here we go wks 8 ,9 at long last , better late then never ...
week 8 deep diving phase .
day 1 , started by having to move our beloved dive vessel " the sleat " out of the holy loch onto the clyde at kirn . today was just a descent down a shot line to the cage set at 40 mtrs , with a little bottom time .
day 2 , was a 50 mtrs dive with a task to do at the bottom , this was a box assembly .... sounds easy enough , the box consisted of 6 steel plates , lengths of threaded bar with nuts on to assemble the said box !!! jees there was some wierd boxes !!!
day 3 , another 50 mtrs , but this one was just doing nothing but being there . today was also the usual end of course exam , which happily we all passed .
day 4 , back to the holy loch and for a go on the hot water suits , and wet bell ( the wet bell is next wk on top up )
the suits OH MY GOD , WOW , these suits have hot water running through them , its like diving in a hot water bottle , they are marvelous !!! these suits have a valve on the hip , this valve has pipes running down both legs , both arms , and one running up to your hood.
hot water is pumped from the boat to the wet bell via the main umbilical , then through to the divers umbilical to the suit , TOASTIE WARM ... MARVELOUS ... that is until your buddy turns your valve off , OH HOW WE LAUGHED !!!
day 5 , day off for good behaviour , no only kidding , but as we had done all our dives and passed the exam we got a deserved day off ( drinks all round then )
week 9
this week is surface supplied top up ( the old part 1 )
the wk involved a combination of operating and running the wet bell , tending divers from the wet bell , and lots and lots and lots of diver rescue,s from the wet bell and the surface . all scenarios were done under pressure , with us not knowing what was going to be thrown at us next . obviously without any of us getting confused or flustered !!!
my first rescue of my first day involved me ( after all hell breaking loose) having to inform the instructor that diver 1 was a cock !!! thinking that i had payed out enough umbilical to reach the casualty , found out i was 4 mtrs short !!! .... may i add a mistake never to be repeated !!! anyway after a very intense week and lots of practise , and guidance , we all became very proficient in all the aspects of wet bell use and rescue,s .
along with this we also had to run topside operations , all to standard . we did the obligatory exam and ... HEY HO part 1 / ss top up divers .
so to the end of a greatv 9 weeks ...
week 1 first aid at work
week 2 3 4 pro scuba / part 4
week 5 6 7 8 surface supplied / part 3
week 9 surface supplied top up / part 1
at this point i would like to thank all the instructors and staff at the p.d.a for a great 9 wks , their patience , guidance , advice , and their encouragement , thankyou .
also i would like to congratulate all the students of what was c.d.c 21 , the memories , the laughs , the highs and the lows ,i hope we may meet again in our and look back , WELL DONE FOLKS .
and now to work , my 1st week as a baby diver , black water in a pumping station nr scunthorpe , with a first dive of 150 mins ... I LOVED IT ...
stay tuned
