U.S Navy Portable Dive Tank | Modified Shipping Container

The roar of jet turbines resounded overhead at the Point Mugu Airshow as the Navy Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds each took to the skies, combining for a rare performance of the two elite squadrons. Taking place at Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC), the airshow is the most popular public event in the county. An important community outreach event for the Navy Recruiting Command (NRC), the hosts hoped to inspire attendees at Point Mugu at the ground level as well with a fully functional demonstration dive tank.

Assembled from a single 20’ shipping container, this portable dive tank had seen several tours of duty traveling to public events and needed some dry dock repair. That’s when the Navy turned to the shipping container experts at BoxPop®! Looking to make some necessary maintenance and retrofit the graphics package, the US Navy entrusted the BoxPop® team to have their dive container shipshape in time for the air show.

While shipping containers are designed to be nearly indestructible, they’re not explicitly watertight. The Navy had invested in an ambitious project. The interior of the container was waterproofed along with a separate compartment to house the equipment need to regulate the dive tank. If that were not complicated enough, it featured a massive viewing window in the length of the container for onlookers to observe the dive activities. After numerous showings and extensive transportation, the container was springing some leaks and its exterior graphics were beginning to show some wear.

Highly skilled and adaptable, BoxPop® sprang into action. Employing welding, spot repair, and some ingenuity, the BoxPop® team reinforced all the necessary elements, sealed troublesome leaks and was able to refurbish the dive tank into functioning order.

Beyond the priority repairs, BoxPop® also spruced up the appearance of this touring demonstration tank. Removing the worn graphics, the exterior of the tank was sanded, primed, and painted with a new coat of royal navy blue for a professional and uniform look. Overtop, new graphics were installed displaying the emblem and imagery of the Navy Underwater Construction Team (UCT), better known as the Seabees.

The final product was a completely refreshed and portable Navy dive tank, suitable for public presentation and ready to ship out once more!

The finished result was a completely refreshed dive tank ready to entertain and attract the drawn crowds of the Point Mugu Airshow. “We were very happy with the results. You guys did an amazing job!” said Printing Officer Glenda Carter.

“Everyone at Britten Inc [and BoxPop] was very professional and responded promptly to any questions we had. We had a lot of positive feedback from the commands and look forward to working with you again!”