Brooklyn Navy Yard Experimental diving in the US Navy started in 1912 at the
Brooklyn Navy Yard under the leadership of Chief Gunner George D. Stillson. In 1915, Stillson's team was sent to salvage the
F-4 submarine. On these deep dives, the divers experienced the debilitating effects of
nitrogen narcosis leading them to try the addition of
helium to their breathing mix. This work lead to the rescue and recovery of 33 crewmen. Through
World War II, work continued on decompression and
oxygen toxicity. Through the 1950s NEDU tested equipment and further refined procedures for divers including the US Navy 1953
decompression table. From 1957 to 1962 was the beginnings of
saturation diving under the leadership of
Captain George F. Bond of the
Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory and the Genesis Project. Genesis D was performed at NEDU in 1963. Bond then went on to head the
SEALAB I saturation project in 1964. Robert D. Workman published a novel method to calculate decompression schedules in 1965 that involved estimating the limiting values of excess tissue
supersaturation. Work continued in deep saturation dives, equipment testing as well as thermal protection and physiology research throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. The MK 1 lightweight mask was a modification of the commercial Kirby Morgan band mask, which NEDU tested in the early 1970s, and which was suitable for both air and mixed gas operations to 300 feet, and provided voice communications. It was adopted for Navy service after modifications recommended by NEDU were implemented. adopted in 1993. NEDU comprehensively tested and evaluated the
MK 11 rebreather in the 1970s. Many of these tests included ongoing evaluations of commercially available diving equipment. NEDU evaluated the Jack Browne lightweight mask for shallow water diving on several occasions. The mask was in service from World War II through the late 1970s. By 1978 NEDU determined the mask was no longer suitable for intensive diving operations and it was phased out in the 1980s. In response to the overseas military needs, NEDU focused on warm water diving from 1999 to 2002. This guidance to the
Naval Special Warfare community influences operational needs on an ongoing basis. In 2002, certification of the
Mark 16 Mod 1 rebreather was completed following improvement of systems including, extension of the working limit to , new decompression tables for both nitrogen-oxygen and helium-oxygen diving including new repetitive diving capabilities for helium-oxygen, test of an Emergency Breathing System with communications, the addition of an integrated buoyancy compensation device, and an improved full face mask. In 2004, NEDU contributed to operational guidance for diving in harsh contaminated environments. NEDU has continued research into
oxygen toxicity utilizing the US Navy Mark 16 Mod 1. Development of breathing systems, thermal protection, and decompression procedures for
SEAL Delivery Vehicles and the
Advanced SEAL Delivery System is ongoing. In 2011, divers completed a 1,000 fsw saturation dive to evaluate the new Navy's Saturation Fly-Away Diving System (SAT FADS). The SAT FADS was designed in 2006 as a portable replacement of two decommissioned Pigeon-class
submarine rescue vessels. ==Facilities==