Joe Savoie

Hilbert Joseph Savoie Jr.,[1] known as Joe Savoie (25 January 1926, Pointe au Chen, Louisiana – 10 March 1996, Boutte, Louisiana),[2][3] was a pioneering commercial diver and inventor of lightweight diving helmets, particularly the neck dam feature which allows the helmet to be sealed to the diver independently of the diving suit.[4]

After the Second World War he got into the newly established offshore oil industry in the Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana, and California, as a diver, and was known for his skills in oxy-arc cutting. He also got involved in the development of surface supplied diving helmets used in the industry. Savoie had no formal engineering education, but had a talent for practical innovation, combined with the experience of using a variety of equipment in the field, some of it of his own design.[4]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Harris 2005 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Kane and Leanie 1996 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Diving heritage was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference UCI was invoked but never defined (see the help page).