If scuba diving brings to mind only Caribbean reefs and colorful fish, meet Robert Outlaw.
Outlaw's Blue Dolphin Dive Center, started in 1972, trains sports divers, as well as those who have to deal with emergencies caused by accidents and mishaps. The company -- which employs 30 employees -- trains 200 public safety divers a year -- everyone from local EMT units to FBI divers.
Blue Dolphin Dive Center makes about $100,000 annually.
To create the proper rescue scenarios, he has littered his Blue Stone Quarry with sunken PT boats and other vehicles. Meanwhile, a helicopter is suspended over it to practice basket rescues to help free victims trapped underwater.
All of the equipment comes from military surplus. In 1995, Outlaw got a deal buying a military surplus Recompression Chamber, for $60,000. The chamber is used to train DMTs (Dive Medical Technicians), including doctors from nearby Duke University, to treat divers with the "bends."
He also has gotten bargains on tanks and wetsuits. One of his best buys, though, was a $198,000 Flyway crane, which he got for $6,000. Outlaw is glad he is able to curb costs with military surplus. With profit margins razor thin, he said he would otherwise be unable to run his business.
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