David Lochridge

David Lochridge is a leading undersea explorer and career Submersible Pilot known for his background throughout the Royal Navy, submarine rescue, exploration and sharing his insights on the Netflix documentary 'Titan'. Widely recognised for raising highly documented safety concerns prior to the Titan submersible disaster, David is a highly compelling speaker on safety, leadership in high-pressure environments and undersea exploration. With his work including scientific research and deep-sea discovery, his keynotes offer powerful lessons with actionable insights for all audiences.

David began his career in the Royal Navy before moving into commercial offshore diving and advanced underwater operations. In later years, he qualified as a Submarine Rescue Pilot, working in demanding environments where conventional means of recovery are not applicable. Operating specialist rescue systems, his work was defined by team discipline, precision and absolute trust in complex equipment when there are no second chances. David went on to lead and operate manned submersible teams from expedition vessels and superyacht platforms worldwide. 

Responsible for safety and operational oversight, David served as Director of Marine Operations at OceanGate. Following this, David has contributed to and appeared in multiple documentary and television productions as an on-screen expedition expert, including Netflix's 'Titan', where he discussed the Titan submersible disaster, 'OceanXplorers' and 'Inside the Red Sea Mission'. David went on to serve as an Expedition Pilot with OceanX, driven by a long-standing ambition to explore and understand the ocean at depth. He now works as a Sub Team Leader with InkFish, operating advanced submersibles on high-profile deep-sea expeditions, along with continuing to support submarine rescue work as a way of giving back to the submarine community.

Appearing across television screens, David helps bring the hidden realities of deep-ocean exploration to a wider global audience. Additionally, he has shared his insights through articles, including discussing Oceangate as the 'Titan Whistleblower' in a captivating BBC News article. In his speaking work, he addresses how complex systems fail long before a visible crisis occurs, the dangers of normalising risk and the professional responsibility to speak up, sharing his deep knowledge from working in extremely high-pressure environments. By translating lessons from deep-ocean exploration into practical frameworks for leadership, safety and decision-making, he helps organisations across sectors recognise early warning signs, strengthen culture and act before failure becomes inevitable.