| Tony Wells has gone from being the child of a broken | | | | oilfield type work I had been doing for the past several |
| family, to one who has overcome many challenges | | | | years already. |
| until he could succeed at becoming the only Black | | | | Tyler: I understand that you were once illegally detained |
| American Commercial Deep Sea Diver to work in the | | | | by a foreign government. Will you tell us a little bit |
| demanding Offshore Oilfields in Southeast Asia, the | | | | about that event? |
| Middle East and Africa in the 1980s and 1990s. Along | | | | Tony: Well, that was basically a case of us being in the |
| the way, he not only became a terrific deep sea driver, | | | | wrong place at the wrong time plus some corruption |
| but he learned about humanity. "Black Man Under the | | | | and greed made up for a combination that no one |
| Deep Blue Sea" is his autobiography, and he is here | | | | would have wanted to be caught up in at the time. |
| today to tell us more about his incredible journey. | | | | That was off of a small island in Indonesia where just |
| Tyler: Welcome, Tony. I'm glad you could join me | | | | about anything goes if the circumstances happen to |
| today. I understand the great change in your life began | | | | be all against you as was in our case. |
| when your family moved to Hawaii when you were | | | | Tyler: What kind of work were you doing at the time, |
| fourteen. Would you tell us a little bit about what your | | | | and why did the Indonesian government become |
| life was like prior to that move? | | | | upset? |
| Tony: Prior to moving to Hawaii I was happy with the | | | | Tony: I had some good research on an English |
| quiet country-boy lifestyle where we spent most of | | | | shipwreck that had sunk off of a small island in1789 |
| our time fishing and hunting after school and on | | | | that had lost ten chests of gold and silver coins so |
| holidays. For me there was no better way for a kid | | | | myself and a good friend of mine wanted to go and |
| growing up during that time. | | | | have a general look at the area to see if the project |
| Tyler: What about the move to Hawaii changed the | | | | was viable or not. Unfortunately, a few days earlier |
| direction of your future life? | | | | there had been some other guys in that general area |
| Tony: Well, in Hawaii you're on an island surrounded by | | | | who were using explosives to salvage a steel |
| the deep blue ocean so I found it only natural to be | | | | shipwreck so when the Indonesian police saw us in |
| attracted to it via scuba diving and surfing. Since I've | | | | that area, they assumed we were the ones who had |
| always been the adventurous type I found it easy to | | | | been doing the steel wreck salvaging. Therefore, they |
| transform from exploring on land to exploring | | | | took us in and detained us for questioning but even |
| underwater. This all came natural to me. | | | | when they realized it wasn't us, they started seeing |
| Tyler: Did you take to scuba diving naturally? | | | | dollar signs as a requirement of us getting released. |
| Tony: Scuba diving was my means to explore and | | | | Tyler: Tony, how do you view your life? Your stories |
| breath underwater so I took to that like a fish! | | | | sound like the adventures of movies? Did you ever |
| Tyler: What about it did you find so enjoyable? | | | | wish for a quiet life instead? |
| Tony: It was like another world for me. A silent world | | | | Tony: I view my commercial diving life as quite an |
| that had unimaginable limitations and excitement and | | | | adventure and when I look back on it all now, I can |
| one which I greatly needed to explore. | | | | honestly say that I'm glad to have lived it. I'm also glad |
| Tyler: Lots of people go scuba diving. Why did you | | | | to have survived through some of the many close |
| decide to transform it into a deep sea diving career? | | | | calls which I experienced on several occasions. Now |
| Tony: Actually, when I was scuba diving in Hawaii I | | | | that I'm older I like the quiet life but back in those days I |
| never imagined that I'd someday become a | | | | enjoyed the excitement, explorations and adventures I |
| commercial deep sea diver working in the demanding | | | | went through. Yes, as a matter of fact, I do believe my |
| offshore oilfields overseas. Scuba diving is a totally | | | | book would make a hell of a great movie also! Haha. |
| different world from commercial diving. When you're | | | | Tyler: Tony, what made you decide to write "Black |
| out scuba diving you're just out there enjoying yourself | | | | Man Under the Deep Blue Sea"? |
| and having a good time, but when you're working as a | | | | Tony: Many years ago I realized that it's so easy to |
| commercial diver, it's not in the least bit fun anymore | | | | forget things I had done the previous week, or even |
| because you're actually working and most of the time | | | | previous day sometimes, so for the past twenty or |
| you're under stress and pressure from above (the | | | | more years I've been keeping a journal because I like |
| 'topside' personnel) to go down there and get a | | | | to remember everything that's happened to me in my |
| specific job done. You don't have any time for | | | | life. It's not that I was all along planning to write my life's |
| enjoyment at all. | | | | story but when I did start remembering and re-reading |
| Tyler: What made you decide to become a deep sea | | | | about those wild and exciting adventures I'd gone |
| diver? Did you ever dream of being something else? | | | | through I decided that perhaps I should write my |
| Tony: When I was young we lived in Indianapolis, | | | | memoirs. I knew that if anyone loves excitement, |
| Indiana and the Indy 500 race track was about a half | | | | adventures and humor that they should love reading |
| mile from my house so we could hear when the cars | | | | my book. |
| were practicing there. After my uncles brought me | | | | Tyler: Why did you choose to highlight yourself as a |
| there to see the practice and races I knew my destiny | | | | black man in the title? |
| in life was to become a professional race car driver. | | | | Tony: I am a Black American so when it came to |
| Several years later when my mom remarried to a | | | | choosing the title for my book it was really easy for |
| military man we moved to Hawaii, and I made friends | | | | me. I wanted it to be self-explanatory (Black Man) and |
| with some guys who raced on the oval dirt tracks | | | | also to sound exciting enough to catch the reader's |
| there and helped them work on their cars so I still | | | | attention (Under the Deep Blue Sea). I'm hoping I've |
| planned on becoming a race car driver someday. | | | | achieved that. |
| However, after I graduated from high school my family | | | | Tyler: Your book also talks about the things you have |
| moved from Hawaii to California and I started going to | | | | learned about life and people. What would you say is |
| college part-time and working a full time job. After a | | | | the "message" of "Black Man Under the Deep Blue |
| few years of doing this, I realized that I was bored and | | | | Sea"? |
| wanted to travel and do something more exciting for | | | | Tony: Basically, what I've experienced during all my |
| my work so I decided to enroll in the professional | | | | traveling is that most of the people of different races |
| commercial diving course at Commercial Diving Center | | | | all over the world just want to be healthy, happy and |
| in Wilmington, CA. | | | | have love in their lives. My message is that no matter |
| Tyler: Deep sea diving has had its dangerous side for | | | | what race or gender you are, don't let ignorance or |
| you at times. Will you tell us a little bit about those | | | | jealous people put you down or tell you what you 'can' |
| dangers and why despite the dangers, you still found it | | | | and 'can't' do in life. Anything is possible so if you want |
| worthwhile? | | | | to do something just go out and do your best and do it. |
| Tony: Well, it's just like any other profession, I guess. It | | | | If my book can inspire just one person in this world I |
| does have its dangers but once you're working | | | | would feel quite satisfied and happy that I did write it. |
| underwater you just don't have time to think about all | | | | Tyler: Tony, do you have any plans to write more |
| the stuff that could possibly go wrong. The moment | | | | books? |
| you start thinking about all of that is the time you | | | | Tony: "Black Man Under the Deep Blue Sea" is actually |
| shouldn't be a commercial diver anymore. | | | | my second printed book. My first book is titled, |
| Tyler: I understand you were a diver for many oil | | | | "Shipwrecks & Sunken Treasure In Southeast |
| companies? | | | | Asia" and it came as a result of the research I |
| Tony: Yes, most of us were 'freelance' so that means | | | | obtained during our search for the 500-year-old |
| that we would work for whatever diving company had | | | | Portuguese ship, "Flor do Mar." After that I wrote an |
| a job or, if there were several simultaneous jobs, then | | | | ebook titled, "Cannon Journal-Compilation of info on |
| we would work for whichever company was paying | | | | bronze Asian & European Type Cannons |
| the highest. | | | | (1500-1800's)." If you're a bronze cannon enthusiast |
| Tyler: What exactly was the purpose of your work, | | | | then you would definitely love this book. Anyway, the |
| and how did you deal with the stress of the | | | | answer to your question is a definite YES. |
| demanding oil companies? | | | | Tyler: Since you are no longer a deep sea diver, how |
| Tony: We did all the things that people do while | | | | do you fill your time now? |
| working on topside jobs. The only difference was that | | | | Tony: At this time I'm working full time for a company |
| we were doing them underwater. Mainly, we did oilfield | | | | in Saint Petersburg, Florida, that makes the world's only |
| support type work, so that involved working on oil rigs, | | | | real-time 3D underwater sonar. That keeps me pretty |
| pipe laying barges, crane barges, derrick barges and | | | | busy. I'm also selling my motorcycle gear shifter |
| off of large boats, etc. Stress from the demanding oil | | | | cushion online and am planning on more marketing to |
| companies was just another part of our job. For the | | | | be able hopefully to increase sales so I can do that full |
| guys who weren't up to spec or who just couldn't take | | | | time one of these days. |
| it then they either would have been run off (fired) or | | | | Tyler: Thank you for joining me today, Tony. Before |
| they would just up and quit that profession. | | | | we go, will you tell our readers your website address |
| Tyler: You have also been on treasure diving hunts. Will | | | | and what kind of additional information they might find |
| you tell us about those? | | | | there about your book? |
| Tony: My most notable treasure hunt was when we | | | | Tony: My pleasure, Tyler. My web site is and I have |
| were searching for the 500-year-old Portuguese ship | | | | more information about my history, some photos of |
| named, "Flor do Mar," off the coast of North Sumatra. | | | | my family, and also some advice to up and coming |
| That was really exciting and lasted for almost two | | | | writers and inventors there. I'm a part-time inventor so |
| years. Another time I was hired to find sunken | | | | there's a link to my motorcycle gear shifter cushion |
| smuggler's gold off the coast of Pakistan by the | | | | invention, Shiftcush. There's also a link to my bronze |
| Pakistan Government and that was pretty interesting | | | | cannons website. Enjoy! |
| also. | | | | Tyler: Thank you, Tony. I wish you many more |
| Tyler: How did you transition from working for oil | | | | adventures. |
| companies into treasure hunting? | | | | Today, Tyler R. Tichelaar, Associate Editor of Reader |
| Tony: My roommate in Singapore knew some guys | | | | Views, is excited to be joined by Tony Wells who is |
| who were putting together a team to hunt for a | | | | here to talk about his new book "Black Man Under the |
| 500-year-old Portuguese ship that sank off the coast | | | | Deep Blue Sea: Memoirs of a Black Commercial Diver |
| of North Sumatra (Indonesia) so he invited me to join | | | | in Southeast Asia," PublishAmerica (2007), ISBN |
| them. By that time I was more than happy to do | | | | 9781424174225. |
| something different and exciting besides the usual | | | | |