Putting the “Commercial” in our Diving
I’m not the biggest fan of getting up early, but today is different. We’re going to use a surface-supplied air source for the first time. This it the part of commercial diving everyone’s seen before, in movies and documentaries, even without knowing anything about it.
Everyone’s excited to get started with the “cool stuff”.
In the classroom we get a thorough briefing on what is about to happen. It’s my turn today to be Team Leader, which means I’m in charge of getting all necessary and mandatory equipment to and from the pier safely.
Cesar and Gautier are getting the compressor and umbilical ready while the rest of us ready our kit. Some of us will be having another go with the full-face masks, while two at a time will do their first surface-supplied dive in the dock.
Of course we’re not just going to sit around on the mirky bottom. The flansh with its nuts and bolts is packed up as well and along with it pieces of wood, the saw, buoys, ropes and other things. They’ve been our steady companions since the day we met them.
After all it’s not just about mastering the new equipment. As commercial diver’s we’re expected to work on construction sites and oil platforms, fix and inspect damns and reservoirs and do a multitude of other challenging things under water.
Once all the kit is at the pier, Tato and Gautier show everyone how to equip and dress the first pair of divers before it’s on us to help our colleagues out. Of course Tato and the other instructors are keeping a strict eye on things.
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While half the group is busy getting the surface-supplied divers ready, the others are placing buoys and getting their full-face masks ready.
We only have a limited time in the water, so the teams have to work parallel. It’s an exercise in coordination and timing, while mastering recently learnt skills and acquiring new ones.
There’s three of us in the team and while the others fulfil their tasks underwater, act as safety-divers or control the surface-supplied divers, I make sure all the equipment is in its place and with everyone ready to go, I get a chance to take some pictures and videos.
… VIDEO COMING SOON …
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