The Inventor
Börje Strömberg, a man who is a part of the Swedish diving history
A true sailor and legend within diving has sadly left us. Mr Strömberg was born in Hallstavik, a small coastal town approximately 150 km north of Stockholm. After school at 16 he went to sea and after 3 long trips he joined the Swedish Navy and became an officer. During the evening he went to school were he received the name “The Professor”.
In November 1945 he left the Navy and started to work and went to school at STI during the evenings. In 1952 he met Monica who became his wife 6 months later. They have 3 daughters who all have been brought up at sea during the summers.
Börjes dream was to continue his education and from 1960 to 1966 he went to the Royal University in Stockholm. He started his own company and was at a early stage involved in the new diving technique that was growing fast in Sweden.
The old hard hat diver was replaced with more lighter divers and they needed new tools and equipment. Börje could not only see what they needed he also had the skill to manufacture the equipment.
In the beginning of 1960, the Swedish Navy started to develop a method for deep diving for submarine rescue. The divers worked in the water filled recompression chambers at great depth at the Navy shipyard in Stockholm and there body functions were carefully monitored. Börjes equipment was crucial in this research and the Swedish Navy could do measurements that normally was not done in other countries.
The Swedish Navy did also participate with Börjes help in experiments in other countries. Börje designed an under water exercise big that could be used by the divers to simulate well defined work. Some of Börjes older designs are being displayed at the old diving research centre in Stockholm that are operated by the Swedish Dive Historical Association.
Börje did not only design instrument for dive research. Among divers he will always be remembered as the designer of the IBSOPHONE. A diver communication system known world wide for it’s good quality and functionality. He was working with this telephone until just a few days before he died, 79 years old.
Börje was also a pensioned sailor with a feeling for the horizon. His desire for the big oceans took him to the Mediterranean, thru the French canals. He set up a base at Mallorca for the boat and he and his family returned every summer for sailing. Börje was a shy person who never talked about his own achievements, he was also a true friend and was always calm and had the possibility to find the right aphorism in critical situations.
We will always remember and miss him!
This article has been written by:
Bo Cassel, Stig Lundin, Hans Örnhagen
This article has, with the approval of Börjes family and the writers, been edited by:
Christer Nyberg