Kansas was once the ocean floor of an ancient sea. Now a Salina man will leave the state with his refitted deep sea submarine to explore the oceans of today.

How deep will Scott Waters go?

“The Pisces VI can dive a mile and a half down,” he said.

The journey for Waters began in 2007 when he built his own sub that he was able to operate in Milford Lake. Fast forward to 2016 when he purchased a used U.S. Navy sub and shipped it to Salina to begin the transformation process on the 18-foot underwater vehicle.

Exploring new worlds under the ocean is only part of the mission for the Pisces VI, which is outfitted to dive and collect science data, perform inspections of offshore oil platforms and also do search and recovery of archaeology objects on the ocean floor plus serve as a vehicle for underwater media and film production.

 

Waters’ crew of technicians, scientists and machinist also teamed up with Kansas State Polytechnic during the rebuild to give a number of students a hands-on STEM experience.

According to Waters, the first stop for the refitted sub will be exploring Antarctica, searching for new life near hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor.

Old sub before refit and new new Pisces VI sail paint job.

Waters spends time with grade school children who want to learn about oceanic exploration.

Crew members are set to join Scott Waters this Saturday, June 1 at the Salina Regional Airport for the unveiling of the Pisces VI submarine. The launch party is 1pm to 3pm in Hangar 509, 3237 Arnold Ave., Salina, Kansas.

Photos courtesy Pisces VI Facebook page.