| Role/Occupation Diver |
| Total Entries 7 |
| Representative Kinks Mason |
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For over a hundred years, from the invention [of the “helmeted diver suit”] in 1829 to after World War II, this heavy waterproof suit with its bulky, distinctive copper or bronze helmet was the only practical way for men to work underwater for long periods of time. Even today, with all the minisubs and Remote Operated Vehicles and other high technology at our disposal, a modern variant of this suit remains the best choice for certain underwater tasks. In fiction, the hard-hat diver suit can be effectively used as a source of horror. Its metallic and bulky composition completely covers the body of its wearer, making ambiguous who or what is under it and giving an inhuman and almost robotic appearance to the wearer, and the window on the diving helmet can be used to give the impression that the diver has no face. In addition, the hermetic nature of the suit might give a claustrophobic feeling, and the fact that it is used to walk on the sea floor evokes the fear of the dark depths of the ocean and what hides there. Perhaps the suit is used by a ghostly undead sea diver. Maybe it is being worn by an unseen “Humanoid Abomination”. Perhaps the suit itself is haunted and moves on its own. Or maybe the divers are perfectly normal and harmless people and their suits just unintentionally scare the characters. In any case, the reaction this trope evokes is one of eeriness and otherworldliness. The fact that this equipment is rarely used and seen nowadays, except in museums, also helps in creating an atmosphere of an anachronistic and rusty technology emblematic of a historical era — in this case, the 19th and 20th centuries — such as in Steampunk and Dieselpunk aesthetics. Thus, this trope can be used in settings inspired by 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Ocean Punk settings. ~ Creepy Old Fashioned Diving Suit – TV Tropes
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