Phil Nuytten (Editor)

Dr. Phil Nuytten - the senior editor of this magazine - is recognized as one of the pioneers of the diving industry worldwide. He invented and developed a patented rotary joint technology for use in the revolutionary diving suit called the NEWTSUIT, as well as an articulated mating skirt for submarine rescue. Both of these systems are now standard in many of the world's navies. His current work is aimed at progressing the concepts of deep work in the oceans by the utilization of one-atmosphere vehicles and tools.

 Articles by this Author

America's Underwater Treasures

So there I was, sitting in the Observation Lounge (the forward watering hole on the vessel 7 Seas Mariner), listening to Hal Fraser’s impeccable piano handling as he played and softly sang the old Aaron Neville hit ‘Louisiana’. We were en-route from Singapore to Bali, lunch was over, and I’d told Jean-Michel I’d meet him in the lounge. The weather was perfect and it was good to be alive and in possession of at least enough residual health to thoroughly enjoy myself. I was thinking about the next day’s diving in Bali: we’d been told it was an unusual dive and I was looking forward to it. My thoughts were interrupted by a heavy flumph! as Jean-Michel  dropped a thick printing proof on the round table in front of me. I picked it up and thumb-fanned through it, noting it was single-spaced, well-laid out, copied one side per page, and full of pictures. Well. Actually, that’s an understatement: it was not just “full of pictures” – it was chock-a-block full of terrific pictures! I glanced back at the title, ‘Americas Underwater Treasures’ and looked back up at Jean-Michel. “So, this is the Marine Sanctuary thing . . . finally?” He nodded, “Yes, it’s finally finished and even though I know that you are the senior editor of a delightful magazine, I hasten to assure you that it is fully and satisfactorily edited!” I grinned. “But,” he added, “I would like you to have a read of this final draft and give me your impressions.”

The Moon Pool

The question is: why are we reviewing a piece of obvious pulp fiction in DIVER Magazine? And the answer is that this particular piece of trash is actually a pretty good read. Book reviews of this type often start out with some version of “It’s a crackin’ good yarn” – from the same cliché pool as, “It was a dark and stormy night…” This review of Max McCoy’s techno-suspense thriller ‘The Moon Pool’ is no exception, except that it would be more accurate to say that “It’s a crackin’ weird yarn”.