Safe diving a new focus for ex-military member
Alexander Jones
Staff writer
June 2, 2008
Alexander Jones
Lookout
Former navy diver Tim Stevens holds up a Miniature Ascent Rate Alarm, a unique dive gadget created by his company Master Underwater Technologies.
What does a person do when they retire after nearly 30 years of service in the Canadian Forces?
For ex-military clearance diver Tim Stevens, he focused his knowledge and skills on making his profession safer for the next generation of sport and recreational divers.
“Diving is a thrilling experience, and on the whole, the technology today is solid. But there’s always more you can do to improve the equipment, and lessen the risk for people,” says the former Executive Officer of Fleet Diving Unit Pacific.
Stevens formed Master Underwater Technologies and developed the Miniature Ascent Rate Alarm (MARA). The electronic device, bright yellow and the size of a matchbox, is a watertight computer that measures a diver’s rate of ascent to the surface, emitting an alarm to warn the diver to slow down if necessary.
The device is designed to curtail the dangers of ascending too quickly, which can cause decompression sickness, more commonly known as “the bends.” Inert gasses that have dissolved in body tissue and liquids such as blood begin to form gas bubbles. These bubbles can cause joint pain, sensory failure, paralysis and possibly death. Stevens has seen far too many cases of the bends in his career.
“I’ve been involved with treating people for decompression sickness. I’ve seen the anguish diving accidents can cause. This simple device can save lives.”
MARA is a water-tight processor that fits on the diver’s mask near the ear. Upon entering the water, sensors on MARA detect the change in resistance and activate the unit. Once active, MARA calculates the depth based on water pressure. If the diver begins ascending too quickly, audible tones are sent from the unit to the diver’s ear.
MARA can inform the diver if they are ascending at 30, 40, 50, or 60 feet. The tool also signals a safety stop at 15 feet of water, as recommended by most dive training agencies around the world.
Stevens is quick to point out MARA is not a replacement for current diving equipment, such as dive computers.
“The technology has increased tremendously, even in the last few years,” he says. “The problem is that during an ascent to the surface, the diver must focus on so many things. From monitoring tank levels, to buoyancy control, to extending an arm to make sure they don’t surface underneath a watercraft. MARA is a tool they can rely on if they have to look away from their dive computer.”
The Miniature Ascent Rate Alarm is already receiving a positive welcome within the dive community. In 2006, he took the design and prototype to a trade show in Florida. MARA was viewed with great interest. The next year, he took the completed product back to the trade show and sold more than 600 units on the spot, and signed distribution deals in both Canada and the United States.
Stevens is also creating another piece of dive technology, which he calls Locate Plus. It’s an underwater location and communications system to help divers locate each other and the dive boat, which in turn can locate them. Stevens expects the Locate Plus technology to be completely developed by 2010.
Anyone leaving the Canadian Forces to pursue a private business venture can succeed with hard work, he says.
“You certainly do need to integrate into the civilian community, but one of the smartest things I’ve done was to go back to school, says Stevens. “I finished my Masters Degree in Business Administration at Royal Roads University in 2004. If you want to start something up, play to what you know. Master Underwater Technologies is succeeding because I’m a diver that talks to divers. When I pitch my product, people can tell I know what I’m talking about.”
For more information about Tim Stevens, Master Underwater Technologies, and the Miniature Ascent Rate Alarm, visit the company’s website, www.masterunderwatertech.com.
