Imported post
Hi Bren,
The training and testing was done at NEDU Navy Experimental Dive Unit in Panama City Florida. As I'm sure you know, living here on the beach without the rain and cold is really tough...but hey, someone's got to do it.
I miss good Fish and Chips and a proper dive site like Scapa Flow though......
Jay: Trained as a Marine Engineer in the UK, set up a company in Warrington. Rebuilt Vintage cars and Classic cars, raced a Laverda and later a Bimota (purchased, smashed, then rebuilt it)
Learnt how to dive with BSAC - specificaly North West Divers including Hobby's Dad Brian. Started on Air moved over to Nitrox then Trimix. I think we were among the first to run courses in the UK for mixed gas recreationally. Used to dive with Rob Palmer, Stuart Clough, Kevin Gurr etc.
I bought a CCR 155 from Carmellan Research in the early 90's and went sponge collecting for Smith Kline Beecham, did some work with Rob P for LLoyds of London using a computer controlled Kraken unit (Modified BIOMARINE 15/155) to survey a wreck in the Baltic "DAMM COLD!!".
Worked as a consultant engineer to Drager Germany on the SMS2000 project, got to run test dives in Jamaica to 300ft "NICE AND WARM!!"
Went around the world, after I sold the engineering company, running introductary dives with the first PRISM's, also used Prisms for the show with Martha Holmes BBC2 'Beach Watch' in the Farne Islands, She lived...Then Anglia Television in the Red Sea, 'Sail Away' was the series.
There was more stuff, magazine articles like DIVER and front pages in Scuba World but hey enough...... I got to talk at the Diving Officers Conference on mixed gas diving and rebreathers in '94.
Oh! Rob Palmer and myself were the first to get a dispensation to dive mixed gass CCRs from the HSE to work commercialy with companys like the BBC. I had to get an HSE part 4 from Fort Bovisand.
Also we recieved the Royal Mail inovation award for the PRISM - great food at the banquet, but sadly not much dosh so off to pastures new and find some cash and sunshine.
Jay you did ask @#$%%% If you want more let me know this is just UK stuff.
Pete