All the Cool Toys at Once
Today is the day, finally we will all look like real commercial divers.
When Gautier and the instructors ge the kit ready, we’re all teeming with excitement.
The Gas Control Panel comes out and we ready the umbilical. Blue hose for air, yellow gives us the depth of the diver and red is for communication. “This will be asked in the exam!”, Tato reminds us.
Ronan and I are going to be the the Tenders today, controlling and monitoring the divers under water through the panel.
Once all the equipment is on the pier (much faster and more organised this time) the first diver is getting ready. Gautier, Tato and Toffy show us how to dress and connect the diver, before it’s our turn to get our colleagues ready. The heavy Band Mask comes on and the diver is ready.
“Check Equipment!” Toffy starts out. “Checking Equipment” responds the diver. “Loud and Clear?” “Loud and Clear!” “Open anti-fog valve!” “Opening anti-fog valve. Anti-fog valve open.”. All parts of the equipment need to be checked and tested before the diver gets in the water. Two safety divers are already waiting in the dock, ready to catch the diver and pull him back to the surface. With the heavy kit and weight system, and without a buoyancy control device or fins, the surface supplied diver is dependent on his colleagues to get him to and from the work site.
“Approach Pier!” “Approaching Pier.” Ronan and I are ready on the panel, Gautier is controlling the umbilical and keeping physical contact with the diver. Four pulls means ascend, one pull is “Are you OK?”. I hope I’ll remember all the non-vocal communication signals.
“Prepare! Ready? Water!” Toffy sends the first diver in the water, the safety divers catch him, descend and transport him and our friend the flansh to the first buoy. Ronan and I watch the depth of the diver steadily increase on the panel and keep an eye on air supply and pressure. “Make sure you keep talking to the diver” Toffy reminds us “At greater depths he can enter narcosis or experience any number of other problems. Don’t let him be quiet for too long, you won’t know if something is wrong.” It’s a little bit nerve-wrecking, I must admit. Our colleagues and their lives are literally in our hands right now.
Tato keeps a watchful eye over everything and reminds us to keep checking the depth regularly. The diver might fall off a ledge or not notice that he has descended further than he should.
This is absolutely amazing. Ronan and I take turns on the panel and I get a chance to take some pictures, or lots and lots of pictures.