Dive Supervising

February 21, 2010   

divesup

As part of the marine team we all train to be dive supervisors so we can all cox the boat, supervise the dive or indeed dive. This is a picture of me talking to the divers using the underwater comms system. As supervisor you do paperwork ashore and make sure all the safety equipment is onboard as well as the normal dive equipment. When on the water you tell the divers what depth and time they are allowed and work with the cox to determine the best place to put the divers in the water. We always enter the water at about 6 meters so that we are a silohette for the minimum amount of time and we then proceed to depth along the sea floor. Leopard seals find it hard to see you when you are not a silohette. You help the divers get kitted up and then carry out the checks (air, clips, weights, knives, guages and profile) then put on their full face masks for them and tell them when they can roll off the boat. You also talk to the person doing seal watch to make sure they have not seen leps or orcas. You note the time the divers leave the surface and stay in contact with them asking for air, telling them how much time till they need to be at safety, making sure they get to safety, keeping them clear or icebergs and telling them how far they are from surface items etc. You note when the diver gets to safety and also when they are leaving for the surface. The time is noted when they return to surface and you dekit them and help them out of the water. Also we put the animals they have collected into a bucket of water on the boat for transport back to the auarium. If a lep or orca turn up you instructed the divers on what action to take and also in the case of a diver accident take charge of getting them back to medical attention.

 

2 Responses to “Dive Supervising”

  1. Sounds like a big responsibility to me x mum

  2. Nice to visit the site. What a life you lead! Best to your Mom and Dad.