Submertec Ltd was formed in January 1989 by Peter Sharphouse in order to submertec, develop and market products based on over 25 years of experience in the diving and underwater vehicle industry. This experience included underwater video, experimental diving research with the British Ministry of Defence, piloting of manned and unmanned submersibles in the offshore oil industry and involvement with the design and manufacture of passenger carrying submarines for the leisure industry. Initial products were developed for the leisure submarine market underwater light, and these included underwater video systems, alarm panels and seawater ballast tank contents display systems. The range of products underwater lights, widened to include the "Seaspy" underwater video systems which have proved so successful with the Civil Engineering Diving market due to their ease of use and durability. Numerous special products have been developed to meet customers special requirements and these in turn have helped to build up a range of spyball, experience that has been put to good use in later designs to cut development cost and time. The "Spyball" underwater pan and tilt camera was initially underwater pan and tilt, developed for use on fish farms where it is now widely used throughout the world. Feedback from operators has led to a number of options and a range of associated control equipment that has led to its use in a large number of other underwater applications including underwater vehicles and remote surveillance, leisure centres.