Alvin: Pioneer of the Deep | Changing Seas

[@studydude]

Alvin is legendary, I remember being fascinated with "Alvin" when I was a kid in the 1980s. Who is watching this video because of the Titan OceanGate news?

[@modularcarpet]

Yeah, I wanted to see the technology differences between the two. This seems a whole different level of sophistication. Having a spherical titanium chamber seems so much more stronger than a tube. Also the analogue controls. I'm not sure I would trust a device that uses a couple of Windows 10 PCs...

[@michastasiszyn2874]

@@modularcarpet Welp. Turned out they are crushed :( The only good thing i can say that it was instant. Imagine being adrift without a location beacon (Titan didn't have one, unlike Alvin) and suffocating to death over 96 hours, all because opening from the inside is some loser big goverment thing. They wanted to move fast and break things. And they did. DSV Alvin on the other hand has quite literally turned out her weight in scientific research. (I think if you printed out all the papers she helped to write, you'll get a few tonnes.) I'm quite baffled why she isn't the lead ship of, say, 5 of her.

[@michastasiszyn2874]

Turns out there where 3 others, sadly retired now. Should read more before i speak. Now i feel stupid

[@ATLBraves1992]

Yep. Imagine if Alvin could have helped.

[@michastasiszyn2874]

@@ATLBraves1992 I do not think anything can help with an implosion of the pressure hull . Read about the USS Thresher. That will make your dreams... exciting!

[@TheBongReyes]

The fact that such a legendary vehicle thru the years of upgrades still holds certification, testing, etc is a telling example of how vehicles like Alvin should be created and operated. Especially, after recent events. I understand the spirit of exploration that many people have. But that spirit must be tempered by common sense. Maybe one day, ordinary people can experience the depths of the oceans. Not just scientists and the extreme explorers of the world. But it seems that day isn’t today.

[@richardphysician5640]

I wiped my screen. How many people have admitted that?

[@jackmartin10]

@@richardphysician5640you wiped your screen ? …

[@richardphysician5640]

@@jackmartin10 his Avatar looks like a small piece of hair

[@dallysinghson5569]

I had to do a double take....its a FIFTY YEAR OLD vessel?

[@CoffeeAndPaul]

​@@dallysinghson5569 , yes & theoretically her titanium human accommodative hull can safely do many Thousands of dive cycles over several Decades, but the US Navy takes this contribution to civilian Marine research very seriously and keeps the safety & watertight qualities of this vessel constantly at the best standard their budget allows. Every 10-15 Years the US Navy make another human-rated titanium hull from scratch & add research & safety upgrades. Every 5 Years she is torn down to Her bolts & completely rebuilt. Her current human-rated spherical hull is 11 Years old, I think? The Alvin has 9 titanium spheres, 1 for human occupants & the rest for ballasts & air supply. She can dive to twice the depth of the Titanic but She rarely does that, diving to mostly pelagic to low-benthic depths, the second-deepest depth zone of our Oceans. The Titanic wreck lies at the approximate depth line between the pelagic & benthic depth zones.

[@Lunibruniful]

Now THAT'S a Submersible

[@PayneIVJoker]

Wait… so you’re telling me it’s not controlled by an Xbox controller?

[@BigRed6171]

Lmfao

[@KimoKimochii]

this one doesn’t have wireless i’ll pass

[@SgtAwesome97]

5:11 I don't know why, but the guy giving the sub a few pats as he walks by makes me really happy, like he's giving a human coworker a pat on the back.

[@JonSmith-cx7gr]

Hey!! Thats sexual assault there buddy. Alvin will see him in court!

[@gastonbell108]

It's a sturdy old tub. Sank to 1200 feet with the hatch open but they pulled it back up in '67. When you build something to last, it can keep going for decades.

[@teacfan1080]

THIS is how you build a deep sea submersible. Thousands of dives since 1964 and still going strong. With that upgrade, it can go down to 21,000 feet. Amazing discoveries in the deep sea. It's amazing how those life forms evolved to handle the intense pressure.

[@KennethBostonian]

Exactly, I’m not even going to mention the name of who you’re talking about and why you said that because it’s irrelevant.

[@Mopar_logic]

They are two different submersibles for different purposes!

[@Tiffany.1970]

​@@KennethBostonianwell said comment Alvin is a very capable submersible of its time it's well liked by all 🎉👍😁

[@thefrener794]

@@Mopar_logic Be quiet Titan ghost. You made your mistake, wait which one are you?

[@gustafapplequist9059]

After the Titan disaster, I feel the media has begun asking in earnest: “why should people go deep?” This video provided a refreshing answer. Shipwrecks are historic and interesting to learn from, but there are even more important discoveries to be made and expanded upon in Earth’s depths that can inform our understanding of our planet and guide us to make better decisions about our future.

[@edwigcarol4888]

Life's Start! The "hots spots" and their life community have totally changed the views on life. Origins of life theories...

[@akeeperofoddknowledge4956]

With all of Alvin's upgrades, the question of what is originally "Alvin" is like saying you have a hatched owned by Daniel Boone except for the 4 new heard and 12 new handles! Glad to see the Alvin (in whatever generation it's in now) is still up and running after all this time! I'm pushing 70 years old and remember reading about Alvin, the Aluminaught, the Triest and Cousteau's Diving Saucer. Always wanted my own sub!

[@TykeToobin]

I can see what you mean. You could say the same thing about something like the Spitfire aircraft. The first model worked but the design was changed heavily over time to improve upon the original. We don't see a fleet of Alvins though. I would hope there are no parts left of Alvin from the original that would be sloppy maintenance.😂

[@akeeperofoddknowledge4956]

@@TykeToobin great point!

[@famousamoso7]

I think the only original component would be the titanium sphere. Everything else would have been redesigned and upgraded throughout the years.

[@TykeToobin]

@@famousamoso7 I think they made it larger ?

[@edwigcarol4888]

Alvin is like a river: this is an ever changing water - upgrades - but it remains the same river - Alvin.

[@csdstudio78]

Hey another sphere! Who knew it was such a reliable design.

[@kemgreene8525]

"I've heard of this since way back when in school, it's sort of similar to an egg if equal pressure is applied it would be virtually difficult to crush"!

[@djchinot7229]

Our answers for the future are always in our history. I don’t understand why ocean gate didn’t take Alvin as a template. It works. The safety record is amazing.

[@jayryan1956]

money and time obviously, greed and ego

[@djchinot7229]

@@jayryan1956 I agree !!

[@yasminbarry7941]

Also: Is Alvin only for scientists to use? Otherwise, if you are a billionnaire and really want to explore the abyss, why not do so on Alvin? Or perhaps on Limiting Factor? Or Deep Sea Challenger? (OK, I understand that this last one cannot go back down at this time). So, why would anybody choose to go on that frail-looking Titan?

[@Gukworks]

If Titan gives me nightmares, Alvin is the cure...

[@EchoWhiskey11]

Yes, I'm here because of the Ocean Gate incident. I remembered this thing from when I was a kid, and wanted to see what a deep sea sub is supposed to look like.

[@somedumbozzie1539]

It looks like a space craft on Roids.

[@23gt17]

This was so fascinating! I've read about Alvin doing so many important things over the years, from the Palomares incident, to the Galapagos expedition, to the Titanic with Robert Ballard, that it's amazing to see it's still being upgraded and getting new capabilities after over half a century! EDIT: Thanks to @geemanbmw for pointing out a brain fart I had in the original comment where I said decade instead of century lol.

[@geomodelrailroader]

read the book, watched the movie 12 times, and watched the Reading Rainbow special Alvin is an amazing sub this is the vessel that discovered Titanic.

[@Understeerking]

Fancy seeing you here lol.

[@barbraabsalom4531]

@@geomodelrailroaderfirst manned to visit titanic , Ballard’s original discovery was with a video capable deep water sled attached to a ship via cable.

[@geemanbmw]

You mean over half a century

[@23gt17]

@@geemanbmw Oh yeah, you're right. Meant to say that but had a brain fart lol.

[@tachiebillano6244]

I grew up reading National Geographic mags and children's science books, and the first time I read about the Alvin submersible, its name and appearance (the white hull, the red observation "tower" on top) was forever etched into my memory.

[@neuralkernel]

Sending grad students to the bottom of the ocean to grab samples, eh? That's awesome!!

[@Zenith_Star69]

Didnt work out for ocean gate sadly :(

[@Sheilawisz]

Now this here is a well made sub!

[@sytran666]

I heard they make the new ones with titanium and carbon fiber, supposed to be stronger and lighter, also cheaper..

[@Sheilawisz]

@@sytran666 And better for giving Titanic some company in the darkness, for many years to come!

[@jamesepperson5940]

@@sytran666yea carbon fiber is the industry standard and it’s super safe. I’m about to build my own and go explore the Mariana Trench

[@obivankeno2068]

​@@Sheilawisz BAD company

[@obivankeno2068]

​@@SheilawiszBad and aeternal company

[@KenJames9911]

Too bad Titan wasn't built like this...

[@reginaldthompson-rj5ir]

The Alvin old school classic!

[@DarkRendition]

Once you see what goes into Alvin, you understand that Titan was low lowrate garbage.

[@AlanpittsS2b]

Yes it was. Built using car in fiber that was bought at discount because of its age

[@nonpartisangunowner4524]

Having grown up as a Titanic nerd, I always tend to think of Alvin in her 1986 configuration.

[@jcg1576]

After the Titan tragedy I started checking online about Alvin, The French deep sea submersible Nautile, and the Russian Mir’s. What I googled suggested that a new deep submersible is being built and upon its completion will replace Alive thus sending Alive into retirement. Not sure if anyone has heard or seen anything about that. The Russian Mir’s are apparently retired based on what I read online but not the French deep sea submersible Nautile. Assuming what I read online is true it will be a bittersweet, in my opinion moment for the Alvin. It is not a remarkable deep sea vessel that over the years of its service has provided a wealth of knowledge of the deep sea and helped reintroduce one the greatest ocean liners and her wreck site back into the human imagination. Not that I have any interest or the money for a ride on deep sea submersible but if I did I much rather trust my life and well being to one like the Alvin, the Twin Mir’s, or the Nautile than the seemingly very flawed and poorly designed Titan. It may not have many if at all any original parts but The Alvin is still a wonderful vessel with a great history and may well end up being one the most legendary deep submersibles ever built and designed.

[@ws6206]

Look up DSV Limiting Factor

[@Farnsworth11]

Alvin is a titan amongst the DSV community.

[@ChrisEnglander]

Why can't companies like oceangate learn from what clearly works. Tried and tested. But I suppose you can't account for arrogance and greed. Alvin and not forgetting Jason are absolutely iconic

[@k1ng5urfer]

I think it's probably because they are coming at the same thing with completely different goals. For Titan and Oceangate they were coming at it from a perspective of simplifying and cost reduction of existing technology with the goal of profitable financial operation. DSV 2 Alvin was looking to develop new technologies and enable huge reduction in the size of DSV's vs old school Bathyscaphe's, not trying to reduce cost but in fact spending substantially more on R&D than previous generations. Their goal was not profitability but safety and efficacy. We're they profitable? Well, sure as hell not if you just look at it financially but obviously extremely so in terms of scientific advancements in numerous fields as well as technological advancements for and from the sub itself. But yeah. Ain't no-one out there gonna spend the kind of money that would be required to produce an Alvin quality craft, just as a for profit glorified underwater taxi.

[@jrmetmoi]

@@k1ng5urferbillionaires looked like they were willing to do that though 🤔

[@edwigcarol4888]

Can you compare at all ? Alvin this is state's organisations with big budgets and a scientific community The qualification of its engineers is way higher.. Nothing in common. Nothing. You can compare Alvin and Nasa

[@henrycarlson7514]

An Amazing machine , even if there is not much if any thing left of the very original. Interesting to see the evolution and advancement of knowledge . An example of continous improvement and expanding capabilities. Thank You

[@connormclernon26]

I’d say so long as there is the vessel with parts being replaced, there is continuity to the original vessel. As humans we replace almost every cell in our bodies roughly every decade, so can it truly be stated that we are the same people we were a decade ago?

[@henrycarlson7514]

@@connormclernon26 So True

[@anthonygambitta6220]

This is how you build a submirsible with safety and science in mind.

[@Camibug]

All that safety equipment and communications systems just take up space where another passenger could be. If you want to be safe don’t get out of bed /s

[@midokhalil1558]

@@Camibugsays the knuckle head who got imploded to million pieces

[@Penryn87]

I find it incredibly fascinating that Alvin was built by the same people who make cheerios and Chex mix…

[@ushamc2137]

They should have gone in this one...!

[@jamesepperson5940]

Yea but you can’t cram 5 people in this one and make over a million dollars with each dive. It’s all about money

[@Siryn]

Now this is how you submarine!

[@joshuapatrick682]

we reached outer space before we reached the Challenger Deep.....thats crazy, what is also crazy is that anyone would make a DS submersible of any design other than a sphere and use any material other than steel/titanium...

[@221b-l3t]

Let me spread the glorious word of Aluminaut, a cylindrical all aluminium DSV. 80 tons, 50 ft long and room for 7 to stand up and walk around plus 3t of payload. It rescued Alvin once after it sank, hatch open. It could go to 4600 m and was built in the 60s. Did hundreds of dives many still classified Navy stuff. But it helped Alvin fish out the hydrogen bomb they mentioned.

[@jonokiller]

11:55 guy casually making an amazing piece of history and smoking a cig like it is just another day in the shop

[@Glenn.Cooper]

That was fantastic! Thank you!!

[@amydearing9866]

When I was 17 (1997) I got to go on the Wood's Hole research vessel and see Alvin. I knew how cool it was.

[@peanutbutterisfu]

It’s wild how life adapts I mean miles down in the ocean with no light there is life and colorful life at that.

[@janthorpe9144]

To quote the venerable Australian vernacular that video - is absolutely s...t hot!!

[@ghostrickalucard488]

And Rush thought he could do this on a budget?

[@stevepalpatine2828]

He bought his lights from Camping World...

[@Fungix0]

The lore is incredible and it’s almost primal for me to feel connected to Alvin

[@joshuapatrick682]

wait, how did it get a depth rating?!? are you telling me some third party actually evaluated this thing?!? ludicrous!!! surely they charge people to ride in it though?

[@fn0rd-f5o]

haven't heard of alvin for quite some time. been probably at least 20 years now.

[@videogamesare1]

Great documentary

[@DavidWBIII]

This was such more in-depth than the previous video I was watching with Caladan Oceanic'. But both of the companies are amazing in their own way and the future of our world!! Thank you for sharing and I can't wait to see what is next.

[@chejochellocho4482]

Verdaderos ingenieros

[@nan16cd]

Big difference between Alvin and Titan. This was a great video!

[@bobbobb5759]

Why isnt it bolted from the outside by 17 bolts and made of carbon though.. O-o

[@kerbaltubehd5737]

They probably used carbon fiber for other parts of the sub, it's just that the pressure hull (where people sit inside) has to be made of a material strong enough to survive the immense pressure of the deep sea.

[@sarayutpudwatt8086]

Good​ Afternoon, WHOI ❤️☕🌊

[@jonesy66691]

ALVIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!

[@turbofan450]

I see what you did there

[@slitter4606]

TITAAAAaAN! ☠️

[@UrbanFisherman]

Awesome

[@azcardguy7825]

“Same same but different” that’s a deep cut right there!

[@JasonGarber-n9y]

Its such a horrible thing that happened with oceangate , if i was the owner of that company i would have tried to copy alvin to the same specs or try to make it better but to use an experimental submersible is just kinda asking for trouble , they say hindsight is 20/20 but the ceo did have many experts telling him that his design was flawed and also needed to be certified

[@jrmetmoi]

Exactly- just copy the Alvin I mean why not?

[@patriciabethbarker584]

Confidential information! That's why! Also, Alvin underwent numerous upgrades over 40+ years. That means MILLIONS of dollars in research and R&D, not only at Woods Hole, but every single company or contractor that did the work to develop the craft and the innovations onboard!

[@medwards1993]

Back in 2012, I went to the MBL for spring break and got to learn a lot of cool stuff there and WHOI including seeing Alvin getting its upgrades.

[@NguyenPhuong-wb9he]

awesome and meaningful

[@simonbrown7455]

Does anyone know how often they change the "ball" ?

[@jamesepperson5940]

It’s not even close to the end of its cycle life. That ball is made of solid titanium and can go through hundreds or thousands of pressure cycles before it’s decommissioned and recycled

[@simonbrown7455]

@@jamesepperson5940 ooo excellent answer. Any chance you know how the ballast works on these deep sea subs ?

[@michastasiszyn2874]

@@simonbrown7455 Alvin has ballast tanks, but is also weighted down with ~100kg of steel. That steel will be left on the bottom each dive. Steel is fairly neutral when it rusts and will do no harm.

[@MrJr289]

Remember as a kid reading about Alvin in a book think it was back in 1998

[@trashasaurus]

The Chad Alvin vs The Virgin Titan

[@geomodelrailroader]

Alvin this sub is Bob Ballard's vessel many amazing wrecks were discovered by it including the Titanic. if you want to know the history of the ocean and many amazing wrecks Alvin will take you there.

[@SteveSurgenor]

How it should be done.

[@s2kirl]

Triggers broom comes to mind!

[@dontex7]

Now this is a real sub not no carbon fiber mess 🫡

[@jayglier]

I bet there is carbon fiber used in the construction just not in the pressure vessel

[@AlanpittsS2b]

Alvin is an example of how to operate a submersible. And say what you want about James Cameron he knows his stuff as far as subs are concerned. His Mariana Trench design is incredible

[@JerzeyBoy]

Nearly pushing on sixty, she's still got it.

[@robedwards6926]

Don't reinvent the wheel (titan). Model after what works (Alvin).

[@obivankeno2068]

ALVIN the Chipmunk

[@rkfvishwabro1078]

Alvinnnnn chipmuks🎉

[@SoloSparkyOSRS]

Clearly didn't take the cheap way out. Looks much safer, and has research and testing behind it.

[@Andy-rp3ee]

I’m curious about what the Limiting Factor will do as well. Alvin will always remind me of the first library book from elementary school about Titanic’s discovery.

[@MaxLib]

How much for ticket? 350k? Is there a vet discount?

[@MaxLib]

Oooooh I get it it’s not made for filthy rich tourists who think it’s a fun game… I see now.

[@chudchadanstud]

​@@MaxLibWhat a shame. My son and I wanted to take this trip. We'll sign all the papers.

[@motionsick]

If you like this you'll like "The Making of the Deep Submergence Vehicle (DSV) Limiting Factor"

[@johnpodo]

Titan submarine should be built like Alvin's. Alvin's steel structure shows their proven and legendary service to all scientists. Titan made of carbon fiber which isn't suitable for intense pressure after multiple deep dives. Tourist dives under shallow water is fine.

[@dredgewalker]

But Stockton wanted to be different and thought his design was better than anyone elses and didn't need to stupid testing.

[@patriciabethbarker584]

Perhaps you did not notice that the Dive Bell is a separate part of the vessel. Safety, safety, safety.

[@oceanic8424]

As mentioned in the video, nothing of the original 1964 version of Alvin remains in today's current version, after successive overhauls, and upgrades. It would have made better sense for the Naval Research dept to have added a Mark number to each version, such as Alvin Mark IV, or Alvin Mark VII, instead of simply Alvin, since in almost no ways is one version similar to the others.

[@linkerthejedi2575]

I think they do put dates next to each version

[@randomsanwhich2]

One thing they didn’t mention is that Alvin sunk in 1968 and recovered a year later.

[@InvertedFreeSolo]

Shows the insane engineering and safety capability of titanium sphere pressure hulls.

[@barbraabsalom4531]

@@InvertedFreeSoloYes , titanium , when manufactured to stringent standards & testing , has proven the best material for these deep water submersibles

[@pcblah]

Sunk in a storm, being knocked off the deck while empty. Recovered MONTHS later and still restored to good working order. A very well built machine.

[@destroyerinazuma96]

Alvin: "I'm still waiting for that overtime pay."

[@SuperAmin1950]

​@@destroyerinazuma96 Huh'...¿ 🫢

[@Saint3188]

I admit I would love to go down there with them and would totally trust them to do it.

[@glennguzla]

What an enormous difference between Alvin a true submersible and the Titan a trash can made of carbon fiber controlled by a joystick and a monitor

[@Kazilikaya]

My question is why wasn’t Alvin the template for private submersible designers like OceanGate

[@linkerthejedi2575]

My guess is they wanted to put in as little effort as possible and rake in as much money for a small amount of work

[@Tiffany.1970]

Most of the world is hidden from view underwater..... I'd love to go in a deep sea submersible to see the hidden worlds that's not been seen ... Alvin is a legend of woods hole especially to Titanic

[@Kebekwoodcraft7375]

Cousteau as he’s for the calypso in 1959 was called Denise 😊

[@DougGrinbergs]

1:47 thousands of dives since 1964

[@alt-animefan3231]

It's not her parts that make her, but her name, history and soul.

[@grahamcampbell400]

I bet that sub is certified

[@siener]

The DSV of Theseus

[@ImWine]

Guess what, my name is Alvin

[@bensadikin9513]

Alvin is basically ZIMA BLUE

[@famousamoso7]

I have to wonder why there is only 1 Alvin? Seems we could accelerate the discoveries and research if they made duplicate of these subs. The technology seems tried and true. Costly yes but I believe the funds are available to achieve.

[@linkerthejedi2575]

Alvin was one of three made but i assume keeping all three of them maintained and updated is a costly operation so the other two are retired

[@patriciabethbarker584]

Cost

[@wayneschenk5512]

Some other subs have unlimited dives to 10000m but I’m sure this one will be useful.

[@LongTail8443]

Fisheye is real!

[@Beregorn88]

About it being the same ship, I think they should have renamed it "Alvin 2", "Alvin 3", etc... every time they changed the sphere

[@RailPreserver2K]

Alvin is the submarine version of calypso

[@RogerSullivanNOLA]

Thousands of dives with no implosions...hmm. It makes me think that Stockton Rush didn't want to use the proven metal sphere design because he could probably hold more people at 250k a pop in a composite tube.

[@jamesepperson5940]

You got it exactly right. He was driven by greed and wanted a cylindrical tube so he could cram more people in it no matter how unsafe it was. The first clue was the facility that tests these subs doesn’t have a setup for a cylindrical tube lol. No one would be crazy enough to build anything but a titanium sphere

[@slome815]

@@jamesepperson5940 Or high tensile steel, the Trieste had steel, and I believe so do all the pisces submersibles.

[@dredgewalker]

Sounds better than Titan: Scrap of the Deep.

[@rapidthrash1964]

Here after the Titan disaster

[@joer3739]

I swear one more AD pops up someone's catching a fade.

[@HistoricalEventsByDay]

That robotic arm had the name "Titan 4" on 😮... Purely a coincidence I'm sure, but it's definitely some bad Ju Ju. I would recommend labeling it with a different name if I was them 🤷. RIP Titan passengers 😢.

[@asbestosfibers1325]

Irrelevant

[@BuftyFufties]

Is that the adoring fan talking?

[@lorenzodicapo6305]

I grew up watching Jacques Cousteau and Alvin. He was always part of the team, not just the transport. What other single name is so endearingly and readily identified with a piece of technology? Except maybe Hal, and he was kind of a dick

[@lornenix2243]

It's not the same ship, it's the same namesake.

[@angelobryan4699]

Oceangate should have taken notes

[@zapfanzapfan]

Great, now sent it down to the bottom of the ocean on Jupiter's moon Europa! What if there are vents and life there too?

[@halomultiplayermoments]

Why OceanGate where allowed by the submersible community to build titan and use it is beyond me.

[@jrmetmoi]

This is what those billionaires should have paid to stay in

[@garyobrian3597]

Alvin is so old that little rov Jason junior grew up😢

[@jesset061084]

All I have to say about titan is that they owner should of listened to the ppl who have done that more then him and he should of gotten the sub classed

[@joshuapatrick682]

bruh....this design must have been tested by regulatory bodies to determine it's overall design was good considering it's been in service for that long...

[@patriciabethbarker584]

Also, it belongs to the US Navy.

[@OscarAurora-b5t]

Leann Burg