Hull BSAC Goes Hard Hat Diving
The Diver Training College in York was the venue and the event was well attended by our club members. The sixteen of us were joined by two guests from another club. The day started out well with a good reception from the staff at York. We where split up into two groups for the day. One group doing the first hard hat dive and the other doing the decompression chamber or Hyperbaric chamber if you want to be posh.
The team that did the dive where taken through the history of the big brass helmet although it is not brass as we where reminded on a number of occasions. And it is also worth about £3000.
We where given instructions on how to put the suit and helmet on. And away we went to the steps. We where helped on with the weights and helmet We were then guided to the steps which descended to the bottom of the tank. Wow how different it is to scuba. I cannot see how men ever managed to do any work in this kit but I must say I take my hat off to them. It is not as easy as it looks.
After we had all finished the dive we went down into the club bar for some refreshments and a good hearty meal which we all managed to eat with no problem. After a short break off to the chamber we went. Well I have never had to clear my ears so fast and so many times. In fact at one point I was doing it that fast I almost forgot to breath.
Once we hit the bottom as such 50mtrs we had seen what happens to a tennis ball and a football and of course our voices. A minute on the bottom and on our way back up two five minute stops, one at 9mtrs and one at 6 mtrs.
When we came out the next lot went in. The look of fear on some of the faces was a surprise but they told us we looked like that as well.
When they hit the bottom we could here loud laughter from one of the members guess who? Most will know the laugh. After they came out a quick de-brief and off we went. I drove on that day! Bad choice as the other two slept all the way home. That just goes to show how much energy is used doing this sort of thing.
Gavin Jones
The team that did the dive where taken through the history of the big brass helmet although it is not brass as we where reminded on a number of occasions. And it is also worth about £3000.
We where given instructions on how to put the suit and helmet on. And away we went to the steps. We where helped on with the weights and helmet We were then guided to the steps which descended to the bottom of the tank. Wow how different it is to scuba. I cannot see how men ever managed to do any work in this kit but I must say I take my hat off to them. It is not as easy as it looks.
After we had all finished the dive we went down into the club bar for some refreshments and a good hearty meal which we all managed to eat with no problem. After a short break off to the chamber we went. Well I have never had to clear my ears so fast and so many times. In fact at one point I was doing it that fast I almost forgot to breath.
Once we hit the bottom as such 50mtrs we had seen what happens to a tennis ball and a football and of course our voices. A minute on the bottom and on our way back up two five minute stops, one at 9mtrs and one at 6 mtrs.
When we came out the next lot went in. The look of fear on some of the faces was a surprise but they told us we looked like that as well.
When they hit the bottom we could here loud laughter from one of the members guess who? Most will know the laugh. After they came out a quick de-brief and off we went. I drove on that day! Bad choice as the other two slept all the way home. That just goes to show how much energy is used doing this sort of thing.
Gavin Jones