Press releases are posted on Independent.com as a free community service.
Santa Barbara, CA — The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM) is proud to announce the unveiling of the Deepwater Diving Monument, a long-overdue tribute to Santa Barbara’s rich heritage as the birthplace of deepwater diving. The monument will be revealed in a special ceremony on Saturday, April 5, 2025 at 4:30 p.m., next to the Santa Barbara Harbor and SBMM.
The monument will depict a professional diver from 1982, wearing a Kirby Morgan® Superlite® 17 Diving Helmet, a revolutionary design that set the world standard for commercial divers. This iconic figure will stand as a symbol of Santa Barbara’s pioneering role in shaping the global diving industry.
In the 1960s, local abalone divers transitioned to deepwater oxy-helium diving, revolutionizing commercial and military diving by enabling safe exploration of much deeper waters. This transformation was ignited by Hugh “Dan” Wilson’s historic 400-foot dive off Santa Cruz Island on November 3, 1962. Conducted in secrecy, Wilson’s groundbreaking achievement, using mixed gas instead of air, launched what became known as the “Santa Barbara Helium Rush.”
Santa Barbara quickly became a hub for innovation in diving technology. Companies like DIVCON, California Divers (Cal Dive), and Oceaneering International emerged, with Santa Barbara Harbor serving as their operational base. These pioneers, along with Santa Barbara-based Kirby Morgan Dive Systems®, whose helmets have become the international standard, cemented the city’s global impact on the diving industry.
SBMM Past President and co-chair of the Deepwater Diving Monument Committee, Don Barthelmess said: “This stunning and highly detailed public-art sculpture will educate both residents and visitors to our city about the importance of commercial diving to society and the substantial infrastructure that began here decades ago. This dream was brought to reality thanks to the support of hundreds of donors and SBMM.”
“This magnificent Monument will be a worthy and lasting testament to the on-going vision and ingenuity of the Santa Barbara diving community whose revolutionary contributions have been vital to the advancement of international deep-water exploration. An inspirational sculpture for the whole maritime community.” – Leslie Leaney, SBMM Founding Trustee and co-chair of the Deepwater Diving Monument Committee.
The Deepwater Diving Monument is a gift from the local and international diving communities to honor the visionaries who transformed diving into the sophisticated practice it is today. It will serve as a reminder of Santa Barbara’s legacy and its ongoing influence on the maritime world.
For more information, visit http://www.sbmm.org.
About the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum
The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum was founded in 2000 with a mission to celebrate and preserve the rich maritime heritage of the Santa Barbara Channel and its communities. Through engaging exhibits, dynamic educational programs, and community events, SBMM brings the stories of the sea to life for all ages.
