DRASS D-ONE in Tuscany
Full article in NOV Issue
Last Friday, 19 September, just off the Tuscan coast, Italian underwater technology company DRASS hosted an exclusive sea trial of the D-ONE, the most innovative commercial diving helmet on the market today. Two highly accomplished divers—Marion Moriceau of France and Nicole Donvy of Sweden—put the helmet through its paces in open water. These atypical professionals, defying many of the conventions of the underwater world, have built impressive reputations for their expertise and accomplishments, making them ideal testers for a system that is already setting new standards in commercial diving.
Marion Moriceau, a former Navy diver, has taken her career from Libya and Somalia to some of the most complex commercial projects in Europe and the Middle East. Her portfolio includes artificial islands in Dubai, subsea pipelines beneath Lake Geneva, and offshore wind farms along the French coast. Reflecting on the trial, she said: “It feels completely natural from the very first moments underwater. Beautiful visibility and the fact you can look up and move your head in all directions gives a sensation of freedom. Inside the helmet it feels spacious and very comfortable on the head. Breathing is like second nature. I also love the integrated video and light—the design is so smart. I am very impressed. This helmet’s mine!”
Nicole Donvy, a Swedish professional diver with over a decade of experience in inspection, civil engineering, and construction diving, now works as a freelancer and project leader, selecting projects across Europe while mentoring younger divers. She commented: “I loved the experience. The helmet lets you move your head in every direction, and the wide viewport makes a huge difference compared to what I’ve used before. Demand is so smooth, almost like breathing on the surface, making it much easier to get the job done. Going forward, I will really enjoy working with this helmet.”
Joining them was Alessia Stefanini, who manages the D-ONE rollout at DRASS. Alessia and her team have overseen the helmet’s introduction and integration across professional diving communities worldwide. For her, these dives are as much about listening as demonstrating, ensuring the helmet meets the practical needs of divers in the field.
A helmet built on heritage
DRASS is far from new to subsea engineering. Its legacy stretches back over a century, including the renowned Galeazzi 1905 Marina helmet, which served the Regia Marina (Royal Italian Navy) and foreign navies for decades. Since World War II, the company has expanded its expertise, supplying navies with submersibles and submarine rescue systems, and developing Saturation Diving Systems now operated by most major commercial diving contractors worldwide. The D-ONE continues that tradition on a more personal scale: a helmet engineered to combine safety with freedom of movement.
As echoed by Marion Moriceau and Nicole Donvy, standout features of the D-ONE include its expansive panoramic viewport and ergonomic 30° rear angle. Its modular design adapts to the full range of diving scenarios, with a single shell and interchangeable pods suited to any environment or depth, complemented by a suite of user-focused features that deliver exceptional safety and comfort during prolonged underwater work. Intuitive in operation, the D-ONE sets a new benchmark in the offshore industry, where heightened situational awareness and unrestricted head movement are true game-changers.
More than another helmet
Since its launch in 2018, the D-ONE is being steadily adopted by today’s navies and diving contractors, with production now running at full capacity. But beyond numbers, what matters most is how the D-ONE performs in practice. That was clear in the Mediterranean’s Tyrrhenian Sea, as it has been time and again in trials and operations around the globe . By the end of their dives, Marion and Nicole joined the ranks of a growing community of professionals who share the same conviction: the D-ONE is more than a helmet. It is, in their words, a system that elevates underwater work, making it safer, more efficient, and ultimately more rewarding.
Alessia Stefanini / Global Service Sales Account
DRASS Group