakiutl, historically applied to the entire Kwakwaka'wakw ethno-linguistic group of originally 28 tribes, comes from one of the Kwakwaka'wakw tribes, the Kwagu'ł or Kwagyeulth, at Fort Rupert, with whom Franz Boas did most of his anthropological work and whose Indian Act Band government...
nation. While still in his teens, he began to design diving gear, and opened the first dive shop
Dive center
A dive center is the base location where sports divers usually start scuba diving. Divers commonly refer to dive centers as dive shops. It is normally a shop selling diving equipment equipped with a gas compressor to fill the cylinders. Classrooms are sometimes available...
in Western Canada
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
.
Career
Nuytten has worked in numerous countries as a commercial diver. In his work for the commercial, scientific, and military industries, he has developed equipment and deep-water diving, and technical divingTechnical diving
Technical diving is a form of scuba diving that exceeds the scope of recreational diving...
techniques.
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 ocean "bounce" dives on Project Nesco.
In the 1970s, he co-founded of Oceaneering International
Oceaneering International
Oceaneering International Inc. is an applied technology company based in Houston, Texas, U.S.A. that provides engineered services and hardware to customers who operate in marine, space, and other environments...
, Inc., This company became one of the largest underwater skills companies in the world.
In 1984, Dr. Nuytten appeared on the cover of National Geographic Magazine
National Geographic Magazine
National Geographic, formerly the National Geographic Magazine, is the official journal of the National Geographic Society. It published its first issue in 1888, just nine months after the Society itself was founded...
due to his dives into arctic waters to , the HMS Breadalbane.
National Geographic Magazine
National Geographic, formerly the National Geographic Magazine, is the official journal of the National Geographic Society. It published its first issue in 1888, just nine months after the Society itself was founded...
, Time, Newsweek, Popular Science, Discovery, Fortune, Scientific American and Business Week.
Film and television
For twenty years, Nuytten has been featured in, and worked on the production of films and television programs based on technology he developed, such as:- Descent of Man (CBC)
- Mysteries of the Sea (NBC)
- Pressure PointPressure PointPressure Point is an American punk band from Sacramento, California, formed in 1995 by Mike Erickson and Kenny Beasley. Pressure Point includes Mike Erickson , Kenny Beasley , Nate Alexander , Tony Courtney , and Shane Ronan . Mike and Kenny have been the only two continuous members of the band...
(Walt Disney))
His Newtsuit is featured in the IMAX
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
movie Flight of the Aquanaut
Flight of the Aquanaut
The Flight of the Aquanaut is a short Canadian documentary movie about an aquanaut with an atmospheric diving suit which shows the submarine world to the viewers in an entertaining way...
.
Nuytten provided the submersibles and was the senior technical advisor for the film The Abyss
The Abyss
The Abyss is a 1989 science fiction film written and directed by James Cameron. It stars Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Michael Biehn. The original musical score was composed by Alan Silvestri...
.
Newtsuit
In 1979, Nuytten started work on the Newtsuit, a one-atmosphere diving suit. The revolutionary new design features fully articulated rotary joints. This patented breakthrough design is now used in many subsequent atmospheric diving suits.Exosuit
In 2000, Nuytten announced that he is developing a new type ultra lighweight powered exoskeletonPowered exoskeleton
A powered exoskeleton, also known as powered armor, or exoframe, is a powered mobile machine consisting primarily of an exoskeleton-like framework worn by a person and a power supply that supplies at least part of the activation-energy for limb movement.Powered exoskeletons are designed to assist...
called the Exosuit. This new designed is being consider for use as a submarine escape device by the Canadian Department of Defense
Department of National Defence (Canada)
The Department of National Defence , frequently referred to by its acronym DND, is the department within the government of Canada with responsibility for all matters concerning the defence of Canada...
.
Awards and commendations
- Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences (Hall of Fame membership)
- American Association of Aeronautics and Astronautics
- American Institute of Aeronautics and AstronauticsAmerican Institute of Aeronautics and AstronauticsThe American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics is the professional society for the field of aerospace engineering. The AIAA was founded in 1963 from the merger of two earlier societies: the American Rocket Society , founded in 1930 as the American Interplanetary Society , and the Institute...
(Life Sciences Award) - Canadian Advanced Technology Award
- Canadian Award for Business Excellence
- Contractors International’s Commercial Diving (Hall of Fame membership)
- Diving Association of Diving Contractors
- Diving Hall of Fame (induction)
- Explorers Club (Lowell Thomas award)
- John Galletti Memorial Award
- Jules Verne Award
- Order of British ColumbiaOrder of British ColumbiaThe Order of British Columbia is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Instituted in 1989 by Lieutenant Governor David Lam, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier Bill Vander Zalm, the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to honour...
- Simon Fraser UniversitySimon Fraser UniversitySimon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
(honorary Doctor of Laws degree)