To New Depths

Job Hunting

2008-09-12T18:59:00.002+01:00

Well folks this is what it all comes down too... finding a job and bringing home the bacon. I have been searching, calling, emailing and visiting companies frantically with my father trying to get a job offshore as soon as possible so I can head back and see my beautiful wife and kids. God willing I should have one soon.

Looking at my daughter growing up so fast, walking and getting more teeth day by day is getting to me. At the same time I know my son misses being with me, jumping all over me, telling me about his day at school and telling my wife that I gave him a piece of chocolate :). What can I say about my wife? Although I tell her I miss her, words cannot express the hole that I have in my heart or the butterflies I have in my stomach waiting for her to get online to say hello. I miss them all and cant wait to have them in my arms.

RGIT Training - Day 3

2008-09-10T17:24:00.002+01:00

Today we completed our offshore survival training. Short after arriving, we got dressed into our survival suits and put on out life jacket and re-breathers. Re-breathers are a way of putting air into your life jacket and breathing the air underwater for up to 1 minute or more. It is a pretty simple mechanism but in case of ditching into the sea, it can save your life. I found it very easy to use although some people could not get use to breathing under water and two people left the course not being able to complete the training and hence not being able to work offshore. Our hardest task was the inverted helicopter escape where you tighten your harness, put on a hood, and check your suit zip. After this you put one hand on the window and the other on the harness release mechanism. Just before hitting the water you deploy your re-breather (putting the nose peg on and the mouth piece in). Pulling a knob, you fill the life jacket with one big breath just before you are submersed underwater. As the helicopter flips over you count to seven and push out the window nearest to you before releasing yourself from your harness. After swimming out you pull the cord on the life jacket to fill it up. After this we headed back to the classroom and learned about HSE legislation (which I learned during my diver training). Needless to say it was BORING and after lunch we had a multiple choice exam which I passed. So know I can work offshore… yep but I need to sort out more paperwork tomorrow!

RGIT Training - Day 2

2008-09-09T22:48:00.003+01:00

Today our day started off in the classroom learning about the different types of fire extinguishers and how they work. They are all colour coded and offshore you need to know which one to use correctly. After the theory we went outside and began using them. It was quite an experience as I had never used one before and to be honest, I was surprised by the amount coming out of each extinguisher. Following lunch, we looked at escaping fires using gas masks and zero visibility. Using the back of your hands you need to pan the room and use the walls to guide you to the exit. The practical side was a lot of fun as we all looked like a bunch of wallies dancing techno moving our hands up and down and our one of our legs side to side. Our final session involved helicopter evacuation. This involved a long power point on the correct procedures to follow with a short practical in the pool. Tomorrow we have our assessment first thing in the morning!

One thing that is true… although we do not spend much time in the water, the short period we do is extremely tiring due to the water temperature.

RGIT Training - Day 1

2008-09-08T20:53:00.007+01:00

Today I started my Basic Offshore Safety Induction & Emergency Training or BOSIET at Petrofac in Aberdeen. The course is a requirement for any person planning to work offshore as it deals with the basic safety and emergency procedures to follow in case an oil rig needs evacuating. During the day we ran through the different types of life boats and life rafts available and how they all work. At the same time we were told where petroleum comes from and the different methods used to detect it. After this we were given a crash course on first aid and how to put somebody into the recovery position and perform Cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Following this we broke for lunch (which was a fantastic buffet) and straight afterwards we got kitted out in coveralls, boots, an Offshore Rescue Suit and life preserver and began our in water training. This included how to jump into the water, how to swim with all the gear on and the best position to adopt while waiting for a rescue craft or helicopter. Overall a very packed day! Looking online at immersion suits I found this one which has be a bit puzzled...

who would bring their child offshore???

Weekend Break

2008-09-06T17:04:00.003+01:00

After 9 weeks of putting up with snoring, passing wind, vomiting and things only god should know about I can finally look forward to being paid while working. At the same time I can relax and not worry about sitting an exam anytime soon (My relaxing so far has been gardening and washing the patio this morning). One thing that I managed to find this afternoon was a picture of me at a young age trying to be a diver at home. I hope you all can marvel at the imagination this child had!

Week 9, Day 46

2008-09-05T23:41:00.004+01:00

Having passed the final examination and completed all of our dives, today we had to fill in our paperwork which took the entire day, mainly due to the fact that all the guys had went out to drink the evening before and had a hangover. After writing in all the dates and getting my diver logbook stamped I can now show you what you get for your 10.000 pounds:

Diving Logbook

Diving Ticket

Week 9, Day 45

2008-09-04T23:07:00.001+01:00

Today was our final day in the water. As we prepared all the equipment aboard 'Air Diver 2' I knew this was the final stages of my long journey, or should our journey as my family have had to cope with my absence. I really miss them and can't wait to be with them. My first Scuba dive was to 27 meters and involved cutting through a steel pipe. The second dive was the exact same but to 30 meters, the maximum depth legally allowed on Scuba equipment. In between both dives one of the other divers came to the surface unconscious. Seeing this we quickly pulled him out of the water, got his diving gear off and put him on oxygen to which the instructor yelled 'End of exercise'. This 'set-up' was to see how well we would cope in a panic / emergency situation. Following this episode we went ashore and did the final exam which was 50 multiple choice questions. Luckily I passed the exam (96%) and am now a newly qualified Commercial Diver.

Week 9, Day 44

2008-09-03T18:47:00.004+01:00

Today I made up a Surface Supply assessment dive that I had missed earlier and completed a Scuba dive. On the Surface Supply dive I dove to 123 feet and had to drill several holes in a piece of steel using a hydraulic drill. After spending almost 30min in the water I had to spent the rest of the day on deck helping the Scuba team. The reason for this is to allow the Nitrogen to leave the body before diving again. On the Scuba dive I completed a dive to 27 meters and cut a piece of pipe using a hacksaw. Needless to say I am absolutely knackered.

Tomorrow I have my final two dives and the final examination which is the hardest one of all due to the fact that it contains all the info given in the course including physics, anatomy, all diving theory and diving legislation so wish me luck guys!!

Week 9, Day 43

2008-09-02T18:44:00.002+01:00

Scuba Exam... Passed! That means only one more examination to go and several dives left. Today we did a short dive using a 250kg parachute lifting bag to rigg an anchor. It was straight forward and the only difference from the last time I used the equipment was that this time we had a separate diving bottle to inflate it rather than our pneumo. After the dive we began to fill out folders with all our assessment dates and dives. This is very easy to do but is a long and repetitive process and will probably take us until Friday to complete.

Week 9, Day 42

2008-09-01T18:37:00.000+01:00

Today was very busy with dives in the morning and in the evening and an exam in the afternoon. The morning dive was our last surface standby rescue dive and was like other I have already mentioned in earlier blogs.
After our dives, we did our Scuba exam which was 30 multiple choice questions. Up until now the past papers that had been handed out were roughly of the same standard as the examination but in the case of Scuba, the exam was very hard and nothing like the mock. All of the divers are thinking about the exam result which we will find out tomorrow.

In the evening we all headed down to the pier at 8:00pm and began setting up the equipment however the tide was higher than normal (in fact it was waist high) so we all put on out wetsuits and began messing about like a bunch of kids (some even jumped from the containers above the pier). After the tide finally wend down, we finished setting up and began diving. We had to dive to 16 meters and survey a wreck. Given that it was pitch dark and we only had a ‘cheap’ torch (or flashlight as it is called in America), we slowly made our way down and had a look around. It was very peaceful and a nice dive.

All things come to an end

2008-08-31T15:56:00.004+01:00

As my last week of training comes to an end I have mixed feelings. In a way it feels like I am back at University and it is the last week of term before graduation after which you will need to face the world. What do you do? Oh crap, Reality check! Laggan Dam
I look forward to the challenges of working offshore and seeing the world but I also miss my family and wish I could be sharing my experiences with them. Fort William has not been heaven of earth nor has it been a place I would recommend someone to come and stay at for more than let’s say… one hour. At the same time however, it has became part of my routine for the past 9 weeks and I have faced a lot of personal challenges (which I still face until the end of next week).
Cairngorms National Park
The trips back and forth to Aberdeen, taking different routs, and discovering Scotland’s landscape have been an eye opener and an eye closer as the four hours each way have been tiresome. I never will get the chance to do them again in the same way nor would I want to without my family which I miss everyday more and more. View of part of Cairngorms National Park

Week 8, Day 41

2008-08-29T10:44:00.000+01:00

Today the day started off well as I found out I passed the Surface Supplied Top-up examination which means I only have two more examinations to go (besides the dive assessments). One of our dive assessments today was a surface standby rescue using scuba equipment and a buoy. After swimming down to 15m, one diver returned to surface while one gave an emergency signal pulling on the buoy under water. In this case the surface diver had to swim out to the buoy and follow the line down to the diver upon which you secured the diver and give the emergency signal on your lifeline (4 pulls and 2 bells). Then the tenders pulled both divers to the surface. It was a good day and we managed to catch up on our dives. Only one more week to go!

Week 8, Day 40

2008-08-28T17:53:00.001+01:00

Today we did two identical dives. They both involved the use of a buoy and lifeline signals. Once we were in the water we had to follow a line down to a sunken wreck and remain at 15 meters for 8 minutes. After this we had to swim towards an armoured car and survey it for a further 7 minutes. After this four pulls were given (to ask the surface to leave bottom) and on the way up we stopped at 3 meters for 3 minutes (in-water deco). Not exciting stuff but the good news is that not all of us failed the exam on Tuesday… we will find out tomorrow who passed.

Week 8, Day 39

2008-08-27T17:51:00.001+01:00

After finding out that the entire class failed the Surface Supplied Top-up Exam, we began our dives. The first dive was In-water rescue assessment. Basically you observe the diver and if he appears to be on conscious:
1. Inform the surface
2. Approach the diver (making sure it is safe to do so)
3. Close his bailout if he is breathing
4. Bring diver to surface holding his harness and using his suit inflation as a buoyancy aid
5. When on surface bring him to safety

It seems obvious but if like me, you had somebody bigger and heavier to bring up, it is very tiring and by the end of the dive my legs were shaky with all the swimming.

The second dive was meant to see how we can cope with zero visibility. Under the pier there are a series of ropes that form a square. Using another rope to divide each section into strips, in turns we each had our masks taped up and were given the task of searching each area for certain objects. CLAUSTROPHOBIC PEOPLE COULD NOT DO THIS as it can feel like wearing a box on your head underwater.

Week 8, Day 38

2008-08-26T20:01:00.003+01:00

Today our dive involved the use of through water comms. Up until now we have used life lines and ‘bone’ comms, both of which have not worked well. The thought of another ‘non-working’ comms system was in my mind but, the truth be told, the wireless comms worked brilliantly. It was like having a walky-talky under water and the reception was crystal clear.
Here is a picture to give you an idea. Basically your mask has a button on the end to talk and two headphones attached. At the same time and there is a box on your side that transmits / receives the signal.

During our dive we had to follow directions from the surface and swim along the sunken tanks on the seabed. It was a nice and easy dive that we all enjoyed.

Week 8, Day 37

2008-08-25T20:58:00.005+01:00

Today the weather was absolutely atrocious. Hard rain and strong winds hit us under the pier and there was nowhere to hid except during our dives. During our two dives we performed an in-water rescue following the same method as used with surface supply equipment (ie running commentary, ensuring the bailout is closed and asking for assistance back to surface) Our second dive was an assessment dive and we had to take measurements of a base plate that is on the seabed. Using a tape measure and a board, a rough sketch and accurate measurements were taken and transferred on to paper on surface. Tomorrow afternoon we have the surface supplied top-up exam which is 10 written questions.

Week 7, Day 36

2008-08-22T20:13:00.001+01:00

Today the day flew by as we only had one short dive each, however we left behind our half masks and began using full face masks. In our case we used the AGA and Exo 26 masks. Both the AGA and Exo 26 masks are used for scuba and are great to use in water. The only problem with them are the comms. To get a clear sound out of them you need sometimes stop breathing and look up so the bubbles do not come out through the side and distort what is being said. After our dives we quickly made our way back to the Underwater Centre and had a quick shower. Our Surface Supple Top up (or Wet Bell) exam is next week so I have quite a bit of reading / studying to do.

Week 7, Day 35

2008-08-21T20:23:00.002+01:00

Today in Scuba we had two dives during which we had to know our life signals. During the first dive we had to find a clap that was thrown into the water and we were guided to the location. During the second dive (which was an assessment dive) we had to find a washer half the size of a credit card. This might seem easy but I had to search through a 'Forrest' of kelp and the sea bed was littered with small rocks and pieces of steel pipe. As I looked beneath the kelp the seabed would stir up and limit my visibility. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack and it took me 40 minutes to find. It is crazy to think, but after so much time looking for a silly washer you get a buzz when you find it. Finally I passed my Surface Supply exam that I took yesterday.

Week 7, Day 34

2008-08-20T18:31:00.002+01:00

As we got the Scuba gear ready (fill the bottles and do a pre-dive check on all the equipment), we were given our daily brief and quickly got dressed. The dives included a swap of demand valves (or regulators) and emptying our masks before we were set off to do our task.
the dives involved the use of 'lifeline signals'. These are use to tell the diver where to go / what to do without the use of comms. While the divers were underwater, the supervisor would throw a shackle on a piece of rope and we had to find it by following the instructions given to us from the surface:

From the tender to the diver:
1 pull - Get the divers attention
2 bells - face your umbilical and head out
3 bells - face your umbilical and head right
4 bells - face your umbilical and face left
5 bells - face your umbilical and head back
2 pulls - I am sending you down a rope's end
3 pulls - You have came up too far, go back down slowly until checked
4 pulls - come up
4 pulls and 2 bells - come on, hurry up, come up for surface decompression

From the diver to the tender:
1 pull - to call attention, made bottom, left bottom
2 pulls - Send me down a rope's end
3 pulls - I am going down
4 pulls - May I come up
4 pulls and 2 bells - I want to come up (assist me)
sucession of pulls (more than 4) - Emergency

Week 7, Day 33

2008-08-19T17:15:00.003+01:00

Today we went down to the pier and got all the equipment for our Scuba dive at the Ocean Frontier. We learnt how to setup all the equipment and the safety measure and shortly after we were taking turns in the water. Before we are allowed to swim in the ‘deep end’ of the tank we had to prove that we could empty our masks underwater. This is done by securing your mask, looking up and blowing air out of your nose. As the air fills the mask, the water is pushed out from the bottom. As we did this, we followed the instructor into the tank and began undertaking the exercises. Besides the taking off the mask and emptying it, we had to take our regulator in and out of our mouths and follow a pipe (without any mask on) blindly until we were allowed to put our mask back on. It was a great dive and being the last group in the water we were allowed to stay in a little longer. A kiss for my wife and kids!

Week 7, Day 32

2008-08-18T18:32:00.005+01:00

Today as I headed down to the pier to get the hats ready for today's diving there was a large truck delivering a new 'toy'. In this case it was a 30 million pound mini-sub. It looked amazing and, as far as rumours that were being spread, a Chinese company had paid the centre to use its facilities to test the mini-sub. After getting ready we quickly got through our rotation and finished our Wet Bell diving by doing a surface standby rescue and an in-water rescue. This means no more hot water suits :( but it also means no more coming out of the water wet :).

Tomorrow we are due to begin our Scuba part of the course using half masks and scuba gear!

Week 6, Day 31

2008-08-15T23:06:00.001+01:00

Today was a productive day as I managed to complete two Wet Bell dives and pass my First Aid practical.

The First Aid practical exam was straight forward but involved a lot of questions (luckily I revised last night). After blowing into the doll and performing chest compressions, I was asked about secondary assessment and head trauma. The questions then focused on heart attacks and trauma. Although it was not a 100% perfect exam, it was good enough for a pass.

During the first dive one of us left the bell and headed down to 60 feet after which a loss of comms was announced. After no response from one pull on the umbilical, the tender had to deploy the man-lift, open the Wet Bell bail-out and flush the canopy. Following this the tender had to leave and bring the diver back to the bell.

Our second dive was nearly the same but involved a loss of gas and comms during which the diver returned to the bell after four pulls.

Accident

2008-08-14T20:21:00.003+01:00

As we were heading back along the pier from our days diving, a car that was heading towards us began swerving left and right and crashed into the piers' gate. As we saw this a few of they guys ran towards the car to find an older man suffering from what looked like a 'fit'. As his eyes rolled up and his mouth closed he was pulled from the car and put into the recovery position until an ambulance and the police arrived on scene. It was quite shocking seeing this unfold in front of our very eyes but also ironic as we are due to have our first aid practical tomorrow morning!

Week 6, Day 30

2008-08-14T19:49:00.002+01:00

Today I had my first dive in a Wet Suit. Putting on my 'spandex' under-suit, the Wet Suit and a pair of steel caped welly boots I was ready to go into the water. During the first dive I nearly jumped out of my suit and helmet as the cold water came in contact with my body (a takes a few minutes to warm up) and my chest instantly felt freezing. We did three consecutive dives: one as a Rescuer, one as a Victim and the final one as a Surface Standby.

After reaching 40 feet the 'Victim' leaves the Wet Bell and the Rescuer uncoils and gives him umbilical until he is 20 meters from the Bell. The surface then says that the diver is not responding. In this case there are three steps to take:

1. Ensure the Wet Bells' Bail-out cylinder valves are open.
2. Flush the Bells' canopy.
3. Release the man-lift for when the diver is back in the bell.

After ensuring all three tasks are done, the Rescuer/Tender uncoils his own umbilical and picking up the divers' umbilical, follows a Job-Line until he reaches the stricken diver (informing the surface of what is happening during the entire rescue) At the same time the Surface Standby is sent in to coil both divers umbilicals as they return to the bell. Securing the Victim in the man-lift, the Rescuer pulls him up into the air pocket in the Bells' canopy. Both divers remain inside while the Surface Supply diver finishes coiling up both umbilicals and fits the security chains. Once this is done the Surface Supply diver stands on top of the Wet Bell and everybody is pulled to the surface.

Week 6, Day 29 'Nature'

2008-08-13T19:32:00.000+01:00

Unfortunately today I did not dive due to the lack to time and problems with some of the equipment. However the weather was nice and I had a chance to walk around deck. Throughout my time here at the underwater centre I have noticed a lot of empty muscle shells scattered around the pier and the vessels.

After closer inspection and a little waiting I realised here the where coming from. The local sea gulls are swooping down during low tide and taking muscles from the pier legs. Then they fly high with them and dropping them onto the concrete pier / steel vessels to crack them open and eat them. This is truly amazing and reminded me a lot of a David Attenborough video.

Week 6, Day 28

2008-08-12T18:58:00.003+01:00

Today we started off in the classroom going through three different PowerPoint presentations from the Surface Supplied (Top-up) Course. The first presentation was on D.P. Vessels (or Dynamically Controlled Vessels). These are ships that can keep their position on the sea without having to put an anchor down, no matter what the weather conditions. They do this via Anemometers (wind sensors), Gyro Compasses, Vertical Reference Systems, Position Reference Systems (such as Artemis and Taut Wires) and Hydro-Acoustic Systems. It is amazing how on board computers can manage this.
Secondly we looked at Wet Bell Diving and how to manage the panel on the bell. It is different from what we have done up till now as the divers umbilicals are attached and controlled at the Wet Bell rather than the surface. There is quite a lot to take in and the checks before a dive are quite extensive and repetitive but always... safety comes first.
Finally we looked at Hot Water Suits and how they work. Underneath the suit, instead of wearing a woolly bear (or all in one warm suit) you wear a thin neoprene suit which looks and feels like Spandex. I can imagine seeing a bunch of guys wearing this is not the best sight in the world but if it works then so be it. On top of this you put on the Hot water suit which is like a wet suit but with tubes than run up and down the body, arms and legs pushing hot water throughout. It like wearing a warm sprinkler system.
As we left the classroom and headed towards the barge we each got our ' Spandex suits' and were shown the Hot Wet Suits.
Our first dive involved going down in the Wet Bell and as one diver left the bell the other tendered him (this means de-coil and coil his umbilical). We did a quick loss of comms where the surface switches the bell lights on/off and the tender blows the wet bell pneumo twice to signal the surface. Following this one pull followed by four consecutive pulls is given to the diver outside the bell and as he returns the tender coils his umbilical. We only did 20 meters worth but it was very tiring.

Week 6, Day 27

2008-08-11T18:46:00.001+01:00

Today we did our final practical assessment for the surface supply course. As usual the weather was miserable as it rained heavily non stop. We had to swim down to 144 feet and put together some scaffolding to form a cube. Armed with an Allen key and your hands it is not a hard task but it is mainly about teamwork rather than the building. After that we had to spend 28 minutes doing in-water decompression.

Week 5, Day 26

2008-08-08T18:45:00.000+01:00

Today we did a repeat dive of what we did yesterday. At the underwater centre a lot of the deeper dives are repeated in order to make sure divers are fully competent and can cope with the lack of visibility and pressure. Needless to day everything went well.

Week 5, Day 25

2008-08-07T18:49:00.002+01:00

Today we did a dive down to 144 feet. At this depth the visibility is very poor and you vocie sounds like Donald Duck. At the same time you can feel the effect of narcosis. Its like being slightly drunk but you know what you are doing. During out 10 minutes a the bottom we had put two wire rope clips across a piece of wire to form a loop. It was straight forward however, one aspect I enjoyed was the R.O.V.'s that were following us during the whole operation.

It reminded me a lot of the movie 'batteries not included'... as this 'robot' was moving around us with lights and cameras.

Week 5, Day 24

2008-08-06T21:58:00.002+01:00

Today we did a repeat dive of 128 feet using the hydraulic drill.

The only main difference was the weather. In this case it rained non stop the entire day.

Bruises

2008-08-06T17:54:00.003+01:00

Strange but true!! One of the aspects that shock me about diving is the amount of bruising that I am getting with the suit. Looking at the pictures you would say that somebody is beating me but in fact the pressure of the water on the suit is making most of the divers bruise.

Week 5, Day 23

2008-08-05T17:48:00.000+01:00

Today was sunny and warm all day After moving the barge, we began diving today to a depth of 128 feet. Initially we let the bell go down with all the necessary equipment then we had to swim down in complete darkness using the guide wires as a reference. As the Bell has lights we managed to find it after 2 minutes. Out task was to drill through some steel with a hydraulic drill. This was fairly easy and funny as we all suffered a bit of air narcosis at that depth. After finishing we were promptly on out way up again. The ascent however had to be controlled and took a total of 15 minutes (10 of which where done at 10 feet holding the guide wires. The best thing about this dive was the fact that we were using helmets instead of the band-masks. This kept our heads warmer and the comms were very clear.

Anniversary

2008-08-05T17:45:00.000+01:00

Happy anniversary Rachel. The traditional gift for a 2nd wedding anniversary is cotton. Since cotton isn't an impressive anniversary gift I hope you enjoy your gifts and are thinking about me. I am missing you and I am counting down the days till we are together again.

Always Yours,

Michal

Week 5, Day 22

2008-08-04T18:59:00.003+01:00

This morning we were back on the barge early and after getting everything setup we began our dives. Today we had to do in-water tending, and in-water rescue and due to the depth we were are (98 feet) we had to spend 28 minutes in the decompression chamber breathing oxygen. It was a straight forward dive and all went well. The only interesting part was the tide as it dropped 2 meters from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm.

Birthday Weekend

2008-08-03T19:56:00.006+01:00

Happy Birthday to me
from my family
I miss you all so much
my wife and kiddies!!

This weekend I headed home to treat myself to some home comfort. After a 4 hour drive through the middle of Scotland I arrived home and quickly offloaded all my laundry. Soon after I opened my cards and my gifts. I don't know how women do it but they know exactly what to get guys. My wife is especially good at getting me gifts. In this case I got a Nintends DS lite with two games.

Thank you Rachel, Noah and Chloe for a great gift. Dadou!!

Deep down inside all guys are kids and I am no different for others. I was quickly opening the package, putting a game in and playing (Obviously we don't read the instructions). It brought me back to my youth in Spain and a life with no worries. The next morning I got up and went into town to buy a few things, get a haircut and in the evening I went out for an Indian Meal with my mother. One thing that never changes is birthday cake. Ever since I was a baby my mother has always gotten me a birthday cake and easter egg. Thanks Mum!

Week 4, Day 21 - Panic

2008-08-02T00:24:00.002+01:00

Today, I must admit, was one of the scariest times of my life. As we began to dive Jupiter was in alignment with mars and the moon… no just kidding! The high tide meant that the water was choppy which meant very little visibility underwater. As I got ready I noticed how a lot of the divers before me were coming up covered in Jellyfish. After getting dressed and lowered into the water, I had to walk 20m to the wreck which lies at 75 feet underwater. I was making my way across the seabed when my mask got all fogged up and despite my best efforts I could not clear it. Adding to this was the fact that every time I took a step, the silt on the seabed would stir up and reduce my visibility even more. Thirdly, at 75 feet there is not a lot of light so I had to move around in darkness (except for a crappy flashlight) trying to find the wreck which I finally walked into. To top it all off my comms began to fail and I could not hear what the surface was trying to tell me. During all this, my right eye began to burn. As I struggled to get my bearings, I began to breathe heavily and think of my wife and kids.

This picture I found online can give you an idea of little visibility

Truly this job is harder than I thought. After telling the surface that I could not see anything, I made my way back to the diving bell by pulling on my umbilical and found myself surrounded by a smack of jellyfish. As my eye continued to burn on the way up to the surface I had a quick loss or air exercise. A final spell in the decompression chamber on 02 and the dive was over. I found out later that a jellyfish tentacle had managed to get into the hat and caused my eye to burn.

Week 4, Day 20

2008-07-31T20:20:00.002+01:00

Today we had our third theory exam on surface decompression. The exam only had 10 questions but they were quite tricky... luckily I managed to pass without a lot study. After this we made our way down to the barge and after getting set-up we did a wreck survey. This involved a 20 meter swim underwater (fully dressed) to a depth of 75 feet. It may sound easy but on the way some of the lead weights fell out of my belt and I became too buoyant. This made it very hard to me to get to the wreck as each time I pulled on my umbilical I began to float. After 10minutes I finally got there and was absolutely shattered. I also began to feel a bit dizzy so I opened by bailout to clear the mask of any C02. When we got back to the surface it was a quick undress, into the chamber, blown down to 40 feet and breathe oxygen for 7minutes. A very tiring dive but we finished early and I had time to go into town and sort out some tax and car papers.

Week 4, Day 19

2008-07-30T19:33:00.001+01:00

Today we were back on the barge and quickly got on our way with the dives. Our first dive was a surface rescue. Up till now this has been my Achilles heel as there is a large pressure change in a short period of time which makes it hard for my ears to equalize. In simple terms:

1. Leaving the surface in a wet bell to a depth of 50 feet.
2. Swimming to the surface and removing your helmet.
3. 30 seconds later putting on your helmet and swimming down 50 feet.
4. Pulling the second diver into the wet bell.

During all of this, your ears are being put under pressure and you need to ‘pop’ them without holding your nose. After this dive we quickly got undressed and were put into the decompression chamber for 5 minutes.

Our second dive involved using a Hydraulic Impact Wrench and tightening blots on an underwater flange. Unlike the characteristic noise from hydraulic tools, in the water you can hardly hear them.

Band Mask

2008-07-29T19:08:00.000+01:00

These are the Band Masks that we will be using for the Surface Supply and the Surface Supply Top-up Course. It is amazing to think that this mask can be used even at great depths in Saturation Diving.

A. Head Harness (Spider) keeps the mask in place on the divers head. The neoprene rubber spider has adjustment holes for varying the tension of the harness.
B. Hood/Face Seal provides the diver a comfortable thermal barrier around his head as well as pockets for earphones
C. Steady Flow Valve provides an additional flow of air into the mask for ventilation and defogging.
D. Auxiliary Valve supplies backup breathing gas to the diver.
E. Gas Supply Non-Return Valve prevents loss of gas pressure in the event of umbilical damage, preventing a "squeeze".
F. Communications Connections can be either bare wire posts or a waterproof connector. The waterproof type is recommended when a "round robin" or diver/tender both mics "on" communications system is used.
G. Tri-Valve™ Exhaust Whisker (Patents Pending), which retrofits to many previous Kirby Morgan Helmets and Band Masks®, has less breathing resistance than the older single valve exhaust while providing an extremely dry hat. The Tri-Valve™ Exhaust is made of a chemical resistant compound.
H. Water Exhaust automatically keeps water drained from the mask.
I. Demand Regulators The SuperFlow350® KMB 18 and KMB 28 regulator provides easy breathing for hard work.
J. Nose Block Device allows the diver to block the nose to equalize ears.
K. Silicone Oral Nasal Mask is made of a superior silicone material which is hypo-allergenic.
L. Mask Frame hand laid fiberglass for the KMB 18, injection molded plastic for the KMB 28

Week 4, Day 18

2008-07-29T18:39:00.003+01:00

While today's weather was not as sunny as yesterday, it was still warm. After learning how to dismantle and set-up the KM18's we quickly set up all the equipment aboard the 'Red Baron' an were able to complete lots of dives.

Today I wore the KM18. Initially it does not look very sturdy but in fact it is quite comfortable. The biggest drawbacks are that it is more claustrophobic than the other helmets we have worn, your head gets wet, and after a while you can feel the cold.

We were lowered into the water using the Wet Bell and had a look around. It was fun and very easy. After arriving at the surface we had to quickly get undressed and put into the decompression chamber (in less than 4 minutes) where we stayed from approximately 10 minutes. Tomorrow we with be doing surface rescues down to 60 feet.

Week 4, Day 17

2008-07-28T19:32:00.002+01:00

Today the weather was wonderful. I cannot remember a day like this in Scotland. The sea was dead calm and the sky was crystal clear… I think you get the picture.
In any case, I managed to make up the dive I missed a few weeks ago using the CR 9 pneumatic drill and then we mobilized all the necessary equipment to the barge ‘AKA’ The Red Baron.
As you can see by the photo it does not look great but it has all the equipment needed for a safe dive. Under the decks there are two HP Compressors that provide air for the divers and the Decompression Chamber.
At the same time there is a Moon Pool and a Wet Bell (which basically means a hole in the middle of the boat where winch lowers a large basket with two divers to the bottom of the sea).
Also, today we looked at using KM18 hats. These are different from our normal diving helmets because they are half masks. The front part is exactly the same but on the back of the mask there is a neoprene hat and special rubber bands to hold it on. It is very light and a lot easier to put on.

Tomorrow I will have a go into the water using one!
A. Head Harness (Spider) keeps the mask in place on the divers head. The neoprene rubber spider has adjustment holes for varying the tension of the harness.
B. Hood/Face Seal provides the diver a comfortable thermal barrier around his head as well as pockets for earphones
C. Steady Flow Valve provides an additional flow of air into the mask for ventilation and defogging.
D. Auxiliary Valve supplies backup breathing gas to the diver.
E. Gas Supply Non-Return Valve prevents loss of gas pressure in the event of umbilical damage, preventing a "squeeze".
F. Communications Connections can be either bare wire posts or a waterproof connector. The waterproof type is recommended when a "round robin" or diver/tender both mics "on" communications system is used.
G. Tri-Valve™ Exhaust Whisker (Patents Pending), which retrofits to many previous Kirby Morgan Helmets and Band Masks®, has less breathing resistance than the older single valve exhaust while providing an extremely dry hat. The Tri-Valve™ Exhaust is made of a chemical resistant compound.
H. Water Exhaust automatically keeps water drained from the mask.
I. Demand Regulators The SuperFlow350® KMB 18 and KMB 28 regulator provides easy breathing for hard work.
J. Nose Block Device allows the diver to block the nose to equalize ears.
K. Silicone Oral Nasal Mask is made of a superior silicone material which is hypo-allergenic.
L. Mask Frame hand laid fiberglass for the KMB 18, injection molded plastic for the KMB 28

Lochaber Highland Games

2008-07-26T17:08:00.004+01:00

This morning I headed off into Fort William and came across a procession led by Jimmy Savile. I would think nobody outside the UK would have ever heard of him but as a child I remember watching him on a children’s TV program called Jim'll Fix It and later presenting Top of the Pops. On Jim’ll Fix It, children wrote in asking to meet somebody or even be like somebody for a day and he would arrange for this to happen. I used to love this and even remember writing in. Listening to the theme tune also reveals what the program was about. The procession was made up of a pipe band and banners urging people to go and see the Highland Games. Being Scottish, I had never seen them before and decided I should go and see it for myself.
I was amazed by the amount of children wearing full Highland dress and parents who were taking part in the activities offered. Walking amongst the many people there, I saw this stroller and though the pattern was funny. Now you see it... now you don't!
The Traditional Scottish Dancing was amazing to see as children of all ages took part. Up to 10 dances including the Pas de Basques, Highland Fling, Sword Dance and Hornpipe took place. It reminds me of pictures of Rachel when she was younger.
At the same time there was a stand called The Clann. They are a period authentic group of highlanders who are experts on the use of traditional weaponry. The Clann set up an encampment on the field to allow visitors to see how highlanders may have lived and to allow inspection of their armoury. Needless to say I avidly got in line behind a bunch of kids and took part in a small sword fight.

Time for a pose after battle!

Other sports taking place were the scots hammer, tossing the caber, weight over the bar and throwing the light stone. All of this was amazing to see, as both adults and children threw huge logs around.

Week 3, Day 16

2008-07-25T16:32:00.005+01:00

Today we had a late morning due to our night dive that ended at 1 am. We started off in the classroom and looked at Hazardous Diving. It was interesting and somewhat scary. The biggest killer amongst divers is inshore diving and differential pressure. Diving in canals, dock gates, dams and pipelines are the most hazardous as you are dealing with two different water pressures. Other things to take into consideration are Tides, Currents and Bad Sea states. After looking at these in detail we moved on to diving under ships and things to look out for such as propellers, intakes and diving under the keel of the ships. Basically when you dive under a ship you need to inform the chief engineer and the captain, along with the harbour master. At the same time ensure that all the correct security measures are being followed such as displaying the Alpha Flag and if diving in the evening, having the correct colour light displayed on the side of the ship you are diving on. After class we went down to the pier. The weather was beautiful and we took in as much sun as we could.
At the same time we completed a dive moving an anchor using a lift bag. By adding air to the lift bag using our pneumo, we lifted and moved a heavy anchor down and up the sea bed. I was fun but given that it was Friday we all wanted to complete the dive as fast as possible.

Week 3, Day 15 - Evening Dive

2008-07-25T08:29:00.002+01:00

Last night we had our evening dive and even though I was a bit wary about diving in pitch darkness it turned out to be one of our best dives. Instead of doing all the rescues we ended up surveying a sunken Tug Boat that was next to an Armored Car.

The dive took up to a depth of 70 feet and we had to light glow sticks to certain items all the way down.

Immediately I thought of my wife and the movie ‘White Chicks’ when the black guy called Latrell takes some ecstasy tablets by mistake and starts dancing with glow sticks in his hand. Very weird! Surprisingly there was a lot of life in the sea at night and the lights seemed to attract a lot of fishes and crabs.

Although there was very little visibility (in some cases not even my own hand) I felt very safe and because we had 20 minutes of survey time it felt more like a sports dive. Overall two thumbs up!!

International Market Day

2008-07-24T15:57:00.004+01:00

Luckily after my tiring morning dive I though I would take a shower and head off into town for a walk. Lucky for me there was an international market.

These are one of the things I like the most about the UK. Markets are a very cool place to walk around and sometimes even laugh at some of the 'crap in a stall' they are selling. For instance... who in Scotland is going to buy any of these:

However one thing I know my Wife and Son would have liked was the french stall that makes fresh crepes with Nutella Choloclate. Being the generous and caring husband and father that I am, I made a huge sacrifice and had one in their honour.

P.S. Don't hate me too much

Week 3, Day 15 - Morning Dive

2008-07-24T15:40:00.002+01:00

Hello Children!!! Today's blog will be divided into two halves because we are going to do an evening dive at 22:00 (or 10 pm).

After getting everything setup we got back into our usual rotation and I was first to go in. The biggest difference today was the fact that we had to wear fins. Having dived before with fins I thought it would be straight forward. Wrong!

Because of our weight we all struggled with buoyancy and had to add and take of lead weights until we were at zero buoyancy. This took between 10 and 15 minutes. After that we had to put on our fins. Again this is more complicated given the amount of stuff you are wearing, the lack of sight because of the helmet, and the awkwardness of doing it with a tight dry suit underwater. This took over 5 minutes.

Finally we headed down 50 feet and were asked to return and divided ourselves up. One diver on the Camera, one as the Victim and the third diver as the Rescuer. After each one of us completed all three tasks we did a controlled ascent to the surface. I have got to say that this was by far one of the most tiring dives I have had to do until now and the worst part is....

... we will be doing it tonight in pitch darkness.

The best thing about being a father

2008-07-23T18:14:00.003+01:00

After diving today I had a wonderful surprise waiting for me.Now to some people this might simply be a card with some scribbles that a child did, but to me this is one of the best gifts I could ever get. Being a father is the best thing that has ever happened to me (as well as getting married of course) and receiving something like this can raise anybodies spirit and bring the hardest man to tears. Thank you Rachel and Noah for sending me this wonderful gift that is proudly standing on my bedside cabinet. Amo you to.

Week 3, Day 14

2008-07-23T17:51:00.005+01:00

Today one half of our course had to catch up with the a chamber diver that they missed. A chamber dive basically means that they seal you up in a diving chamber on the surface and pressurise it. In this case to 150 feet. After they completed a quick task they were decompressed and let out. It seems quick but it took over an hour!

While the chamber divers were recuperating the other half, including myself, began diving again using the airlift. This was an assessment dive and I had the privilege of wearing an AH 5 Helmet.

The reason I am so serious is because I was doing my bail out and comms checks.

It does not look like much but if you are diving in sewage or something 'not pleasant' this is the hat for you. As you can see by the picture it has a large screen to look out and a smaller one on top. It is weird to put on as you need an extra harness and the actual mask is screwed on like a SLR camera lens. When you go in the water the first thing the mask does is pull you up by your neck so you have to pull the front strap down as much as possible. At the same time, because the helmet is so light you need extra weights. Going in the water was bad enough, but coming out wet makes you even heavier... I thought they were going to need a crane to pick me up from the sea bed. In any case I passed the assessment and would recommend other people try the helmet. It is quite good when you are in the water.

Week 3, Day 13

2008-07-22T17:46:00.002+01:00

Today we worked with an airlift which has absolutely nothing to do with flying. Basically it is a vacuum that is used to dredge or clean the sea bed of sand and mud. Given my high level of cleanliness at home my wife would say I am in my element. Our task was to clean a concrete block that we had previously used to drill on. The Airlift was made up of a 12 foot long aluminum pipe connected to a pneumatic hose. As compressed air is injected into the pipe the resulting bubbles rise towards the output end of the pipe. The bubbles move water through the pipe sucking debris from the lower end and depositing it from the upper end of the pipe.

Underneath the water it can be quiet heavy but nowhere near it’s weight on the surface. It was a lot of fun and after taking turns, the day flew by.

After out dive we headed back to The Underwater Centre and completed our second theory assessment on diver tables. It was not very hard, however several questions had similar answers and some were phrased in a way that could confuse you. I attained a 85% which was good, however several students failed so anybody doing this course… make sure you know your diving tables well!

Week 3, Day 12

2008-07-21T18:48:00.000+01:00

After given a quick health check I was back in the water trying to catch up on the two dives that I missed. My first dive involved working with the pneumatic drill (or a p9 as it is also known) and completing a diver rescue. The diver rescue involves one of the divers falling down and as one person films the action, the third diver takes the victim to the surface. These are the steps to follow:

1. Assess the situation and see if it is clear for the diver to approach.
2. Ensure that the umbilical is clear and not damaged.
3. See if the diver is conscious or unconscious.
4. Close the divers bail out and flush his helmet with the free-flow valve.
5. Pull the diver up and ask for assistance from the surface to bring the diver in.
6. As you bring the diver to the surface make sure someone is able to get his out safely.

Luckily all went well and my second assessment was good. After this I went back into the water with a second group and we did diver tendering and underwater inspection. This was a lot of fun as we had to walk under the pier and look around two sunken Battle Tanks. This reminded me a lot of the discovery channel when divers discover wrecks or old war relics.

Lazy Sunday

2008-07-20T15:05:00.004+01:00

Today is the first day I have had the chance to have time to myself. It has been nice to relax and feel no pressure but still I greatly miss getting up early with my daughter, having her jump and smile at her crib when I walked in and her saying 'dada' when she sees me. Definitely some thing money cannot buy. I miss my morning father-son breakfast time with my son and him telling me his dreams with the 'animals'. I miss the smell of my wife and her smile in bed everyday when I woke up. Instead I am faced with two guys who fart and snore at night... not the ideal swap.

Later in the morning I went into Fort William for a few bits and pieces such as fruit, water and more sinex medication. Becoming a diver is not hard, but ,maintaining a clean bill of health is hard given the awful weather conditions at Fort William. This postcard should give you a good idea of what Scottish weather is really like:
I would suggest to anyone wanting to become a diver to take vitamin tablets, drink lots of water and bring lots of warm clothing, especially a warm woolly hat as the safety hat on its own does not shelter you from the cold wind on the pier.

Weekend Trip

2008-07-20T14:19:00.007+01:00

Yesterday a group of us went to Inverness to get away from Fort William. Don’t get me wrong, Fort William is a quiet place with a small number of traditional Scottish shops and Pubs. The nightlife here is quite good (or so I’ve been told) but during they day unless you are planning to climbing a mountain you are pretty much stuffed so a day trip is ideal. The journey up to Inverness is breathtaking as you drive along the entire Loch Ness. To avoid wasting time we headed straight for Inverness. It is a small city with a large main street, two malls and a number of side streets.
It is split by the river Ness which feeds onto Loch Ness. This is the south View and on the left you can see Inverness Castle
After going for something to east we walked around the shops and found a little mall full of small shops. This was unique and straight away I saw a postcards which tell a undeniable truth about our journey.
Soon afterwards we headed to the cinema and saw Kung Fu Panda which was great except we were five fully grown adults surrounded by families with small kids. When the film finished we headed home and made lots of stops on the way. Our first stop was at Drumnadrochit which is 2 miles form Urquhart Castle and is full of ‘Nessie’ (or Loch Ness Monster) memorabilia.
The hotels, shops and restaurants all have a ‘Nessie’ logo and we even found a full scale model in a pond.
They even have a Loch Ness Exhibition Centre at the Drumnadrochit Hotel. I guess they must have a lot of tourists that forget which side to drive on! At the same time we found a William Wallace memorial.
Just outside the town south at Urquhart Bay is Castle Urquhart. It is one of Scotland's largest castles on the banks of Loch Ness where it has occupied a defensive position for over 500 years. It is believed that a Pictish fort or settlement once occupied the site and that the present castle was built in the 13th century. It is also the place that most sightings of the Loch Ness Monster have been reported.
As it was closed we decided to have a look around and to our dismay a whole bunch of people were walking around the site. Funnily enough they must have left the gates open and I managed to take to following pictures.

The scale is hard to imagine but I can tell you that it is big. On the fortress wall with Loch Ness in the background.A replica of a period catapult. They know one was here as they found several stone balls. Right behind the castle is Loch Ness
Any guesses…? Well this was a Corn Mill.
Some of the Celtic designs which are dotted around the entire area.

Our final stop was Fort Augustus which is situated at the mouth of Loch Ness and is renowned for its flight of five locks that separate Loch Ness and the Caledonian Canal.

The luckiest husband

2008-07-18T20:56:00.003+01:00

Dear Rachel,

After seeing you each day on the web cam I just can't believe how lucky I am to have such a beautiful and intelligent wife. You have so many talents and are such a good mother to our kids. I can't believe how artistic you are (and for those who do not believe me just check out her blog and see for yourself). I am amazed by how caring you are (especially now that I am expecting a birthday present ... ha ha) and how you complement me. What ever weaknesses I have you seem to have all the qualities and as a couple I believe we will be together for a very long time. I need you to know how much I love you and need you and can't wait for this course to finish and be with you again.

Your darling husband

Week 2, Day 11

2008-07-18T20:40:00.002+01:00

As usual in Fort William the weather was terrible today. It rained straight from 8:30 in the morning and has still not stopped. By far this has been my worst day. Not because of the weather but because I could not equalize. Some of you might be thinking that I have finaly lost my marbles but what this means is that I can not pop my ears and in diving terms this means NO diving! Imagine you are on a plane, as the cabin pressure builds your ears start to pop. Now imagine your ears cannot pop, the pressure keeps building and your inner ear starts to hurt. If you continue, worse case scenario is that you burst your eardrum. Luckily enough here at the centre, one of the instructors is a diver medic and is very good about telling up not to dive. So instead all day I have been tending to other divers which means dressing them and helping them with their umbilical.

The divers on the other hand have had the chance to work with a pneumatic drill underwater and going over their diver rescue.

A full day of no diving has really drained me of enthusiasm but luckily we finished a bit early today so I headed into town and bought the following which is supposed to help relieve de-congestion in your nose and ears and prevent any de-congestion in the future.

Vitamin C tablets
Ibuprofen
Multivitamin tablets
Oranges
Bottles of water
Otrivoine nasal spray

This may seem a lot but I do not want to get ill or fall behind on dives and have to make them up afterwards. Not a chance!

A look at what is needed in order to dive

2008-07-17T18:01:00.004+01:00

I thought I would show you the sort of equipment that The Underwater Center has for it divers. All the equipment photographed is located at the pier.

First there is the LP (or Low Pressure) compressor. This provided gas directly to the divers so they can breath. This is a huge machine and makes a terrible noise when first turned on! Notice the red filter on the wall that filters the gas to the divers.
Then there is the decompression chamber. This is a picture of the inside
And on the outside is the control panel for the chamber... Notice all the valves and gauges!
Then there are the dry suits... all of which are hosed down with fresh water and stored here upside down to dry after dives
Besides the Comms which I already showed in a previous post, we have the diving bottle charger. Here we fill all the bottles every morning. The reason there are two back tubs full of water is because the bottles become hot as they fill. The heat is counteracted by water. Unlike sports and recreational diving, the bottles are used as a backup system in case the main gas supply fails.
Hope this all makes sense to you!

Week 2, Day 10

2008-07-17T17:34:00.006+01:00

As usual we headed of to the Pier and set up the equipment. Today's weather was particulary bad with lots if rain.

After our checks were done the rest of the diver completed the pneumatic tools dive that I did yesterday and after this we were instructed on how to do a Rescue Dive. Basically one of us was the victim, one the rescuer and the third diver held a camera so the surface supervisor could see. When you do a rescue dive using the surface supply equipment and diver helmets you need to do the following (always ensuring that the surface know what you are doing step by step:

1. Communicate to the surface that Diver 1 (or whoever is having problems) appears to having problems.
2. Assess the situation for danger to ensure the rescue diver is not at risk.
3. Check the diver to see if he is breathing and conscious.
4. Close his bail-out valve and open his free-flow for 10 seconds
5. Pull up the diver if he is laying on the sea bed and inform the supervisor that you need help pulling the diver up to the surface.
6. With the surface pulling both he rescue diver and the victim in, stay with the victim until he is at surface.

It sound easy and straight forward but it is harder than you think underwater.

Finishing this I was my turn to become controller (ie in charge of the comms panel) and maintain communication with the divers instructing them on what to do. The hardest part is that everything has re-confirmed. Example is

Diver One, requesting main gas.
Roger that Diver One, main gas is on. Enter water and check for leaks.
Roger that, Diver One entering water... Diver One clear for leaks
Roger that Diver One, when ready head for bottom.
Roger that, Diver One heading for bottom... Diver One at bottom.
Roger that Diver One, please standby.

After a while this can get repetitive but in diving all instructions have to be crystal clear and repeated so that there is zero misunderstanding.

Week 2, Day 8

2008-07-16T19:52:00.001+01:00

Today we headed down to the pier and got everything ready for our dive. Chamber, Compressors, Comms, Diver Panel, Suits & Helmets, etc. After this we were given the task of going down and cutting a piece of pipe using a hacksaw while another diver filmed us. This sound easy but under the water cutting a piece of pipe is really tiring and tricky as your mask can fog up and you need to open your overflow.

I started the job and after I few seconds cutting no marks appeared on the pipe. Basically they turned the blade upside-down so I was cutting on the blunt side. Needless to say I got a lot of stick.

After everybody went in, it was my turn to go in the water for a second time. Due to the fact that we all managed to communicate effectively with the surface, we were given the chance to use pneumatic tools… in this case a steel brush. Using air tools underwater is a lot of fun but can be dangerous as bubbles come out of the tools and you constantly have to stop to see what you are doing. At the same time, unbeknown to us we were getting assessed. This was our first practical assessment and I passed with flying colours. Hopefully during the rest of the course I will do as well as I am at the moment.

Your Friendly Neighborhood ‘Diver Man’

2008-07-16T19:51:00.002+01:00

Well folks, as I said in my blog yesterday the BBC came and filmed us. Proof of this can be seen on the BBC website by clicking on the picture:

Spot me, ‘The Scot’ in the background wearing my red and navy jacket and safety gear preparing the diver.

Week 2, Day 7

2008-07-15T18:53:00.006+01:00

Today we gathered down at the pier with our overalls, hard hats and waterproofs. Initially we went over the safety checks for the diving helmets and then we began to get all the equipment. After diving into different groups we were assigned a task which was either: Diving, Diver Tender, Emergency Diver Tender, Communication or Record Keeper. This will change each day until we each know how to perform each one.

Diving was weird today as there was less than 1 meter visibility and the sea bed was littered with metallic structures. After performing our surface checks we were soon at the bottom looking around and going over safety procedures (ie they cut off your air supply and you need to open your bail out).
At the bottom, my diving suit began to leak and as I reached the surface, my wooly bear (this is the name of the body warmer) my socks and underwear were totally soaked. Now this may sound dangerous but in fact all suits leak. As long as your head is dry and you have a constant air supply the rest is not that important. Once on the surface I took my suit off and gave it to the person in change of repairing them. The stitching was coming apart at the crouch and it only took him a few minutes to repair. Hopefully tomorrow I should be dry.

Another aspect that we leant was the use of rope signals if there is a problem with radio communications.

- 1 Tug – Get divers attention (Reply by diver is 1 Tug)

- 5 bells (or quick tugs in a 2 – 2 – 1 sequence) = Diver to return to bottom of ladder (Same reply by diver)

- 4 Tugs (2 – 2) = Diver to return to surface (Same reply by diver)

It seems an easy task to do much a lot of the people on the course did not get it right first time.

In case you was doubting that it is not me.. here's a close up. Towards the end of the dives a BBC camera crew appeared and began filming us (I’m not kidding) so keep tuned and you never know where I might appear.

If you have been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can leave a comment in by blog (Thought you might like this Rach!)

Week 2, Day 6

2008-07-14T22:50:00.004+01:00

Captain’s log 24540 … Today we began our first full day at the pier. (I thought I would start like this as I use to make fun of my wife when she blogged) Dressed in our best blue overalls, waterproofs, hard hats and steel capped boots we were split into two groups and learned the ins and outs of a Decompression Chamber and Control Panel.

With the decompression Chamber we went through the safety checks we will need to perform each morning prior to diving. Valves, gauges, seals… that sort of stuff. It sounds easy but there are lots of things to check. Out side the camber are the air bottles (black and grey necks) and the oxygen bottles (white neck) which are interconnected in batches of 16. After checking the pressure and that the valves are OK, we then verified the chamber (which has two parts to it... the main chamber and the .. chamber) . Inlet pipes… outlet pipes… pressure valves… filters… You name it, it has one.
After this both teams switched and we moved onto the diver panel and guess what… Even more valves, outlet pipes, inlet pipes, filters and pressure gauges . There was a lot of info given in a short period of time but because it is hands on we all got stuck in and began to get to grips with the equipment. Interestingly enough I saw a communications box that my father also has and remembered a story he told me. The box is made by a company called Amron and basically a woman called Norma Ockwig came up with a revolutionary idea for a underwater communications system. All the companies she presented it to rejected her mainly because she was a woman trying to sell a product in a very male dominated market place. But as smart as she is, she named the product Amron (When in doubt just spell Norma backwards) and hiring a sales team this is one of the best selling underwater communication systems in the world.

After our lunch, the first group (which included me) went into the decompression chamber (which is no bigger than a people carrier) and we were ‘blown down to 45 meters (or approximately 150 feet). This means that the pressure in the chamber was the same to that of a person diving at 45 meters. It took about 10 minutes to blow us down and it was bizarre to say the least. Our ears were popping at least every 10 seconds to cope with the pressure and it got very hot, very fast. All of us were sweaty and smelling. As well as this our voices changed to the ‘Duck-voice’ sound that you have when you breathe helium. It was hilarious. While in the chamber we were given a sheet of paper with hundreds of letters mixed up and we were told to cross off all the ‘G’s. They were basically testing our ability to concentrate under pressure and after a while the gas can make people behave funny. Any sound was hilarious and we were soon cracking jokes. When completed we were blown-up again to atmospheric pressure or (1 bar) and our ears began popping again. The smell in the chamber was nasty… Imaging a body odor smell x 50… I’m not kidding.

Having finished it was the other groups turn. When they were finished, we all headed back to our rooms and took a well deserved shower.
Tomorrow we will be diving in the Lock so this will be our first dive in the outside. I’m looking forward to it and I am a bit nervous. All I can think of here while I type this is my family in America. My wife and beautiful kids and hope they are safe and fine. I love you all and hope the days go as fast as they did today.

The Weekend

2008-07-13T23:15:00.004+01:00

This weekend I went back to Aberdeen to pick up some stuff from my parents (divers gloves, bees wax for the diver suit, extension cable, and get a package ready for my ‘darling lover’ AKA my wife) To spice up the journey I took a different route to the Underwater Centre through the back roads of Scotland. It was an experience. The flora is so different and I never realized how mountainous it was going to be. While I was driving I saw this sign and had to stop to take a picture…

Yes.. this is the way to ‘Lost’

Further on I began going up some road that were so steep I hade to drive in second gear as the car was struggling to cope. This picture gives you an idea of the mountain roads (Mr Sumner .. this would not be for you!): As I continued I saw a group of people and a large granite rock.. As I pulled over I saw this amazing view of the whole area. The rock really says it al and below is a picture of the view! Finally as I was arriving I passed a loch with a Castle here it is. This place is absolutely beautiful and hopefully one day soon I will be able to show my family.
And for all of you who cannot see... here is a closer view of the castle through some trees

Day 5

2008-07-11T23:47:00.005+01:00

Today we started the day looking at US Navy diving tables, working out how much decompression you need depending on the depth, length of time and pressure. Initially it looks impossible but after a few exercises it is quick to pick up. Here is an example of a question:

A diver dives to 100 feet for 20 minutes. How long must he wait on surface before he can do the same dive again with no stops?

After this we looked at Divers Physics based on:

Archimedes Principle - When an object is immersed in a liquid it experiences an upthrust which is equal to the weight of the liquid that it displaces (When you put a object in water it does not weigh as much as it does in air. The difference in apparent weight loss is the same as the weight of the water displaced)

U = V x D (Upthrust = Volume x Density)

Boyle’s Law – For a given mass of gas, if the temperature is constant, the absolute pressure varies inversely with the volume (If you double the pressure you half the volume)

P x V = C (Pressure x Volume = Consumption or Content)

How long will a 12L cylinder filled to 220 bar last a diver at 25 meters if he breathes 35L on surface? He wishes to leave 50 bar in reserve.

220 bar - 50 bar = 170 bar

170 x 12L = 2040L
(25m) 3.5 Bar x 35L = 122.5L
2040L ÷ 122.5L = 16.65minutes

Charles’s Law - For a given mass of gas the absolute temperature varies directly as either the pressure or the volume (If you double the absolute temperature you double the pressure).

P1 / T1 = P2 / T2

A cylinder is filled to 200 bar & the temperature is 40º C. What will the pressure be when it cools to 12 ºC?

40º C = 313º Kelvin 12 ºC = 285 ºKelvin

200 / 313 = 179.55 / 285

Following lunch we learned the ins & outs of giving oxygen to a casualty (by the way all oxygen bottles have a white neck) and the different types of masks. This did not take too long and we all were given our first examination on First Aid. Having read over the book a few times and studying the main Acronyms I achieved 92%. There were 40 multiple choice questions all of which were fairly straight forward.

Before the end of the day we were given homework to do over the weekend (Reminded me of how I use to set a lot to my pupils / students), so this weekend I decided to return to Aberdeen to get my laundry done and complete all my work. It was a four hour long trip but this time I did a tour of the north of Scotland. Needless to say it was a long trip but beautiful. Rachel, you would have loved it. I drove through Fort Augusta, Loch Ness (stopped to see Urquhart Castle), Inverness, Elgin and finally Aberdeen.

Day Four

2008-07-10T18:41:00.003+01:00

Today we concentrated on Pressure and how it affects the body. This was really interesting and some of what was being said reminded me of my father-in-law. Initially we looked at Barotrauma and Boyle's Law which means more pressure = less volume. After going through the different types of 'squeezes' (Nips, Facial, Sinus, Tooth cavities, Thoracic and Aural) that affects you on descent we then looked at those that affect you on ascent (Stomach and Bowel, Dental, Sinus, Ears and Pulmonary).

What I did not know is that car sickness is brought on by the semicircular canals in your ears as your eyes process information that does not correspond with what your ears are feeling (pressure & hearing) The best method to combat Car Motion Sickness is to take either pills that will stop the signals in your ears or take anything that contains Ginger.

At the same time we looked at decompression and how air travels through the body. This is important as it could mean life or death if you do not know how your body operates (Do not worry Rachel I know it really well). We looked at collapsed lungs, holes in lungs and alveoli ruptures, all caused by improper decompression.

After a short break we were presented with decompression illnesses and Henry's law. Basically, the more you descend, the more pressure your body takes and the more gas is absorbed by the tissues. The Bends, a common diver problem is basically formed by bad decompression. At more depths gas bubbles are smaller as they are compressed and take up less volume. As you surface you need to decompress slowly to allow these bubbles to escape slowly out of your body. If you come to the surface too fast, you body is under less pressure which means bubbles expand and take up more volume. This can mean pains in joints, lungs and even the brain. However nowadays, with advances in technology and studies by the US navy, most dives are bend-free.

Finally we looked at Dalton's Law:

PP=AP x %
Partial Pressure = Absolute Pressure x %

Basically all gasses make up an Absolute Pressure. At sea level this is 1 bar Absolute (21% Oxygen and 79% Nitrogen - these are Partial Pressures) Going down 10m we are a 2 bar Absolute (2 x 0.21 Oxygen and 2 x 0.79 Nitrogen - or 0.42 + 1.58 = 2 bar) It is very straight forward although many of the guys in the class did not get it right away.

A short video by the Royal Navy on Diving tables and a short lesson afterwards was enough to put half the class asleep and luckily enough that was us finished for the day. Tomorrow I have my divers medical and due to some loud snoring last night I only managed to get 5 hours sleep... so I will leave this blog and get on with my studies. Wish me luck for tomorrow.

First Dive

2008-07-10T18:05:00.002+01:00

In yesterday's Blog I mentioned that I had my first dive. Basically here are pictures to give you an idea of what diving entails. Firstly there is the indoor pool with the platform that is lit-up in the photo.

After going through all the checks there are more checks before you get in. That's me in the suit. When the diver and supervisor are happy with all the checks...

You proceed into the water...

Initially it is quite scary as the pressure builds up around your body and your head. Unless you can equalise your ears (pop them) it can be painful.

10-15 minutes walking around the bottom is great fun. Weird but fun.

Finally when you come out and all the diving equipment is taken off you become the Diver Attendant.

What is a diving helmet?

2008-07-09T23:34:00.003+01:00

The Helmet Shell is hand laid up glass fiber reinforced thermal setting polyester (fiberglass) with carbon fiber reinforcement at key points for added durability. It is light and highly impact resistant, and provides a heat/cold barrier as well as being an excellent electrical nonconductor. Kirby Morgan has over 50 years experience in composite laminations.

A Steady Flow Valve provides an additional flow of air into the helmet backup air source for ventilation and defogging.
B Auxiliary Valve supplies backup breathing gas to the diver.
C Gas Supply Non-Return Valve is Commercial Rated™ and prevents loss of gas pressure in the event of umbilical damage, preventing a “squeeze”.
D Neck Dam/Yoke AssemblySecures the helmet to the diver’s head and positively prevents accidental removal. The angled neck dam helps the helmet ride comfortably while workin face down.
E Low Pressure Plug is removed and replaced by a suit inflation hose when the diver is wearing a dry suit.
F Communications are either bare wire posts or a waterproof connector.
G Latch Catch Mechanism locks the neck clamp and yoke in place.
H Water Exhaust automatically keeps water drained from the helmet.
I Quad-Valve™ Exhaust System (Patents Pending), The new KMDSI Quad Valve is a superior exhaust system with exceptionally low exhalation resistance that helps to keep the helmet free of contaminants in polluted water. The Quad valve is the first exhaust that isolates the breathing system from the surrounding water with a four valve, low breathing resistance design.
J SuperFlow Demand Regulator provides adjustable, easy breathing.
K Nose Block Device allows the diver to block the nose to equalize ears.
L Silicone Oral Nasal Mask made of a hypo-allergenic silicone material which has a longer work life than latex.

All this information was copied from the manufactures website

Day 3

2008-07-09T23:22:00.002+01:00

Continuing for yesterday, we looked at anatomy and more first aid. Starting with simple and compound fractures, we moved on to Sprains and Strains and learned different treatments such as RICE (Rest-Ice-Compress-Elevation) and eventually began studying different types of Burns. Throughout the day we were faced with scenarios and questions (basic Do’s and Do Not’s). After a short break, we looked at another Royal Navy video on Cold Water Casualties and focused on Drowning, Hypothermia and Hyperthermia. Interestingly enough:

- Hypo in Latin means less
- Hyper in Latin means more
- Thermia means temperature

All of this makes a lot of sense and being a language teacher, I really enjoyed the Latin terminology part. Another interesting fact that I found out was only 1 in 10 victims die of drowning while 1 in 3 of people who go into the water to help die. This tells me that if anybody needs help and the situation is a bit dodgy… avoid it like the plague. Here the main idea drilled into your head is YOUR safety before everybody else’s which makes a lot of sense. Looking at Heat Loss and Immersion in water helped us understand the difference between Heat Extension and Heat Stroke.

As for the link to diving it was easy: after 50 meters you need a hot water suit but after 150 meters you also need hot gas. This means your body can adapt and cope better under pressure.

I have got to say that a lot of the stuff you learn will help you in every day life. We soon looked at different types of poisons and remedies (Household, Drug, Alcohol and food poisoning). Interestingly enough apple juice is very good to take if you have had food poisoning! A quick practical test on 'Anne' followed.

This is 'Anne' by the way.

After a tea break we did some practical work on Individual Recovery Positions and Log Rolling. After this we learned the correct way to apply bandages and put people’s arms in slings. Shortly after, we were dealing with Unconscious Casualties and Assessment Levels of Consciousness. A final power point with graphic pictures of wounds ended our day before lunch.

At 8:00pm the second half of the class (including myself) had the chance to go into the water using commercial diving equipment. The feeling is weird. The dry suit feels like wearing a giant rubber glove and around your neck it feels like someone is strangling you. After putting on the diving bottle/harness, neck-down and helmet it feels very strange. One good thing is that you check the equipment 3 times before you can finally walk around underwater:

1. Check prior to putting the equipment on.
2. Check of equipment when putting it on.
3. Final check just underneath the surface.

The feeling is unique and we are told it is what astronauts feel when they are in space. Although the equipment is heavy outside the water, inside it is very light. If you are claustrophobic this career is definitely not for you. I will add some pictures and video tomorrow so that you can see what I looked like. The dive was by far the best part of the course until now.

Without a doubt I can see why my father likes this job. The tranquility and safety aspects are excellent; however I am still coming to terms with the absence of my beautiful wife and wonderful kids. I wish my son was here to see what I am doing and my wife to reassure her of how much I love her and safe diving is.

Day 2

2008-07-08T22:21:00.005+01:00

The Underwater Diving Centre

Today we started bright and early at 8:30 am. The first session we began looking at Anatomy and physiology, focusing on how the body works under pressure. Initially we looked at the trachea, the bronchus and the alveoli and how O2 becomes CO2 and how it is pumped around the body with the heart. This is interesting and there were many things that I learnt: Such as parts of the heart and the use of Veins and arteries.

After a morning break we looked at Blood and the different states (fluid & solid) as well as the different types of blood cells and their function. Moving on to the skeletal system, vertebrae column, joints, sinuses and muscles the content is not for the weak minded as there is a lot of information and medical terminology to take in.

First aid was the next area and we began by looking at the current legislation and what each persons role is as a first aider. From record keeping, administration and dealing with multiple casualties to 'RIDDOR' , Post Traumatic Stress and heart attacks. This again was interesting but listening to people talk all day did began to take it's toll on some people's concentration.

After lunch we looked at ABC (Airway, Breathing and Circulation) and DRAB (Danger, Response, Airway and Breathing) and safety consideration. One important thing to highlight are the four link chains of survival (Early Access, CPR, Defibrillation and Advanced Care). All of these aspects are important as we are told they will appear in our assessments. One important fact is that you are only allowed to retake any assessment once as failing the retake means the end of the course for you.

For some reason a lot of the next lesson was dedicated to shock and how to identify and treat different types of shock. After this a Navy video was shown to explain Diving Physics based mainly on the Archimedes principle, Boyle's law and Dalton's Law. Needless to say that many of us needed a breath of fresh air. A quick trip to the pier to collect our dry suits and safety gear and we headed out to town. Knowing that some of us were going to dive this evening we all bought some warm socks and had an early dinner. All in all, a very busy day!

A view of Fort William from the pier.

My only disappointment is that I have not had a good chance to talk to my wife or children today. I hope they realise I still love then and they are ALWAYS in my thoughts.

First day class

2008-07-07T21:28:00.004+01:00

Today was our fist day of class. During breakfast some other guys gave us a good idea of what to expect. Every week there is a theory and a practical exam. At the same time lessons start at 8:30 am and end at 5:00. Here is what the classrooms look like.

Our first day we were given our course booklets and looked at HSE rules and regulations (Health and Safety Executive). After which we completed all the paperwork. Do not forget the eight photographs, a form of ID and the diver medical. After this we saw a power point presentation with pictures and examples of different types of diving. Interestingly enough sport diving accounts for over 75% of diving accidents. This is followed by a aptitude test (basic maths If x = ab… what does a = ... and a short essay about why we want to be divers). After lunch you can expect three videos:

1. BBC documentary on Saturation divers.
2. Health and safety after Piper Alpha.
3. Slips, trips and finger nips.

Voila! This is the end of your first day. A short trip to Fort William shows a quaint town with a lot of Celtic symbols and crosses.

The cross at the end of the main street.

This is the pier from which we will be diving from. The background gives you a good idea of the local geography and how mountainous the area really is. This is also the entrance to the loch.

This is the local park / square which is quite empty. There is not a lot of people in Fort William.

Arrival at The Underwater Centre

2008-07-07T21:01:00.006+01:00

Yesterday I arrived at the Underwater Centre. From Aberdeen it took roughly four hours but the trip was very nice. The scenery was beautiful: mountains, lochs, castles… exactly what Scotland is all about.

I was amazed to find a loch with white sand and perfectly clear water.

However, if you are planning to come, make sure you fill up your car as there are not many petrol stations on the way. The Centre itself is nothing magnificent and at first glance looks horrible. Inside the rooms are like student dorms but credit must be given to the cleanliness. Everything is spotless. The guys I am sharing with are great. There is a large amount of foreign people from all walks of life. We are having a great laugh as there is nothing much more to do. The room is spacious enough for the three of us and we each have our own wardrobe. The bathroom, on the other hand is very small but I'll take a clean bathroom over big one.

At the same time we are lucky with our room as it overlooks the loch. If we are lucky we will wake up every morning to this.

Travel

2008-07-05T22:49:00.002+01:00

Today was a busy day... I started yesterday at 6:30am when I finished cleaning the house and packing the car. I have to admit that I am quite good at packing but even I struggled to fit everything into the car. Both the back of the car and the passengers side was full (all the way to the roof). I left Hertford at 5:00pm and took 2 detours to avoid traffic jams on the A10 and M1 near London. Then, near Birmingham on the M6 there was an accident. Lucky enough I took the A50 to the M6 and avoided that junction completely. Would you believe if I told you that there was another accident at junction 18 on the M6. I travelled 4 miles in two hours! If God had a plan to make me get home late... he definitely succeeded. After 11 hours driving I finally arrived at Aberdeen and at 4:30am this morning went to bed. At 8:30 I got up and began helping my father unload my car and sort through everything before we finally put our belongings into storage. I then hoovered and washed the car. Despite feeling tired, I still feel sorry for my wife who I know is not feeling well and is looking after our two children. No matter how much work one can do, looking after children is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the hardest job in the world. Although I try to comfort her and tell her how much I miss her and wish to be with her, sometimes actions are the only way to show love. I hope you will read this Rach and realise how much I miss you and the kids and how much I appreciate all you do for Noah and Chloe. I know you think that I am enjoying life here in the UK, but truth is that no matter where I am, without you and the kids, it will never be the ideal place. This is a short term plan for us to have a family home. I feel like I am letting you down and God knows I am trying my best .... I just hope you can understand. Loving you lots

Leaving my family

2008-06-30T23:50:00.002+01:00

Today my family went to the States while I stayed behind to take care of the house and prepare myself mentally for my new career. Even though I knew this day would come, nothing can prepare you for the feeling of leaving your wife and kids. As they went to bed last night, in my mind I was going over all the possible scenarios of their departure. But this morning, as I held my son Noah before putting him in the taxi he said: 'I want daddy to come with me in the car' and instantly my eyes were full of tears and my stomach was in bits. Then as I gave my wife and daughter a kiss goodbye I knew that this job cannot last a lifetime. I love my family too much. A few years, take the money and run... this is the only way to cope and get through the agony of letting that most precious to me behind. As the taxi left, the look on my wife's has been with me all day and I hope to god that she still loves me as much as I love her and hope she understands why I am at this point of my life and why I believe this is the way forward for our family. I cannot imagine a life without my wife and kids and today that became a horrid reality, one which I would not like anyone to experience. As I walk through this house that I will soon be leaving, all the memories, made me cry even more. Anyone considering diving cannot realise the agony of leaving your family. If I could have done this earlier in my life would I have? I don't know because it is the life that I am leading now that brought my wife and I together and gave us two beautiful children. I love all of you and can't wait to hold you all in my arms.... Amo you all.

Have fun!

2008-06-28T22:17:00.001+01:00

Michal,

Here is your new blog. I hope you like it! Who would have thought after all the ridicule you gave me about blogging that one day you would have your very own!