A Comprehensive Approach to Professional Pilot Training

Training dives are conducted from Redondo Beach, California, where pilots progress through increasingly demanding underwater exercises and operating scenarios. Repeated dive cycles provide pilots with practical experience operating the submersible in open water and around underwater features and wreck sites.

A central objective of the program is to provide a strong foundation in the manned submersible sector for a broad range of participants, including scientists and researchers, marine and subsea professionals, commercial operators, private submersible owners and crews, and individuals seeking to enter or expand their involvement in the field. The program covers submersible technology and systems, piloting, operational procedures, and safety practices. Through a combination of classroom instruction and extensive hands-on experience, participants develop a broad understanding of manned submersible operations from which they can continue to build their knowledge, experience, and involvement in the sector.

It is within this broader approach to professional pilot training that SEAmagine has incorporated Pelagic Research Services’ SYSTEM 3R into its California operations.

Integrating SYSTEM 3R into Training Operations

SYSTEM 3R was successfully implemented during SEAmagine’s most recent pilot training session in August 2026, providing an additional layer of operational monitoring, emergency preparedness, and access to specialized subsea response expertise throughout the at-sea portion of the program.

SYSTEM 3R is a cloud-based subscription service developed specifically to support manned submersible operations. It provides real-time dive monitoring, Integrated Emergency Response Planning (IERP), rescue-asset tracking, and immediate incident alerts. The program includes a highly detailed review of the submersible and support-vessel systems, dive operations, and existing emergency response plans to address potential gaps and create immediate response pathways in case of emergency. Complete training in the SYSTEM 3R Client Portal and the use and integration of the dynamic IERP to establish readiness before operations begin is also included.

Building Emergency Preparedness into Professional Pilot Training

During normal dive operations, the cloud-based platform monitors operations and dynamically produces an IERP containing critical information for each dive. If an emergency is declared, PRS makes direct contact with the client vessel, assesses the nature of the emergency, and initiates the IERP and response pathway, and acts as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) and subsea response coordinator with the appropriate Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) as necessary.

“Learning to pilot the submersible is only one part of becoming a professional submersible pilot,” said Charles Kohnen, Co-Founder and Chairman of SEAmagine Hydrospace Corporation. “Our California program is designed to teach the complete operational discipline surrounding manned submersible diving, and emergency preparedness is an important part of that. Integrating Pelagic’s SYSTEM 3R allows our pilots to train within a professional response framework similar to what we want them to carry forward into their own operations.”

“SEAmagine’s integration of SYSTEM 3R into its pilot training program represents exactly the type of proactive emergency preparedness we want to encourage throughout the manned submersible community,” said Edward Cassano, Chief Intervention Officer, Pelagic Research Services. “Effective subsea response begins long before an emergency occurs. By establishing response plans, communications, operational information, and coordination procedures in advance, everyone involved is better prepared should assistance ever be required.”

SEAmagine plans to continue incorporating SYSTEM 3R into its California pilot training operations. For participating pilots, the collaboration reinforces an important principle of professional underwater operations: emergency response planning begins well before the submersible enters the water.